TEKUN Madani Carnival and Harvest Festival celebrated with Festive Cheer

16 May 2025

KOTA BELUD: Some 2500 people thronged into Kadamaian Square in Taginambur today to join in the Tekun Madani Carnival and Harvest Festival.

The atmosphere buzzed with excitement as people strolled from stall to stall, eagerly exploring the variety of food and handicrafts on offer.

The vendors themselves were in high spirits, clearly enjoying the festive mood. The sense of community was palpable, with both sellers and visitors sharing in the joy of the lively event.

Linog Golok

Linog Golok, 65, from Kampung Podos, was one of the many vendors selling his wares at the Tamu. His goods, mainly machetes and weeders, were neatly laid out in front of him, catching the attention of passers-by.

He shared that he had been crafting and selling these tools for many years, a skill he had inherited from his uncle.

“I make the machetes myself. It’s how I earn a living,” he said, adding that on a good day at the Tamu, he can make up to a thousand ringgit.

Linog who sells his tools at both Tamu Taginambur and Tamu Kota Belud, shared, “I actually want to ensure this traditional skill of making machetes is preserved, so that the next generation will continue to know and appreciate it."

“I’m proud to say that one of my two sons has learnt how to make a parang," he said,adding that the event is one such event that allowed him to showcase his goods and sell them.

"We are very grateful to have our State Assemblyman Datuk Ewon Benedick who is very people oriented and hold such a festival to ensure that we can sell our goods," he shared.

When he is not selling at the market, Linog spends his time working on his farm, where he cultivates vegetables, yams, tapioca, and other crops.

Kuibe Gitom

Kuibe Gitom, 64, from Kampung Tuguson, sells wild honey harvested from Apis dorsata, also known as the giant honeybee.

A farmer, she has been selling wild honey alongside vegetables and other farm produce for more than ten years at both Tamu Taginambur and Tamu Kota Belud.

A mother of twelve, Kuibe has long relied on the land for her livelihood. While her husband collects wild honey from the forest, she tends to their farm, growing yams, vegetables, and chillies.

“Our farm is quite a distance from our home, but we manage the best we can,” she shared with a smile.

Speaking about the event, she said, “Having the Tamu and today’s event gives us the opportunity to sell our goods. We’re very grateful to our State Assemblyman, Datuk Ewon Benedick, for organising such activities in our area.”

Julitah Ukor

Julitah Ukor from Kampung Tuguson, echoed Kuibe, expressing her gratitude to the organisers and to Datuk Ewon Benedick for holding the event, and said she hopes it will continue for many years to come.

Her goods are bags made from tree barks. She collects the raw materials herself from the jungle and skilfully fashions them into bags of various shapes and sizes.

Julitah learnt the craft from a fellow vendor from Sarawak, as well as through training provided by Kraftangan Malaysia.

She shared that the Carnival and Harvest Festival was a wonderful initiative, as it provided vendors like her with the opportunity to sell their handmade items while also showcasing traditional handicrafts.

Rusliah Duit

Rusliah Duit from Kampung Gondukut always looks forward to events like these and is excited to take part whenever she can.

She sells colourful baskets and cheerfully shared that on good days, she can earn between two to three thousand ringgit.

“The best time is when I receive bulk orders for my baskets — I can earn up to RM8,000,” she said with pride.

She expressed her gratitude, saying, “I’d like to thank our State Assemblyman, Datuk Ewon Benedick, for organising events like this. We truly hope such activities will continue in the future."

Doria Jupitor

Doria jupitor, 60, from Kg Podos sells plastic baskets and sell them at the Tamu Taginambur and Tamu Kota Belud.

She said just as other businesses there are ups and downs. Sometimes a day in the Tamu is lucrative and at times not all.

She tries her best she said and is always grateful when she gets to sell her wares at such event as the Carnival Tekun and Harvest Festival celebration.

"Our State Assemblyman is a good man," she said simply.

Meanwhile, Datuk Ewon Benedick who is the Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Corporative (MEDC) stated, “The TEKUN MADANI Carnival in Kota Belud is expected to create more business opportunities for local entrepreneurs.”

The carnival is part of TEKUN Nasional's ongoing efforts to provide a platform for informal and micro-entrepreneurs, as well as strategic partners, to promote their products and access valuable information on entrepreneurship and cooperative opportunities.

TEKUN Nasional is an agency under MEDC.