Jo-Anna (fourth right) handing over souvenir to Toh Puan.
KOTA KINABALU: All finalists of the state-level Unduk Ngadau are required to prepare a documented cultural research of their respective ethnic group, said organising committee chairperson Jo-Anna Sue Henley Rampas.
It is one of the new approaches and changes introduced in the traditional pageant this year.
“We also changed the maximum age from 25 to 27 to allow more participants from all parts of the state.
“These are among changes and improvements we made this year, where the competition will start from May 27 to June 1,” she said.
Jo-Anna said it was compulsory for finalists to document their culture and present it to the juries during the pre-assessment on May 28, while the top three winners would be required to do another research in their respective constituencies for the next one year.
She said this when paying a courtesy call on the consort of Head of State, Toh Puan Norlidah R.M Jasni at Istana Negeri yesterday.