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5 interesting legends from Central Borneo recorded by Carl Sofus Lumholtz

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Carl Sofus Lumholtz (1851-1922) was a Norwegian explorer and ethnographer. His best known works were publications on indigenous cultures of Australia and Mexico.

In 1913, Lumholtz made his way to Dutch Borneo, which is the current day Kalimantan. He spent roughly four years exploring the jungle and mingling with the Kayans, Kenyahs, Saputans, Bukits, Punans and many other Dayak tribes.

He died in New York while seeking treatment for tuberculosis in 1922. Lumholtz’s death was untimely as he was planning to write more about Borneo.

The only published record about Lumholtz’s journey in Borneo was a book called Through Central Borneo.

In the books, he wrote about the Borneo climate and ecosystem as well his adventure passing through Banjaramasin, Kayan and Mahakam rivers.

Published originally in Dutch on the year he died, the book also featured at least 23 legends particularly of the Dayak people.

Here at KajoMag, we narrowed down it to five interesting legends from Kalimantan recorded by Lumholtz:

1.The legend of patin fish

This legend came from Katingan regency, Indonesia.

There was a Dayak who went out fishing and caught a patin fish.

He left the fish in his prahu (boat) and asked his wife to fetch it. His wife was shocked to see that the fish had turned into a baby girl.

The couple decided to raise the girl as their own. Years later, the girl grew up and married. However, she first warned her husband that as long as they were married he was never to eat patin.

One day, the husband saw another man catching patin. He had a sudden craving for the fish and the man gave him some to take home.

The husband then took the fish and cooked it. When he was about to eat it, his wife walked in on him (talk about the perfect timing).

Sadly, the wife asked “Why did you eat the patin? You must not love me.” It seems that guilt trips don’t work on the husband as he insisted on having the fish and even fed it to the children.

Then the wife dropped the bomb on the husband telling that she was, in fact, a patin fish, telling him of her real origins. Because the husband ate the patin fish, she then turned back into one and left him.

To add some swagger to her exit (or maybe it was self-preservation), she also cursed her family on her way out, telling them that they will get sick if they ever eat a patin again.

2.The legend of burung punai
Kapuas river
A view of Kapuas river, Kalimantan in Indonesia.

If somebody tells you not to eat something, the best thing to do is to listen and take heed.

The legend of burung punai or green pigeon (Treron spp.) comes from the Kahayan tribe of Kapuas river.

Long time ago, there was a man who tried to catch a green pigeon using a stick with glue on its end.

After several miserable attempts, he finally caught one. Suddenly, the bird turned into a woman. The man took the woman home and made her his wife. She agreed to marrying him, but made him promise not to eat a green pigeon ever again.

The couple had many children together. One day, he visited his friend’s house. There, they served green pigeon meat. The husband took some but when he returned home somehow the wife found out.

Like the legend of the patin fish, the wife turned back into a bird. Since then, her descendants kept the promise and never ate the bird.

 

3.The Dysfunctional Ghost Couple

Here is a ghost story of the Saputan tribe. There was a woman named Inu Songbakim and her husband Monjang Dahonghavon.

One day the man went out to cut some wood but accidentally hurt himself with an axe. Sadly, the man died. His parents took his body and restored his life.

How did they do that? Apparently, the man and his parents are ghosts or Lumholtz called them “antohs”.

Monjang Dahonghavon who was just risen from the dead, blamed Inu Songbakim for his demise for some unknown reason. He took a parang and tried to kill his wife but she was strong and able to fight him off.

In the midst of the fight, her parents were killed instead. Enraged, the wife killed his parents out of vengeance.

Monjang Dahonghavon left Inu Songbakim to look for another wife. But none were as strong or as good looking as his wife.

He returned to Inu Songbakim trying to mend their marriage. The wife also wanted to work things out but she put up a condition first. Monjang Dahonghavon first must restore her dead parents to life.

He answered, “I will do that if you first restore my parents to life.” Obviously they were both “antohs”.

The dead parents rose from the dead and they all lived happily ever after.

4. The disturbing love of an orangutan
Semenggoh 4
A female orangutan enjoying her banana while hanging from a tree at Semenggoh Nature Reserve.

Lumholtz recorded this particular legend when he stayed at the the upper Kahayan river at Central Kalimantan.

There was a grieving man who just lost his wife and children.

He was devastated over his family’s deaths that he went far into the forest. Feeling exhausted, he took a nap underneath a tree. A female orangutan saw him and carried him up on her nest far up on a tree.

Imagine his surprise when he woke up to find out he was high up on a tree unable to come down.

So he decided to stay on that tree. Everyday the orangutan brought fruits and occasionally rice stolen from people’s homes for him.

After a few days, the orangutan tried to make her moves on him but the man declined. The animal was angry that it bit him on his shoulder. Unwillingly, the man surrendered.

He stayed on the tree for quite some time afraid for his life. In due time, a male child was born who was a human but covered with long hair.

One day while the orangutan was away looking for food, the man saw a ship at the coast putting out a boat for hauling water from the river nearby.

The man put his clothes together into a rope and began making a descent from the tree. The rope was not long enough but he still managed to jump into the river. Then he swam his way to the boat which took him to the ship.

When the orangutan did not find the man at their nest, she was furious. She saw the ship from a distance and tried to swim toward it but failed. The orangutan returned to her nest, took their son and tore him in half.

5.The otter that demands compensation

Here is another legend from the Saputan tribe.

There was a beautiful lady named Ohing Blibiching. Many men tried to court her but her eyes were set on Anyang Mokathimman because he was strong, skilful in catching animals and brave in headhunting.

Eventually they got married and lived together. One day, Anyang told Ohing he wanted to go away and hunt for heads. As a dutiful wife, she gave her consent, telling him to take as many men as possible.

With him out hunting, she continued to do her housework, doing laundry and catching fish for dinner. While she was husking paddy, a common hill myna bird (burung tiong) saw her and was enraptured by Ohing’s beauty.

