World Indigenous Day Celebration

In the shadow of other well-known Malaysian celebrations such as Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Deepavali and Chinese New Year, the original peoples of Malaysia celebrate the World Indigenous Day Celebrations. Held on August 9 every year since it was first proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1994, this year's national celebration was held in Miri, Sarawak in a three-day event organised by the Indigenous Peoples Network of Malaysia (JOAS). Activities such as workshops, a youth jamboree and a dialogue session with Suhakam in relation to this year's theme, “Indigenous Media, Empowering Indigenous Voices,” took place together with solidarity nights featuring cultural performances from each region: Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia.