Jeffrey Kitingan presenting a mock cheque to Ben Uzair who won the Sabah Top Influencer and Content Creator 2021.
KOTA KINABALU: The Borderless Kaamatan 2021 was a massive success, with over nine million viewers in 40 countries tuning in to watch the various programmes presented online.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Jeffrey G Kitingan said that the number of ‘Likes’ received on the Borderless Kaamatan 2021 official media ‘Kaamatan TV’ Facebook Page showed the enormous interest generated by the cultural event.
“I believe we should support any efforts aimed towards celebrating our culture through the Kaamatan Festival.
“We must ensure that our culture stands the test of time while also adapting to the changing needs of our own people.
“This includes adopting digital technology to ensure that everyone can participate in the celebration while also promoting our culture and customs to the rest of the world,” he said after attending the Top Influencer & Content Creator 2021 prize ceremony here, Saturday.
Kitingan, who is also the chairman of this year’s State-level Kaamatan Main Organising Committee, said he is already looking forward to next year’s celebration and hopes that it would surpass this year’s Kaamatan Festival.
Commenting on yesterday’s event, Kitingan said that he is pleased that the winner is not a KDM, indicating that the contest drew the interest and attention from people of all races in Sabah.
“It also demonstrates that Kaamatan is open to all Sabahans, regardless of race or ethnicity. Some may say that Kaamatan is just for KDM, but this couldn’t be further from the truth,” he said.
Ben Uzair won the first-ever Kaamatan Top Influencer & Content Creator contest, taking home RM4,000 in cash and trophy, while Country Wolves and Fanzi Ruji finished second and third respectively.