Kota Kinabalu: The State-level Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan Committee will this year emphasise on the ability of its 41 contestants to converse in their mother tongue. Its organising chairperson, Jornah Mozihim, during a media conference here Wednesday, said this was among the slight changes the committee decided to introduce this year.
She said in previous years, the contestants were only required to use their mother tongue when introducing themselves.
However, this year, the committee decided to make it compulsory for them to speak in their mother tongue during the question and answer session.
Another change, she said, was the Unduk Ngadau contest would only be held for one-day instead of two days at the Hongkod Koisaan on May 31 beginning at 12.30pm. The guest-of-honour would be the Head of State's wife, Toh Puan Norlidah Datuk Jasni. She said the contestants would, however, make a special appearance on the open stage at Hongkod Kaisaan on May 30.
Jornah said the Unduk Ngadau Committee expects 41 contestants at the State-level competition, if every district sends a representative, adding that participants must submit their forms to the Unduk Ngadau office at Hongkod Koisaan before 5pm on May 24.
The contestants' registration would be on May 27 and the contest's official accommodation is Le Meridien Hotel here. Apart from that, she said, SMS voting would be done in collaboration with the DiGi Poster, whereby the public are given seven days from May 25 to vote for their favourite contestants, adding that results would be announced on May 31.
On May 28, the contestants would attend a Motivational and Education Seminar by Dr Benedict Topin and Doris Lim held at the museum to give them pointers on the history of Sabah as well as on grooming.
Jornah said on the eve of the Kaamatan, the traditional Sodop Unduk Ngadau (Gala Night) would be held at the Hongkod Koisaan where the guest of honour would be Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, who is also Huguan Siou. "The Gala Dinner is a fundraising dinner in aid of the Sabah Society for the Blind," she said.
She said the organising committee was selling 71 tables from RM5,000, RM3,000, RM2,000 to RM1,000 for the dinner beginning 7pm, adding that a total of 2,000 gallery tickets priced at RM5 each are also available.
During the Sodop Unduk Ngadau, several programmes have been lined up among them a lucky draw and catwalk by the Unduk Ngadau contestants.
Winners would be crowned the Tati Topiodo (Miss Natural Beauty) and Tati Tosuau (Miss Friendly) by Pairin's wife, Puan Sri Genevieve.
Also present were the Sabah Society for the Blind President, Rosalind Chew, and the Unduk Ngadau 2011 Queen, Bo Tiza Arthur Disimon.