The bird flew from tree to tree trying to catch a glimpse of Ohing. While it was jumping from branch to branch, a dead one broke and fell down. The fallen dead branch wounded a baby otter.

The mother otter was furious, she demanded an compensation from the bird. The bird told her, if she want any compensation, ask it from the woman.

The woman said she didn’t ask for the bird to look at her and told them they would settle the case tomorrow.

Tomorrow came, again the otter wanted some damages from the bird. Yet again, the bird insisted the the woman should pay.

While they were arguing, Anyang came home bringing with him prisoners and heads. Ohing complained to her husband about the two animals.

Anyang then settled it by giving the bird some fruits to eat and the otter some fish. They were both satisfied.

Then the couple proceeded to join the rest of villagers celebrating the success of a headhunting trip.

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The Kayan man who danced so excitedly that he cut a head off while dancing

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The first Ranee of Sarawak, Margaret Brooke showed great fascination towards Sarawakians in her book My Life in Sarawak.

She wrote about the people she met, stories she heard and some amusing encounters.

Perhaps the most amusing one was when a Kayan man performed in Bintulu in front of Margaret and her husband, Charles.

When it comes to dancing, the Kayan people have different kinds of dances to suit various purposes. The datud julud, or as some call it, the hornbill dance is a type of dance performed by women. They also have ngayo, a type of dance performed after a successful headhunting trip. A Kayan man usually performs the kajer lake’, a warrior dance which must be carried out with solemnity and complete seriousness.

A kajer lake’ would not be complete without a parang (a type of machete) and a shield.

A night at Fort Keppel

During their visit in Bintulu, Charles and Margaret along with their entourage stayed at Fort Keppel (which was bombed into inexistence in World War II).

There, they were visited by the natives who came from the far interior, including a group of Kayans.

The locals performed dances for the couple, entertaining them through the night.

Among the performers was a Kayan man, whom the Ranee described as a ‘small, rather plump individual’ who was ushered in, brandishing his parang.

According to the Ranee, at first he crouched down like an animated frog. Then he started to dance, jumping and spinning around on one leg while screaming his war-cry.

The Kayan man moved in agility, rapidly swinging his parang. Margaret wrote, “Once or twice he came so near to where we were sitting that I fancied the blade caused a draught over my head.”

Suddenly, three of his fellow Kayans sprang up and took him away, leaving his audience in puzzlement.

The Kayan man who danced too excitedly

Curious, the Rajah asked why the man had been taken away. Apparently, the Kayan man was a famous dancer from a longhouse outside the Rajah’s jurisdiction.

Back in his hometown, he once danced with so much excitement that he had actually swept the head off one of his audience members.

The three Kayan men who took him away halfway through his performance were there when the gruesome scene happened, so when they noticed the man was about to get carried away with his dance, they intervened quickly before anything irreversible happened.

Nonetheless, the evening ended very pleasantly according to the Ranee. “I thought a good deal about the little dancing man, and came to the conclusion that he must have been an artist in his way!”

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Five Sarawak legends about people turning into stones

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Petrification is found in many folklore and myths around the world. People are turned into stone for many reasons in these legends, but mostly as a punishment for their sins.

Here in Sarawak, there are five legends about people who were cursed and turned into stones:

1.Fairy Cave, Bau
Fairy Cave Bau 9
Fairy Cave, Bau.

The legend of Fairy Cave, Bau is quite popular among the locals. It tells of a poor boy who lived alone with his mother and is treated to a cruel trick by one of the villagers during one of their huge Gawai celebrations.

Infuriated, the mother plots her revenge against the whole village. Dressing a cat in a beautiful attire, she throws it into the middle of their Gawai celebration. The villagers laugh hysterically, bringing on a storm. The sky roars with thunder and blazes with lightning.

When the storm stops, it is discovered that all the villagers have turned into stone. These villagers are what make up the stalagmites and stalactites inside Fairy Cave.

2.The seven Seping longhouses that turned into stone
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Belaga town.

Legend has it that the Seping people slaughtered a dragon and ate it. As a result, their seven longhouses were turned into stone or swept away by flood.

Everybody was killed except for two siblings; a brother and a sister. They fled to Penyuan river, a tributary of the Belaga river.

The siblings grew up and (here it gets Game of Thrones-ish) eventually, they both marry each other and start a new Seping community.

The Seping people are believed to be the first tribe that settled around the Belaga river.

3.The legend of Ikan Pasit
Lubok Antu
The cursed village of Marup was believed to be located not far from Lubok Antu.

This legend was found in My Life in Sarawak by Margaret Brooke, the first Ranee of Sarawak.

A long time ago, there was a village called Marup. One day there was a girl who went fishing and caught what the locals called ‘ikan pasit’. As she was preparing the fish, one of them jumped up and touched her breast.

“What are you doing? Do you imagine that you are my husband?” she said, laughing at her own joke.

The people who were there also laughed and those who heard the commotion came over and also laughed. Suddenly, the sky turned grey and a mighty wind blew accompanied by flashes of lightning.

Then a hail-storm began. Hail stones fell down non-stop and hitting everybody even their houses, turning them into stone.

Meanwhile, the girl who made fun of the ikan pasit was only partly petrified. Her head and neck were unchanged while the remaining part of her body was turned into stone.

Together with the rest of her village, the whole longhouse and its residents fell into the river. Sadly for the girl, she lived many years with a living head and stone as her body.

Many wanted to end her misery by striking her with a blade but nothing worked. Until one day, a man who heard her cries came. Like many who came before him, he tried to strike her head with an axe and a sword but neither worked.

Eventually he struck her with a spindle and her cries finally stopped while her head and neck slowly turned into stone. According to the Ranee, the group of rocks believed to be Marup village were not far from Lubok Antu.

4.The Sarawak version of Si Tanggang
Batu Nabau Engkilili
A bridge over Batang Lupar river.

