Culture Archives | Page 35 Of 40

The 1859 murder of Fox and Steele in Kanowit

Published on February 25, 2019

Culture

Murders call up the same amount of emotions – horror, fear, rage, even intrigue – whether they happened in 1859 or 2019.

One could argue that for 19th century Sarawak where headhunting was still in practice, a double homicide might not be that all interesting…unless the murder victims were two European officers.

Who were Fox and Steele?

Charles James Fox and Henry Steele were two Brooke officers stationed in a fort in Kanowit.

The 1859 murder of Fox and Steele in Kanowit — Kanowit Bazaar

Although Fox was appointed as the Resident of Rejang and Steele as the commander of the fort, the second white Rajah of Sarawak, Charles Brooke was not entirely convinced of the two’s capabilities in carrying out their jobs.

According to Cassandra Pybus in White Rajah: A Dynastic Intrigue, Fox was “an unsteady and inconsistent fellow, had come to Sarawak as a missionary and had been deflected from his calling by his desire for a dyak mistress” while Steele was “an imaginative bully who treated the dyaks with arrogant disregard”.

Meanwhile, Robert Payne in The White Rajahs of Sarawak described Fox as “brusque, efficient, easily excited”. As for Steele, he was a “former apprentice on a merchant ship, was more knowledgeable about the native ways, but hard on the Dyaks who worked under him.”

Whatever the reason, Fox and Steele were murdered on June 25, 1859.

Payne wrote that on the morning of the murder, Fox was calmly digging a trench in the garden attached to the fort.

He had been unarmed when a local, whom Payne described as ‘a Kanowit’ came out from the forest and speared him in the back. He then pitched forward into the trench that he himself dug.

At the same time, another local attacked Steele. He was about to get the upper hand in that struggle when another local came up behind him with a sword and split his head.

Fox and Steele’s heads were cut off and the murderers fled.

The alleged killers of Fox and Steele

As the Tuan Muda, Charles was furious over the deaths of his two officers. He reportedly said he had “an intense thirst and concentrated desire to seek out and bathe hands in the blood of those who had murdered our much lamented friends.”

One theory had it that Syarif Masahor, a Malay leader from Sarikei was behind the murders as he was famous then among the locals for his rebellion against the Brooke administration.

Charles – who was still the Tuan Muda at this time – also believed that Masahor was behind it, but nobody had any proof.

Nonetheless, the Brooke government managed to name two suspects; Sawing and Sekalai (Pybus added a third suspect named Talip).

In some records, it was stated that these suspects fled to their Kayan relatives at upper Rajang river. Meanwhile, local historian Jayl Langub stated that they actually took refuge at the Kejaman Longhouse. This was located at Tuju Matahap just above the confluence of Belaga and Balui rivers (tributaries of Rajang river).

Over a hundred native lives paid for the deaths of Fox and Steele

What followed after the double homicide was something that left a dark past along the Rajang river: The Great Kayan Expedition 1863.

It is uncertain that the murders of Fox and Steele were the sole reason for the punitive expedition mainly against the Kayan people.

However, Charles did send an expedition of 1,000 Dayak people to punish the murderers as well as those who harboured them.

For the Brooke administration, the first expedition was a failure although they were well-armed. The second one led by Charles himself was successful.

According to Payne, it was Charles’ first major engagement. So, you can imagine how excited he was.

“He felt he was completely fearless, showing himself in the open. Whenever he found one of his Dyaks wounded, he would rush up to him, pour some brandy between his lips and make him get up and walk. Apparently brandy and walking were a sufficient antidote against poisoned arrows,” he wrote.

There was no exact number of casualties but it was believed over hundreds lives were lost, including women and children.

But Charles did ‘bathe his hand in the blood of the murderers’; They were sentenced to death by having their throats cut.

As for his ‘much lamented friends’, Payne stated “No one had anything good to say about Fox or Steele, and it is possible that they deserved to die.”

The early days of Engkilili town, Sarawak

Published on February 25, 2019

Culture

Located about 156km from Sarawak’s capital Kuching, Engkilili is a humble town in the district of Lubok Antu, Sri Aman.

According to Chang Pat Foh in Legends and History of Sarawak, the bazaar was first established in 1888.

By 1920, there were 12 attap shop-houses in the bazaar.

The name of the bazaar was likely derived from a local fruit which was found in abundance in the olden days.

