Pageant winners spoke Kadazan since young
Published on: Friday, May 24, 2024
By: Lorena Binisol
Top seven winners of Unduk Ngadau Penampang.
PENAMPANG: The district crowned its Unduk Ngadau winner – Marcerine Marcus.
The 26-year-old from Kg Buit Hill won the title and took home RM6,860 worth of cash and prizes, including a tiara, trophy, sash and bouquet, donated by Datuk Ewon Benedick, Minister of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development.
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She will represent the district at the State-level Unduk Ngadau competition in KDCA on May 31.
First runner-up Adlyn Janet Adelaide, 23, a Bio Science graduate from UiTM and from Kg Guunsing, received RM3,700 worth of prizes and cash, courtesy of Jannie Lasimbang Kepayan Assemblywoman.
Deniece Vallentena Sitampek from Kg Hungab won third place, brought home RM2,650 worth of cash and prizes donated by Senator Datuk Noraini Idris.
The fourth to seventh spots went to Bellvianna Verus of Kg Kapayan, Ivory Ignatius Kuyun of Kg Mogoputi, Joanne Lee Foo of Kg Nosoob Baru, and Rosa Eligius of Kg Limbanak, respectively.
Melissa (right), mother of newly-crowned Unduk Ngadau Penampang and Lily, mother of first runner-up winner, said their daughters could speak the mother tongue since young.
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It was Marcerine’s second pageantry and expressed her pleasant surprise at winning in her hometown.
Marcerine’s mother, Melissa Hairy, proudly said all her four children are fluent in their mother tongue, Kadazan, from a young age.
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“I am proud of my daughter’s achievement as the new Unduk Ngadau.
“The effort to teach them Kadazan from young was worthwhile and it is not only for today’s pageant but, it is for the sake of preserving our culture and native language.
“I believe our family’s efforts paid off today,” said Melissa.
The eldest in the family, Marcerine works in the Imaging Department at Cyberjaya Hospital in Selangor.
Lily Fedilis, the mother of first runner-up Adlyn, shared that her children were also raised to master Kadazan at home.
“Adlyn has no problem speaking Kadazan as it is our language at home,” she said.
The district-level event was launched by Ewon.
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