By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, Feb 6: Sarawak Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development (MEITD) Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn will lead the Bidayuh community in hosting the Sarawak-level Gawai Dayak Celebration 2024 after last year’s successful event by the Iban community.
Deputy Premier of Sarawak, Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the State-level event would be held in turns by the Iban, Bidayuh and Orang Ulu communities.
“For 2024, the Celebration will be hosted by the Bidayuh community and the organising committee chairman is Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn,” he said during the 2023 Gawai Dayak Celebration’s appreciation dinner held at a leading hotel here earlier tonight.
Uggah further mentioned that he would bring up the forthcoming committee’s request for funding from the Sarawak government to organise this year’s Gawai Dayak Celebration.
At the event, Uggah witnessed the passing of the baton in the form of ‘tikar lampit’ from Sarawak Minister in the Premier’s Department Dato Sri John Sikie Tayai who was the organising chairman of last year’s event to Sagah.
Meanwhile, Sikie in his welcoming speech, expressed his gratitude to Uggah for having faith in the Iban community to be Tuai Gawai and Sikie himself to be the chairman of last year’s event.
Apart from RM1 million allocation donated by the Sarawak government for last year’s event, Sikie said his committee also received contribution from the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC); Sarawak Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts (MTCP); other government agencies and individuals.
Also present during the dinner were Sarawak Minister of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development (M-FICORD) Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom; Deputy Minister of Transport (Aviation and Road) Datuk Dr Jerip Susil and Sarawak Police Commissioner Dato Mancha Ata. — DayakDaily
