Harvest (Kaamatan) festival which is celebrated by the indigenous community of Sabah on 30th and 31st May every year; is a festivals which is closely associated with the end of the planting cycle – a time for harvest. For generations they have celebrated these unique festival as “magavau” or thanksgiving for a bountiful paddy harvest, and a hope of continuous good harvest in years to come.
This year’s Kaamatan festival theme of celebration is “Koubasanan Impowon Pisompuruan om Piobpinain” a Kadazandusun phrase which literally means “culture as the foundation of unity and kinship”; and is indeed relevant to SIDMA College Sabah as the staff are from a very diverse background and practicing a progressive corporate culture.
In line with this auspicious celebration, Dr Morni Hj Kambrie (Chairman and Founder of SIDMA College Sabah), through SIDMA Staff Welfare Association (PKKKSS) distributed Kaamatan goodies to SIDMA College Sabah staff celebrating the festival.
Goodies in the form of 10kg of rice, fresh whole chicken, fresh chicken wings and soft drinks were distributed to SIDMA staff at SIDMA Atrium on 26 May 2018 by Madam Azizah Khalid Merican (CEO). Also present during the event were Mr Zain Azrai Bin Mohd Noor (Chairman of PKKKSS), PKKSSS Central Committee, and SIDMA staff.
Mr Zain Azrai, on behalf of all SIDMA staff took the opportunity to thank Dr Morni and family, Madam Azizah Khalid Merican and family, and SIDMA Board of Management for their continuous support, care and generosity shown to all SIDMA staff.
Meanwhile Dr Morni and family, Madam Azizah Khalid Merican and family, Managers and Heads of Departments, as well as the PKKSSS Central Committee members conveyed their special harvest festival greetings “Kotobian Tadau Tagazo Do Kaamatan” to all lecturers, staff, students, relatives, parents and friends.
By Teo Eng Seng and Zain Azrai Bin Mohd Noor,
SIDMA College Sabah,
KOTA KINABALU.
