By DayakDaily Team
PUTRAJAYA, Aug 31: “Aku enda peduli, Aku enda ngira rugi, Seagi aku enda puas ati, Biar aku ambis bekikis bulu betis”.
These lines are from the popular Iban song ‘Biar Bekikis Bulu Betis’, performed by the renowned Iban artist Penghulu Andrewson Ngalai Asom, which was featured prominently during the 67th National Day celebration at Dataran Putrajaya today.
Frequently played at festivals and events in Sarawak, the song was part of the Malaysia Madani performance slot, which also included a piece from Negeri di Bawah Bayu titled “Original Sabahan”, according to a news report from Bernama.
Although Andrewson could not attend the live performance, he expressed pride and joy as the composer and lyricist of the song.
He was thrilled that his work was chosen for such a significant national event.
“This song is for everyone, and I’m always eager to share a piece of Sarawak’s culture with the world. It’s especially gratifying to see people from different communities enjoy it,” Andrewson shared with Bernama.
Released in 2003, ‘Biar Bekikis Bulu Betis’ tells the story of a man’s determined efforts to win over the woman he loves.
The song gained wider recognition beyond Sarawak after being frequently played during the ‘Kembara Kenali Borneo’ road trip, which was led by the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, last September.
The song has also become a symbol of unity and the strengthening of bonds between Sarawak and other states.
This was evident during the recent Malaysia Games (Sukma) XXI 2024 in Sarawak, where the song featured in a viral video showing Sarawak athletes performing the ‘poco-poco’ dance with athletes from other states. — DayakDaily