The Engkilili tree (Lepisanthes alata) is also commonly known as pokok ceri Terengganu or Malay cherry.

The tree can grow up to 15m high with flowers that come in purple to reddish brown.

Besides Borneo, the Engkilili tree can also be found in Sumatra, Java and Peninsular Malaysia.

Early Chinese Settlements in Engkilli

The early days of Engkilili town, Sarawak — The bazaar was first established in 1888.

In 1854, a group of Chinese Hakka came to Engkilili from Pontianak and Sambas in Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Led by Bong Chie, the group came through Tebedu, passing through Tebekang and from there to Engkilili.

According to Alex Ling in Golden Dreams of Borneo, the move was inspired by a medium, who told them in a trance that it would be safer for them to move to Engkilili in the future.

True enough, the Dutch administration was reportedly harassing this community, forcing them to make the move faster than expected.

Originally, this group of mainly Hakka migrated all the way from four districts (Tapu, Chia Ying, Huilai and Kityang) in Kwantung Province of China before they arrived in Borneo.

By September 1870, according to Sarawak Gazette there were 450 Chinese settled down mainly at Marup, Engkilili.

During that time, the gold mining industry was booming in Marup. The gold miners formed the Fifteen Kongsi at Marup to run their daily administration.

Then in 1917, another wave of Chinese immigrants came to Engkilili. Unlike the Hakkas, the Teochews worked mainly as traders at the bazaar.

A visit by Italian botanist Odoardo Beccari

The Fifteen Kongsi had a house which also functioned as the administration office, gathering space, as well as guesthouse.

In fact, one of the earliest records of Marup from the 19th century was written by Italian botanist Odoardo Beccari.

He spent three years in Borneo from 1865 to 1868. Most of his experiences were recorded in his book Wanderings in the great forests of Borneo, travels and researches of a naturalist in Sarawak (1904).

Of Marup, Beccari wrote, “Marop is a Chinese village, placed in a small valley surrounded by low hills. The stream from which it takes its name runs through it, supplying an abundance of cool limpid water, and giving off a minor torrent which dashes merrily amidst the houses. The village was very clean; most of the houses were made with mats or palm leaves, but the big house, or residence of the Kunsi, the headman of the Chinese, in which I took up my quarters, was almost entirely built by wood.”

More importantly, he recorded some of the species found in Engkilili in those days. These included the hyacinth orchid (Dipodium sp.), monkey (Semnopithecus rubicundus), orangutan and Rajah Brooke’s birdwing.

Beccari also noted that Marop was an excellent station for a zoologist but a poor one for a botanist. This was because the forest in the area had been mostly cleared for paddy planting.

The rise and fall of Fort Leonora

Like most settlements built during the reign of the White Rajahs of Sarawak, Engkilili has its own fort.

However unlike most Brooke’s forts which were built for defence purposes, the one in Engkilili was designed as an administration office.

Built in 1924, the fort was named Fort Leonora after Vyner’s eldest daughter, Dayang Leonara Margaret.

Since it was built, the fort served different purposes over the years. When the Japanese took over Sarawak during World War II, the fort was used as the kempeitai’s office.

Then during the colonial period, the British colonial officers used it as their office. Later during Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation, Fort Leonora was turned into an army base for the Commonwealth forces.

Despite its rich history, the original building was torn down and was rebuilt. Today it is the Engkilili Sub-District Office.

The only known photo of Fort Leonora belonged to Brian Houldershaw which was taken in 1965.

Get to know the symbols of towns in Sarawak

Published on February 22, 2019

Culture

Most towns in this world have at least one thing that they are known for, be it an agricultural product or a wildlife species that also calls their respective regions home.

This symbol usually can be found as a landmark or statue in the centre of the town. The same thing happens here in the Land of Hornbills.

If you get the chance to travel to each and every town of Sarawak, pay extra attention to the roundabout or the main entry road leading into the town. These are the common sites to find the town’s symbol.

Here at KajoMag, we want you to get to know all the symbols of the towns in Sarawak:

Kuching

There are plenty of stories about how Kuching got its name. The most popular one is that it came from the word ‘Kucing’ or ‘cat’ in Malay.

However, this theory is usually rejected as ‘cat’ in Sarawak Malay dialect is ‘pusak’ not ‘kucing’.

