On 1 January next year the Sabah Cultural Board, together with the Alpha Graphic Mobile Apps Developer, will implement its Sabah E-Culture mobile app.

Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin, Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment, said development of the Android operating system app is over and Apple iOS is completed by December.

The free application, he said, enables the public, particularly researchers, students in higher education institutions, school pupils and tourists, to learn about the culture of the ethnic Sabahs on the go.

“The application displays information about the ethnicities and cultures found in Sabah. This information is presented in the form of a compact and easy-to-understand infographic covering seven cultural introductions.

“It includes the history and ethnic background; hereditary customs; beliefs, practices and taboos; traditional musical instruments and dances; traditional ethnic costumes; traditional food and ethnic languages,” he said at the launching ceremony.

Jafry said the Sabah application has added information about 23 ethnic groups, and the audio files provided can also be used to learn the basics of the Sabah ethnic languages.

It also allows users to spend time playing the mini puzzle game included in the programme.