James Semilan Guang
SIBU: Those celebrating Gawai Dayak this year are advised to take precautions and practise personal hygiene to avoid creating a Gawak Dayak cluster after the celebration.
Pemanca James Semilan Guang said it is important for the Dayak community in the longhouses to practise good personal hygiene to stop the spread of Covid-19.
“This year, Gawai Dayak will be celebrated in a different environment due to Covid-19. We all know that Covid-19 is dangerous and can bring death.
“That is why we must be careful and continue to practise personal hygiene and to follow all the standard operating procedures (SOPs) given by the government,” he pointed out.
Noting that it is a normal practice for longhouse folks to gather in large numbers at the ‘ruai’ of the longhouse to celebrate Gawai or during miring ceremony, he advised that this year they can only celebrate it in a group of not more than 20 people.
“The government does not prohibit us to celebrate Gawai or have miring ceremony, but we have to be conscious of the danger of Covid-19 and not do it in a large group.
“Maybe we can have the ceremony in groups of not more than 20 people each,” he explained, adding that social distancing must be practised as well.
Apart from that, James also reminded the longhouse folks that there should be no sharing of glasses during the celebration to avoid the spread of the coronavirus.
“Do not practise that anymore when drinking. This is for the benefit of us all,” he said.
He also advised the longhouse folks to constantly wash their hands and to keep their longhouses clean.
To the Dayak community living in towns, James advised them not to go back to their longhouse to celebrate Gawai Dayak.
“If possible, those staying or working in the towns should not go back to the longhouses but celebrate Gawai with their own family at home. He also advised those staying in the longhouses not to go door-to-door visiting (ngabang) and those in the towns not to visit their friends’ houses.
“Let us do our part and take care of one another,” he said.