How the story of SS Vyner Brooke will break your heart

Published on January 18, 2019

Culture

SS Vyner Brooke started her service as the royal yacht of Sarawak. The Scottish-built steamship also worked as a merchant ship used between Singapore and Kuching.

However at the beginning of World War II, this ship owned by Sarawak Steamship Co Ltd, had a tragic ending.

Here are 5 things to know about SS Vyner Brooke:

1.She was named after the third White Rajah of Sarawak

The ship was named after Vyner Brooke. His wife Ranee Sylvia launched it on Nov 10, 1927 at Leith, north of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland.

Then the ship sailed from Leith for Singapore on Apr 17, 1928.

2.The interior of SS Vyner Brooke was clearly described in an issue of The Sarawak Gazette

How the story of SS Vyner Brooke will break your heart — A screenshot of The Sarawak Gazette published on Nov 1, 1927.

On Nov 1, 1927, The Sarawak Gazette published an article on the launching of SS Vyner Brooke.

It described the specifications and interiors of the royal yacht.

The main deck had accommodation for crews as well as a cold store room designed for temperature -2 degree Celsius.

Meanwhile, the upper deck cabin could accommodate 44 first class passengers and a large saloon for dining. The saloon was ‘panelled to the full height with polished mahogany and is provided with twenty large windows of Laycock type’.

In fact, all furniture is of mahogany and the chairs came with leather seats.

For passengers who were looking for entertainment and exercise, there was a room for deck quoits and deck tennis.

As for safety, she was equipped with lifeboats, rafts and lifebelts enough for six hundred and fifty people.

3.She was requisitioned by the Britain’s Royal Navy as an armed trader

Before the war, she sailed the waters between Singapore and Kuching under the flag of the Sarawak Steamship Company. She usually carried about 12 passengers in addition to her 47 crew.

When the war broke out, SS Vyner Brooke was considered a militarily-useful vessel. So the British Royal Navy requisitioned it as an armed trader.

Now known as HMS Vyner Brooke, the ship was painted gray and armed with guns. The crew was made of members of Malay Royal Navy Reserve as well as survivors of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse.

Both HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse were sunk by Japanese aircraft on Dec 10, 1941. The wrecks now rest near Kuantan, Pahang in the South China Sea.

4.SS Vyner Brooke was bombed by Japanese aircraft and sunk

Unfortunately, the former crew of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse could not survived a Japanese attack for the second time.

On the evening of Feb 12, 1942, HMS Vyner Brooke was one of the last ships carrying evacuees leaving Singapore.

This was right before Singapore fell into Japanese hands on Feb 15, 1942.

On top of her 47 crew, there were 181 passengers, including the last 65 nurses of the Australian Army Nursing Service in Singapore, wounded servicemen as well as civilian men, women and children.

In the late afternoon on Feb 13, she was attacked by a Japanese aircraft. Fortunately, there were no casualties. By sunset, she set her sail for Palembang passing through Bangka Straits.

The next day on Valentine’s day at about 2pm, HMS Vyner Brooke was attacked by several Japanese aircraft. This time she did not survive. Within 30 minutes, she rolled over and sunk bow first.

Altogether, it is believed that 44 ships were carrying evacuees from Singapore between Feb 12 to 14. All but four were bombed and sunk as they sailed through the Bangka Straits.

Thousands of people died before any of them could reach land.

5.Some of the survivors died during the Bangka Island Massacre

According to records, there were approximately 150 survivors washed up ashore at different parts of Bangka island, east of Sumatra.

Unfortunately, Japanese troops had already occupied the then Dutch East Indies island. On Radji beach of Bangka island, a group of survivors from HMS Vyner Brooke gathered together with survivors from other vessels bombings.

What happened to them after the sinking is now known as the Bangka Island Massacre.

At first, they tried to ask for help and food from the locals but were denied due to the locals’ fear of the Japanese.

One unnamed officer from HMS Vyner Brooke had an idea. Since they had no food, no help for the injured and no chance of rescue, they considered giving themselves up as prisoners of war (POWs).

The group agreed and the officer walked to Muntok to inform the Japanese that they surrendered.