Nonetheless, this animal has become the symbol of Sarawak’s capital city. You can find plenty of cat statues around the city. There is even a museum dedicated to felines.

Get to know the symbols of towns in Sarawak — Some cat plates that could have been from Harry Potter’s Professor Umbridge private collection at the Kuching Cat Museum.

Lundu

Situated in the western part of Sarawak, Lundu serves as the gateway to Gunung Gading National Park and Tanjung Datu National Park.

There are two symbols of this town; Normah orchid and Rafflesia flower.

Normah orchid (Phalaenopsis belina) is Sarawak’s very own state flower while Rafflesia tuan-mudae is endemic to Gunung Gading, Lundu.

Bau

The town of Bau was historically known for its gold mining industry. Hence, it was only natural that the symbol of the town would be its miners.

There is a landmark in Bau depicting three miners with sculptures of Normah orchid and pitcher plants on top.

Serian

Serian town is home to – allegedly – the most delicious and best quality of durian in Sarawak.

There is a giant monument of king of fruits in the middle of Serian market place.

Sarikei

This town is known as the food basket of Sarawak. However, the symbol of this town is not a food basket but a pineapple.

At the Sarikei waterfront, visitors can find a 3.6 high pineapple statue.

The history of pineapple planting in Sarikei goes back to the 1970s. At that time, the locals started to plant pineapples n the Sungai Sawang, Parit Tengah, Parit Bugis, Sungai Salah, Sungai Sageng and Bukit Kinyau areas.

Sri Aman

Although the town is now called Sri Aman, the older generations in Sarawak still call this town Simanggang to this day.

After it was renamed as Sri Aman or town of peace in 1973, the symbol has been a pair of doves.

Betong

The symbol of this town is the rubber tree. This is because Saribas district was one of the first districts in Sarawak to plant rubber tree back in the early 20th century.

Sibu

Do you know that Sibu is also nicknamed the ‘Swan City’ of Sarawak?

Legend has it there was a famine in Sibu, which ended when a flock of swans flew through the skies of the town.

Bintulu

Bintulu is the energy town of Sarawak. While most visitors might expect the symbol of this town to be a liquefied natural gas plant, the symbol of this town is actually an egret.

There used to be a landmark of several egret statues in downtown Bintulu which, unfortunately, no longer exists.

Miri

Miri Municipal Council picked the seahorse as the town’s official symbol after it was proposed by then Sarawak chief minister Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud.

It was introduced as part of the “I love Miri Campaign” in 1994.

The seahorse is chosen reportedly because of its beautiful and distinctive figure with gentle and graceful motion just like the multiple ethnic and cultural identities of Miri which live in peace and harmony with good values of life.

Limbang

In the rural parts of Limbang, buffalo are not just used for sources of meat but also in paddy farming, exchanged as dowries and in their famous buffalo races.

With plenty of buffaloes around, it is no surprise Limbang picked it as its town symbol.

Lawas

According to Chang Pat Foh in Legends and History of Sarawak, the famous landmarks of Lawas are the sweet corn and apple.

Sweet corn is the most popular crop planted in Lawas while the apples planted in Ba’ Kelalan in the 80s was a success and has become famous since then.

How Sarawak, the Land of Hornbills, got its name

Published on February 21, 2019

Culture

Located in the northwest Borneo island, the Malaysian state of Sarawak is the largest state in the country.

It is nicknamed ‘Bumi Kenyalang’ or ‘Land of the Hornbills’ as these birds are culturally significant for the native people of Sarawak.

Looking back at its history, Sarawak was first established as an independent kingdom from a series of land concessions acquired by a British former soldier and adventurer, James Brooke, from the Sultanate of Brunei since 1841.

Known as The Kingdom of Sarawak, it received recognition as an independent state from the United States in 1850 and from the United Kingdom in 1864.

But how does this former kingdom and today, a state that comprises part of the Federation of Malaysia, get its name?

Here are few versions of the origin of the name ‘Sarawak’:

1.The name of a mineral

First of all, there is no consensus on how the state got its name. However, the common understanding it was named after the Sarawak river.

But then what is the origin of the name of the river?

It is believed that the river was named after a type of mineral named ‘serawak’ or ‘serewa’, which was found in the area.

According to Chang Pat Foh in Legends and History of Sarawak, ‘serawak’ means antimony in old Sarawak Malay.

