Unduk Ngadau pageant announced
Posted on 09. May, 2009 by KDCA Web Admin in KDCA News, Kaamatan.
6th May, 2009 (New SabahTimes) IN LINE with the Kaamatan harvest festival celebrations this month, Sabah’s Kadazandusun community once again puts together its iconic annual pageant, the Unduk Ngadau, a traditional search for the best female paragon of beauty and grace.
Originally held to honour the harvest spirit Huminodun, who selflessly sacrificed herself as an offering to end drought and bring forth great crop harvests to her people, the Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan 2009 adds a new district to its roster of eligible participants.
The addition of Tungku brings the number of the pageant’s representatives to 41 this year, a list that frequently draws on various parts of Sabah, Kota Kinabalu and even the Klang Valley.
The official harvest festival celebrations are expected to finish by May 23, specifically in Tenom and Kunak. Representatives are encouraged to submit their participation details by then as the closing date for submissions is on May 24.
Districts and regions have been requested to send in details as soon as the day after Kaamatan celebrations in their area. The requirements for selection remain similar, with all young Kadazandusun women aged 18 to 25 as of January 1, 2009 being eligible to join.
The initial registration for the 41 participants begins on May 27 from 8am to 10pm at a venue to be announced at a later date, where finalists will be fully clad in traditional attire and prepared for a short photo shoot scheduled during the day.
Unduk Ngadau 2009’s finalists will be accommodated at the Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu, one of the pageant’s sponsors.
A preview night will be held on May 27 hosted by the Huguan Siou, Datuk Seri Panglima Joseph Pairin Kitingan. The event will involve an introduction to the pageant’s principles and expectations by Datin Seri Panglima Genevive Kitingan.
The Sodop Unduk Ngadau 2009 gala night is on May 28, which will see the awarding of the pageant’s two subsidiary titles, Miss Photogenic and Miss Friendly.
The night also acts as a fundraiser with pledges intended towards the Sabah Thalassaemia Society, in the form of ticket sales amounting to RM20,000. This stands as the Unduk Ngadau’s first attempt at involving a charity in its proceedings.
The Unduk Ngadau finals are set for May 31. Prizes for first, second and third place are pegged at cash prizes worth RM3,000, RM2,000 and RM1,000 respectively, inclusive of trophies, sashes, and other sponsored gifts.
The pageant’s Top 7 will receive special prizes, and all other finalists will be given consolation cash prizes.
Tickets are priced at RM3,000, RM2,000 and RM1,000 per table, with gallery tickets priced at just RM10.
For more information on the Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan 2009, call the organising committee at 019-8404887 or 016-8116996 or the Unduk Ngadau office at KDCA at 088-720337.