While he was away, one of the nurses – Matron Irene Drummond – instructed a group of civilian women and children to walk toward Muntok.

Those who remained on Radji beach were 22 Australian nurses from HMS Vyner Brooke and the injured.

The Massacre and aftermath

Several hours later, the officer returned with about 20 Japanese soldiers (some records stated 15).

The nurses were confident that the Japanese would not hurt them as they wore their Red Cross armbands. By right, they were Non-combatants and therefore protected under the international treaties of the Geneva Convention.

However, the Japanese started to divide the survivors into three groups. The first two groups were the male survivors who were capable of walking.

The Japanese soldiers escorted the groups down to Radji Beach and around a headland, out of the nurses’ sight.

When they heard gunshots from a distance, the survivors knew that the Japanese were not accepting their surrender.

All 22 Australian nurses and one civilian woman were in the third group. They were instructed to walk into the sea until they were waist deep.

Knowing what would happen to them, Drummond reportedly called out, “Chin up girls. I’m proud of you and I love you all.” Then, the Japanese began to shoot them down.

A nurse, Vivian Bullwinkel was the only one who survived the shooting.

Of the 65 Australian nurses on board the HMS Vyner Brooke, 12 were killed during the air attack, 21 were shot dead at Radji Beach, and 32 became POWs. Eight of the nurses did not survive the internment.

Two of its crew were taken as POWs. Some of the non-European crew members who died on board of HMS Vyner Brooke were Ahmad Rashid, Awang Adam Awang Nong, Li Wong Chuan and Phiaw Chew Teck.

From Batang Lupar river in Sarawak to Batang Lupar district in Kalimantan

Published on December 24, 2018

Culture

In Sarawak, Batang Lupar is famously known for its tidal bore phenomenon where waves of water goes against the direction of the current.

It is also one of the federal constituencies in Malaysia. Meanwhile on the other side of the international border, there is a district in Kapuas Hulu regency of West Kalimantan province in Indonesia which is also called Batang Lupar.

So, how did a district and a river, miles apart from each other divided by a border, share the same name?

From Batang Lupar river in Sarawak to Batang Lupar district in Kalimantan — Pak Lom, the head of village Dusun Kedungkang.

From Lanjak Entimau to Lanjak, Batang Lupar

“Our ancestors are originally from upper Batang Lupar and Batang Ai. They were at war with the Rajah many years ago and they came here to flee from their enemy,” Pak Lom, the head village of Dusun Kedungkang said.

He explained that Lanjak which is the nearest town to his longhouse was named after Lanjak Entimau. It is an area located between Batang Rajang in the north and Batang Lupar in the south of Sarawak.

This was because the Dayak Iban who live in Lanjak now were originally from Lanjak Entimau.

Lom said, “Of course back then, the border was not clearly defined. The border town of Badau which now falls in Indonesia territory was considered part of Sarawak kingdom back then.”

Same culture but different countries

Despite the political border, the Iban culture in Kalimantan is not much different from Sarawakian Iban.

“We still practice our traditional arts. Here in Kedungkang, we still have our hand-tapping tattoo and pua kumbu weaving.” Lom added that he himself knew how to hand-tap traditional body ink.

Even when it came to their harvest or Gawai celebration, he explained their way of merry-making was no different from the Sarawakian Ibans.

Before settling back here as a farmer and carrying his duty as a village head, Lom was working for a timber company in different parts of Sarawak such as Tubau and Marudi for over 10 years. Thus making him familiar with his neighbouring country.

However, there is one celebration he pointed out that the Ibans in Batang Lupar district did not celebrate.

“We do not celebrate Gawai Antu (festival of the dead) here, I think you can only find that in Sarawak.”

Holding on to their traditional customs, the Iban community in Kedungkang also practices their ‘hukum adat’ (customary law).

If caught burning the forest in their areas, you could be fined 25,000 rupiah for each tree. Additionally if it was a durian tree, the fine could cost even more – up to millions of rupiah.

Living next to Danau Sentarum

Having this customary law to protect their environment surrounding their two-block longhouse was important, considering they are living right next to Danau Sentarum.

It is one of the world’s most biodiverse lake system located in the heart of Borneo island.

