Four traditional huts were as show case for the festive at the
Central Pardang. These sample huts giving the local ethnic groups in
Semporna a chance to highlight their living cultural heritage of
dance and music.
The turquoise-colored sea where Semporna folks, mostly Bajaus, moor
their lepa (traditional boats) at the waterfront of Tun Sankaran
Marine Park.
For 2 days, from April 18-19, the small bay between the Seafest
Hotel and Dragon Inn Resort was turned into a vibrant dockyard
of LEPA.
On the ground, huge sambulayang lined the main road leading to the
town centre where the Semporna Municipal Field was located.
All this is definitely a contrasting change from the otherwise
laid-back fishing town that Semporna is.
While the waterfront became a stage for beautiful lepa and sports
activities, a different kind of celebration was going on at the
Semporna Municipal Field. Bajau traditional houses were erected to
showcase Bajau culture that included traditional dance and music,
food, costume and art deco.
The festival ended with the announcement of winners for contests
which included the main titles for the Best Lepa, the Best Bajau
House, the Ratu Lepa and other smaller contests.
The excited crowd packed the
streets and cars moved slowly, as locals and tourists alike gathered
to watch this annual event.
The town of Semporna is setting a
good example for the architectural heritage conservation effort in
Sabah, and hopefully it will spur other local towns to consider
restoring significant local buildings which are historical to their
native communities.
There are two types of boats; the
elaborately decorated Lepa, and its smaller, less ornate cousin, the
Kumpit.
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