Dear Editor,
I write this out of great
disappointment with the Harvest Festival at the KDCA grounds this year.
In the past, I would go to
the KDCA to enjoy the harvest festival atmosphere where the exhibitions would
really represent the agricultural background of the event.
There would be plenty of
beautiful costumes, agricultural products, handicrafts, books and literatures
in local languages, traditional food and
drinks for sale in most stalls and of course the traditional sporting events
and music with traditional instruments.
However, this year there
seemed to be only one theme in ALL the stalls and even at the traditional
houses representing several districts. And the theme is simply 'BEER &
STOUT' with karaokes or programmed keyboard music to encourage you to drink
until drunk.
For 'Pusas' to help you down
more beers, you are offered smoky barbecued pork, lamb chops, beef satay and
low class fish, even the hinava is prepared using cheap vinegars instead of
natural citric fruits. The barbecued chicken wings or pronounced as 'Sicken
Wings' and barbecued fish all seemed to be philipino style.
Totally missing are all the
traditional food especially the vegies and traditional drinks except for one 'orang
putih' who is the only one selling 'lihing' which was of reasonable quality!
The locals do not know how
to make them any longer.. ha ha ha
I am told that the stall
operators have to maximise their sales
of westernised drinks in order to make up for the high rentals of the stall,
but the overall effect is that the original concept and celebration of
harvesting is all gone.
After all in Penampang
district, there is hardly any harvest of anything when the padi fields have
long disappeared after being filled up with red clay to make way for buildings,
shops, housing and all other things 'modern'.
The only left to remind you
of the agricultural past are two half size concrete buffaloes at the entrance
of the KDCA building!
Well, if this is the price
we have to pay for so-called 'development' then at least what the state
government and the KDCA should do is simply stop the misrepresentation of the
festival.
I strongly request the
government of Musa Aman together with the Leadership of Huguan Siou, Pairin
Kitingan to rename the festival as 'Beer Stout Karaoke Magauk Aramai Tii
Festival' so that we wont be accused of false advertisement in our Tourism
Brochures.
Keeehoi And Aramai Tiii!
Best Regards,
KDM PENAMPANG
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