Bajau

The Bajau is also one of the ethnics in Malaysia and they have been a nomadic, seafaring people for most of their history. Many Bajau still practice that same lifestyle to this day, which explains why they are still commonly called "sea gypsies." They chart particularly the waters of the Sulu Sea, off the southwestern coast of the Philippines, and the various seas that surround the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.

Many of them are to be found in Malaysia's eastern state, Sabah, on the island of Borneo. Of course the seafaring Bajau make their living from fishing. They have a very unique lifestyle where they live on Lepa and only come ashore for food, water supply and during this LEPA festival.

In Sabah East Coast Bajau community dialect, lepa means "boat". The lepa boat is a cultural legacy inherited by Bajau  people from many generations ago. The existence of lepa is believed to originate from the fishing community who live in Bum Bum Island and used by the Pa'alau people along the coast of Semporna. The high light of LEPA event is to choose the most dazzling Lepa from the beautifully, colorfully adorned boats which are lined up at the waterfront.

On the decks are smiling dancers and musicians dressed in equally colorful traditional attires.

Variety of decorations

Playing music and dancing during the Lepa Festival

From an event observed only by the sea gypsies of Sabah, theRegatta Lepa Semporna is now an official state festival; an important agenda in the national tourism calendar.