Ngajat is one of the cultural practices of the Ibans that is losing interest among the younger generation: Jacqueline

By Mary Francis
Source: The Borneo Post

MIRI: The pride in knowing how to perform the ‘ngajat’ – the Iban traditional dance – must be kept burning among the Iban youths.

The young Ibans should look back to the days of their parents or forefathers when there was so much pride in knowing how to perform the ‘ngajat’.

That was the view of Jacqueline Selaka, the organising chairperson of a two-month ‘ngajat’ class which started here recently.

She said there was such an overwhelming pride for one to know how to perform the dance skillfully and being commended for it by the elderly.

“Unfortunately, sad to say, some Iban children do not even know how to appreciate the dance when they see it performed,” she added.

Jacqueline regretted that the Iban youths were shying away from learning the ‘ngajat’.

The ‘ngajat’, she said, was a very graceful traditional dance that had been a permanent and the most prominent feature in almost any Iban festival or ceremonial gathering.

“Just as the Chinese New Year is not complete without the lion dance, a Dayak festival is also not complete without the ngajat,” she said when contacted by thesundaypost yesterday.

“Ngajat is one of the cultural practices of the Ibans that is losing interest among the younger generation.”

Of course it would not be necessary or practical to preserve every old culture but those that were beautiful and meaningful and did not pose any hindrance to progress could be preserved, Jacqueline said, adding that they could even be modified to suit the present day condition.

The two-month ngajat class is organised by the Women’s Wing of Dayak Association Miri (DAM) and is conducted by a ngajat expert, Phyllis Muda, every Tuesday and Wednesday at the 3rd Floor of Rumah Dayak, Jalan Merpati here.

Entry fee is RM30 per person.

There is also a ‘betabuh’ class at the same building every Monday and Thursday.

Participation fee is RM50 per group.

The classes are aimed at enabling the younger generation to further enrich their lives by knowing more about the betabuh and the ngajat for their lifelong skills, and to preserve and value the uniqueness of the Iban cultural dance and music instruments.

Jacqueline hoped Iban children would take the step to master the dance and learn the ‘betabuh’as early as they could so as to keep their unique culture alive.

For enquiries on the classes, call Rumah Dayak at 085-435467, organising chairlady Jacqueline Selaka (085-653670/013-8482446, Caroline Lung (019-3623627/429409), organising Juliana Esah (611785/013-8378485), Betty Pan (012-8719778) and Cherenie Gisang (019-8748126).