Si Tanggang is a famous Southeast Asian folktale about an ungrateful son. It is about a poor boy who became a rich sailor and married a princess. Upon his return home, he was so ashamed of his poor origins and refused to recognise his elderly mother. So the mother cursed him, turning him and his ship into stone.

Margaret Brooke also recorded the Sarawak version of Si Tanggang in her book My Life in Sarawak.

The beginning of the legend is similar to Si Tanggang except it happened not far from the mouth of the Batang Lupar river. However, in this version the son came home unmarried and ashamed with his parents. He constantly berated his parents after his return.

“One day, after insulting them more than usual, a great storm arose, and father, mother, and son, together with the whole inhabitants of the village and their houses were tossed into the sea and turned into stone.”

5.The floating temple of Sebauh
DSC 0106
The Chinese temple of Sebauh.

If you have been to Sebauh town, then you have seen a Chinese temple right smack in the middle of Sebauh river.

There are different legends on how the island where the temple sits came about. Apparently, there was a group of sailors who anchored at Sebauh. The cook onboard made them linut or sago porridge known for its sticky texture.

The sailors played with the linut and teased each other. As you can expect from the other stories in this list, the sky suddenly turned dark and a storm thundered overhead.

Hail stones started to drop from the sky, turning everything the hail stones hit into rocks.

Hence, that was how the island of the floating temple in Sebauh was formed.

So the lesson here is that in Sarawak, you shouldn’t laugh at animals, eat a dragon or play with your food if you do not wish to be turned into stone.

Do you know about any other folktales about people being turned into stone in Sarawak? Let us know in the comment box!

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The legends of how paddy came to Sarawak

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As rice is a staple food in Sarawak like any another Asian culture, paddy planting plays an important economical role in the local communities.

Though most people nowadays stock up their rice from supermarkets, there are people who still cultivate rice for self-consumption.

However, have you ever wondered how paddy came to Sarawak?

Here we take a look on the different legends of how paddy came to this Malaysian state of Borneo:

1. Singalang Burong taught the Ibans how to plant paddy
Paddy
According to an Iban legend, the God of war taught the Iban how to plant the paddy. Credits: Pixabay.

Singalang Burong is the God of War and one of the deities in Iban mythology. According to legend, he had a daughter named Endu Dara Tincin Temaga (or Endu Sudan Galigan Tincin Mas).

One day, Menggin (or Siu) who was a human found a feathered robe belonging to Tincin Temaga during a hunt.

He took the robe into his possession and Tincin Temaga made Menggin promise that he would never touch another bird.

To make a long story short, Menggin married Tincin Temaga and they had a son named Seragunting.

After the birth of their son, Menggin accidentally broke his promise to his wife.

Upset, Tincin Temaga left her husband, returning to her father’s realm. Together, Menggin and Seragunting went out to look for her. They followed Tincin Temaga’s instructions on the routes and ways to avoid the traps to Singalang Burong’s home in the celestial realm.

Eventually, they arrived at Singalang Burong’s house and remaining there for one whole year.

During this period, Seragunting learned how to read omen, catch fish, dear, and wild pig as well as how to plant paddy.

Singalang also gave Menggin and Seragunting some paddy to bring home to the mortal world.

There are many written accounts of this legend available out there. But one of the most detailed stories was written by Edwin H. Gomes.

Gomes was an English missionary who wrote the book Seventeen Years among the Sea Dyaks of Borneo: a record of intimate association with the natives of the Bornean jungles (1911).

Gome wrote Singalang Burong said this when he handed them the paddy.

“You have learned here how to plant paddy. I will give you some paddy to take away with you, and when you get back to your own country, you can teach men how to cultivate it. You will find rice a much more strengthening article of food than the yams and potatoes you used to live upon, and you will become a strong and hardy race.”

2. The plant of Pleiades or Seven Sisters
Paddy 3
In another legend said the paddy plant must be cultivated first under the seven stars. Credits: Pixabay.

This legend of how paddy was first brought to Borneo was recorded by the first Ranee of Sarawak, Margaret Brooke in her book My Life in Sarawak (1913). A fortman’s wife in Simanggang (Sri Aman) told the Ranee this version of the legend.

Long time ago, there was a man who lived alone in a small hut by the river. After a series of heavy downpours and thunderstorms, the man watched the driftwood and debris floating down from the upper river past his house.

Then, a huge tree with its roots still intact floated down the river. The tree got caught on a sandbank with its roots emerging above the water.

The man noticed there was a strange-looking plant entangled in its roots. So the man took his sampan and went out into the river to collect it.

But after that he thought the plant had no use so he threw it at the corner for his hut. That night, the man had a dream.

A spirit told him that “the plant was necessary to the human race, but that it must be watched and cherished, and planted when seven stars were shining together in the sky just before dawn.”

After he woke up, then man went to his neighbour and told him about the dream. His neighbour said that the Petara (deity) himself who appeared in that dream and the man should listen to him.

Later that night, the man waited for another dream to tell when he was to look for the seven stars.

The Ranee wrote:

“In due time, under Patara’s guidance, the man noticed the ‘necklace of Pleiades’ appearing in the sky. The little plant was then put in the ground, where it grew and multiplied. The people in neighbouring villages also procured roots to plant in their farms, so that the paddy now flourishes all over the country and the people of Sarawak have always enough to eat.”

3. The Chinese legend of paddy
Paddy 2
It has been scientifically proven that all Asian rice come from China. Credits: Pixabay.

There are plenty of Chinese legends on how paddy came to Earth. In one legend, a Chinese deity named Shennong was the one who introduced paddy planting to human race.

Shennong was credited for teaching the ancient Chinese how to use the plow and medicinal plants. From China, rice cultivation was spread to India, Southeast Asia, Korea and Japan.

Putting aside these folk stories and myths, it had been scientifically proven that all forms of Asian rice come from a single domestication that happened between 8,200 and 12,000 years ago in China.

