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Four covert operations by Z Special Unit in Borneo during WWII

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For those who survived, they kept their silence for 30 years. Nobody knew what they did during World War II (WWII).

For those who died during their missions, nobody, not even their families knew about their sacrifices or the nature of their deaths for those 30 years.

They were part of Z Special Unit, a joint Allied Special forces unit formed to operate behind Japanese lines in Southeast Asia.

The operatives were mostly from Australia while others were British, Dutch, New Zealand, Timorese and Indonesian.

After the war ended, the special military unit operatives were sworn to secrecy and not allowed to tell anyone of their experiences until 1980.

While their best known missions were Operation Jaywick and Operation Rimau (both of which involved raids on Japanese shipping in Singapore Harbour), these operatives also carried out covert operations in Borneo.

Here are at least four covert operations run by Z Special united in Borneo during WWII:
Four covert operations by Z Special Unit in Borneo during WWII
Members of Z Special Unit at their base at East Arm, near Darwin. Credits: Australian War Memorial.
1.Operation Python

As all Z Special Unit’s operations were covert and secretive, not much has been revealed to the public even almost 80 years since the war has ended.

This included Operation Python which took place from 1943 to 1944. The mission’s objective was to set up a wireless station near Labian Point in Sabah and undertake covert operations reporting on the Imperial Japanese Navy in the Sibutu Passage and the Balabac Strait of the Sulu Sea.

The overall operation was divided into Python I and Python II. During Operation Python I, the Z Special Unit operatives landed along Labian Point in early October 1943. Besides setting up a wireless station there, they also supported and provided equipment for Filipino guerrillas.

In January 1944, Operation Python II took place with the objective of organising the native population for guerrilla warfare.

Unfortunately, these early operations did not yield significant results.

2.Operation Agas

A total of 44 Z Special Unit operatives took part in Operation Agas in carrying out guerrilla warfare against Japanese in North Borneo (present day Sabah) with the support of locals.

Operation Agas was split into five operations, starting in March 1945, continuing up to September and October 1945.

While the operations were able to supply reliable information to Australian forces, they did little rescue mission-wise.

For example, Agas 1 operatives provided information about the Sandakan Death March but there were no rescue missions for the prisoners of war (POWs). The death march subsequently resulted in the deaths of 2,434 POWs.

Nonetheless, the intelligence gathered during Operation Agas helped the Allied forces during the Battle of North Borneo which was fought between June 10 to Aug 15, 1945.

3.Operation Semut

While Operation Agas was executed in North Borneo, a similar covert mission was undertaken in Sarawak called Operation Semut.

There was four operations undertaken under Operation Semut. Overall, the operation reportedly caused the deaths of 1,500 to 1,700 Japanese from March to October 1945.

Under this operation, the Z Special Unit members trained and supplied the locals with weapons to help conduct surveillance and sabotage behind enemy lines.

Unlike Operation Agas, the intelligence gathered during Operation Semut was not entirely helpful as the locals could not differentiate between facts and rumours.

4.Operation Platypus

Just like any other operations undertaken by Z Special Unit, Operation Platypus aimed to gather intelligence and train local peoples as resistance fighters against the Japanese.

The operatives were inserted in small groups into the Balikpapan area of Dutch Borneo (present day Kalimantan).

There were 11 operations altogether in Operations Platypus with the first part of the operations carried out on Mar 20, 1945.

The last operation took place on July 22, 1945 where the operatives used folboats to reconnoitre and pinpoint prospective target areas.

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5 things you should know about Sarawak’s flags throughout the years

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Did you know that the current Sarawak flag was inspired by the state’s old flag when it was under the reign of the White Rajahs?

Over the years, there have been several changes to the Sarawak flag with the current design becoming official in 1988.

And who could forget the Trisakti that was designed and first hoisted by the then Chief Minister of Sarawak Abdul Rahman Ya’kub in 1973?

5 things you should know about Sarawak's flags throughout the years
The Trisakti flag: The blue was supposed to symbolise Sarawakians being unified in pursuit of national aspirations; the red to symbolise their perseverance and determination; and the white to reflect honesty and purity.

The current design retains the same colour scheme as the flag of the former kingdom, except with two significant changes. The cross was replaced with two diagonal bars while the crown was substituted with a nine-pointed star.

