Shareene Francis Loudin is crowned Penampang Unduk Ngadau 2017

Penampang Harvest Festival district level was held on third week of May 2017 together with several other districts in Sabah. One of the highlights of the day-long festival was the Unduk Ngadau pageant.

Date: 20th May 2017

Venue: Padang Siol, Kg. Hungab, Penampang

Theme: Kaamatan Foundation of Unity / "Kaamatan Impowon Pisompuruan"

Officiated by: Yang Berbahagia Datuk Donald Datuk Peter Mojuntin

The following is the Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan highlight.

There are 20 contestants taking part this year.


Contestants introducing themselves.












The ten contestants who will be asked questions and preferably be answering in their mother tongue.




Top 7


Winners of the Penampang District level Unduk Ngadau 2017:
1. Ms Shareene Francis Loudin (middle)
2. Ms Natalia Nedeline Chee (left)
3. Ms Sharity Stephen Lansing (right)


UNK Penampang 2017 - Ms Shareene Francis Loudin


Winner, Ms Shareene is seen here with the outgoing Penampang UNK, Ms Sherry Anne Laujang. Sherry Anne is also the reigning Unduk Ngadau for Sabah State Level.


Congratulation to Ms Shareene Loudin who will be representing Penampang District at the State Level Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan 2017 to be held at Hongkod KDCA on 31st May 2017.

All the best!

Sherry Anne Laujang crowned 2016 Sabah Harvest Festival Queen

It was a shame I couldn't make it to the main event for a couple of years now. This school holiday, we were on a family trip to Gold Coast during the final days of the state wide Harvest Festival celebration.

Received news from home saying that our hometown girl was adjudged winner of this year's competition. Here is a capture of her when she won the Penampang UNK competition and became the representative of this district:


Sherry Anne Laujang. Picture by de engineur

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Here is the article carried by The Star on Tuesday, 31 May 2016

Student Sherry Anne crowned Harvest Queen


Sherry Anne Laujang (middle) flanked by Claryssa Henry and Fenny Ester Joslin. Picture by The Star

KOTA KINABALU: Student Sherry Anne Laujang of Penampang was crowned this year's Unduk Ngadau or Harvest Queen in the penultimate event of state-level Kaamatan festivities.

The 21-year-old Kampung Ramayah resident outshone 43 other contestants from around Sabah as well as the Klang Valley, Johor and Labuan to take the title.

In second place was 23-year-old Claryssa Henry of Kudat while the third spot went to Fenny Ester Joslin, 21, of Sabah's northernmost island of Banggi.

They received their prizes from the wife of Sabah Yang di-Pertua Negri Toh Puan Norlidah RM Jasni.

Earlier in the day, the ritual chanting of Kadazandusun priestesses in the age-old magavau or thanksgiving ceremony was among the events to kick off the harvest festival celebrations. The festivities at the Hongkod Koisaan in Penampang here started with the cutting of seven padi stalks.

Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Juhar Mahiruddin performed the symbolic harvesting and later beat a gong seven times. Also present was Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, who is also the Huguan Siou or Kadazandusun paramount leader.

Pairin later read out the speech of Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, who said Sabah gives priority to cultural festivals like Kaamatan because they help foster unity and understanding among the state's diverse communities.

The celebrations included cultural performances, including the sumazau dance of the Kadazan of Penampang, the pokodinding of the Dusun Tindal and the sayau of the Dusun Liwan.

Source: The Star Online

Ryannie Neils Yong is State-level 2015 Kaamatan UNDUK NGADAU

This is the second consecutive year that I was unable to make myself available for shooting the colourful, beautiful closing ceremony of the month-long Kaamatan festival. Not that I don't support it nor that I've lost my passion for photography. I was away from home during both occasions.

The last time I 'squeezed' myself in to shoot was in 2013 when Immaculate Lojuki was crowned Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan. Great experience.

What I can share with you today is the result published by the local dailies immediately after the event.

The Borneo Post, June 1, 2015

Ryannie Neils Yong (seated middle in the pic) representing Tanjung Aru - donning the Tambunan traditional costumes  - was crowned winner of the State-level 2015 Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan. She took home RM6,000 in cash, a trophy and a crown, RM25,000 worth of scholarship from ATI, air tickets to London and Melbourne, 4D/3N Bali trip and a designer handbag.

