TUARAN – Sabahans in the state continue to embrace their “buang sial” culture by heading to the beach for a dip to wash away their bad luck from the year before as they usher in 2024.
Several families from Kota Kinabalu travelled about 30km to Pantai Shahbandar in Tuaran to avoid congestion at Tg Aru beach and Tg Lipat.
One of them, who only wanted to be known as Sarah, told Scoop that she and her family took a trip to the beach for a short while for the “ritual” and wanted to get home to catch the countdown.
“This is the first time that we are spending New Year’s Eve in Tuaran. I love it here; it is not very crowded. In previous years, we spent our New Year’s Eve at Tg Aru beach, but we thought it would be crowded as usual, so we took a trip to Tuaran. It was very nice,” she said.
A local from Tuaran, Azhar, said that he came to the beach with his brother and children to partake in the “buang sial” tradition.
He said he was fortunate to live near the beach but planned to leave the vicinity early due to concerns over his children’s safety.
“But in previous years, there would be people coming here at about 11pm to take a dip in the sea just before midnight. Some people would even camp here,” he said.
Social media users here also shared that locals had started flocking to Tg Aru beach and Tg Lipat as early as 4pm as people were getting ready to take a dip in the sea to welcome the new year.
The origin of the “buang sial” tradition is not officially recorded, but families of different races and religions often practise taking a dip in the sea, pool or even bathtubs before midnight or precisely at midnight for good luck in the coming year.
It is a tradition widely practised throughout Sabah, such that police even issue statements reminding locals to be mindful when going to the beach at night in the dark, especially when they are bringing children.
This year, Sandakan district police chief Abdul Fuad Abdul Malek said he was dispatching a patrol team to inspect the situation at the most frequented beach in the district, Pasir Putih, to ensure the safety of visitors.
Additionally, police would set up roadblocks and inspect nightclubs around the district to prevent reckless driving and driving under the influence. – January 1, 2024