NEOMI SALIKUP EMERGED CHAMPION WRITER OF 5TH AND LAST TANSRI DOMPOK NOVEL WRITING COMPETITION IN KADAZANDUSUN LANGUAGES

 21 FEBRUARY 2026

 

 

 Winners Neomi, flanked by Edna (left) and Pricilla

 

 

PENAMPANG.  Neomi Salikup from Kampung Taginambur, Tamparuli was champion for the 5th and last Tan Sri Bernard Dompok Literary Award for Novel Writing  Competition bringing home a trophy and RM7,500 in cash prize.  Her novel titled "Sondihon do Koposion" was inspired by her personal experience in village environment, a fiction story of three siblings who lost their parents in a single day.

She had consistently submitted entries since the competition started in 2012 and won second place during the fourth competition.

The second prize winner this year was Edna Stacy Sumandi from Kampung Tomboilik Tenghilan, titled "Ngingis Kalangadan" and third as Priscilla Moses Gukim from Kampung Togudon Penampang, titled "Tomoimo id Ginavo".  They won cash prizes of RM4,500 and RM3,000 respectively,  proving the lady's power in literature.

Another seven consolation winners of RM750 went to Faveyana Linos, Leolarry Lajius, Adrian Soidi, Ainah Gimir, Witer Gunik, Neomi Jemmy @Edward and Angela Peter.

There were 16 entries received in the 5th series but only 10 was selected in the competition. All the prizes were sponsored by Tan Sri Bernard Dompok who also announced this is the last of Novel Writing Competition however it will be replaced with a new platforms of storytelling to inspire future generation to write, and will be announced soon by the Kadazan Language Foundation (KLF),

He said the competition was organised in response to the need of more Kadazandusun reading materials utilised as teaching aids to learning the language in schools. The competition had 89 entries since in started in 2012.

Guest of honour Datuk Ewon Benedick, Deputy CM III cum Minister of Industrial Development, Entrepreneurship and Transport announced allocation of RM100 thousand from his MP funds to KLF for all their ethnic languages initiatives and another 50 thousand from his ministry to Sabah Ethnic Association to carry out workshops and seminars to prepare modules for 4 chosen ethnic languages of Sabah.

 

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