Malaysian Festivals

The origins of Kaul go back centuries to the time when the Melanau were animists. Today most of them are Catholics or Muslims and often adherents of the two religions in the same family live in the same house, But they still celebrate Kaul with gusto. The old animist religion may not be practiced these days but the legends live on.

The festival is celebrated on different days in the many Melanau settlements along the coast. The Tibou, the death defying 20-foot high swing, is one of the highlights of Kaul. Here youths dive from a high bamboo scaffolding and catch a swinging liana rope as it reaches the height of its arc. First one, then two and eventually eight young men hanging in a clump from the giant swing as it soars above the beach. Kaul is about more than giant swings. It’s a colourful festival with a flotilla of highly decorated boats, beach games and lots of delicious Melanau food. Traditionally, during the monsoon, the river mouths were closed.






Villages would be palei or taboo for days before Kaul. No one was allowed to leave or enter, and people underwent purification ceremonies during Kaul.

At the start of Kaul, the highly decorated fishing boats move down river carrying the seraheng, a flat round basket raised on a bamboo pole. It is placed on a riverbank while the Bapa Kaul or leader of the ceremony invokes the spirits and pours water over the offerings. In the past the sick and elderly would gather by the 'seraheng' so that the water poured on the offerings would fall on them and wash away all evil. Today the ceremony is of social rather than religious significance.



After the ceremony there are games on the beach, displays of Melanau martial arts, dancing and eating. The festivities do not stop with sunset, they just move to the Melanau houses built on rivers and streams where there are cultural performances and non stop feasting. The attractive native dwellings give the fishing villages near Mukah, the air of a bamboo Venice and their hospitality is legendary.

Kaul is a traditional festival celebrated by the Melanau fishing community living along the coasts of Sarawak. The festival is a ritual of purification and thanksgiving as well as one of the propitiation for good fortune. It is celebrated at the end of the northeast monsoon, and it marks the beginning of the Melanau New Year.



The main highlights in the event is the “tibau”, a traditional giant swing 20 feet high. Young people would daringly dive down to catch a swinging rope. This is obviously not for the faint hearted. Graceful dancers also performed at the event with their traditional alu-alu dance. Sri Ritma won the first prize with RM2,000 prize money.

Other activities included martial arts demonstrations and parade by local community leaders. It is at this event that you get to witness the many facets of the Melanau community.





The most famous dish from Mukah would be the umai dish, which is a raw fish delicacy prepared out of raw fish and consumed in the form of salad. Several different types of raw fishes are used for preparing Umai. You can either have it plain, sliced fish with spicy chili sauce or raw fish mixed with lime juice, sliced onions, chilies, sugar and salt. The other popular dish would be the sago pellet.

The Melanau community festival or Kaul appeases the spirits of the sea, land, forests and farm celebrates the end of the rainy season and the start of the fishing season in late March or April.

Mukah, located in Central Sarawak is slowly emerging into an important coastal town with a bright future. Its population are mainly Melanau where they are know as the sago-eating tribe. Kuching city on the other hand is located at the Western tip of Sarawak. There are many ways to go to Mukah and one can go to Mukah either by car, plane from or by boat from Sibu. It takes over 5 hours to reach Mukah from Sibu.



The local Melanaus in Mukah, Sarawak recently celebrated the Kaul Festival (Pesta Kaul). It was a myriad of events with more than 10,000 people attending it. This festival is unique to the Melanaus is held every year around the month of March to April. Kaul Festival is a thanksgiving festival to appease the spirits of the farms, forests, land and sea. The Melanaus would express their gratitude to the spirits for keeping them safe through the monsoon season. They are also expressing their desire for an abundance of fishes caught on their fishing journeys.