SERIAN, June 2 —  Beneath the vibrant costumes, thunder of gongs and pulse of ethnic music at today’s Gawai Dayak Parade in Kampung Taee lies a remarkable story of 56 years of unwavering commitment by the local community to preserve a tradition, passed down uninterrupted since 1970.

As modern pressures wear away at age-old practices, the Bidayuh of Kampung Taee, just 60 kilometres from Kuching, refuse to let their ancestral heritage fade, keeping it alive through the annual birarak (parade), where young and old march together.

For Malvern Lister, 42, that continuity was clear to see as he watched his two children join a parade that has been part of his life since childhood.

Having first taken part at the age of ten, Malvern has never missed the opportunity to join the procession, which stands as the centrepiece of the Gawai Dayak celebration in his home village.

“Ever since I was born, my whole family has been involved in this birarak. Now my two children are taking part too… so that’s three generations. I hope they will continue to keep this tradition alive in the years ahead,” he said.

“We take pride in still being able to host this parade every year. We hope more people from across the globe will come to Kampung Taee to experience Bidayuh culture and heritage for themselves,” he told Bernama.

He added that the parade, deeply rooted in the Dayak community’s rice harvesting tradition, is far more than an annual event. It is a unifying force for the community and a vital link between multiple generations. 

That same passion is shared by McWilkins Benadik, 33, who views the five-kilometre procession winding through the village as a powerful platform to introduce Bidayuh culture to the outside world.

The father of one said Kampung Taee welcomes visitors every year from various states and countries, all eager to witness firsthand how the Bidayuh Bukar community in Serian celebrates Gawai Dayak.

“These visitors don’t just help showcase our culture globally, they also give a real boost to local tourism and economy,” he said.

The presence of international visitors at this year’s parade shows that the event’s appeal has clearly stretched far beyond the borders of Sarawak.

Aaron Richards, 42, from the United States, who now works in Kuala Lumpur, attended the Gawai Dayak celebration for the first time after being invited by his girlfriend, a Bidayuh native of Sarawak.

“My girlfriend invited me to join in the Gawai celebration with her family. This is my first time joining such an event and I am looking forward to seeing the local culture and interacting with the local people,” he said.

Sharing a similar enthusiasm for Sarawak’s culture, James Handfield-Jones from the United Kingdom said the allure of the Land of the Hornbills has kept him coming back to various Gawai celebrations throughout more than two decades of living in the state.

True to the Malay proverb tak lapuk dek hujan, tak lekang dek panas (untouched by rain nor faded by heat), the joint effort by the Gawai Taee organising committee and Kampung Taee’s Village Development and Security Committee remains a lasting symbol of Bidayuh identity. Despite the forces of modernisation, the event drew some 3,000 participants and visitors this year.

Besides parading through the village, participants also stopped at several stations to interact with residents and join various cultural activities that form an integral part of the celebration.

Meanwhile, Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg told reporters at the Gawai Dayak 2026 Open House that holding such parades helps introduce Sarawak’s culture to both Malaysians and the international community.

He noted that local television channels and digital platforms like YouTube make it possible to showcase the unique cultural traditions of the state’s diverse ethnic communities to a much wider audience.

“We are grateful to media practitioners who cover and promote these Gawai Dayak parades in Sarawak.

“In fact, through YouTube, these traditions are also being shared with the global community, sparking their interest to learn more about the multi-ethnic, multi-faith way of life in Sarawak,” he said. — Bernama