Cultural groups selected for Borneo meet
By Laila Rahman & Hj Minor Absah

Guest of honour Hj Bujang bin Hj Masu'ut, Director of Information Department presents a souvenir to one of the foreign delegates. Photos: Hj Minor Absah

The selection for the Borneo Ethnic Cultural Group Meet 2003 was held at the Temburong Community premises in the Temburong district. The cultural event began October 3 and ended October 5, 2003. The activity was jointly organised by the Temburong Cultural and Tourism Association and the Temburong District Office. Guest of honour at the ceremony was Hj Bujang bin Hj Masu'ut, Director of Information Department.

Among the objectives of the cultural show were to provide the opportunity to meet and to promote cultural exchange between indigenous communities from local and foreign countries, in the interests of upgrading the cultural indigenous communities' status in Brunei Darussalam.

The event was also meant to identify and to view the characteristic similarities and cultural differences as well communities due to their different place of living.

The activity was one of the initiatives made by the Temburong District in attracting interest of tourists to visit the District.

Local participants were from various indigenous communities such as the Brunei Malays of Brunei-Muara district, the Kedayan Malays, Dusun Malays and Tutong Malays of Tutong District, the Belait Malays of Belait district, as well as the Murut Malays and the Iban community of Temburong District.

Foreign participants comprised those also from various indigenous communities such as the Kedayan Malays and Bisayas of Limbang District, Brunei Malays of Lawas District, Murut Lun Dayeh of Sipitang, Kedayan Malays from Labuan, and others from Kalimantan & Sambas.

Every indigenous community was allowed to display its cultural heritage in a performance for a period of 10 to 15 minutes. The groups were also encouraged to give cultural heritage performances that had never before been performed.

During the cultural performance held at the premises, there was also a bazaar that promotes various products and food items for the people to enjoy the cultural show performance.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin