Unduk Ngadau organisers to give full cooperation in molest probe

 By Olivia Miwil - June 3, 2021 @ 12:55pm

UNK Borderless Kaamatan 2021 chairperson Joanna Kitingan said the organiser empathised with the contestant’s ordeal and praised her for coming forward with a report on the matter. - NSTP/Malai Rosmah Tuah

KOTA KINABALU: Organisers of the Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan pageant pledged to give full cooperation to the police over an alleged molest incident during the recently concluded event.

UNK Borderless Kaamatan 2021 chairperson Joanna Kitingan said the organiser empathised with the contestant's ordeal and praised her for coming forward with a report on the matter.

"We believe justice will be served and the guilty be severely dealt with.

"We will give our fullest cooperation if needed by the police in their investigations.

"We hope that more victims to come forward and state their case as we want our Unduk Ngadau name to be upheld and protect our young contestants," she said in a statement.

Joanna added that all these years, they have had good organisation and feedback of the Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan events which served as a platform to promote the Kadazandusun Murut Rungus culture.

It is also meant to bring women out from the rural areas and help them to be articulate and educated, in light of modernisation.

"The idea of women being put on stage paraded around as objects, stared at, bullied or taken advantage of were not part of the tradition.

"How this (molest) incident could have happened was beyond our control. We were unaware nor informed of the whereabouts of this contestant according to the date and time of the reports (May 21), which was before the selection of the Top 21.

"The rest of my committees and I are indeed saddened, shocked, and disappointed by such an incident as reported all over the media. The rest of my committee and I do not condone such exploitation to any of our young contestants," she added.

As for the alleged offender, Joanna added the committee had never invited him but was appointed by the main organising committee of the event for the technical team.

"Nevertheless, we have worked together to plan for the Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan 2021 online which started with online registrations as early as March.

"To our knowledge, they have done a good job and with the materials provided by the technical team, and we have successfully selected our top 21 finalists on May 24."