In 1823, there was a discovery of antimony in Siniawan area of Bau.

Chang stated, “Since Sarawak river flows through Siniawan, it is likely that people in the olden days referred the river which flows through antimony areas as ‘Serawak’ river. Even when Sir James Brooke wrote home while contemplating his navigational plans in 1839, he was aware of the antimony ore in Sarawak. He wrote, ‘My intention is first to visit Sarawak- a river whence they get antimony ore..'”

How Sarawak, the Land of Hornbills, got its name — Sarawak may have been named after this river.

2.It is the name of a pineapple

Additionally, Chang shared another version stating it was the name of a pineapple.

Back in those days, the pineapple planted along the river was extraordinarily sweet, hence the name of the river.

3.‘Serah kepada awak’

There is this legend that the name is derived from ‘Serah kepada awak’ or ‘Give it to you’.

In the 15th century when the Brunei sultanate took over the area, the locals reportedly welcomed the move.

They told the Bruneians, “Serah kepada awak”.

Another theory was when Brooke helped Pangiran Muda Hashim in pacifying the Brunei-led rebellion, he handed the area to Brooke saying “Serah kepada awak”.

However, this legend is definitely incorrect. This was because the river was named Sarawak before Brooke arrived in this territory.

Plus, the word ‘awak’ is not part of Sarawak Malay vocabulary.

Do you know any theory or legend on how the state got its name? Let us know in the comment box.

Sarawak War Memorials in Kuching You Should Know

Published on February 18, 2019

Culture

Sarawak had just approved a new constitution in September 1941 – a constitution that would see an end to Brooke autocratic rule and see itself transitioning to self-governance – when the Japanese invaded in December that year.

Japanese forces attacked and occupied Miri on December 16, and then Kuching on Christmas Eve, and would not surrender until 1945.

Throughout this brief occupation period, Sarawak was very much affected, and as a result, war and hero memorials were erected to honour those who sacrificed their lives for freedom.

Here are five war and hero memorials in Kuching honouring those who lost their lives during WWII that you should definitely know about.

1. The Clock Tower at Jalan Padungan

Sarawak War Memorials in Kuching You Should Know — One of the earliest war and hero memorial in Kuching

If you pass by the roundabout at Jalan Padungan, you will see a clock tower just behind the White Cat Statue.

Many might not know this, but it was actually Sarawak’s first war memorial.

It was declared open in November 1952 to commemorate all Sarawak residents who lost their lives during World War II.

The idea of building a war memorial came from former Chief Secretary of Sarawak, J.B. Archer who spent years as a civil internee at the Batu Lintang Camp.

The clock tower remained as a war memorial until 1961 when a new war memorial was built at the Central Padang.

This was because the authorities thought that the space at Jalan Padungan was too cramped for big parades.

2. Sarawak Volunteer Mechanics and Drivers at Tabuan Laru

The monument was erected for Sarawak volunteer mechanics and drivers who had served in World War II.

The word ‘Nanyang’ means Southern Ocean, which refers to Southeast Asia. The Nanyang Volunteer Drivers and Mechanics was an important group that offered support to China during the war.

From February to September 1939, about 4,000 young men from Southeast Asia, or ‘Nanyang’ left their families and homes voluntarily to travel to China to work as mechanics and drivers during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945).

About 100 volunteers came from Sarawak, who registered through the recruitment committee of the China Relief Committee in Kuching.

Known as “’Nanyang Huaqiao Jigong’, the volunteers also came from other parts of Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Burma, Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia.

Out of the 4000 volunteers, about 1,144 survived and 20 returned to Sarawak.

Sarawak is one of the locations in Malaysia where a monument was erected for Nanyang volunteers. Others include Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru and Penang.

3. Heroes Monument at Sarawak Museum ground

The museum ground has one of the most well known war and hero memorials in Kuching.

The monument was laid by Malaysia’s first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman.

While it may not be exclusively erected to honour those during WWII, the monument was erected to commemorate fallen heroes from past wars in Sarawak.

The museum ground is said to an old burial ground of the Chinese community in Kuching.

Its most distinguished feature are the plaques of Sarawak’s fallen heroes who fought in different military battles.

However, over the years the monument has lost many of its plaques. Out of nine plaques, the only remaining one is of Datuk Patinggi Ali.

