Dr Alim Impera
KUCHING (May 18): The Covid-19 travel restrictions faced by Sarawakian Dayaks to return home for Gawai Festival has inspired a Bidayuh recording artiste Dr Alim Impera to come up with a Gawai song titled ‘Kaik Dapat Marik Binua’ (Unable to Return to Village).
Alim said this song was based on his personal experience of being ‘stranded’ in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah during Gawai last year in the first year of the pandemic where he was serving as deputy director of Royal Customs Department in Sabah.
He co-wrote the lyrics with Lerry Chinong based on the narration of that experience, while the song was composed by Rozzi Chili.
The mixing and mastering was done by Bernie Joel Geres, with Serian-based Mutiara Production House (MPH) acting as the song publisher.
“I was working in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah as the deputy director of Customs Sabah Zone (Sabah and Labuan – Import and Export Division). The Gawai last year was during the peak of Covid-19 pandemic and the first nationwide Movement Control Order (MCO 1) .
“As a person who was responsible for Customs Department’s Import and Export Division; a frontliner and in the the Essential Service, I could not go on leave during Gawai.
“My duty was to make sure that there was no hiccup at the ports and airports especially with regards to the importation of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) for the Health Department and also food supplies and medicines for the State of Sabah.
“Even if I could go on leave, there was no flight into Sarawak then. This was because Sarawak government stopped all flights from Sabah to Sarawak. In short, I was unable to go back because one, duty and two, there were no means available to go back. Hence, this inspired the song title ‘Kaik Dapat Marik Binua’,” he said
According to Alim, the song is now available on YouTube, iTunes and Spotify platforms and also getting airplay on WaiFM Bidayuh.
“This song is dedicated to those Dayaks, especially those working or living outside Sarawak and who cannot go home to their respective kampong or ‘rumah panjai’ this coming Gawai,” he said.
Alim has retired from the civil service since late last year and now back in Sarawak. He spends most of his time at the Mutiara Production House where he is the managing director.
He is also chairman of Bidayuh Artistes and Musicians Association Sarawak (BAMA) and also vice chairman of Persatuan Armada Anak Seni Sarawak (ARAS).