Harian Express, June 1, 2015 (Bahasa Malaysia section of the Daily Express)

Daily Express, June 1, 2015

Full list of winners:-

Top 7 at the Unduk Ngadau (UN) final:

1. Ryannie Neils Yong  (Tanjung Aru) - Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan 2015
2. Shirley Anthony Danggok (Tambunan) - 1st runner-up
3. Evrina Masalan (Tenom) - 2nd runner-up
4. Valencia Ann Primus (Kota Kinabalu) - 4th place
5. Natasha Aprillia Benggon (Inanam) - 5th place
6. Sherrylyn Jane Rannytho (Putatan) - 6th place
7. Kimberly Vung (Likas) - 7th place


Other titles:

Miss Popular Altel - Sherrylyn Jane Rannytho (Putatan)
Tati Topiodo (Miss Natural Beauty) - Kerinah Mah (Pitas)
Tati Tosuau (Miss Friendly) - Natasha Apprillia Jalius S Benggon (Inanam)
Miss Conservation WWF - Olga Willnelia Nasib (Paitan)


The Green Mechanics two cents:

It is good that contestants took note of the Organising Committee's emphasis on choosing this year's Unduk Ngadau "that would not only be the best embodiment of Huminodun but should also have an in-depth grasp of the origins of their ethnicity and heritage", in their efforts to win the vote of the judges.

I like the winner's back-to-basic approach in her costume selection.


See you on May 31 next year, hopefully.

Immaculate Lojuki is Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan 2013 (Pictures)

The state level 2013 Kaamatan Festival have just been concluded and the dust has settled a bit now, so, I'll make a considerably image-packed update of the Unduk Ngadau competition held at Hongkod Koisaan KDCA on May 31.

If you've been wondering why the monotonous hairstyle, I can only answer that, it's a pre-requisite (Note: make-up artists are actually free to style the contestants' hair into something other than the 'gong' style. See comment below). You can watch them in free hairstyling at Sodop Unduk Ngadau 2013

Again, less talk here. Just pics:-

Some of the 40 participants

Ms Rayana Raymund in Ethnic Murut attire from Pagalungan

Kadazan attire donned by Ms Immaculate representing Kota Kinabalu

Attire of ethnic Rungus by Ms Iziana Midung representing Matunggong

Ethnic Dusun attire from Kota Belud

 Second attempt by Ms Ladesma Steven, this time representing Klang Valley

 Another Kadazan attire by Putatan representative, Ms Diana Gilbert

 UNK Tuaran and UNK Kota Kinabalu waiting anxiously

 Kota Kinabalu's  Immaculate react as her name was announced as the 2013 Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan (UNK)

 Top 7 winners

Ms Immaculate Lojuki (seated) flanked by 1^st Runner Up, Ms Ritchel Andreas (L)
and 2^nd Runner Up, Ms Nillsey D Sening (R)

Congratulation, UNK 2013, Ms Immaculate Lojuki

All pictures are copyrighted and if you'd like to borrow them for use in your website, kindly ask for permission from TheGreenMechanics.


See you in UNK 2014 event!

Pesta Kaamatan 2013 at Hongkod KDCA, Penampang

The peak of the 2013 state level Harvest Festival celebration at Hongkod Koisaan KDCA on May 30 - 31 was one of the most crowded but enjoyable ones, to say the least.

If you were to visit Kota Kinabalu this month, this is one that you must not  miss. You missed it and you missed one of  Sabah's rich heritages.

My family and I visited the celebration curtain-closing site and I took some shots of the rich variety of cultures on display, some of which I shared here:

Big crowd thronged the 'village'

Ethnic Bisaya from Beaufort district. Seen here are young lads playing the kulintangan and gongs.

All smile. Ethnic Dusun ladies from Ranau district obliging to a request from a tourist wanting to bring home sweet memories.

Kadazan attires from Papar district. Easily distinguishable from the siung, the headgear worn by the young ladies

Visitors walking towards the big wakid stuffed with harvested rice and a storage made of wood bark.


..and many many more pictures I can't share here. You have to visit Sabah to experience it. I can assure you this - a two day spend here is well worth your time.

State Level Kaamatan Celebration 2013

Harvest Festival (Kaamatan) month is fast approaching to a conclusion and the peak of the celebration will be on 30th - 31st May 2013 at Hongkod Koisaan KDCA in Penampang.

This year's theme:

"Potilombuso Piunungan om Pirotian Maya Kaamatan"

"Goodwill and Understanding Through Kaamatan"

If you intend to visit Sabah, this is the month to do it, and you can then proceed to the neighbouring state, Sarawak for the Gawai Dayak celebration which falls on June 1, 2013.

You can visit the cultural village during or before the Kaamatan celebration. It is located within the compound of the KDCA building.

'The Vase' - The Harvest Festival has always been associated with a traditional liquor, the Tapai, which is normally stored in a vase such as this one. But personally, i feel getting overly drunk during this time is not necessary.

