The Malaysian Insight

AS thousands thronged to Penampang’s landmark KadazanDusun Cultural Association (KDCA) Hongkod Koisaan grounds for the Kaamatan harvest festival this year, all eyes were on Joseph Pairin Kitingan.

The former Sabah deputy chief minister of the previous Barisan Nasional (BN) cabinet is the “Huguan Siou” or paramount leader of the Kadazan-Dusun community, being the president of the KDCA.

He was also the founder of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and led the party for 33 years until handing over reins of the opposition party to his nephew, Maximus Ongkili, on July 1 last year,

Pairin had always been the cornerstone of the annual festival but the fall of BN at the May 9 polls last year saw the 79-year-old, PBS and the KDCA falling out of favour with the present Warisan-led government. Pairin was conspicuously missing from the month-long celebrations this year, up until the closing ceremony.

The month-long Kaamatan harvest festival last year and this year were both organised by the state government, unlike in previous years where the KDCA took charge of celebrations.

Kaamatan is observed by the Kadazan, Dusun and Murut ethnic groups for a whole month, starting May 1, with the Unduk Ngadau beauty pageant held in every district.

The event climaxed with two-day long festivities at the HongKod Koisaan in Penampang.

Pairin was spotted making his rounds at the Hongkod Koisaan Cultural Village at the opening of the harvest festival yesterday.

Many had called on Pairin to rise above politics after his retirement as the “huguan siou” title conferred to him in 1984 was supposed to be apolitical.

In early may, Warisan vice-president cum Sabah Infrastructure Development Minister Peter Anthony had met with Pairin and proposed to him to unite the indigenous ethnic groups irrespective of political leanings, to which Pairin agreed.

“We are all under one roof, all this while the Kadazandusun-Murut community was split because of political differences,” said Anthony.

Sabah Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal said he was pleased to have the “Huguan Siou” with him for the closing ceremony today.

“I am so pleased. He is an old friend. And we have been working for many years when I was in the federal cabinet and he was the Sabah deputy chief minister in the past regime.

“Pairin knows he wants to leave a good legacy as the leader of the KDMs,” he said.

Shafie said his presence symbolised the unification of the Sabah people of all races and said if all races could come together then Sabah would be able to realise the industrialisation of the state.

The two leaders also hugged each other after officially launching the closing of the Kaamatan celebrations.  – May 31, 2019.