4. World War II Heroes Grave at Jalan Taman Budaya

The War World II Heroes is probably one of the most well known war and hero memorials in Kuching.

It was built to honour 13 men who sacrificde their lives to help the prisoners of war (POW) of Allied Forces held in Batu Lintang and Sandakan POW camps during WWII.

Eight were executed at Stapok Road in March 2^nd in 1944 by the Japanese for assisting the Allied POW at Sandakan POW Camp.

The other five were arrested and imprisoned by Japanese ‘Kempetai’ until their deaths at Jawa Road Prison in Kuching.

The hero memorial also honoured 21 Iban trackers and Sarawak Rangers who fought in battlefields during the Malayan Emergency.

5. Batu Lintang PoW Campsite Memorial at the Batu Lintang Teacher’s Education Institute

The Batu Lintang Teacher’s Education Institution was once a PoW Campsite during the World War II.

A memorial plaque was made to commemorate those who did not survive during imprisonment.

One of the detainees in the Batu Lintang PoW Campsite was Bishop Peter H.H Howes.

His experiences is documented in books ‘The Lintang Camp’ and ‘In a Fair Ground’.

The Iban woman who does Malay keringkam embroidery

Published on February 8, 2019

Culture

Keringkam embroidery is a significant artistic heritage for the Sarawak Malay community.

The word ‘keringkam’ comes from the gold or silver thread called clinquant thread used to embroider motifs on shawls and headscarves.

With traditional Sarawak Malay attire, there are two types of scarves; the shorter ones called selayah and the longer types called selendang.

In the olden days, the women would wear these keringkam embroidered scarves for special occasions such as weddings.

Charles Brooke’s wife, Margaret, was known to have loved these fine traditional embroidery, as she had several in her keeping and had also taken portraits of herself wearing the selayah keringkam.

Depending on the size of the fabric and the detail of the motifs, a piece can take up to three months to complete.

The Iban woman who does Malay keringkam embroidery — There are several types of flower motifs in traditional keringkam embroidery. The one pictured above is the ‘motif rose mekar’, or ‘blooming rose motif’.

Nowadays, only a handful of artisans know how to do keringkam embroidery. One of them is a 41-year-old Iban lady, Doris Hilda Reji, who fell in love with this Malay traditional craft.

She also happens to be the only non-Malay keringkam embroiderer in Sarawak.

Hailing from Lundu, she currently lives in Kampung Siol Kandis, and first began keringkam embroidery in 2003.

She was part of Skim Inkubator Kraf, an incubator scheme to start handicraft businesses under Malaysian Handicraft Development Corporation. She still does custom orders today.

When KajoMag met her, she was working from home embroidering keringkam as per customers’ orders.

KajoMag: How did you first learn how to embroider keringkam?

Doris: I was a single mother trying to learn extra skills to make a living. Back then, I took some courses at Sarawak’s Women and Family Department (JWKS) and they started to offer a keringkam embroidery class.

I was among the youngest in the group so some of the officers suggested that I sign up for it. They said since I was still in my 20s, my eyesight was still good; perfect to do intricate work of keringkam embroidery. Before taking the class, I had never heard of keringkam before.

When I first saw a selendang with keringkam embroidery, I told myself I had to learn and finish one myself. It took me about three months and I still have my first ever keringkam embroidering work.

Since I started, I did keringkam embroidery on not just scarves but clothes and decorations to put in a frame.

There were some people looking for unique souvenirs, so I turned keringkam embroidery into small bookmarks to cater for their requests.

KajoMag: How does it feel being the only non-Malay in this artistry?

Doris: I have always liked anything that is handmade so I was not choosy on what to do; as long as the finished product is something made by hand. Since there was an opportunity for me to learn, I took it without thinking about it.

KajoMag: Do you have any plans on teaching your children how to embroider keringkam?

Doris: I taught my daughter how to embroider over the three months as we waited for her SPM results. She did that before she went off to further her studies. Even now, she occasionally sits next to me and helps embroider with me.

I don’t think she would take it seriously as a career, but at least she has some basic skills on how to do it. I always welcome those who are willing to learn from me at an affordable fee.

KajoMag: What is your hope for the future of keringkam embroidery in Sarawak?

Doris: As far as I’m concerned, pua kumbu is still widely known among the Iban community because we still use it to this day, so the younger generation knows about pua kumbu.

For keringkam, however, perhaps there are not many who are familiar with this art.

