KUCHING: The Gawai Dayak celebration dinner 2023 will be held at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) on June 7 with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail set to be attending the dinner.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the Iban community will be hosting the celebration this year, with participation from the Dayak Cultural Foundation and Sarawak Arts Council.
“There will be special entertainment and cultural performances by the various Dayak communities during the dinner.
“There will also be the Beauty Queen Parade during the Gawai Dayak Celebration 2023 which includes winners of the Gawai 2023 Kumang, Dayung Sangon, Keligit competition that was held in various divisions and will showcase the uniqueness and variety of traditional costumes from different ethnic groups,” he told a press conference after chairing a meeting on the Gawai Dayak Celebration 2023 at BCCK today.
Meanwhile, Uggah also announced that this year’s Gawai Dayak Open House to held at BCCK on June 1 will be among the many series of events lined up for this year’s Gawai celebration.
He added that the theme for this year’s Gawai celebration will be ‘Segulai Sejalai’ (Together in Unity) emphasising the importance of unity among the various communities in Sarawak.
Besides the Gawai Dayak Open House, the Gawai Parade (Niti Daun) will also be held on June 17, starting from the Tun Jugah Building and will end at the Kuching Waterfront’s Darul Hana Bridge, covering a distance of 1.2 kilometres which commences at 3.30 pm on that day.
The Niti Daun anticipates the participation of over 80 contingents, comprising approximately 2,500 individuals and will be officiated by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
Following that, the 10-day Gawai Dayak Bazaar 2023 will be held at the Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Community Hall in Jalan Padungan from June 16 until 25.
The festival will start at 5 pm on weekdays and 11 am on weekends, and will end at 11 pm daily. Events lined up include the Dayak Cultural Art Performances, live band performances, Kumang and Keling contests, Gawai Idol talent shows and performances by local artistes.
Among those present at the press conference were Minister in the Premier’s Department cum Organising Committee chairman Datuk John Sikie Tayai, Deputy Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government Datuk Dr Penguang Manggil, and Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Labour, Immigration and Project Monitoring) Datuk Gerawat Gala.
