Gawai ‘ngabang’, house-to-house visiting prohibition not against Iban ritual ethics – Masing

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Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing

KUCHING: Gawai ‘ngabang’ or house-to-house visiting prohibition under the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) is not against the Iban ritual ethics, said Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing.

If there is anything the CMCO would take away from this year’s Gawai, that would only be just reducing the merry-making which accompanies the religious festivities, he said.

“Iban Gawai and its religious ceremony like ‘miring’ or offering which accompanies the rituals is very individualistic.

“Each family is asked to give offerings to the gods or spirits who are in attendance,” said Masing in a statement.

He said these ‘divine beings’ would be asked to assist the family who hold the Gawai, and the assistance sought would be very specific in nature and would focus only for their own family benefit.

“It is for this reason that each ‘bilek’ or household is asked to make their own offering during Gawai festivity in the longhouse.

“Thus CMCO prohibiting visitation during Gawai is not against the Iban ritual ethics. It just reduces the merry making activities which accompany the religious festivities.

“Because divine beings are in attendance, human beings therefore are asked to join the festivities,” he said.

Masing, who is an anthropologist by training, said because of this the ‘more the merrier’ philosophy comes in, and thus ‘tuak’ (rice wine) and food are essential ingredients during Gawai festivity among the Iban people.

He said the gods who were invited to attend Gawai festivities, upon partaking in the feast and upon leaving, would leave behind good blessings to the family who held the feast.

“The other Iban rituals which involve the whole community, however, have different focus and for different reasons.

“They are more sober in nature and its purpose is for the general good of the community. Merry making is not one of them,” explained Masing.

He added that the ‘miring’ ceremony which accompanies the state Gawai every year was just a symbol of a Gawai festivity, and not so much to literally evoke or make offerings to the gods.

The Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) secretariat released a directive yesterday that those celebrating Gawai later are not allowed to go open-house visiting from house to house or even from longhouse to longhouse.

This is part of the effort under the standard operating procedure (SOP) of the CMCO to break the chain of transmission of Covid-19 in Sarawak.