Here are 5 things you should know about the history of previous Sarawak flags before all these changes:
1.Before there was an official flag, there was the flag of St George.
5 things you should know about Sarawak's flags throughout the years
Brooke’s personal standard was the flag of St George’s Cross. Photo credit: The Sarawak Gazette.

When the first White Rajah James Brooke came into power, he originally used St. George’s Cross as the state’s flag.

It was a red cross on a white background in the form of swallow-tailed pennant. James flew this flag over his first fort at Berlidah, not far from Siniawan.

2.The first official Sarawak flag was designed by James Brooke.

Finally in 1845, James decided to give Sarawak a flag of its own. However, he only hoisted it three years later on Sept 21, 1848.

The flag was made up of a half blue and half red cross of his Armorial Bearings on a yellow background.

So what did the first White Rajah do after there was an official Sarawak flag? In 1845, he applied to the British Ministries for Foreign and Colonial Affairs in order for them to recognise Sarawak by allowing a Protectorate flag to be displayed.

However, it took the British government 15 years (January, 1864) to recognise Sarawak as an independent state and another 35 years (June, 1888) before Britain expressed its protection.

James was reported to have regretted that the flag did not contain a quartered Union Jack (like you see in today’s New Zealand and Australian flags).

3.Was it blue or purple?
5 things you should know about Sarawak's flags throughout the years
The first official Sarawak flag caused some debate over whether it was a blue and red cross or a purple and red cross. Photo credit: The Sarawak Gazette.

The only recorded account of the first hoisting of the Sarawak flag can be found in “Letters from Sarawak” in 1851 by Harriette McDougall, the wife of Bishop McDougall.

She wrote a letter to her son Charley who was at school in England, which was later published to help raise missionary funds in Sarawak.

Unfortunately, Charley passed away a year after this letter was written due to a blow from a cricket ball.

Going back to the Sarawak flag, this was what Harriette wrote to her son:

“The Sarawak flag is a purple and red cross, out of Sir James Brooke’s armorial shield, on a yellow background, yellow being the royal colour of Borneo. It was given by the Rajah to his people on his return from England in 1848 and I remember well what a grand occasion it was. HMS Meander was at Sarawak (the old name for Kuching) at the time, and their band played ‘God save the Queen’, as the flag was the first time hoisted on the flag-staff before the Rajah’s house.

All the English (probably only men) were assembled there, and a great crowd of natives, Malays and Dayaks, whom the Rajah addressed in the Malay language telling them the flag which he had that day given them would he hoped, be their glory and protection, as the flag of England had been hers. The Malays listened with love and reverence to his words and from house across the river, I could hear their acclamation.”

Although Mrs McDougall here pointed out that the flag was a purple and red cross, the second White Rajah Charles had clarified in a letter that the cross was in fact blue and red.

But that did not stop many of the early writers from the late 19th century stating that the colours were purple and red.

4.The first recorded official notification regarding the Sarawak flag was issued on May 7, 1870.

According to archivist W.J Chater, the first official notification regarding the Sarawak flag was concerning the dimensions of the flag.

It also stated, “Black bunting to be used in place of blue” denoting the change from the cross’ blue colour to black and quash the rumours that it was purple instead of blue.

  • 5 things you should know about Sarawak's flags throughout the years
    Sarawak flag from 1870 till 1946 and 1963 to 1973.
5.The three bodies that first used Sarawak flags officially

While it is common to see the Sarawak flag hoisted up in front of government buildings these days, back in the olden days the Rajah first gave the Sarawak flags to three bodies, namely the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (S.P.G) in 1871, the Borneo Company in 1874 and the Roman Catholic Mission in 1906.

The Roman Catholic Mission hoisted the Sarawak flag for the first time on Vyner Brooke’s birthday (Sept 26, 1906).

Meanwhile, the Kuching branch of the Borneo Company Limited hoisted the flag only for a short time. Then they refused to do so reportedly because they found ‘it was too ugly’ and the blue border being a Chinese sign of mourning might have been considered unlucky for business.

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A Melanau legend of a mouse-deer, a deer and a pig

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Known as “pelanduk” in Malay and Iban, a mouse-deer belongs to the genus Tragulus of even-toed ungulates.

It belongs to the same family of lesser mouse-deer or kancil.

While the lesser mouse-deer is known for its cunning behavior in Indonesian and Malaysian folktales, the Melanau community of Sarawak also have a similar tale about the mouse-deer or pelanduk.