 Miss Bo Tiza Disimon of Penampang is the 2011 Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan

Miss Melinda Louis of Telupid is currently the reigning queen,  the 2012 UN Kaamatan

 Miss Melinda Louis

Who would be crowned Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan this year? The answer would be revealed on 31st May 2013 at about 6.00pm. Stay tuned.

Happy Harvest Festival

"KOTOBIAN TADAU TAGAYO DO KAAMATAN"

Photo update for Penampang Kaamatan Unduk Ngadau

As mentioned in the previous posting, a photo-update of the Penampang Pesta Kaamatan (harvest festival 2012) is due.

You can view them here.

Related article - Penampang Unduk Ngadau 2012, as posted earlier.

Harvest Festival 2012 begins

The annual event to celebrate bountiful harvest has now been kicked started. The 2012 Harvest Festival launching was in Kuala Penyu in an effort to give all major towns the opportunity to become the host for one of the widely celebrated cultures in Sabah. Last year, 2011 Harvest Festival was kicked-start in a small West Coast town of Tamparuli.

DE, 2/5/2012

In this newspaper cutting form Daily Express, Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman (right) is seen cutting stalks of rice on stage to mark the launch of the Pesta Kaamatan 2012 (Harvest Festival), witnessed by Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan (centre) and Beaufort MP Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin (left). High priestess Kinup Suram meanwhile, performs the blessing ritual.

The month-long celebration starts 1st May, 2012 and as usual will be capped with a full 2-day extravaganza at KDCA in Penampang on 30th-31st May 2012. The peak of the celebration is marked with the crowning of the Unduk Ngadau (Harvest Queen) for 2012.

Past Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan

To refresh readers of the previous Unduk Ngadau, the followings are few of the shots taken during the celebrations:

Unduk Ngadau 2011 - Miss Bo Tiza Disimon

Find out and see more pictures on Unduk Ngadau 2011

Unduk Ngadau 2010 - Miss Crystal Huminodun Majimbun (centre)

 Find out and see more pictures of Unduk Ngadau 2010

 Unduk Ngadau 2009 - Miss Appey Rowena Januin

UNDUK NGADAU 2011

The most anticipated peak to the harvest festival celebration is the crowning of the festival queen, known as Unduk Ngadau in the Kadazandusun language. I will not elaborate on its significance but if you have the time you can find further readings on Unduk Ngadau here.

Unduk Ngadau 2011: Miss Bo Tiza A. Disimon. She's said to have received prizes totalling not less than RM38,000.00


The final of the 2011 Unduk Ngadau pageant was held as follows:

Date : 31 May 2011
Venue: Hongkod Koisaan KDCA, Penampang, Sabah
Time : 12.00 noon - 4.30pm


Enjoy some of the many pics captured during the final. Please ask for permission should you like to use any of them in your online or writings and or publications.



The seven vying for the seat currently occupied by Miss Crystal Eve Huminodun.



The seven unduk ngadau's waiting anxiously for the winners announcement.

One UN after another left the group, to be considered unlucky this time around.
Here, Miss Sophie Angela Kutam of Ranau in the 4th place proceed to receive her trophy from Her Majesty the wife of Sabah TYT.

Then it was down to the three of them.

"Constant, cukup-cukup lah bah ko kasi tambah nervous dia orang tu.."
Constantine (teasing Bo Tiza and Jovenea) and Lalita (not in the pic) were the masters of ceremony that day.

1st Runner Up: Miss Jovenea Jim Lajim (Tamparuli)

2nd Runner Up: Miss Caroline Anthony (Tuaran)

Unduk Ngadau, Miss Bo Tiza Disimon of Penampang is flanked by Miss Jovenea Jim Lajim of Tamparuli (left) and Miss Caroline Anthony of Tuaran (right).

Congratulations!

The 7 recepients of the main prizes:

1st Runner Up: Jovenea Jim Lajim (Tamparuli)

2nd Runner Up: Caroline Anthony (Tuaran)

4th Place: Sophie Angela Kutam (Ranau)

5th Place: Rachel M. Alliun (Kota Kinabalu)

6th Place: Alvera Raymond Kisil (Sandakan)

7th Place: Adeline Joyce Masidah (Likas)

And...last but not the least,

Not forgetting Miss Crystal Eve Huminodun the reigning 2010 Unduk Ngadau. Today is the final day of official duties for her.

Congratulation to all the winners & Kotobian tadau tagayo do Kaamatan.

Note: I'm not a professional photographer meaning I don't make money out of photography and I know these images aren't as great but they are copyrighted and under no circumstances should they be used or caused to be used without prior and informed consent from me, the rightful owner.