SERIAN: The Bidayuh Song Chart Award (Anugerah Carta Lagu Bidayuh or ACLB) is seen as a significant platform to elevate the Bidayuh music industry to greater heights.
Serian MP Datuk Seri Dr Richard Riot Jaem said the quality of Bidayuh songs has continued to improve over the years, with ACLB playing a key role in encouraging growth within the industry.
“With ACLB, I believe the Bidayuh music scene will continue to flourish.
“Congratulations to RTM Sarawak, especially the Bidayuh section, for successfully organising such a meaningful event that uplifts our creative industry,” he said when officiating at the 10th Bidayuh Song Chart Award held at Dataran Mutiara Tebedu last night (May 24).
Earlier, RTM Sarawak chief assistant director for Radio Section Marrill Chunggat said the number of new Bidayuh song submissions has grown from three songs per month to three new songs each week.
This, he said, is a positive development that reflects the growing interest in Bidayuh creative works.
He added that the chart initially started as a weekly programme aimed at discovering new talents, particularly among Bidayuh songwriters and singers.
“Compared to Iban songs, which have long been ahead in terms of quantity and quality, Bidayuh songs are now being actively promoted to be on par, or even more prestigious,” he said.
In conjunction with Radio Sarawak’s 71st anniversary, Marrill announced that Bidayuh-language broadcast hours will be increased by six hours daily, bringing the total to 18 hours a day starting June 6.
The additional programming will be aired automatically from midnight to 6am to meet the increasing demand from the Bidayuh community.
He also shared that Wai FM Bidayuh’s social media channel has recorded nearly 1.3 million views—surpassing that of Wai FM Iban, which he described as an uncommon achievement.
“This reflects the strong support from our listeners who actively share, follow, like, and comment on the Wai FM Bidayuh official platform,” he said.
