Ivy Lau, Christian Richardson triumph in DayakDaily’s “Sarawak Folklore” Writing Competition 2026

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By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Oct 17: DayakDaily successfully wraps up its fourth annual writing competition, themed ‘Sarawak Folklore”, with an awards ceremony honouring 10 winners.

The event was officiated today by Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts (MTCP) Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah. Out of 20 shortlisted writers who competed from Jan 2 to April 30, 10 participants ultimately emerged victorious.

In the Adult Category (open to those 19 and above), Ivy Lau Chien Jie from Sibu claimed the Gold Award and a RM3,500 cash prize, alongside a trophy, certificate, and a 3D2N stay voucher at Imperial Hotel. Her piece, ‘The Crimson Covenant, deeply impressed judges with the story of Foochow immigrants finding their place to call it home.

Meanwhile, Roslee Bahar secured the Silver Award (RM2,500), and Harry Bawan took home the Bronze Award (RM1,500). Consolation prizes of RM500 each went to Felicia Laleng Jimmy and Wong Koh Seng. All winners were also presented with a trophy and a certificate.

In the Youth Category, Christian Richardson Donald from Bau claimed first place, taking home a RM2,500 cash prize, trophy, certificate, and a 3D2N stay voucher at the Imperial Hotel. His story of the stone mountain of Bau told the importance of treating others with care, and how bad deeds can lead to misfortune.

Bernard Yong Qian Ze secured second place with a RM1,500 cash prize, while Monica Pawa Ringkai took third place, earning RM1,000. Consolation prizes of RM200 each were awarded to Claire Chen Ching Yuan and Elizabeth Lau Ke Jia. All youth winners also received a trophy and a certificate.

The event also saw all top ten winners across both categories receive their official certificates.

Beyond celebrating literary talent, the writing competition serves a deeper purpose: to foster a genuine love for writing while preserving Sarawak’s rich cultural heritage, traditional lifestyles, and intimate family stories.

This encourages writers to capture the heart of community traditions, indigenous legends, and personal bonds, ensuring that these invaluable cultural narratives are kept alive and passed down for generations to come.

Among the distinguished guests present were Deputy Minister Datuk Snowdan Lawan, Deputy Permanent Secretary Julin Alen, Pertubuhan Wartawan Bebas Kuching (Pewarta) president Peter Sibon, and DayakDaily director Lian Cheng.

The writing competition was organised by DayakDaily, generously backed by MTCP, and supported by the Imperial Hotel, Kuching, with their sponsorship of the 3D2N stay vouchers. – DayakDaily

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