Researchers from Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in the United States did the research using a map of rice genome variations and published their work in Nature journal back in 2012.

The research also indicated the domestication of rice occurred in the Pearl River Valley regions of China.

Even so there are no written records or proven research of how paddy planting introduced to Sarawak, only mythical legends to tell the next generations.

Do you have know any legends of how paddy came to Sarawak in your culture? Share with us in the comment box.

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An encounter with a fellow Kayan at Putussibau, Indonesia

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Putussibau
A view of Putussibau from the plane.

Putussibau, the capital of the Indonesian regency Kapuas Hulu, is the last market town on the Kapuas river.

Located in the northeastern part of West Kalimantan, it is close to the Indonesia-Malaysian Sarawak border. It is the tourists’ gateway to Danau Sentarum and Betung Kerihun national parks.

From the perspective of a Malaysian Kayan, Putussibau is the gateway to Mendalam, Mahakam and other rivers where the Indonesian Kayan people mostly reside.

After I posted a photo of Putussibau Pangsuma Airport on Instagram (as most Gen Y and millennials do) during my short pit stop at Putussibau, I was bombarded with comments and personal messages from my relatives.

Beside asking me to look for Kayan inu (beads) as souvenirs, my relatives also urged me to meet and talk to as many Kayans as I could.

And I did! I had a brief meeting with Fransiska Mening, a Kayan from Mendalam who owned a handicraft shop at Putussibau called Kerawing Gallery and Art.

Putussibau 4
One of the streets in Putussibau.

From one Kayan to another

Putussibau 15
Some of the beaded handicrafts in Fransiska’s shop.

According to Fransiska, the Kayan of Kalimantan still hold tight to their customs and cultural practices to this day.

She herself was proud of the hand-tapped tattoos on her forearms. Fransiska shared, “There is an ongoing effort by the government to record the different kind of tattoo patterns among the Kayan women here. We are still working on it.”

Fransiska’s tattoo patterns are like nothing I have seen before on any Kayan woman in Sarawak. While most tattoo patterns fully cover their forearms, Fransiska’s tattoos were in spiral patterns like ferns.

In Sarawak, it is a pattern more often found in wood carvings and traditional dress but not as a tattoo.

Putussibau 5
The tattoos on Fransiska’s forearm.

Kayan and blowpipe shooting

Putussibau 2
Fransiska inherited these old beads from her late grandmother.

The Kayan, like most tribes on the island of Borneo, chose the blowpipe as their preferred weapon when it came to hunting or wartime.

According to author Peter Metcalf, 19th century ethnologists were curious as to why the Bornean people (who advanced to using iron tools) did not develop the bow and arrow like most other cultures around the world.

The reason lies in Borneo’s topography and landscape. Metcalf wrote “For hunting, they (bows) are ineffective because the dense vegetation seldom allows a clear shot.”

“For pigs or deer, a combination of dogs and spears brings the best results. In regard to small game in the lower branches of trees, such as birds and monkeys, they are easily shot with darts.”

Furthermore, he argued that it was difficult to shoot an arrow at such steep angles, and once you lose your arrows, it was impossible to recover them in the thick Bornean jungle.

Putussibau 18
It takes strong forearms and a steady base to shoot the blowpipe with accuracy.

Blowpipe shooting as a hobby

Putussibau 16
A traditional blowpipe like this can also work as a spear.

While the blowpipe is no longer used to hunt or shoot one’s enemies, Fransiska and her family picked It up as a hobby.

“Everyone in my family has his or her own blowpipe. It is more hygienic that way,” she said. And they take their blowpipe shooting seriously, participating in local competitions including the annual Danau Sentarum Festival.

Fransiska was quick to show some of the blowpipes in her shop as well as those from her personal collection.

There were made of different types of wood with intricate carvings. The one made from belian wood was heavier and of course, more expensive.

She also owned a more traditional blowpipe which comes with a spearhead at the end, doing double duty as a spear and a blowpipe.

It’s similar to what my family have at home. Unlike Fransiska, however, our blowpipe once used by our ancestors to hunt is now displayed as a decorative item in the living room. (Perhaps now is the right time to dust the blowpipe and shoot some darts.)

Putussibau 6
An example of non-poisonous darts. These types of darts used to be soaked with poison for hunting in the olden days.

The differences in Kayan dialects

After coming back from Putussibau, my family bombarded us with many questions. One question that stood out was, “Do the Kayan speak closer to Belaga accent or Baram accent?”

In Sarawak, the Kayan language can be primarily divided into three dialects of these three rivers where they mostly settled; Tubau, Belaga and Baram.

From there, the dialects can be vastly different from each other, even though they’re from the same area, depending on which longhouses they are from.

The differences are in the accents, tones and certain words,  much as you would imagine English being spoken in a Scottish, Irish and British accent. Most of the time, however, all Kayans can understand each other.

So when it came to the Indonesian Kayan dialect, I found that they had accent on their own; not as fast-spoken as the Tubau accent and not as melodic as the Baram accent.

Apart from the accents, I also noticed some of their vocabulary were distinctively their own, different from any Sarawakian Kayan dialects.

Putussibau 20
A decoration with Kayan motif and Catholic influence.

Sharing the same roots from Apo Kayan

Putussibau 7
It is hard to choose from all these different variety of woven bracelets.

Whether you are a Kayan from West Kalimantan or Sarawak, we all have the same understanding that our ancestors come from Apo Kayan.

It is located at the Kayan river, Bulungan Regency at East Kalimantan. Their migration from the ancestral land in Apo Kayan began in the 18th and 19th centuries.

From there, they settled in Sarawak of Baram and Rajang rivers as well as upper Kapuas and Mahakam rivers.

Even though the Kayans now have been divided by political boundaries of Malaysia-Indonesia, it does not stop them from visiting each other.

Many trips have been organised by different Kayan longhouses communities, mostly from Sarawak to Kalimantan.

