LIMBANG: The Pesta Makan Tahun Kedayan is more than just a cultural celebration; it serves as a platform to foster unity, preserve heritage, and boost the rural economy, said Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.
Awang Tengah said the event is significant as it brings together Kedayan communities from across Borneo to honour and celebrate their ancestral customs and traditions.
“This festival is held by the Kedayan community as a gesture of gratitude for a bountiful harvest from paddy cultivation. While paddy farming is no longer our main activity, it was once our primary livelihood.
“The Kedayan, like other Bumiputera communities, were traditionally farmers and artisans who produced handicrafts from forest resources — this was our way of life.
“So, the Majlis Makan Tahun is not only about giving thanks but also a celebration of unity, cooperation, and the spirit of collective communal action, which has always been our strength.
“We must preserve these values of togetherness and mutual support, which is the foundation of our resilience,” he said when officiating at the Pesta Makan Tahun Kedayan 2025, organised by the Kedayan Association of Limbang at Dewan Kampung Tuna Gumaya Benuas recently.
The event attracted more than 1,000 guests, including those from Brunei Darussalam, Sabah, Labuan, and Lawas.
Awang Tengah, who is also Second Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development emphasised the importance of passing down cultural heritage to younger generations amid rapid modernisation.
He stressed that Sarawak’s diversity in ethnicity and religion should continue to be celebrated under the spirit of ‘Unity in Diversity’, which has long been the backbone of the state’s harmony.
He added that unity, cooperation, and tolerance remain the pillars of Sarawak’s strength as a multicultural and multi-faith state.
As Sarawak’s Minister for International Trade, Industry and Investment, Awang Tengah also reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to developing northern Sarawak, particularly Limbang and Lawas, in line with the Post-COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030.
Among the high-impact projects planned or underway are the Northern Coastal Highway through Brunei, set to begin in the third quarter of this year (three packages in Limbang, two in Lawas), the Sarawak-Sabah Link Road (SSLR) from Gelugus to Long Lopeng in Lawas, which will connect to Miri, and plans for the Trans Borneo Highway and the construction of multiple bridges.
He said there are plans for integration of Limbang and Lawas into the state power grid this year, along with efforts to improve water supply and telecommunications coverage to stimulate the local economy, including support for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
He also said Limbang and Lawas will be developed into buffalo production hubs, under the mandate of the Ministry of Food Industry, Commodities, and Regional Development (M-FICORD), and highlighting opportunities in tourism, agriculture, livestock and fisheries.
To enhance cross-border cooperation, the state government will strengthen ties with Brunei Darussalam, particularly in the SME sector, through the establishment of a dedicated office in the neighbouring country.