There is always room to promote more about keringkam among the younger generation. If they do not learn about it, then they would have no interest in wearing anything with keringkam embroidery on it.

How a father’s rage led to the origin of oil in Miri

Published on February 7, 2019

Culture

British Charles Hose was the one responsible for the discovery of oil in Miri, Sarawak.

After his appointment as the Resident of Baram in 1890, Hose started mapping oil seeps in and around Miri.

He reportedly gave his findings to the Sarawak government but an oil exploration was an impossible mission back then due to its poor logistic conditions.

No one pursued the idea again until Hose retired and returned to England. There, he showed his map of oil seeps to Charles Brooke, the second White Rajah of Sarawak.

After a series of meetings, Sarawak signed the first Sarawak Oil Mining Lease in 1909, allowing the oil in Miri to be exploited.

However, according to legend there was another man who not only discovered oil, but was responsible for the origin of oil in this northern city of Sarawak.

How does the legend of the origin of oil in Miri go?

How a father’s rage led to the origin of oil in Miri

History writer Lee Fook Onn wrote in Miri Legends and Historical Stories about a family that lived in the middle course of Baram river many years ago. They came down to live there from Usun Apau highlands.

The family consisted of Balai and his wife, their son and their two daughters, Miri and Seria.

They were a happy family, with Usung famous for his hunting skills as well as Miri and Seria for their beauty.

The family owned a mortar from which black-coloured fluid would continuously flow but would never overflow.

Balai and his family would dip a piece of wood or leaf into the fluid to light a fire. This made their life easy and convenient as they saved a lot on firewood.

Time passed and the two daughters married, going off to live with their own families. Their only son Usung had died a while ago in a hunting mishap, and so Balai and his wife began to feel lonely in their own home.

The good thing was that Miri and Seria both lived nearby, so they often came back to visit their parents.

Every time they returned to their own homes, however, they brought the black fluid back with them.

Balai was not happy with that. However, their mother was more than willing to give and even used bamboo pipes to store the black fluid for her daughters.

One day, Balai caught his wife pouring the black fluid into the pipes. This time, he was so furious that he took a knife to cut the pipes. In his rage, he broke the mortar as well.

In the midst of his temper tantrum, Balai lost his balance and fell. As he struggled to get up, according to legend, he stamped the ground so hard that a heap of soil was formed. The black fluid then seeped through the ground and flowed into the sea.

This heap of soil is what Sarawakians recognise as Canada Hill today. Baram river, Sungai Melayu and several other rivers separating Miri and Seria towns (named after Balai’s daughters) are the ‘cuts’ made by Balai.

And the black fluid is the oil which now can be found in Miri and Seria.

Since Balai’s tantrum, oil has not been found in the middle course of Baram river to this day.

How Betong town in Sarawak got its name

Published on February 4, 2019

Culture

If you look up ‘Betong’ on Google, more often than not you will probably end up with Betong, Thailand.

The Thai town of Betong is located in southern Thailand, near the Malaysian border. It is the capital of Betong District, the southernmost district of Yala province.

Meanwhile, there is another town named Betong in Sarawak, Malaysia which falls under the Betong Division.

Both these two Betong towns not only share the same names but the origins of its name…and it all comes from a plant.

How Betong town in Sarawak got its name — One of the monuments in Sarawak’s Betong town.

The origins of the name of Betong

Just like the town in Thailand, Betong derives its name from a type of bamboo called ‘buluh Betong’ in Malay.

It is also known as giant bamboo and it is a type of species native to Southeast Asia.

According to Legends and History of Sarawak by Chang Pat Foh, the scientific name of the bamboo is Dendrocalamus asper. He wrote, “In the olden days, there were plenty of buluh Betong widely grown in the vicinity of Betong area.”

In those days the area was mostly known as Saribas after the river that flows through the area.

There was no mention of ‘Betong’ in some of the books written about Brooke’s administration in Sarawak such as The White Rajahs of Sarawak by Robert Payne, Twenty Years in Sarawak by Max Saint and My Life in Sarawak by Margaret Brooke.

Due to its colourful history of anti-Brooke movement in the 19th century, there are plenty of references to Saribas.

According to Betong District Council’s website, the name ‘Betong’ was chosen collectively by both the Iban and Malay communities in the area after the abundance of bamboos there.

