By DayakDaily Team
BINTULU, May 16: The inaugural Niti Daun programme is set to become a permanent fixture in the annual Gawai Dayak celebration calendar following a strong turnout from the local community.
The colourful event at Bintulu Esplanade drew a strong turnout of more than 3,000 participants across 73 registered teams, with organisers expecting even higher numbers as many also joined informally, including government departments, longhouse Village Development and Security Committees (JKK), clubs, associations, and students from across the district.
Deputy Minister for Infrastructure and Port Development Datuk Majang Renggi said the encouraging response reflects the strong community spirit and unity among Bintulu residents.
“This Niti Daun programme is the first of its kind, organised through close collaboration between the district office and various government agencies.
“The response has been very encouraging, with participation from government departments, JKK longhouses, clubs, associations and students,” he told reporters after leading the lively Niti Daun procession at Bintulu Market in a TVS news report.
Majang, who is also the Samalaju assemblyman, said the programme was jointly organised by the Bintulu District Office with support from several agencies, including the Public Works Department (JKR).
The event featured vibrant cultural highlights including a traditional pampat drum performance, a sacred miring ritual, and prize presentations to winning teams.
He also said the community-based programme promotes a healthy lifestyle while strengthening unity among Bintulu’s multi-ethnic communities in the spirit of Gawai Dayak. — DayakDaily
