adminKUALA LUMPUR: ERA Sabah and ERA Sarawak have come up with a special initiative through the organisation of a PEPSI FM broadcast which brings together four major radio stations, namely ERA Sabah, ERA Sarawak, Cats FM and Kupi-Kupi FM in conjunction with this year’s Gawai Day and Kaamatan Festival celebrations.
ERA Sabah and ERA Sarawak Brand Manager, Azah Sahrin, said the inaugural collaboration brings together radio personalities from Sabah and Sarawak in an atmosphere full of culture, entertainment and unity.
“This is the first time ERA Sabah and ERA Sarawak have joined with Cats FM and Kupi-Kupi FM in celebrating Gawai Day and the Kaamatan Festival… and it is certainly a very proud opportunity for us,” he said.
According to him, the initiative not only unites four radio stations on one special platform, but also opens up space to strengthen relationships between radio presenters and listeners, especially the community in Borneo.
“Pepsi’s support plays a big role in the success of PEPSI FM, especially as a brand that is close to the people and is often chosen to be celebrated with family and guests during festive seasons such as Gawai Day and the Kaamatan Festival,” he added.
PEPSI FM’s special broadcast ran for 18 hours non-stop on Thursday with a variety of entertainment, interactive segments and cultural content highlighting the spirit of the Gawai Day and Kaamatan Festival celebrations.
The program also showcases the unique cultural diversity of the Sabah and Sarawak communities, as well as being a platform to bridge the gap between the broadcasting industry and the local community.
At the same time, Astro Audio would like to express its appreciation to Pepsi as the main sponsor who made this collaboration possible.
Astro Audio FM Brand Head, Dhan, said the main challenge of the program was to bring together various languages, presentation styles and radio personalities from Sabah and Sarawak on one special broadcast platform.
“There was a lot of work behind the scenes to put all of this together, including the delivery method, language and content arrangement. But the results are beautiful and we hope to do more collaborations like this in the future,” he said.
Kupi-Kupi FM Operations Manager, Ronald Raynel Florence, said that the program is a shared responsibility in preserving the history, heritage and traditions of the Borneo community.
“The cultures of Sabah and Sarawak are actually not that different. The only difference is the way and time the celebration is carried out. Apart from food and traditions, the uniqueness of Borneo lies in the culture and dances that are celebrated together,” he said.
According to him, the collaboration provides an opportunity for the people of Sabah to get to know the Gawai culture while the people of Sarawak understand the Kaamatan celebration more closely.
Meanwhile, Cats FM Program Manager, Muhammad Fazli Daud, said that the collaboration proves that the culture of Sabah and Sarawak can be a medium for unity among Malaysians.
“This collaboration is not only about sharing culture but also sharing taste. The people of Sabah can get to know Gawai and the people of Sarawak can understand Kaamatan,” he said.
He said that the use of the Sabah and Sarawak languages in broadcasts was also a challenge because it needed to be presented in a simple way so that it could be understood by listeners across the country.
“We hope that the spirit of unity brought through PEPSI FM can be expanded throughout Malaysia in the future,” he said.
-Agency
