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UNIQUE SAPE HERITAGE CONTEST

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TELANG Usan Assemblyman Dennis Ngau in a group photo with all the contestants and officials.
TELANG Usan Assemblyman Dennis Ngau in a group photo with all the contestants and officials.

LONG SAN, ULU BARAM:  Long San, an outstanding village with colourful historical backgrounds can be made as the centre for sape development be it learning of playing sape music, dance, sape making, sape festival and competition in the State.

According to Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau, Long San is the only venue that had started to promote sape playing  to the young generation.

“As Telang Usan Wakil Rakyat where the  sape training  for Baram youth is carried out   I am   happy and appreciate  the great  teamwork between Long San Longhouse leadership, JKKKs and Sararawak Energy Berhad ( SEB ) which  has enabled the training to be carried out with huge success,” he said when  declaring open the inaugural Telang Usan Sape Heritage Competition 2017 (Pertandingan Warisan Sape Telang Usan 2017) in Long San on Wednesday.

Dennis believed that the competition and other related events to grow bigger in years to come. 

“Holding the competition in a local environment deep in the interior  surrounded by longhouses and its community,  where sape music has been part of their life,  cannot be found anywhere in the world.  

“You can bring sape music or organise a sape competition anywhere in the world, but all that cannot replace the magic of sape music, played and be heard in the longhouses of the Orang Ulu community itself,” he said.

“We will make this Pertandingan Warisan Sape Telang Usan competition permanent to be held in Long San every year as part of our effort to promote tourism in Telang Usan,” he said.

As I announced earlier the other events  to be held yearly or biannually  is  Long Lama as venue for Pesta Sukan Air Long Lama;  Long Aton and Long Luyang Tinjar as centre for White Water-Rafting; Daleh  Long Pelutan@Long Miri as centre for Pesta Sukan and kebudayaan Belia Baram, Long Bedian as centre for Highland Folks Music and Dance Festival, Long Kevuk as centre for football competition for Penan community. 

Besides, we will also hold events which could bring or draw people and promote healthy life style and at the same time open up economic opportunities to our people,” he added.

Together with Dennis at the event were Charles Balan Seling, a political secretary to Chief Minister; Jiwari Abdullah, the Head of SEB CSR Unit; Penghulu Jalong Tanyit as Chief Judge; KK Lucia Paya of Long San;  Cr Peter Bit; TK Augustine Supen;  Oganising Chairman Anthony Lawai Karing and Ex KK Jimmy Gau.

Dennis urged his constituents to work well with SEB for their own good. 

SEB being one of the biggest wholly owned state government companies, he said,  has its Corporate Social Responsibility ( CSR ) throughout the state.  

Take Singapore as an example where from  a small island without any natural resources for economic growth now, he said, it has became one of the most successful countries in the region if not the world. 

According to him, this was due to their readiness to accept ideas for common good.

Seven teams took part ( two sape players and one lady dancer) in the competition.

TI Bareng team which emerged champion received cash of RM800.00 plus certificate.

“A total of 20 sape trainees have been trained for 72 weeks fully sponsored by Sarawak Energy Berhad ( SEB ). With SEB efforts I have full confidence that this effort will produce consistant sape players among the Orang Ulu community in years to come,” he said.

The competition was held for the first time in Long San Ulu Baram, which is about five hours’ drive by 4WD vehicle from Miri City.

 

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