The Bidayuh community from as far as Sematan are all geared up to present the best-ever Pesta Birumeh.
As many as 16 RC boat participants from Brunei have confirmed taking part in the Pesta Birumeh RC boat race. Seen here are five of them, including Superapto Suaji (second right).
SERIAN: With high hopes that Serian will be elevated to a division, the Bidayuh community is all geared up to present to Sarawak the best-ever Pesta Birumeh (Bidayuh Harvest Festival) this year.
As of yesterday, Pesta Birumeh 2015 has gone through the second and final full-dress rehearsals involving 34 contingents made up of 2,000 individuals.
Outstanding Bidayuhs such as Pandelela Rinong who has gained international fame through swimming and Dewi Liana Seriestha, the reigning Miss Malaysia World 2014, are invited to attend the event. Some Bidayuh Ring Ladies will also be present to showcase the old traditional Bidayuh culture.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem is expected to launch the event which will be held at Serian Mini Stadium tomorrow (Saturday).
As the deputy organising chairman of this grand celebration which expects an audience of 10,000, Serian District officer Sinde Muling when met at the rehearsal told The Borneo Post the event has received overwhelming support from all the Bidayuhs, stretching from Serian to Lundu, Bau and Penrissen.
There will also be a RC boat competition at Tasik Danu where contingents from Thailand, Brunei and Indonesia will be participating.
Sinde said the purpose of the event is to remind the Bidayuh community especially the younger generation of the contribution of their forefathers and the Bidayuh’s distinctive culture so that they would not lose sight of their roots as they move forward in progress.
This is the second grand-scale Pesta Birumeh to be held in Serian. The town was chosen as the venue of celebration because it has been seen to be ready for all possibilities including further expansion and development.
“Serian is ready for big happenings and events. It just has that spirit to accept new things and ready for change for the better. And that is possible for Serian because basic amenities have been in place,” said Sinde.
He also said all villages in Tebedu and Kedup areas are well connected by roads and almost all villages in Tebedu are provided with electricity and water while in Kedup, more than 75 per cent of the villages enjoy electricity and clean water supply.
Stressing that Serian has been the most vibrant settlement in greater Kuching and has been Kuching’s gateway to other parts of Sarawak and also to Indonesia, Sinde believed that its strategic location gave it an edge over other districts.
Citing Tasik Danu, Ranchan Pool Recreation Park and Panchor Hotspring as examples, Sinde said tourism would be one of the areas which could be tapped to bring in more revenue.
On another subject, Sinde said the main factor contributing to the success of the Bidayuh community has been unity.
“The Bidayuh community is doing well because there is unity among the people. Unity is always being upheld, even above politics. Unity can be seen even in organising an event like this where there is support from all Bidayuhs including those from as far as Sematan,” he said.
Despite their small population of about 200,000 across Sarawak, due to their unity, the Bidayuhs have been recognised politically as among them, there is a full federal minister and a deputy federal minister while in the state government, the community also has a good representation in the form a full minister, a deputy speaker and two assistant ministers.