KENINGAU: Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association (KDCA) vice president Rayner Francis Udong has rejected the opposition claims that Sumazau dance is a cult.
“The allegation in suarapakatanrakyat.com website is not true and for the Kadazandusun Murut (KDM) community in the state, Sumazau is a KadazanDusun traditional dance in the state and has nothing to do with worship,” he told The Borneo Post here yesterday.
Udong said the allegation was just an affront to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak as quoted on the website.
He believes the writer does not know that the Sumazau dance already exists for centuries in the state and everyone regardless of race and religion is free to dance the Sumazau.
“As a KDM community in the state, I would like to clarify that the Sumazau dance is not a worship dance,” he said.
Udong who is also Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) information chief, rejected the allegation for the writer does not know the origin of the Sumazau dance.
The writer’s allegation is politically motivated, he pointed out.
Udong said the writer might want to equate Sumazau dance with the ‘Magavau’ ceremony that is often practised by the KDM community during Harvest Festival in the state.
“If that’s what the writer thought it is, he or she is totally wrong. ‘Magavau’, is a ceremony performed by a Babalian, and it has its rules or ‘pantang larang’ while Sumazau is a traditional and cultural dance of the KadazanDusun community. Sumazau is performed to welcome guests during Harvest Festival, wedding or any occasion either formal or informal and anyone can perform or dance the Sumazau. There is no prohibition,” Udong said.
“I advise the suarapakatanrakyat.com website writer not to politicize culture of any ethnic group just for the sake of seeking for sympathy. Anyone can dance the Sumazau because it is a dance to strengthen a sense of solidarity as well as goodwill and unity,” he said.