Here is the legend of how a mouse-deer tricked a pig and a deer to save itself recorded by Brooke Low:

There was once a mouse-deer who, during a stroll, fell into a pit. Try as he might, he could not find a way to get out.

Coincidentally, a pig came and spotted the mouse-deer inside the pit. The pig then asked what the mouse-deer was doing down there.

“Oh, don’t you know,” the mouse-deer replied, feigning confidence, “the sky is going to fall in and everyone will be smashed unless he has a hole to hide in.”

After listening to the mouse-deer, the pig leaped in.

The mouse-deer then jumped onto the pig’s back, but he was still not high enough to leap out.

Next came a deer, who also asked the two animals what they were doing in the hole. The mouse-deer told him the same lie.

So, the deer jumped into the hole, afraid that the sky might fall and smash down upon him.

The mouse-deer somehow tricked the deer into standing on top of the pig’s back. The moment they were in the right position, the mouse-deer jumped out from the pit and made it to safety.

Dumbfounded, the pig and the deer finally realised that they were tricked.

Thankfully, the tale doesn’t end here for these two unfortunate animals. In order to escape from the pit, they both scratched the earth along the sides, creating a small mound in the centre. Then, they used the mound to jump out from the hole.

Deer and pig look for vengeance

Once the deer and the pig escaped from the hole, they both vowed to have their revenge. They followed the trail of the mouse-deer and found it standing on top of a tree where a bee’s nest was hanging.

“Come down from the tree because we want to kill you,” said the pig and the deer.

“I can’t, the king has got me to watch his gong,” the mouse-deer answered as it pointed to the bee’s nest.

Excited by the idea that it was the ‘king’s gong’, the deer said it had always wanted to ring it.

“So you may if you let me come down and get at a distance before you strike. The noise would deafen me,” the mouse-deer said.

The moment the deer and the pig allowed it, the mouse-deer came down and ran away to safety.

So the deer took a stick to strike the ‘king’s gong’ and was instantly stung to death by the bees.

A Melanau legend of a mouse-deer, a deer and a pig
This is a legend of how a mouse-deer tricked a deer and a pig
The pig and the mouse-deer

Meanwhile, the pig went after the mouse-deer in a rage. And again, the mouse-deer was caught up by the pig.

And again, the mouse-deer climbed up a tree to escape the pig.

The mouse-deer then told the pig that it was now watching the king’s girdle, pointing at something black, long and leathery.

“Now, isn’t it pretty? I never saw a more handsome girdle in my life,” said the mouse-deer.

The pig agreed saying, “How I should like to wear it but for one day.”

“Well, so you may,” said the mouse-deer, “but be careful or you may spoil it.”

The pig gingerly got into the ‘kings’ girdle’, but was then crushed to death by what was, in fact, a cobra.

The mouse-deer then gleefully went on its way after outwitting its enemies.

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The legend of seven brothers and the Kinabatangan cave

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Today, Kinabatangan is the capital of Kinabatangan district in Sabah’s Sandakan Division.

But many generations ago, there was a cave in this area that mythical princesses called home.

British explorer Frank Hatton recorded many legends and stories when he came to North Borneo (Sabah) working as a geologist.

These legends included the story of a cave where seven sons of a nobleman took shelter long time ago.

Hatton did not mention the exact name of the place except that it was a cave in Kinabatangan.

The legend of seven brothers and the Kinabatangan cave
The legend of the Kinabatangan cave. Credit: Pixabay.
Here is how the legend of seven brothers and the Kinabatangan cave goes:

There was once a powerful Pangeran (nobleman) in Kinabatangan who had seven sons.

This chief was famous for his power and bravery, so much so that he wanted his sons to follow in his footsteps.

So he told his eldest son to conquer some islands near the Sulu Sea.

Obediently, the eldest took his brothers along with seven large perahus (long boats) on an expedition.

Their battles for conquest were hard and severe, but they completed their quest successfully. Upon their return home, they found themselves pulling up against strong currents.

As night fell, they realised they were opposite a cave embedded in a limestone cliff on a riverbank.

“Let us sleep in that cave,” said the eldest brother. “It will be easier and we shall enjoy more comfort than in the perahu.”

The youngest brother, however had bad feelings about the cave. He told him, “I fear some harm will come to us if we go there.”

Refusing to listen to the youngest brother, they all went ahead to stay in the cave.