According to Fransiska, the Kayan from Kalimantan are planning to return the favour next year.

“There will be a group from Putussibau driving through the Badau-Lubok Antu border maybe sometime in April and May next year. We are planning to visit Belaga and see how is it like there.”

Putussibau 9 1
Fransiska Mening.

Saying goodbye to Putussibau

The Kayan people, particularly the women, have a unique way of air-kissing each other when they greet or say goodbye.

They touch each other cheek-to-cheek twice but instead of being accompanied by the ‘mwah’ sound with their lips, they give a small sniff.

It is commonly practiced among family members and usually those whom you are affectionate with.

Growing up, I distinctly remember hearing those sniffing sounds every time I kissed my grandparents goodbye. To this day, it is still the way my family shows their affection.

When I bid my farewells to Fransiska, the soft sniffing sound from her air-kiss reminds me it is undeniable that the Kayans still share the same strong roots despite our differences in nationality.

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10 interesting facts about Indonesia’s Kapuas River

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Borneo has often been referred to as the Amazon of Asia thanks to its high density biodiversity. So if Borneo is the Asian Amazon, the ‘Amazon river’ of this island is none other than the Kapuas river.

Here are 10 interesting facts you need to know about Kapuas River, Indonesia

1.It is the longest river in Indonesia

At 1,143 kilometers in length, it is the longest river of Indonesia and the island of Borneo.

It is also the world’s longest river. The delta of Kapuas river is at Pontianak, the capital of West Kalimantan Province.

Kapuas river
An early morning view of Kapuas river from Semitau.

2.Wait, there are two Kapuas riverS?

There are actually two Kapuas rivers flowing from the same mountain range. One Kapuas river flows west into the South China Sea. Meanwhile, the other Kapuas river flows to the south, merging with the Barito Sea and ends at Java Sea.

3. Kapuas river originates from the Muller mountain range

Both Kapuas rivers originate from the Muller Mountain Range, located south of the Indonesian-Malaysian border.

The mountain range was named after Major Georg Muller. He was a soldier and even fought for Napolean Bonaparte when France attacked Russia.

So how did a European army end up in the middle of Borneo in the 19th century?

Born in Mainz, Germany in 1790, Muller joined the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army in 1817.

He took part in the Dutch attack against the Sambas kingdom in 1818.

In 1825, he led an expedition to cross Borneo inland via Mahakam and Kapuas rivers. However, the expedition ended in tragedy when he and his party were killed by the local Dayak tribe.

4.There are two national parks on its river banks

Betung Kerihun and Danau Sentarum are the two national parks located at Kapuas river banks.

Together with Lanjak Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary in Malaysia, Betung Kerihun has been proposed as a World Heritage site.

Meanwhile, Danau Sentarum National Park lies in the upper Kapuas river tectonic basin some 700 kilometers from its delta.

5. It is an important source of water and mode of transport

If you spend an early morning in any town located next to the river, you can catch some of the local people doing their daily chores.

You can see young children in large groups before going to school while the women do their washing on the wooden jetties.

Although roads are available to connect most parts of West Kalimantan, the Kapuas river is still the major waterway connecting the centre of Borneo with its western coast.

6.The Kapuas river and its flora and fauna are any researchers’ dream subject

Many researchers believe there are still many new species to discover in Borneo, especially small creatures

The most recent fascinating species found in the river is the Kapuas mud snake back in 2005. German and American researchers discovered it accidentally when it was put in a dark bucket and changed colour 20 minutes later.

The snake has chameleon-like behaviour which allows it to change its epidermal colour spontaneously.

In addition to that, tropical rivers are unlike rivers in temperate zones. To this day, researchers are still gathering more information on hydrology and geomorphology of tropical river system.

7. It has a high density of fish species

There are about 300 fish species recorded in the river basin. The most iconic one is none other the super red arowana fish. It is only found in Kapuas river and is a famous species in the aquarium trade.

Sadly, the species is continuously decreasing because of wild poachers and low productive rates.

8. There are other remarkable species too

Apart from the super red arowana fish, there is one striking fish species found in Kapuas river.

Only officially described in 2008, the eight-banded barb (Eirmotus insignis) is a small zebra-striped fish which measures about 3.6cm in length.

It was found between the towns of Sanggau and Putussibau, among overhanging tree roots and aquatic vegetation.

Where can you find the world’s first lungless frog? In Kapuas river, of course! The Bornean flat-headed frog breathes entirely through its skin.

Scientists first discovered the frog in the middle of Kapuas river basin back in 1978.

9.The longest bridge in Borneo crosses this river

The Tayan Bridge is the longest bridge in Borneo spreading over 1,975 meters. It crosses the Kapuas River in Sanggau, West Kalimantan to connect West Borneo with Central Borneo in Indonesia.

10.You can take a tour upriver from Pontianak

It takes up to two days on the deck to travel up Kapuas river from Pontianak depending on your mode of transportation. In Pontianak, there are travel agencies which can help you to plan a trip upriver if you are feeling adventurous. Plus, there are plenty to see along the river from local villages with different architecture to wildlife that might pass your way.

Go to the furthest upstream and you would find yourself in Tanjung Lokang. Located about 13 hours from Putussibau town by speedboat through Kapuas river, the village belongs to the Dayak Punan.

It is the last village in the Borneo jungle when you are heading east across the island.

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Sir Hugh Low and his adventures in Malaysian Borneo

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Malaysian history textbooks gave credits to Sir Hugh Low as the first successful British administrator in Malayan states during the late 19th century.

He was the fourth Resident of Perak in 1877. It was reported that he left Perak with a credit balance of 1.5 million Straits Dollars by the end of his retirement in 1889.

Low’s most acknowledged contribution to Malaysia was for introducing rubber plantations to the country.

He first planted the seeds in Kuala Kangsar in 1877 and subsequently created a model for rubber plantations in Malaya.

