For centuries, the rainforest has been at the centre of cultural and religious life for indigenous people in Malaysian Borneo.
But as the country develops, younger people are giving up the traditions of their ancestors.
Missionaries have persuaded many to change religion, while others have abandoned their villages for the towns.
Divya Gopalan went to eastern Malaysia to meet the Bidayuh people of Sarawak.
Duration : 0:3:37
[youtube tOrMJ7Yk4mE]
February 20th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
Muahahahhahahahaaaa …
Muahahahhahahahaaaa mak tiwas bih hahahahaha okuk towoh sape nog toin monapm muahuahauhauhauhau…
Oyuok kilowong kilioues lol sina nyoma nouh eh hahahahha
February 20th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
@BorneoUnited …
@BorneoUnited hahaha…a good one to slam that shademurtagh.a word for you.Uyuok Bakok!
the muslim are always proud n demanding with themselves,same goes in Borneo.
February 20th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
yeah….i agree …
yeah….i agree with you,as you muslim throw stone in mecca and the truck from below are waiting to remove the stone and put it back for another batch of pilgrim to throw the stone again.that’s were your ancestors were doing it doesn’t mean it’s even remotely true or correct.
February 20th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
mr shademurtagh,i …
mr shademurtagh,i guess you better go to mecca and think about what u said just now and dont forget to kiss your big black box that u people look up at.
February 20th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
hahahaha..ideh ku …
hahahaha..ideh ku meret islam,asar bara kirieng yen ku duit n pangkat,ba uh ku meret.hehehe
February 20th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
I need to tradition …
I need to tradition, I have Islam.
Islam is believe in one Allmighty, All Merciful Allah.
It is a universal religion, has nothing to do with ethnicity or ancestral traditions.
February 20th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
Hahaha…jadi muu …
Hahaha…jadi muu suak molot islam yeh hahahah?
February 20th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
kupuo opar?errr… …
kupuo opar?errr…terbaru…agi surau di opar.hehehe…bidayeh trima hidayah.
February 20th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
Oni abar di kupuok …
Oni abar di kupuok opar ???
February 20th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
You call it error …
You call it error and completely false?? its simply ridiculous to assume it that way.
Our ancestor has live with it and relied on it for hundred of years and thank God bring us the new generation of these days
If you think it useless that is your self presumption. Because a tradition it create a society rules, regulation, and taboo so that we keep ourselves in common belief and be an integrated society.
How about your people what tradition do they got?? Tell us so we can learn from each other
February 20th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
Even if they were …
Even if they were in error? Even if they were completely false and doing something very wrong? Why then would you keep such a falsehood?
February 20th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
It doesnt matter …
It doesnt matter whether we pray to the rock or mountain…what matters most is to preserve the tradition that the earlier ancestor has established for us…it is meaningful to us. Maybe not you
February 20th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
Idoh tih ayotollah …
Idoh tih ayotollah of rock and rollah of WWE lol hahaha
February 20th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
ayotollah of Iran …
ayotollah of Iran ka?hahaha
February 20th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
Wow…tih leh buak …
Wow…tih leh buak pinatong masa lalu takal odop tih aluok idip dk bung dolod. hehe…
February 20th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
Our dayak only have …
Our dayak only have politician and no expert or professional…we have a long way to go brother.
Politician make money and fight for their own greed. Engineers, Doctors, Lawyers, Artist, etc contribute to development of society. Politician only knows how to rip off peoples money
February 20th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
wht to do…dayak …
wht to do…dayak politicians r only interested in making money at the expense of their community…im a dayak bidayuh as well..sad to see my own culture is going extinct at the expense of so call development..albeit not the sustainable one…
February 20th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
wow….my ancestor. …
wow….my ancestor…Dayak Jagoi from kampung Opar
February 20th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
These traditions …
These traditions are absolutely useless.
It’s like praying to a rock on a mountain-just because your ancestors were doing it doesn’t mean it’s even remotely true or correct.
February 20th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
Polytheism is dying …
Polytheism is dying whether Muslims encourage people to change or not.
Only Christianity and Islam(and previously buddhism) have the ability to convert masses. They are the only two centralized religions to be this succesful.
February 20th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
I thought it was a …
I thought it was a beautiful representation on the traditions and way of life of the Bidayuhs (my people!) but unfortunately the translation didn’t do it any justice. I believe that Gawia Sowa is observed every year by every little village in Bau, and it is a good thing that the church has finally seperated this cultural celebration from religious beliefs. The harvest festival complements our faith in the church, and not otherwise.
February 20th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
agree with what u …
agree with what u said..
February 20th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
kona geh yeh show …
kona geh yeh show the good things bout our culture though its dying but we bisingai are proud that we have a yearly event at our Singai Redeems Centre for our Gawai Celebration
February 20th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
People. It is sad …
People. It is sad to say this culture is about to perish forever. Yes. The last priestess did at my village 2 years ago. Since then, they will be no more ritual. I mean the original one.
Trust me, this culture almost perish but we need the mid age generation to assist in documenting all this for us. Besides, the younger generation like us actually love this culture and we want to prolong if not to maintain it.
February 20th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
The Dayaks should …
The Dayaks should see this as in different perspective. Not as a culture but rather an option for future income. Tourism pays better. Therefore if you have a boring 8-5 job, try to do it freelance before doing it full time. Also, the Government should actually start to assist.