It’s a TRAP! The Kinabatangan cave closes its mouth

The youngest brother was still restless, so he woke up with a sudden jolt in the middle of the night.

To his horror, he saw the entrance of the cave getting smaller. He tried to wake his brothers but none of them wanted to listen to him.

As he watched the cave entrance shrink, in his anguish the youngest brother did the unimaginable. He dove out of the cave just in time to make his escape.

In that split second, he managed to turn to look at his brothers.

That was when he saw each of his brothers in the arms of fairy-like damsels who led them further into the cave.

The entrance of the cave then shut, sealing the six brothers inside forever.

Hatton, who wrote this tale in the 1880s, said that ladders were kept hanging outside the cave, and rice thrown in by passing travellers to feed these long-lost warriors.

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How did Sarawak headhunters conduct an ambush in the olden days?

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An ambush was a favourite strategy among Sarawakians in the olden days especially when headhunting was still in practice.

The tactic had proven effective in winning tribal wars, including the Great Kayan Expedition in 1853.

Here are some records from the 19th century sharing how Sarawak headhunters carried out an ambush back then:
How did Sarawak headhunters conduct an ambush in the olden days?
Punan heads taken by Sea Dayaks Credit: Wellcome Library, London. Wellcome Images images@wellcome.ac.uk http://wellcomeimages.org Punan’s heads taken by Sea Dayaks Pagan Tribes of British North Borneo Hose & MacDougall Published: – Copyrighted work available under Creative Commons Attribution only licence CC BY 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
1.Brooke Low in Catalogue of the Brooke Low Collection in Borneo
An ambush with luring

According to Low, one of the favourite defence strategies back then was to entice the leading boats of the enemy into an ambush on shore.

“As everybody in the attacking party is anxious to be foremost in the race for heads, there are sure to be one or two boats so far in advance of the rest as to make it worth the defenders’ while to put them to their mettle. Some convenient spot is selected and a strong defending party placed in ambush among the trees. One or two men are thrown out to stroll upon the shingly bed to lure the enemy to their destruction.”

The moment the bait is sighted, the boats give chase, and as the enemies leap ashore, the men in ambush spring from their covert to their feet and hurl stones to shatter the shields, and engage with spears and swords in what should be a short but desperate conflict.

“As the main body are seen winding up the river, whooping and yelling, and crashing up in clouds of spray and with a rush of waters, the defense plunge into the thicket with the heads they have obtained, and far away before the enemy have recovered from their discomfiture, and are prepared to follow.”

An ambush without luring

Additionally, Sarawak headhunters also did ambushes without any baiting or luring.

The simplest ambush was laying in hiding until waiting for just the right moment before leaping in front of their unsuspecting (and hence unprepared) enemy and going straight into a hand to hand combat.

Dayaks always attacked from the right side of the enemy’s march. This was because it was the unprotected side of the enemy as the shield was always carried in the left hand.

2.Reverend Horsburgh in Sketches of Borneo (1858)

Meanwhile, Horsburgh recorded that some headhunters would go as far as hiding in the wells of their enemies, covering their heads with leaves and sitting for hours in the water waiting for a victim.

He added, “Then when any woman or girl came to draw water, they would rush out upon her, cut her down, take her head, and flee into the jungle with it before any alarm could be given.”

3.Captain Henry Keppel in A Visit to the Indian Archipelago in H.M.S Meander (1853).

Here is a more intricate way Sarawak headhunters carried their attacks back then, by disguising themselves as farmers and speaking in the local tongue.

They put broad-brimmed hats usually used by farmers to lure women to come out from hiding.

This method of ambush was recorded by Keppel when he was in the Sadong area.

He stated, “Thus disguised, these miscreants stealthily dropped down the river in the small canoes which they found on the banks; and imitating the Sadong dialect, they called to the women to come out of their hiding places, saying that they had come to convey them to a place of safety. In many instances the strategem was but too successful. And the helpless women, rushing down with their infants in their arms, became the prey of these wolves in sheep’s clothing.”

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How Santubong got its name according to Chinese legend

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It is widely known that Mount Santubong is named after a celestial princess named Santubong.

But did you know that the Sarawak Chinese community has their own legend behind the region’s iconic Mount Santubong?

According to Lee Kok Yin who wrote to The Sarawak Gazette on Aug 31, 1957, this legend of Mount Santubong can be traced back to the 15th century.