Before Low even arrived in Malaya, however, he first travelled Sarawak before making his way up to Sabah.

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Hugh Low, a British Naturalist and Administrator. Credits: Public Domain.

Hugh Low and his accounts of Sarawak

Born in 1824 to a horticulturist father, Low started to show interest in botany at an early age while working at his family’s nursery.

At the young age 20, his father sent him to Southeast Asia to collect plants. Low was based in Singapore first before he made friends with Sarawak’s first White Rajah, James Brooke.

Brooke invited Low to Sarawak and together they travelled to the interior.

He spent about 30 months in Sarawak, long enough for him to pick up a little bit of conversational Malay.

He recorded his experience and published it in a book Sarawak, Its Inhabitants and Productions: Being Notes During a Residence in that Country with His Excellency Mr. Brooke in 1848.

The book not only provided the general survey of the kingdom, but also its natural resources and the indigenous peoples.

He described the customs and traditions of Sarawak tribes he encountered during his stay. This included the Malays which he became acquainted with, Sea Dayaks, Land Dayaks, Melanau and Kayans.

Being a botanist, Low also detailed the significance of plants he collected during his adventure in his book.

Low’s book was considered one of the first detailed accounts on Sarawak.

Hugh Low and his exploration in Sabah

After writing his book about Sarawak in England, Low made his return to the island of Borneo.

Again thanks to his friendship with the Rajah, he became Brooke’s colonial secretary in Labuan.

This was when Brooke was appointed as the first governor of newly established British Colony, Labuan.

During his stay in Labuan, Low explored part of North Borneo. His notable exploration in the area is when he ascended to Mount Kinabalu, the highest peak in Southeast Asia.

Low made the first documented ascent of the mountain in March 1851. Then in 1858, he made another two ascents that year in April and July.

Although now the highest peak Low’s Peak is named after him, the truth is he never reached the highest point of the mountain. He described the peak as “inaccessible to any but winged animals.”

Nonetheless, a non-winged English explorer did actually reached the highest peak of the mountain. John Whitehead, a naturalist and zoologist made it to the top in 1888.

Hugh Low and a gully

Besides the highest peak of the mountain, the lowest point of the mountain was also named after the British administrator.

Low was recorded as the first person who looked down into it in 1851. Low’s Gully is a 1,800m deep gorge on the north side of Mount Kinabalu.

To this day, the gully is dubbed one of the least explored places on Earth.

More than 100 years after Low looked down into the ravine, Low’s Gully made headlines across the world.

In March 1994, a British Army expedition of seven British and three inexperienced Hong Kong soldiers made a disastrous descent in to the gully.

Half of the party (two British and three Hong Kong soldiers) were trapped for 16 days before being rescued.

One British media reported the search and rescue as an embarrassing and expensive rescue operation.

Years later in 1998, a joint expedition by Malaysian and British team made the first successful complete descent of Low’s Gully.

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The highest and lowest points of this mountain was named after Hugh Low. Credits: Pixabay.

Hugh Low’s Legacy

Besides Low’s Peak and Gully, there were numerous species named after him thanks to his contribution.

He discovered Nepenthes lowii, a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Borneo during his ascent to Mount Kinabalu.

There are also five species of orchids, a treeshrew, a squirrel, a beetle and two butterflies named after him.

Low made home in this part of the globe and even raised a family in Labuan. After his wife Catherine Napier died of fever in 1851, he buried her at the Government House which was locally known as Bumbung 12.

Low designed Bumbung 12 (twelve roofs in Malay) with a long and low structure and planting trees around it.

Unfortunately the house was completely destroyed during World War II and the only thing left was its water storage tank.

Today the site is one of the island’s main attractions called the Labuan Botanical Garden.

Located behind Labuan’s old airport, some of the oldest trees in the garden are believed to be planted by Low.

All of the graves in the area were relocated to different parts of Labuan except for one, a grave which belonged to a foxhound named Jim.

Although the grave of Low’s wife was already relocated, urban legend has it her ghost was still roaming around in the area.

As for Low, he died on Apr 18, 1905 in Italy.

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PHOTOS: Learn more about the Land Below the Wind at Sabah Museum

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Art critic Jerry Saltz once said, “Don’t go to a museum with a destination. Museums are wormholes to other worlds. They are ecstasy machines.”

This is so true, especially if you are visiting Sabah Museum for the first time where each of the gallery inside the building will transport you to a different world.

Established in 1965, the museum was first housed at Gaya Street in Kota Kinabalu. It moved to its current location in 1984 at Bukit Istana Lama.

The main building of Sabah museum is designed after traditional Rungus Longhouse.

As you walk inside the museum, there is a huge 20m long whale skeleton to welcome you. There are galleries of ethnography, natural history, ceramics, history and archaeology.

Every gallery has so many things to see and learn about Sabah, from its rich culture to its abundant biodiversity.

There is a small section dedicating to ‘Budaya Mengayau’ or headhunting, which explains this old tradition of Sabah’s indigenous people.

For example, did you know that when headhunters came back from a raid, they were not allowed to bring the heads into the village?

So what did they do with the heads? For Kadazandusun of Tambunan and Tamparuli, they hung the head on a tree or bamboo and called it sogindai.

In other communities, the heads were kept in a temporary hut called sulap.

After several days or weeks, a Bobolian or Bobohizan (high priestess) would performed a ritual, after which the heads would be allowed to be brought into the village.

If history and ethnology are you preference, you could find yourself reading through each panel for hours.

Open daily from 9am to 5pm, the museum charges RM2 for Malaysians and RM15 for non-Malaysian.

Photography is allowed (no flash) for visitors to capture their experience.

