- Wartawan Nabalu News
Sunduan Nabalu urges govt to give same attention to bobolians as religious bodies
21 April 2023
By Wartawan Nabalu News
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Customary Practitioners Association (Sunduan Nabalu) president Shalmon Sangan has called on the government to give an annual allocation to bobolians in Sabah.
Bobolians who perform rituals for the safety of nature and people, and their sacrifices and virtues, according to Shalmon, are underappreciated.
He suggested that bobolians should receive the same attention as religious bodies such as churches, mosques, and temples.
Bobolians should be included in the list of social aid recipients, according to Shalmon.
"Since time immemorial, the bobolians have been performing their duties regardless of time and place, carrying out rituals for the safety of nature and the people regardless of their background.
"Hence, it is appropriate that they are helped as best as possible. The funding could be channeled to the Bobolian Organisation Sabah for this effort," he said.
Shalmon made these comments at a 'Tumabur Do Adau' ritual ceremony near Kampung Bantayan, Tuaran, on Thursday. The ceremony was led by Tuaran bobolian chief Odun Badin along with several other bobolians from the district.
The purpose of the ceremony was to ask for blessings and safety from the creator, Kinorohingan, so that nature and people are protected from all evil. This ritual is very rarely performed and is only held during solar eclipse phenomenons, according to Shalmon.
Shalmon further explained that such rituals and ceremonies have been carried out throughout generations since before the arrival of new religions such as Christianity and Islam.
The ceremony is a requirement of religious customs for traditional communities and is still practiced today.
Suang Lotud Association president Datuk Freddie Sua, traditional leaders and practitioners, as well as representatives from the Sabah Cultural Board and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) were present at the ceremony.