And just a few minutes’ walk from Kedungkang longhouse is Bukit Babi (Pig Hill in Malay).

According to Lom, it is one of the reasons why their longhouse is a tourist attraction. On average, there are at least two tourists visiting their longhouse daily.

He said, “Apart from coming to see our culture, tourists love to stop by to hike up the hill. They can see have a view of Danau Sentarum from up there.

Another main attraction of Kedungkang village is its 700m long plank walk from the longhouse to the lake.

Just like Batang Lupar in Sarawak where its tidal bore attracts thousands of visitors during Pesta Benak (Tidal Bore Festival), one of the main tourists attractions in Batang Lupar district of West Kalimantan is the Danau Sentarum Festival.

During this annual festival, the Kedungkang plank walk is turn into viewing point to watch the traditional boat parade, dragon boat and bidar races.

What you should know about Operation Hammer 1965

Published on December 14, 2018

Culture

Despite reports that Sarawakians and Sabahans were generally agreeable to becoming part of the Malaysian federation, then Indonesian president Sukarno was not happy.

He accused the federation of being a neo-colonial attempt by the British to maintain control over the area, a threat to Indonesia’s security and a block to the vision of a confederation of Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines called Maphilindo.

The Indonesian government declared a policy of Konfrontasi in January 1963, and thus began the violent conflict from 1963-1966 called the Indonesian-Malaysian confrontation. Besides small trans-border raids, they attempted to exploit the ethnic and religious diversity in Sarawak and Sabah to unravel the foundations of the Malaysian federation.

The concept of Konfrontasi was introduced to Sukarno by the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI), a party which was later banned by the Indonesian government in 1966.

The events leading up to Operation Hammer

The Indonesians also used the Sarawak Communist Organisation (SCO) for their operations in the confrontation.

They launched their first attack on Apr 12, 1963 at 2am on a police station in Tebedu which resulted in the death of one police corporal and two injured constables.

What you should know about Operation Hammer 1965 — Tebedu

There were more than 150 attacks by Indonesian forces throughout Sarawak. The turning point came when they attacked the police station at 18th mile Kuching/Serian road on the night of June 26, 1965 which cost the lives of nine people.

That was when the new Malaysia had had enough. Three days later on June 29, key personnel in the defence and internal security departments met at Kuching.

According to author Vernon L. Porritt, the meeting was to discuss the communist conflict. The inspector general of the Royal Malaysian Police Force, Sir Claude Fenner at some point during the meeting pounded the table with his fist and reportedly said, “We’ll hammer them, let the operation be called Operation Hammer.”

The Goodsir Resettlement Plan

A day after the meeting on June 30, the Sarawak’s government’s Operations Sub-Committee of the State Security Executive Council (Ops SSEC) implemented the Goodsir Plan.

Named after David Goodsir the British acting commissioner of police in Sarawak, the plan was to resettle 7,500 people.

Historian Kee Howe Yong wrote that under Operation Hammer, the security forces would seal off an eighty-square-mile area, extending from the 15th to the 24th mile along the Kuching-Serian road.

Kee stated in his book The Hakkas of Sarawak: Sacrificial Gifts in Cold War Era Malaysia,

“Within a three-day period, some 1200 families, amounting to close to 8000 rural Hakkas living in the area, were forcibly relocated into three newly constructed barbed-wire-fenced new villages equipped with floodlit security fences and a twenty-four-hour curfew, with the explanation that this was the government’s gift to protect them from the communists.”

These were required to separate them from the communist influence and at the same time, protect them from communist threats.

In a story published in The Straits Times on July 8, 1965, Chew Loy Khoon wrote about his experience visiting this area or what he stated as the strongly guarded area on the Kuching-Serian road.

Chew followed the State Security Executive Secretary, D. Wilson where they visited 14th mile. There, they saw a group of children and adults bathing in a river under the watchful eyes of Police Field Force guards.

The entourage visited the 18th mile police station, the headquarters for Operation Hammer.

Chew also managed to interview some of the Goodsir Resettlement Plan resettlers. One of them – Chong Jan Moi – told Chew that like the rest, she accepted the stern resettlement measures stoically.