Here are photos taken by KajoMag at Sabah Museum for visitors to learn more about the Land Below the Wind:

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The traditional attire of a Lundayeh woman. This mannequin is wearing a white blouse and a black skirt, with alet birar (beaded headgear) and beret benging (beaded belt).
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A Bajau rider and his decorated horse.
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A winnowing mill used to separate rice from the chaff.
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Bakul sabat was traditionally used to carry bridal gifts in the Kadazandusun community at Tambunan district.
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Sabah Museum has a collection of woven items from different indigenous communities in the state. One of them is this Sosopilon, a backpack used by the Kadazandusun community in Tambunan.
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This is an usunan. The Iranun nobility of Kota Belud used it to carry the groom to the bride’s house. it is also used to carry their dead.
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This commemorative dinner set was made in conjunction with the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953 and was used at Sabah governors’ residence.
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Some of the items displayed at Sabah Museum are private items donated by generous members of the public such as this pith helmet.
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The design of the main building of Sabah Museum is inspired by a Rungus longhouse.
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A row of classic cars on display outside Sabah Museum.
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A panel explaining the local plants used as traditional medicines in Sabah.
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Some of the primates and mammals which can be found in Sabah.
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A sun bear which is commonly found throughout Southeast Asia including Sabah.
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The Sambar Deer of Sabah Museum.
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A bay owl.
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Clouded leopard.
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Millipede.
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A green turtle.
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The different types of jars displayed at the Ceramic Gallery of Sabah Museum. These were used to store drinking water, rice food and also to make a local liquor called tapai.
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Each of the ceramic ware has its own brief description allowing visitors to learn more about every artifact.
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The ceramic collection at the Sabah Museum has different origins including China, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Japan and Europe. However, all of them were found in Sabah. It is believed that some of these ceramics were made as early as the 10th century.

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10 things you should know about the Bryde’s whale skeleton at Sabah Museum

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When you step into the Sabah Museum, the first thing that greets you is a gigantic whale skeleton.

What type of whale is it? Where did they get it from? Are there alot of whale sightings off the coast of Sabah? Perhaps these are the questions that come to your mind as you look at this enormous skeleton.

Whale skeleton at Sabah Museum 2
A closer look at the whale’s jaw bone.    

Here at KajoMag, we summarised 10 things you should know about the Bryde’s whale skeleton at Sabah Museum:

1. This whale was first found stranded on Dec 14, 2006.

On that day, a group of fishermen found this cetacean stranded near Kampung (village) Lok Urai, Gaya island around 11pm.

Within 12 hours after it was first spotted, a rescue mission was launched by teams from the Fisheries Department, Wildlife Department, Sabah Parks, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), NGOs and members of the public.

However, the tide was too low for the rescue team to pull the poor creature back to the ocean. Rescuers had to constantly pour seawater on its body to keep it hydrated.

2. The whale was back to the sea the next day.

By Dec 15 at 7.30pm, the team had succeeded in pulling the whale back into the sea. Nonetheless, the then Sabah Fishery Department director, Rayner Stuel Galid raised concerns that the whale might return to its stranding spot.

Whale skeleton at Sabah Museum 3
A father pointing at the skeleton while his son looks on.
3. The marine mammal was found dead on Dec 17, 2006.

True enough, the animal was found dead near its stranding spot at Gaya Island. The initial plan was to bury it but there was no suitable location.

Whale skeleton at Sabah Museum 6
A closer look at the whale’s backbone.
4. Its supposedly final resting place was decided.

The carcass was towed to Stomai Rock, somewhere between Pulau Tiga and Gaya Island. Then, it was anchored about 60 to 70m deep into the sea to allow it to decompose naturally.

5. The then Sabah chief minister wanted the whale to be preserved.

Later on Dec 19, then chief minister of Sabah, Musa Aman instructed the Fisheries Department to work together with Sabah Museum Department, Sabah Parks and UMS to conserve the whale’s bones.

6. The whale was back on land on Dec 20.

A team was deployed to bring back the carcass from where it was anchored. They put a giant fishing net to wrap the carcass so that the skeleton remained intact during the process.

Whale skeleton at Sabah Museum 4
The 20m long skeleton attracts visitors the moment they stepped into the museum.
7. The ‘deboning’ process begins on Dec 21.

The tedious process of separating the bones from the carcass lasted a few days.

It took about 35 people to work round the clock on the carcass starting from its tail. They also dug three enormous holes at Fishery Station Menggatal to bury the whale’s flesh and organs.

8. The whale skeleton was handed to Sabah Museum on Christmas eve 2006.

The team officially handed the whale skeleton to Sabah Museum on Dec 24, just 10 days after it first found stranded.

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The whale skeleton takes up a huge space of Sabah Museum.
9. The identity of the whale is Bryde’s whale.

The whale was identified as Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni). It was 20.6m long and weighed around 22 to 26 tonnes.

The Kadazandusun people of Sabah call it luulumbo.

According to UMS researchers, approximately 20 species of marine mammals have been recorded in Sabah waters.

The state’s various ecosystems like its coral reefs, mangrove, estuaries and sea grass provides habitats and food resources for these animals, leading to a high number of species found in Sabah.

10. Sabah has the highest  number of whale stranding cases in Malaysia.

The Bryde’s whale at Sabah Museum was not the only stranded cetacean in the state.

In 2012, it was reported Sabah recorded the highest number of whale stranding cases as well as whale sightings compared to other states since the 1970s.

Additionally, Sabah also has the longest coastline in Malaysia. It is surrounded by the South China Sea on the west, Sulu Sea on the northeast and Celebes Sea on the southeast regions.

There are many factors that could contribute to whale stranding such as natural causes due to sickness or old age or military sonar.

However, the reason for this statistic in Sabah is still not scientifically known.

Whale skeleton at Sabah Museum
The gigantic skeleton of Bryde’s whale.

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From Yang di-Pertua Negara to Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sabah: How did that happen?

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When Sabah, or back then known as North Borneo, agreed to join the Malaysian federation, they came up with a list of 20 points.

The terms in what was called the 20-point agreement were drawn to safeguard the rights and autonomy of Sabah upon joining the federation.

