Borneo tea parties continue to attract crowds

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KENINGAU: Borneo tea parties, the political awareness talk series being organised by the United Borneo Front (UBF) across the state, continued to draw in enthusiastic crowds in Sabah, especially in areas where the Kadazandusuns are substantial in numbers.

Last Wednesday, hundreds of adults from Kampung Kapayan Lama near here, turned up to listen to UBF chairman Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.

The crowd in Kapayan, as in the over 400 previous tea parties in various places, was so spirited that they responded positively to each statement by the speakers that they agreed with.

The Borneo tea party has now developed itself into a certain form. The talk would start with the audience singing the Negaraku and Sabah Tanah Airku. This would be followed by a comprehensive explanation of background of Sabah and the formation of Malaysia in 1963, normally done by either of two of Jeffrey’s senior UBF officers, Edward Linggu or Rubin Guribah.

Then, Jeffrey would give his more detailed and analytical versions of how Sabah gained independence from the British and agreeing to form Malaysia Federation.