KUCHING, June 1 -- Gawai Dayak has grown to become a powerful symbol of unity, hope, and aspiration for the Dayak community - the majority ethnic group in Sarawak.

Datuk Seri Ang Lai Soon, founder of St John Ambulance Sarawak, noted that Gawai was originally celebrated at different times across various longhouses and villages, marking the end of a successful harvest.

"The ethnic Dayak community then decided to celebrate the event on one day; thus, it's celebrated by all as the most important day by all different Dayak groups.

"It is now one of Sarawak's important gazetted holidays," he said in his Gawai Dayak message.Ang expressed pride in the Dayak community's achievements and their significant contributions to Malaysia's development ...