“In Chinese Hakka dialect, San means mountains; tu means in; bong means King. Santubong means ‘King of the Mountains’. There are many legends stating how Santubong got its name. I would like to reveal one told to me by an old Chinese during my boyhood,” Lee wrote.

During the 15th century, a Chinese Emperor of the Ming Dynasty sent a fleet of 62 large junks manned by 27,000 sailors to pay a goodwill visit to the foreign countries in the South China Sea.

Leading the fleet was a famous eunuch in Chinese history named Sam Pau Tai Chian.

How Santubong got its name according to Chinese legend
Mount Santubong
How Santubong got its name

Lee stated, “While sailing along the coast of Borneo, they came to the mouth of Santubong river. There they saw a single mountain, like a king protected by his followers. It was a very good geographic site in the ancient Chinese superstition of Feng Shui.”

Furthermore, they were attracted by fire and smoke at the foot of the mountain.

The fleet subsequently anchored and the sailors were ordered to investigate.

“They found that the villagers were engaged in fighting with pirates. The battle was quickly brought to an end with the aid of Sam Pau’s sailors and the pirates were all killed. The village chief, who was an Indian, welcomed them with warmest hospitality. Sam Pau Tai Chian honoured the Chief as San Tsung Wang (King of Mountain) and gave him many valuable gifts. Including a brown ceremonial umbrella, warriors’ spears, many examples of beautiful porcelain ware and silks of fine quality,” Lee wrote.

As time passed, the honour bestowed upon the chief was forgotten and the mountain on which he lived became the name ‘San Tsung Wang’.

Gradually over the years, people started to call the mountain Santubong instead of ‘San Tsung Wang’.

Here is another legend of Mount Santubong you probably never head of.

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7 types of mental illness according to Murut traditional beliefs

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In January 1968, the Psychiatric Specialist-in-Charge of Sarawak Mental Hospital K.E. Schmidt published a paper called ‘Some Murut Concepts of Mental Illness’ in the International Journal of Social Psychiatry.

The Murut people are an indigenous ethnic group found in the southwest interior of Sabah, northern part of Sarawak, Brunei and North Kalimantan in Indonesia.

They are known to be the last of Sabah’s ethnic groups to renounce headhunting.

The paper explored the traditional understanding behind mental health and how native healers played important roles in the successful treatment of mental illness.

It also described the different concepts of mental illness according to the traditional knowledge of Murut people.

So here are seven types of mental illness according to Murut traditional beliefs:
7 types of mental illness according to Murut traditional beliefs
What is going on with someone’s mental health according to Murut traditional knowledge? Credits: Pixabay.
1.Ruden repan (rupan means ‘well’)

According to Murut beliefs,this illness is due to a haunted well. All Murut interviewed by Schmidt agreed that this was the number one cause of mental illness.

He stated, “If a person passes within two feet of a well or more important, if he comes into the contact with the water, he will have visual and auditory hallucinations of crowds of people who want to catch him. He therefore runs away. The urge to escape ‘them’ may be strong that he might even run into fire in order or escape. He will call out the names of those who he believes want to kill him, usually names of people unknown in the community.”

Sufferers will often die from exhaustion especially since they may refuse food and water. They might jump into the river in an attempt to drown themselves or attempt to hang themselves to be free from the terror of their ‘tormentors’. When they do not see their hallucinations, they will sit quietly and be withdrawn. Such a phase may last from one to several weeks, and spontaneous remissions are known to occur.

According to Murut beliefs, these wells are set up by the spirits under the big trees where they live. They are always at the foot of a hill and are known by the community to be haunted. Thus when a man sets out on a hunt, offerings are made to the spirits of these wells.

If there is no sacrifice, the spirit of the well may disturb the hunter.

So how to heal a person with ruden repan?

The traditional healer or ngurur will make images of animals and send them to the well. Along with these images, there are eggs, rice and household articles piled up on an altar where he will chant incantations.

Then, the ngurur will appeal to the spirits not to disturb the person anymore. If the ngurur is not properly rewarded (which is usually in the form of a buffalo or jars), relapse may occur on the patient.

2.Ruden Talai (talai means a kind of tree)

Ruden talai happens when coming into contact with the fallen leaves or touching a type of tree locally known as pelai or pulai.

The Murut people believe if the trees are disturbed and cut or the under bush is cleared, mental illnesses will occur to whoever that cause them.

