DALAT: The Sarawak government acknowledges all local native ethnic groups without making any of them feel excluded.
Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts (MTCP) Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah stressed the importance of unity and tolerance to maintain harmony in the state which is made up of various races.
He regarded the Melanau community as an example since it has its own distinctive characteristics and displays tolerance towards all cultures.
The Sarawak Public Communication Unit (UKAS) reported Abdul Karim as saying that the Melanau heritage has great potential to be commercialised to people from all over the country.
He said value-added tourism should attract which will help generate the economy, in addition to increasing the income of local dwellers.
“A complete network of road connections throughout the state will benefit the tourism industry.
“The unique and distinct Melanau heritage has great potential to be commercialised to people from all over the country,” he said when officiating at the Semarak Warisan Melanau @ Dalat at Kompleks Kebajikan Dalat yesterday (Feb 19).
Abdul Karim who is also the Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Minister pointed out that the King is scheduled to visit Sarawak in September and will stop in Mukah.
Therefore, he said, it will give the Melanau community, including in Dalat, an opportunity to present their unique culture.
At the end of his speech, he announced Minor Rural Project (MRP) allocations amounting to RM150,000 to various organisations in Dalat and RM50,000 to the Sarawak P. Ramlee Fan Association.
Earlier, Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said the objective of the Semarak Warisan Melanau event is to prepare content or programmes for the Melanau Heritage Gallery 2.
She said the People’s Project (Projek Rakyat) had been approved by Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg with an allocation of RM18 million.
“It will include the elements of traditional Melanau music, food, medicine, games, handicrafts, and figures, as well as the traditions of the Melanau people and their historical background in the Dalat constituency.
“The second objective is to highlight traditional Melanau food such as sago.
“So our request to the ministry (MTCP) is to be able to highlight sago as a national heritage food. In this programme, we also launched the Dalat Tourism Trail,” she said.
On the same note, Fatimah also hoped that MTCP can help set up premises for workshops, galleries and weekend markets next to Kampung Tanam Waterfront.
An agreement has been struck with the Dalat Centre for Technological Excellence Sarawak (CENTEX) to provide a ‘serao’ making course, she said.
It is anticipated to be completed by the end of this year.
‘Serao’ or ‘terendak’ is a traditional Melanau headpiece. Nipah leaves, bamboo, or rattan are typically used to make traditional terendak.
Making a traditional ‘terendak’ is more difficult than it appears, since it takes trained individuals to complete the weaving process to create a captivating terendak.
Also present were Datuk John Sikie Tayai, the Minister in the Department of the Premier of Sarawak, Balingian assemblyman Abdul Yakub Arbi, and Tellian assemblyman Royston Valentine.
