PETALING JAYA: A recent social media post to ridicule the Ngepan Indu, the traditional outfit worn by Iban women, has deepened the community’s desire to keep their culture and tradition alive in the clothes they wear.
The Ngepan Indu is worn during special occasions such as the Gawai festival as well as for rituals, official events and ceremonies, and the attempt to mock the outfit has cut deeply into the community’s cultural psyche.
Social media influencer Ryzal Ibrahim did the unforgivable by posting a video of his Korean wife Maryam Younarae in the attire and him making fun of it on his Instagram account recently.
The obviously unqualified critic of traditional wear soon saw heavy criticism directed at him by cultural and arts groups in Sibu.
The Dayak Traditional Arts and Culture Club, Sarawak Dayak National Union and the Sarakup Indu Dayak Sarawak also lodged police reports against Ryzal.
He has since issued a public apology to the Iban community through the Persatuan Anak Borneo Semenanjung on Saturday.
Entrepreneur Cornelius Unggi, from Kota Samarahan, said this was not the first time that Dayak culture had been ridiculed.
“Many others who are not as ‘instafamous’ have also made fun of the Ngepan Indu,” he told theSun.
Unggi, 31, who is Dayak, explained that the traditional Iban attire can be traced back to a woman named Kumang.
According to legend, Kumang was a beauty and a great weaver. She was also regarded as a goddess among women in her community. The Ngepan Indu is the embodiment of the Iban culture and tradition.
Freelance Iban traditional dancer Andrea Tili said there were many versions of the Ngepan Indu but all have to be worn with a set of accessories, that include the Sugu Tinggi (silver headgear), the Marek Empang or Tangu (strings of beads made of cloth and worn around the shoulder), a traditional skirt called Pua Kumbu and a silver belt called Lampit.
Also in the ensemble are a silver corset known as Rawai, silver bangles called Tumpa Bentuk, anklets, a sash called Selampai, a silver chain called Tali Mulung and a Sementing, which is a corset adorned with coins.
The wearer also carries a silver purse called Buah Pauh.
In a statement issued in response to Ryzal’s post, National Unity Minister Datuk Halimah Mohamed Sadique said all communities in the country should respect the culture of others and avoid mocking the traditions of other races.