Schmidt pointed out, “The illness begins with tiredness and pain in the limbs and trunk. The patient cannot sleep at night, has headache and as in ruden rupan has visual hallucinations of people who want to kill him. A person affected by this kind of mental illness will be aggressive and attack people i.e. running amok.”

3.Ruden meruai

In this condition, the patient will sometimes fall into the fire. They fall as if they were fascinated and attracted by it and have in some instances died from the burns.

The Murut believe that the spirit of the fire takes possession of the patient. Similarly, the spirit of the water will be at work if a person has a fit while taking a bath, and those of the earth of the fit occurs on land.

One of the cures prescribed by the ngurur is fasting. According to Schmidt, there exists some similarity here with dehydration achieved by the diuretic Diamox in the treatment of epilepsy in Western medicine.

4.Ruden mebuyai (mebuyai means stupid)

This condition occurs among young people who for unknown reasons change or become demented. They give indirect answers, are indecisive, aimless and drive-less.

Some people even attribute this condition to ‘sumpah’ or a curse.

5.Ruden sinoso (sinoso means poisoned)

Schmidt pointed out, “This is another allegedly induced psychosis, caused in this case by mixing into the food or drink something which has been obtained from certain trees. This may also kill. The person, after an interval of a day or so will begin to feel cold and wish to sit by the fire. Later, he may feel hot and wish to cool himself. He will often sit motionless for long periods and will neither eat nor drink. In no more than a month, he will die.”

Just like ruden mebuyai, the Murut believe it is another cause of mental illness which is the work of a paid charmer.

Additionally, they believe that a spell of this kind can be imposed for a limited period.

7 types of mental illness according to Murut traditional beliefs
A mental illness according to Murut belief can be caused by a paid charmer.
6.Ruden pa’lamai

Here is another mental condition caused by a paid charmer. The charmer will uses a kind of grass or a concoction from it and then plant it as a love charm into the seams of a persons’ garment.

When planting it, a charm is spoken: “Each time you wear this garment you will think of him who pays me. You will die if you do not return his love. If you do not die, you will become insane, but you will get well if you marry him.”

What a way to drag someone to marry you! But no worries, there is a cure to break this love spell.

Just throw the urine of several people into the face of the affected person.

7.Mururu teruaien

“Mururu” means “lose” while “teruaien” is “thinking”. It is a condition of dementia without violence but possibly with elements similar to autism which occurs in young people.

Overall, Schmidt deduced that the Murut concepts of mental illness are the various forms of schizophrenia that have been ‘fairly clearly differentiated’.

“Ruden rupan could correspond to acute hebephrenia, ruden talau does appear to have most of the features of paranoid schizophrenia, ruden sinoso sounds like catatonic schizophrenia and ruden pa’lamai may be looked upon as coming nearest to simple schizophrenia,” he stated.

Meanwhile, ruden mebuyai might be simple schizophrenia or post-encephalitic state and ruden meruai covers epilepsy including its symptomatic forms.

Read the rest of Schmidt’s paper here.

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Two tales of koklir you probably never heard of

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If we were to name one female ghost you should never mess with, the Iban folktale figure koklir is somewhere on top of our list.

Other ghosts such as pontianak or balan-balan are tame compared to the koklir, because they are known to kill men by taking their testicles.

What an unexpected way to die right?

According to Iban ethnologist Benedict Sandin, during ancient times it was alleged that many places around Kapuas river delta and especially the Pontianak river took their names from the koklir.

So where did this ghost come from?

It is believed that every unfortunate woman who dies during childbirth is converted into a koklir.

However, there is a way to prevent it from happening, which is by pricking the soles of the deceased’s feet with thorns of a citrus tree.

Two tales of koklir you probably never heard of
A koklir might be hiding behind a tree waiting for her next victim. Credits: Pixabay
While there are plenty of stories of how koklir roam around looking for victims, here are two tales of this ghost you probably haven’t heard:
1.The widower and his only son

Long, long ago, there was a widower who lived in a farm hut with his only son.

One evening right before sunset, they went out in their boat to fish up the river.

All of a sudden, it started to rain. The father and son gave up fishing, coming ashore to take shelter in one of the huts they spotted from the river.

When they arrived at the hut, they found it was occupied by two lovely women. The women invited them in and lit a fire to keep them warm.

