Some 40 sub-ethnicities co-exist peacefully in Sarawak, despite the differences in their customs, dialects, values and lifestyles.

Over 60 percent of them can be categorised as Dayaks. Among them are the Iban, Bidayuh, Kayan, Kenyah, Kelabit and Orang Ulu people.

All have one thing in common, they celebrate the Gawai Dayak, a festival celebrated on June 1 every year.

History

The idea for the festival dates back to 1957 when it was discussed in a radio forum and piqued the interest of many from within the Dayak community. However, the British colonial government refused to recognise a special day to celebrate for the Dayaks. Instead, they appointed June 1 as Sarawak Day, a day to celebrate all the ethnicities of the state.

However, after the formation of Malaysia, June 1 was officially gazetted as a public holiday in place of Sarawak Day on Sept 25, 1964.

Today, Gawai Day is a grand celebration and an integral part of Dayak social life. The Dayaks would visit their friends and relatives on the auspicious day or send greeting cards to those who lived far away. The rice wine ‘tuak’ usually drunk during the occasion is brewed a month prior to it and grand feasts are prepared for the celebration. Family members who have moved away from their hometowns would return to spend the festival with their families.

Longhouses

Arthur C Bangki, 35, an offshore oil rig worker, said he would always return to his hometown in Nanga Machan, Kanowit, some 420km from here for Gawai.

“I am an Iban and proud of my heritage. Gawai is celebrated by multiple ethnicities in their own way and everyone agrees that the first day of June is a special day in commemorating the unity of Dayak in Sarawak,” he said.

Arthur said Gawai, which meant festival in Iban, was generally celebrated to mark the end of the rice harvesting season and the start of a new one. It is for this reason that it is also known as the harvest festival.

Besides Gawai Dayak, there are also many other types of traditional rituals that are part of the Iban culture, such as Gawai Kenyalang, Gawai Batu, Gawai Antu, Gawai Bersimpan and Gawai Padi.

The harvest festival usually lasts until the second or third week of June, culminating in a ceremony called ‘ngiling bidai’, which is a closing celebration for the festival.

The merriest of celebrations typically takes place at the longhouse, which sometimes houses up to 30 families.

Visiting

The Gawai Dayak promises a rich cultural experience for foreign visitors who wish for a memorable time in Sarawak.

Some tour packages will even allow visitors access into longhouses during the festival, so that they can experience the merrymaking and festivities up close.

The days prior to the Gawai Dayak see the boat terminals in Sibu, Kanowit, Song and Kapit as the busiest. The terminals run alongside Malaysia’s longest river, the 563km Rejang River.

It is estimated that some 15,000 people utilise the express boat services per day in the week leading up to the festival. The Gawai festival in Sarawak sees the return of its natives who reside outside the state.

Many of the indigenous people of Sarawak have left the state or moved to bigger cities in search of a better live. However, the majority of them make it a point to return to their hometowns to celebrate what is possibly the most significant of celebrations in the state.

Taking care of sensitivities

John Lalong, a ‘tuai rumah’ (longhouse headman) said his longhouse in Jalan Teku, Sibu is always open to the public during Gawai Dayak, welcoming everyone regardless of race or creed.

He and his ‘anak biak’ (charges) take into account religious dietary restrictions of guests and always ensured that halal food are available for guests.

“Some of us have in-laws who are Muslims or Chinese and some are related to them by blood. We understand and sincerely respect their sensitivities,” he said.

The Christian Dayaks, meanwhile, celebrate Gawai by gathering in churches, visiting relatives and having family luncheons and dinners together.

- Bernama