The history of the bazaar can be traced back to the 1890s. Back then there were only 16 attap shophouses.

A huge fire broke out in 1915, razing the bazaar to the ground. Then, the town was rebuilt but was destroyed another fire in 1925.

Betong town and anti-Brooke movement

In 1855, a fort was built by the Brooke government in Betong. It was named Fort Lily, after Charles Brooke’s wife – Margaret Alice Lili de Windt.

The purpose of the fort was to keep the alleged Iban rebels in check.

At that time, there was an Iban leader from Padeh river called Aji. Son to Orang Kaya Pemanca Dana Bayang who led the Saribas Ibans, Aji and his followers challenged Brooke’s authority in the area, refusing to have a foreign power ruling over the Ibans.

The Brookes sent out an expedition in April 1858 to pacify the rebellion.

Fortunately, Aji survived the attack. Unwilling to give up, the Brookes ordered another attack against Aji. This time they were successful, and he was killed near Kuala Langit by Brooke’s forces.

Later, Fort Lily became the fortress from which they defended themselves against another famous Iban warrior named Rentap.

Betong town and its agricultural history

Although the town was named after a bamboo, the symbol of Betong is a rubber tree. This is because the area was among the first in Sarawak to plant the lucrative rubber trees in the early 20th century.

As such, a monument of a rubber tree was built in 1996 and is located right in the middle of Betong town.

Besides rubber, other major crops planted here in Betong division are pepper, paddy, coconuts and oil palm.

While bamboo is not widely grown as it used to be, the agriculture industry still remains a significant economic sector for Betong to this day. Together with Sarikei, Betong division aims to be Sarawak’s food basket by 2030.

Read about how other towns in Sarawak got their names:

Marudi, when it was called Claudetown

How Lubok Antu got its name

How Limbang, Sarawak town of buffaloes got its name

How the world began according to Tuaran Dusun legend

Published on January 30, 2019

Culture

Most cultures in the world have their own unique creation myths. It is a symbolic narrative of how the world began and how people first came to live in it.

In Malaysian Borneo state of Sabah, the Tuaran Dusun people have a unique legend on how the world began.

Ivar Evans recorded in his 1922 book Among Primitive Peoples in Borneo this creation myth after an interview with the headman of Timpalang, a Dusun from Tuaran, located along the west coast of Sabah.

Interestingly, the myth supports the long debated theory that life began at sea.

Kedharingan, Munsumundok and the spirit of smallpox

“At first there was a great stone in the middle of the sea. At that time there was no earth, only water. The rock was large and it opened its mouth, and out of it came a man and a woman.

“Then, they both looked around them but they could only see water. So the woman asked the man, ‘How can we walk for there is no land?'”

They came down from the rock and tried to walk on water. To their surprise, they could! But they returned to the rock and sat down to think.

Then, they decided to walk again. After walking on water for some time, they arrived at the house of Bisagit (the spirit of smallpox). They found out that Bisagit had made land but it was very far away.

According to Tuaran Dusun legend, the man and his wife were the chief gods named Kenharingan and Munsumondok. They asked for earth from Bisagit and he agreed.

The duo returned to their rock. There they pounded the rock together with the earth Bisagit gave them. From the mixture, it became land.

Then Kenharingan made the Dusun people while Munsumondok made the sky. As it was not good for men to walk in darkness, they both created the sun.

Munsumundok then said, “There is no light at night, let us make the moon.” Hence, they created not only the moons but also the seven stars (Pleiades) as well as the kukurian (constellations).

Here comes the unexpected twist of this Tuaran Dusun legend

The couple had a son and a daughter. Now Kenharingan’s people cried because there was no food.

“So Kenharingan and Munsumundok killed their girl child and cut it up, and from the different portions of its body grew all things good to eat: its head gave rise to the coconut, and you can see the marks of its eyes and mouth on the coconut till this day; from its arm bones arose sugarcane; its fingers bananas and its blood rise.”

All the animals also arose from pieces of the child.

After Kenharingan had made everything, he said: “Who is able to cast off his skin? If anyone can do so, he shall not die.”

The snake then said, “I can.” According to the legend, this is why the snake will not die unless killed by man.

Then Kenharingan placed the Dusuns in a basket to wash them in the river. However, one of the men fell out of the basket and drifted away by the river ended up at the sea. This man, according to legend, gave rise to the Bajaus. That is why the Bajau people live by the sea and are skillful with boats.