The women then prepared food for their guests. After they finished their meal, the widower continued to warm himself while his son sat naked near him.

At the sight of the boy’s testicles, one of the women said, “Hai wai wai! It’s the sweet stuff!”

Slowly, her nails appeared to grow sharper and longer. That moment, the father realised that the women were in fact koklir ghosts.

Without wasting a second, the father dragged his son out and they began to run for their lives. The koklir ghosts instantly started to chase them.

When the father arrived at their boat, he overturned it so that they could hide underneath it.

As the ghosts could not go into water, they jumped on top of the boat, boring through it with their sharp nails.

When the boat was about to be ripped open by their sharp nails, the sun began to rise and the koklir ghosts disappeared.

Despite the cold and shock, the widower and his son were grateful that they managed to make their escape.

2.The koklir and the enturun

There was once a newly married man and his wife who went to pay a traditional matrimonial visit to the bride’s house in a tradition called nyundang pinang.

In the middle of the journey, they were surprised by the sound of a koklir ghost. Terrified for their safety, they ran as fast as they could.

Since the man was the target, he climbed a tree to save himself while his wife sat down at the foot of the tree.

As she sat there, a young woman came to her and they started to chat.

While talking, the wife asked the woman if she could pick the lice from her hair.

After the woman agreed, the wife immediately start to pick the lice from the her hair.

While the woman was thus distracted, the husband climbed back down the tree and cut off her head.

It was a clean cut and she died instantly. Then the couple realised she was the “enturun”, a mystical creature that was said to be half bear and half cat.

Legend has it that to this day, koklir still lurk in the shadows at night looking for men’s testicles.

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An old Bidayuh punishment for murder before the death penalty

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If you are found guilty of murder today, the punishment is usually a life sentence in prison or the death penalty.

But how did Sarawakians in the olden days punish criminals who committed murder?

An old Bidayuh punishment for murder before the death penalty
What was the olden day Bidayuh punishment for committing a crime of murder?
Here is an example of Bidayuh punishment recounted by R. Nyandoh in The Sarawak Gazette on Sept 30, 1964:

Sharing the background of the murder case, Nyandoh wrote, “Mungang from Kampung Mayang in the Serian district married a woman from Kampung Engkaroh and they went to live at Mawang Mungang on the Krang river.”

After some time, the couple moved to Simpoh Rawih on the Jimun river. Mungang was a skilled craftsman, known for his talents for carving, boat-building and painting.

Additionally, he could make all kinds of knives and parangs. Even in the olden days haters were gonna hate, and Mungang was disliked by many of his relatives out of jealousy for his skills.

One day, two of his wife’s relatives, Bulo and his grandmother, came all the way from Kampung Engkaroh to visit the couple.

They asked Mungang to sharpen all their old knives, which he kindly did.

Before Bulo headed home, Mungang asked him to tell his two brother-in-laws not to visit him till the new paddy harvest. Due to the poor crop during the previous year, Mungang had no food to offer them if they came to visit.

Misinformation which led to a murder

However when Bulo returned to Kampung Engkaroh, he did not tell his brother-in-laws, Dibong and Bungan, the correct information.

In fact, he told the brothers that Mungang was getting his knives ready to fight them. Enraged, the brothers set to work to get their own weapons ready to defend themselves.

Several months later, Dibong and Bungan changed their plan. Instead of being on the defensive, they went on the offensive and decided to kill Mungang.

They went to their sister’s house, fixed on their intent to kill Mungang. When they arrived there, Dibong and Bungan found Mungang asleep in the bedroom.

Pushing past their own sister, the brothers stabbed Mungang to death.

The old Bidayuh punishment for murder

Mungang’s wife went back to her own village to report the crime to the headman of Kampung Engkaroh.

The headman then announced that the brothers Dibong and Bungan had to give her a list of items.

In the olden days, the headman of a village also served as a judge to settle any disputes among the villagers.

The fees and punishments for committing crimes might differ as they were according to the headman’s discretion.

