KOTA KINABALU, May 12 — Despite criticism from Kadazandusun paramount leader Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, organisers of the "Islamic Kaamatan” festival are proceeding with their event, and even invited the former to join in.

Hidayah Centre Foundation chairman Nicholas Sylvester said that the event has now been renamed to "Kaamatan Harmoni” following complaints over the use of "Islamic” previously.

"Perhaps we have not done enough explaining to the public that the Momogun Muslim celebration is cultural and is inclusive. It is, however, organised in a manner consistent with Islamic guidelines,” he said in a statement.

"We have high regards for Datuk Dr Pairin whom we respect as an acknowledged leader in Sabah and we acknowledge the KDCA, therefore as a gesture of goodwill, we extend our hands of friendship and invitation to Datuk Dr Pairin and all the KDCA Central Committee members to our celebration at Kundasang on the 20-21st May 2017,” he said.

Sylvester, a Sabahan and chairman of the Pertubuhan Momogun Muslim SeMalaysia protem committee, said the event was not meant to cause friction, but organised for Muslim converts who wanted to celebrate the Sabahan harvest festival in a Shariah-compliant manner.

He added the celebration was open to all, and gave his assurance that the event was not religious in nature.

The event, which he said has been organised on a smaller scale for about four years now, drew heavy criticism when photos from its Papar edition emerged on social media depicting women dressed in a loose variation of the Kadazandusun traditional costume but with their heads covered.

These also featured a banner reading "Kaamatan Islamik”.

Muslim and non-Muslim Sabahans have denounced the organisers for mixing religion with their beloved adat or native customs, and potentially dividing the multiracial and cultural community.

Pairin, who is also deputy chief minister, expressed shock and called out the organisers for being either "completely ignorant” or having a "deliberate agenda to completely change Kaamatan into something completely different”.

He said that Kaamatan was a cultural event with nothing to do with religion.

Kaamatan celebrations here are deeply rooted with pagan and animistic beliefs with many rituals and customs brought down by high-priestesses to thank the rice gods and spirits for their bountiful harvest.

Over the years, as natives began embracing other religions, the customs began dying out and Kaamatan became known as a secular celebration of thanksgiving.

Considered a bastion of religious harmony and tolerance, many Sabahans proudly retain their native cultural identity while symbiotically practicing their new faiths.