Papar: The Sugandoi competition is becoming Sabah’s main factory for outstanding singers and some of its “graduates” have become well-respected performing artistes in the country.

Deputy Speaker, Johnny Mositun said some Sugandoi champions like Reynaldo Pagie went on to become champion at national level singing competitions like the Suara Emas Bintang RTM in Kuala Lumpur. Reynaldo then went on to represent Malaysia at the Asean Golden Voice Festival in Ho Chi Minh City and won the competition at that, he said, adding another example was Esther Elizabeth Applunius who is currently still in the running for the popular reality singing competition “One in a Million”. Speaking to launch the Papar Sugandoi competition at the Community Centre here Wednesday, Mositun said the mechanism of the competition had been fine-tuned.According to him, the Sugandoi has become an important element in the Harvest Festival, which is organised to remind the community of the noble values of the tradition.