As for the murder of Mungang, the headman of Kampung Engkaroh decided that these were the items needed to pay his wife as a punishment:

1.One large brass vessel to replace the head of her husband
2.One string of 30 small bells to replace his eyes
3.Four ounces of gold pieces for the teeth
4.Seven coils of different coloured silk thread to replace his hair
5.Two large silver plates for the ears
6.One large brass tray to replace the hat that belonged to her mother-in-law
7.One whole string of Bidayuh beads to replace her mother-in-law’s beads
8.Two large gongs to replace her husbands’ breasts
9.Two large cannons to replace his legs
10.One Iban loin cloth to replace the mother in-law’s nursing clothes
11.One large jar (Payan Rangkang) to replace his stomach
12.One large jar (Payan Eron) to replace the basket in which her husband had kept his soul

One top of these items, the two brothers also had to pay the woman two large round gongs called katawak and two small gongs called chanang.

They needed to pay her five kinds of jars namely payan botuh, payan lajur, payan jering, payan mandoh and tandok.

The woman, reportedly after receiving all these items from her brothers, left Kampung Engkaroh for good.

She went to live with her relatives in Kampung Ramun which now lies in Kalimantan, never to be heard from again.

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5 things you need to know about dragons in Iban folklore

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Despite being a mythical creature, the dragon appears in various folklore of many cultures around the world.

In Western culture, it is typically depicted as winged, horned, four-legged and capable of breathing fire.

Meanwhile, dragons in Eastern culture are usually wingless (but capable of flight) short-legged, serpentine creatures.

Would it be interesting to know that the dragon in Iban folklore is a bit of both worlds?

Here are at least five things you should know about dragons in Iban folklore:
5 things you need to know about dragons in Iban folklore
A dragon in Iban folklore has a luminous stone in the centre of its brow that works like a flashlight. Credits: Pixabay.
1.The physical appearance of a dragon in Iban folklore

According to an Iban legend, the dragon or naga is a huge snake with a horn protruding from its forehead.

Unlike its fellow dragons from other folklore, an Iban dragon has a luminous bezoar or gombala stone in the centre of its brow. It works like a flashlight for the dragon to lights its way at night.

It also has several pairs of wings, legs, arms, eyes and sharp claws and teeth.

2.There are two species of dragons.

According to Iban ethnologist Benedict Sandin, there are two species of dragons in Iban folklore. One species loves the water so it lives in the sea, pool or in the river. Meanwhile, another species prefer the mountain top.

The one which lives on the mountain top kills with its crested tail. It can also spit venom and breathe fire .

3.It is believed that a dragon protected the Ibans during the infamous Cholera expedition

Benedict wrote in The Sarawak Gazette on Nov 30, 1964, “It was said by the Ulu Ai Ibans during the Cholera Expedition against Penghulu Bantin of Delok in 1902, before the arrival of the Government forces at the mouth for Delok river in the upper Batang Ai, that they saw a huge dragon track going down from the hill to the river. During the following night Bantin had a dream. He dreamt that he met a huge dragon which told him not to worry about the enemy as he (the dragon) would fight for him.”

Eventually, one fifth of the 10,000 men recruited to fight the alleged rebels died of Cholera hence the name ‘Cholera Expedition’.

4.A dragon also helped fight the Japanese during World War II

When an Iban leader, the late Temenggong Koh fought against the Japanese during World War II, he gave offerings to the dragon god seeking its protection.

Benedict shared, “It was due to this that whenever the late Temenggong Koh was worried by the enemy he would throw an offering into the river to appeal for immediate help from his dragon god. He did this during the fighting against the Japanese soldiers at the own of Song during liberation days in 1945.”

5.There is a guardian dragon cited in a mourning song

In the olden days, according to Benedict, the Iban believed that whenever a person died in this world, thousands of their relatives who died before them will come from the other world to fetch their soul to live with them in Mandai Mati.

“On their way to Mandai Mati, on reaching the Pintu Tanah (Door to Earth) which separates this world from the next, a guardian dragon is mentioned in the following mourning song,” he added.

Here is the English translation of the song:

Then spoke the maiden Simba
Who, when she died was transformed into a hawk
“Where are you maiden Jawai
Who wears a single red pelaga stone,
And you maiden Iyak,
Who is lively and gay?
Please open the door of the dragon snake;
The door of red soil;
So that we can have a way to return to our country,
In the forest full of small mango trees;
With flowers all upside down.

We have no time!
Replied the dragon snake,
Because we are doing most important work,
Having been asked by Pungga and Laja,
To weave for them coloured petticoats,
Which they will wear on a short expedition,
To the mouth of the Kantu river
If they return from thence,
They will bring for us two lumps
Of precious (gombala) stones,
As big as areca nuts.

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