SIBU: The Hari Gawai festival, which is celebrated on June 1 every year by the Dayak community in Sarawak, is a platform to unify the communities of various races and religions to enable them live a harmonious and prosperous life.
Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the festival is not only celebrated by the Dayak community but also celebrated together by all communities just like Chinese New Year and Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
"Gawai Day is not only limited to the Dayak community but as we can witness tonight and on many other occasions like this, we are always with all communities regardless of religion or race.
"Likewise Chinese New Year, it is no longer only celebrated by the Chinese community but the Dayak community also await the arrival of the Chinese New Year as well as Hari Raya Aidilfitri," he said at the Sibu Dayak 2024 Pre Gawai Night event here last night.
The event was jointly organised by Sarawak Dayak National Union (SDNU), Sarakup Indu Dayak Sarawak (SIDS), Orang Ulu National Association (OUNA) and Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA) in Sibu.
Present were Dewan Rakyat Alice Lau Kiong Yieng, former Senator Robert Lau Hui Yew, Sibu member of Parliament Oscar Ling Chai Yew and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) senior vice president Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh.
Nanta said that regardless of religious affiliation, all communities have the same message and objectives to achieve.
He said, similarly in the political arena, political leaders from different political parties and different beliefs sometimes compete during elections but when the Gawai Dayak festival arrives they can sit together.
"We can be one. This is the beauty of Malaysia. In the midst of what is happening around the world, we can learn from what is happening in other places, so we can live together as Malaysians better and more successfully," he said.
In this regard, he called for the community to be kind to each other to enable them to live together and enjoy mutual prosperity. - Bernama