Joanna Kitingan, the organising chairman of the 2024 Unduk Ngadau, said the beauty pageant held during the Kaamatan festival was Malaysia’s longest-running cultural pageant having been around for 64 years.
“This competition stands apart from other beauty pageants, making its continued relevance essential,” she said, according to The Borneo Post.
Kitingan added holding the pageant on a national scale meant that contestants have a bigger role to assume to promote Sabahan culture, language and traditional costumes beyond the state.
This year’s contest will be held at the Kadazandusun Cultural Association in Penampang, Sabah on May 31, with the winner set to take home RM12,000 in cash and over RM100,000 worth of prizes.
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