PAITAN: The people of Tombonuo, especially the young generation, are urged to preserve the traditional cultural heritage of the community so that it does not disappear with time.
The Minister of Community Development and People’s Well-being, Datuk James Ratib said that this is very important because without realizing it, traditional cultural heritage is now facing the threat of extinction.
“Traditional culture encompass the practices and ways of life of various races and ethnicities in this state, including mother tongue, clothing, food, customs, art, and so on.
“The civilization of a nation can often be seen in its artistic and cultural heritage. This cultural heritage must be maintained because it has its own identity.
“Culture symbolizes the identity of a nation. Therefore, to maintain and preserve customs, culture and so on, constant awareness needs to be applied in the daily life of its people,” he said.
He said this while inaugurating the Annual General Meeting of the Persatuan Bangsa Tombonuo Sabah (PBTS) which was held at the Paitan Subdistrict Office Open Hall on Sunday.
Meanwhile, James who is also the Assemblyman of N48 Sugut commended and congratulated this association especially its highest leadership led by the President, Akian Ah Kiew.
“Indeed, the success of this association to hold the Annual General Meeting, shows that this association is committed to upholding the Tombonuo ethnic, especially in maintaining and preserving customs, culture and so on,” he said.
According to James, in addition to maintaining and preserving customs and culture, the education of the children of the Tombonuo ethnic should also be given attention because education is an important asset and capable of changing the standard of living in the future.
“The issue of rural poverty will continue if education is not a priority and that is why we must ensure that our children receive a good education,” he said.
From the perspective of economic empowerment, he emphasized that the opportunities and potential of rural areas need to be explored by especially the youth to generate economic growth for the local population.
“This includes agriculture and other businesses that are appropriate in our area.
“The government through departments and agencies is always open and ready to help, not only from a skill point of view, but also financial assistance for those who are really serious and comply with the terms and conditions set by the parties concerned.
“Therefore, seize the opportunities that are available to generate income and further improve the economy and at the same time change the standard of living for yourself and your family,” he said.
Meanwhile, James added that the government that exists today is a stable government and is on the right track in driving development in the state in line with the aspirations of Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ).
“The SMJ government is a government that is able to take care of the people’s welfare, improve the economy and implement fair development between urban and rural areas.
“In that regard, in order to realize the aspirations of this government, I invite all the top leadership of PBTS to continue to appreciate and give full support to the GRS government under the leadership of Sabah Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor.
“This is for the well-being of the people and better development in the state of Sabah, especially in the rural areas that are still hungry for development,” he said.
In the program, James approved the construction contribution of Tombonuo Cultural House in Paitan.
“Hopefully this contribution will have a beneficial impact on the entire Tombonuo people, especially in maintaining and preserving cultural customs including welfare and education,” he explained.