Point number 18 stated that the head of state was to be called ‘Yang di-Pertua Negara’.

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The 20-point agreement drawn by Sabahans.

Who is the ‘Yang di-Pertua Negara’ and what does it mean?

Yang di-Pertua Negara was the official title of ceremonial governor in Sabah. It means ‘head of state’ in Malay.

Apart from Sabah, Malaysian states without hereditary monarchs include Penang, Malacca and Sarawak which also have governors instead.

The office of the head of state is a renewable four-year term position in Malaysia’s parliamentary democracy system.

They are also the members of the Conference of Rulers, a council made of nine rulers of the Malay states and the governors.

Unlike the Malay rulers or Sultans, however, governors cannot vote for the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (king), the ruler who will also function as the Head of Islam in their respective states.

How the title of Yang di-Pertua Negara in Sabah was abolished

Under Article 160 of the Constitution of Malaysia, the term governor was abolished and replaced with Yang di-Pertua Negeri on Aug 27, 1976.

Prior to 1976, Penang, Malacca and Sarawak had been using the title ‘Governor’ in English and ‘Yang di-Pertua Negeri’ in Malay. Meanwhile, Sabah’s head of state was called Yang di-Pertua Negara in both languages.

With the implementation of Article 160, Sabah could no longer use the title of Yang di-Pertua Negara.

So, Yang di-Pertua Negara or Yang di-Pertua Negeri? What’s the difference?

Yang di Pertua Negara
Report about Yang di-Pertua Negara’s Malaysia Day message published by daily express found at Sabah Museum.

‘Negara’ means country or nation in Malay while ‘negeri’ means state.

Some argued the change of title demoted Sabah from a country to a state. They also saw it as a breach of the 20-point agreement.

It was clearly stated in Malaysian Agreement 1963, “There shall be a Head of State for Sabah, to be called the Yang di-Pertua Negara, who shall be appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong acting in his discretion but after consultation with the chief minister.”

Additionally, Sabah’s first Yang di-Pertua Negara Datu Mustapha Datu Harun referred to Sabah as a country during his message on Malaysia Day, Sept 16, 1963.

He was quoted saying, “Let us pray for God’s blessing in our beloved country, Sabah Maju Jaya!”

The battle between the Constitution of Malaysia and the Malaysia Agreement

The Constitution of Malaysia was previously known as the Constitution of Malaya. Back then, it was brought into force over the Federation of Malaya (then made up of 11 states) when it achieved independence from the British colony on Aug 31, 1957.

When the Malaysian federation was formed on Sept 16, 1963, the constitution name was changed from Constitution of Malaya to the Constitution of Malaysia.

It was then implemented in Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore before the last went separate ways and became the independent island nation it is today.

With this, combined with the simple name change in the title of the constitution from Malaya to Malaysia, some argued the establishment of Malaysia was not a creation of a new nation but simply the addition of new ‘states’.

Meanwhile, the Malaysia Agreement was signed by the United Kingdom, Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore. This made it an international agreement that could not and cannot be amended by Malaysian parliament.

The result of that agreement was Malaysia Act 1963, an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom.

The Act made provisions for a union named Malaysia which consisted of North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore with the existing states of the Federation of Malaya.

Many parties argued that Sabah, along with Sarawak should be called ‘negara’ making their heads of state Yang di-Pertua Negara.

Adding on to that, Sarawak and Sabah received their independence from the British on July 22, 1963 and Aug 31, 1963 respectively. Hence, they were technically a self-governing nations before forming the Malaysian federation on Sept 16, 1963.

Furthermore, the head of state of Sabah was called “Yang di-Pertua Negara” from 1963 to 1976.

If Sarawak and Sabah were meant to be just mere states, not equal partners with Malayan federation to form Malaysia, one might ask why did it take 13 years to realise that ‘negara’ actually meant country in Malay?

How did Sabah and Sarawak get downgraded from their sovereign status to a state?

It all comes down to an act passed in parliament on Aug 27, 1976 which saw an amendment to Article 1 of the Federal Constitution. Through Act A354 Section 2, Sarawak and Sabah became downgraded from regions that had equal rights with Peninsular Malaysia to being just one of 13 states in Malaysia.

A revealing press release by Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) in 2016 states how the parliamentarians of the time were mistaken in voting for the status downgrade, and how being designated as a state instead of one of the three founding partners has short-changed Sabah and Sarawak in terms of oil royalty and federal financial allocations.

It has long been a source of discontent for East Malaysians, so much so in its mission to create equity across Malaysia, it was included in Pakatan Harapan’s manifesto under Pillar 4: Return Sabah and Sarawak to the status accorded by the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

PH Manifesto
Pillar 4 of Pakatan Harapan’s manifesto includes returning Sabah and Sarawak’s status as it was defined in the spirit of MA63.

In July 2018, it was revealed that the Minister’s Cabinet had agreed to the formation of a special cabinet committee on the enforcement of the Malaysian Agreement 1963. The special committee will comprise representatives from the Peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak who have expertise in the matter.

A media statement from Bandar Kuching MP Dr. Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen on 20 July 2018 outlines how this special committee will be working on restoring these rights:

The committee will study and propose corrective measures in relation to the following matters:

  • The status of the Malaysian Agreement 1963 in the context of current legislation;
  • Efforts to improve the people’s understanding towards the Malaysia Agreement 1963 through the education system;
  • Implementation of the concept of federalism across the three territories – Peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak;
  • The rights of Sabah and Sarawak to natural resources as well as oil and gas;
  • Administrative matters that can be delegated to the states;
  • The amount of allocation that is within the rights of Sabah and Sarawak; and
  • Amendment to Article 1 of the Federal Constitution.

With efforts going in the direction of Sabah and Sarawak’s rights being restored, some people conjecture it’s still a long road ahead before both former territories see their pre-1976 status restored.

Read about Malaysia Act 1963 here.

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