After Kenharingan had washed the Dusuns in the river, he performed a religious ceremony over them in his house.

But one of them left the house to the jungle before Kenharingan managed to do the ceremony. When he came back, he could not enter the house because he become a monkey. So the legend has it that this man was the father of the monkeys.

Understanding the creation myth of Tuaran Dusun

Mythologists have tried to categorise the different kinds of creation myths around the world.

Romanian historian Mircea Eliade came up with the most common classifications, namely ex nihilo, creation from chaos, world parent, earth-diver and emergence.

In this creation myth from the Tuaran Dusun people, it is a mixture of earth-diver and world parent.

Both Kenharingan and Munsumundok are the earth-divers in this myth where they are sent into the primal waters to find bits of sand or mud with which to build habitable land.

Earth-divers myths are also common in Native American folklore.

Meanwhile in world parent myth, creation itself comes out from dismembered parts of the body of the primeval being.

Most of these stories have the limbs, hair, blood, bones or organs of the primeval being are somehow cut to transform into sky, earth, animal or plant.

In this case is Kenharingan and Munsumundok’s daughter in which she gives her body to create other plants.

Rajah Vyner Brooke’s message to Sarawak on Cession Day

Published on January 25, 2019

Culture

After the end of World War II, Sarawak was briefly administered by the British Military Administration.

On July 1, 1946, the third White Rajah Vyner Brooke ceded the kingdom to the British Government.

So Sarawak became a British Crown Colony with Sir Charles Arden Clarke becoming the first British Crown Colonial Governor.

Sarawakians were conflicted and largely divided over the cession. Some felt betrayed because Sarawakians were promised self-rule according to the Nine Cardinal Principles of the rule of the English Rajah.

Rajah Vyner Brooke’s message to Sarawak on Cession Day — Sarawak anti-cession demonstration. Borneo Asian Reports [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Meanwhile, the last Ranee of Sarawak, Sylvia blamed Brooke’s officer over the cession in her book stating “I think it can safely be said if there had been no Gerard MacBryan there would have been no cession of Sarawak at that time – July 1946.”

Nonetheless, Sarawak was a British Crown Colony from 1946 to 1963.

On the first anniversary of Sarawak’s Cession Day, the last Brooke ruler sent his message to the people of Sarawak in four languages; English, Malay, Iban and Chinese.

Here is the transcript of his message in English:

“On this day July 1st, I send warm greetings to all my friends in Sarawak. A year has passed since Sarawak was ceded to His Majesty the King.
I have deep thought to his proposal for cession before making it to the British Government and placing it before the Councils in Kuching. I knew that it meant the end of Brooke rule, an event which, I was proud to realise, would be matter of sorrow to very many of you. Nevertheless I took the decision because I knew that it was the best interests of the people of Sarawak and that in the turmoil of the modern world they would benefit greatly from the experience, strength and wisdom of British rule.
I have followed very closely the events of the last year and I am more than ever convinced that the decision taken was the right one. The assurances given at the time of cession that there would be no interference with your ancient customs are being scrupulously observed. At the same time large schemes for the welfare and betterment of the people have been worked out and will be put into force with the aid of funds provided by the King’s Government in Britain. I am glad that all these plans adhere to the main principles of the policy of the three Rajahs in the past, that the interests of the local population shall be paramount and that the development shall be undertaken by the people by the people and for the benefit of the people of Sarawak.
I know that there are still some in Sarawak, encouraged by persons living outside the country, who maintain their opposition to what has been done. Their cry is that they have lost their “independence” and wish to recover it. What in fact is the position? You have transferred your loyalty from the Rajah who was like your father to a greater father, the King, who has for so long been our Protector. Your feet are firmly set on the road which lead to true independence. Your local institutions are being developed, your power to express your views on laws and forms of Government is being increased, and your will gradually approach that goal, already reached by so many peoples who have had the privilege of Britain’s guidance, where you will be completely self-governing.
The length of time which must elapse before your arrive at that goal will depend largely on the willingness with which your grasp the hand of friendship and support held out to you by His Majesty’s Government. This is the greatest opportunity for progress that Sarawak has ever had. With unaltered devotion for your interests and well-being I say, “Long Live the people of Sarawak. Long Live the King.”

C. V. Brooke

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