Safeguarding Bajau cultural heritage for our shared future — Juanitha Annabelle Galawis 

AUGUST 2 — Many indigenous traditions, be it locally or globally, are quietly fading into the background, as globalisation and digital media continue to shape our identities at lightning speed. 

Among those at risk are the rich musical and dance traditions of the Bajau community in Semporna, Sabah. 

Known for their seafaring lifestyle, colourful costumes, and graceful performances, the Bajau people have for generations used music and dance not only for celebration, but also to communicate values, history, and a shared sense of belonging.

But today, their traditional art forms face serious challenges. Urban migration, lack of documentation, and the younger generation’s shift towards mainstream pop culture have created a gap between elders and youth. 

While festivals like Regatta Lepa try to keep traditions alive, many fear these performances are becoming more staged than lived, more tourist attraction than cultural expression.

This is where research plays a crucial role. Prof Dr Hanafi Hussin from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences UM, an expert in South-east Asian cultural studies, aims to document and systematise the music and dance repertoires of the Bajau community. 

The goal is not simply academic. It is a form of cultural preservation: recording rhythms, movements, meanings, and memories before they are lost to time.

Through interviews, field recordings, and direct engagement with local practitioners, our study captures not just what the music and dance look or sound like, but how they are experienced in the everyday lives of the community. 

For example, the igal-igal dance, often performed at weddings and festivals, is more than entertainment; it’s a symbol of elegance, pride, and continuity. 

Similarly, traditional percussion instruments like the gendang and kulintangan serve as cultural signposts that link the present to the past.

The author says festivals like Regatta Lepa try to keep traditions alive, but many fear these performances are becoming more staged than lived, more tourist attraction than cultural expression. — Picture from Facebook/Pesta Regatta Semporna

What makes this research especially important is the participatory approach. Rather than treating the Bajau as passive subjects, we work with them as active collaborators. 

Elders share their stories. Dancers demonstrate their techniques. Young people talk about their views on cultural identity in a modern world. 

By including these voices, the research becomes a dialogue, a bridge between generations and a way forward for cultural sustainability.

This work also aligns with larger national and global concerns. Unesco has repeatedly highlighted the importance of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, warning that languages, oral traditions, rituals, and performing arts are among the most vulnerable cultural elements. 

In Malaysia, where diversity is often celebrated in rhetoric, more concrete action is needed to support community-driven initiatives like this one. 

Policies should fund grassroots documentation, provide platforms for indigenous voices, and make space in national education for local traditions.

To the readers, especially the youth—this is a call to look closer at the traditions around you. 

Heritage is not just something found in museums or festivals; it is lived, felt, and passed on through practice. 

When a traditional dance is no longer danced, or a song no longer sung, a piece of identity fades with it. But when we choose to learn, preserve, and celebrate these expressions, we are actively shaping a more inclusive and culturally rich future.

In the end, preserving Bajau music and dance is not about resisting change or clinging to the past. It’s about remembering who we are, where we come from, and recognising the beauty in diversity. 

Culture is not static, it evolves but we must make sure it evolves with memory, not amnesia.

* Juanitha Annabelle Galawis is an undergraduate student of Universiti Malaya, taking an elective university course entitled “Introduction to Journalism and Storytelling in Digital Age”, and may be contacted via [email protected] 

** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.

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