A posting by the PAS Kawasan Petaling Jaya Facebook page received criticism from Malaysians recently after it insinuated that a traditional dance performed by the Bajau people native to Sabah was corrupt.
In the now-deleted post, PAS Petaling Jaya shared a video of Umno Sabah leaders at an event in Kunak, Tawau, where several women can be seen performing the Igal Igal dance in traditional Bajau attires.
PAS Petaling Jaya insinuates corrupt practices during a dance performance attended by Bung Moktar
Among those in attendance was Umno Sabah chief and Member of Parliament (MP) for Kinabatangan Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, which the post was apparently aimed at.
In the video, the politicians, including Bung, can be seen approaching the women performing the traditional dance and handing them Ringgit banknotes, which they put in between the dancers’ fingers.
The post seems to imply that the action of handing cash to the dancers was corrupt, as PAS Petaling Jaya sarcastically wrote “Generous” in the caption of the video.
Moreover, on the overlaid text of the video, PAS Petaling Jaya asserted,
“Allahuakbar. What has become of Malaysia?”
It’s customary in Bajau culture for guests to give ‘sabod’ to those performing the traditional Igal Igal dance
However, as it turns out, there was nothing corrupt about the whole thing, as the Umno Sabah leaders were only following the tradition of the Igal Igal dance.
Usually performed by the Bajau people during their Regatta Lepa or Sambulayang Festival, as well as during weddings in front of the bride and groom, one unique thing about the Igal Igal dance is the custom of guests to give ‘sabod’ to the performers by putting money in between their fingers.
As shared by Kata Malaysia, giving sabod to the Igal Igal dance performers is a sign of respect and a way of expressing gratitude.
Malaysians call out PAS for being ignorant of the cultures of fellow Malaysians
Accordingly, the Facebook post by PAS Petaling Jaya was met with backlash from netizens, especially those from East Malaysia, with many flooding the comments to call out the political party for being ignorant about the cultures and traditions of fellow Malaysians.
Following this, PAS Petaling Jaya promptly deleted the post, though some netizens were able to save a screenshot of the posting and called the political party out on it.
One commenter wrote,
“So fast to delete the video ???… The share first, delete later gang ??”
Meanwhile, another Facebook user who shared the post when it was still public asserted,
“Dear PAS members, stop being an Islamic party with the mask of Gog and Magog. Do you understand why Bung Moktar Radin did that?
“It’s the Bajau people’s tradition, during the [Igal Igal] dance, as a form of appreciation, guests will give money. Your statement sounds like you have lost your religion. Deviant.”
Besides that, following the video going viral, one Facebook user revealed that the video was actually edited from this TikTok post by @demisabah.com.
He then clarified the Igal Igal dance tradition and urged people who don’t understand the cultures and traditions of the ethnicities in Sabah not to manipulate the video for political gains.
The man asserted,
“Just because Bung Moktar gave money while wearing the Barisan Nasional (BN) shirt, you insinuate it as something else. This is the long-standing tradition of the Bajau people, where cash given to performers is seen as appreciation, not corruption.”
Watch the original video here:
Watch on TikTok
So, what do you guys think of the whole situation? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