Chew stated, “Understandably, she was not enthusiastic about being uprooted from her rubber smallholding, ‘but I suppose it cannot be helped’ she said.”

Operation Harapan (which means ‘hope’), Operation Petek and the end of Operation Hammer

Regardless, Operation Hammer and Goodsir Plan succeeded in denying SCO access to food supplies, basic necessities and intelligence from their Chinese supporters.

By the end of 1965, the federal government built three permanent settlements at Siburan, Beratok and Tapah.

The 600 acres settlements were to replace the five temporary settlements.

By July 22, 1966, it was estimated that there were about 700 Communists in Indonesian Kalimantan and about 2,000 sympathisers.

So the Malaysian Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman offered amnesty and safe-conduct passes to SCO guerrillas under Operation Harapan. However, only 41 guerrillas accepted the offer.

Subsequently in 1972 and 1973, Operation Petek was implemented to eradicate all the communists movement.

Sri Aman where peace was finally restored

On Oct 13, 1973, the top leader of the North Kalimantan People’s Guerrilla Forces Bong Kee Chok personally wrote to the Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Rahman Yaakub expressing his desire to surrender.

Five days later, 585 communists fighters (about 85% of SCO members) emerged from the jungle and laid down their arms.

Then on Oct 21, Bong and Abdul Rahman signed a memorandum of understanding at Rumah Sri Aman in Simanggang (now Sri Aman).

The signing meant the voluntary surrender of SCO, signifying the end of communist conflict in Sarawak.

Nonetheless, the Malaysian government only approved the lifting of security restrictions in Operation Hammer areas along Kuching-Serian road on Mar 5, 1980.

5 things everybody should know about Songket Sambas

Published on December 7, 2018

Culture

The Sambas Regency in West Kalimantan Province of Indonesia is known for its beautiful and intricate weaving of Songket Sambas.

Songket is a type of fabric that is hand woven in silk or cotton and often embroidered with intricate motifs in gold or silver thread.

A proud legacy of the Malay community in Sambas, here are 5 things to learn about Songket Sambas.

Songket Sambas is believed to be over 400 years old.

5 things everybody should know about Songket Sambas — A tradition as old as time

Estimated to be over 400 years old, Songket Sambas is said to have existed before the Sambas Islamic Sultanate that was established with the birth of its first Muslim sultan Muhammad Shafi ud-din I.

Born Radin Sulaiman to Sultan Tengah (Sarawak’s first and only Sultan) from Brunei and Ratu Sepudak, a descendant of the Majapahit governors of Sambas, he ruled it for 10 years from 1675 to 1685.

It was a sign of luxury

As a traditional luxury item, Songket Sambas was worn by ladies from the upper class in the olden days.

Today, it is often worn to formal and grand functions or events in Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.

As of now, besides womenswear, the songket weaving is also used as decorative trimming on men’s clothing along the collar or on songkok (the traditional Malay cap).

Gold thread is used in Songket Sambas

Songket Sambas is a hand-woven fabric in silk or cotton with gold or silver thread.

The incorporation of gold thread is such an important part of the textile that the locals refer to the weaving as ‘bannang ammas’ (gold thread).

This is because the threads are light, durable and the colours do not fade even after hundreds of years.

It was given as a wedding gift from the groom to the bride

Thanks to the use of the gold thread, Songket Sambas was a valuable gift and played an important part in local wedding customs.

In accordance to the Sambas Malay custom, it was often given by the bridegroom to the bride as a gift.

The bamboo shoot pattern signifies modesty and humility

Another unique feature of Songket Sambas is the bamboo shoot motif that can be found on the textile.

Known as ‘suji bilang’ among the locals, the bamboo shoot pattern is triangular in shape, long and tapered.

Inspired by the bamboo shoot for its ability to bend when it grows tall, it signifies modesty and humility.

The motif reminds the wearer to aspire to great heights but not to be arrogant or proud once they’ve reached a higher level in life.

5 interesting legends from Central Borneo recorded by Carl Sofus Lumholtz

Published on November 20, 2018

Culture

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

5 interesting legends from Central Borneo recorded by Carl Sofus Lumholtz — 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

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.

An encounter with a fellow Kayan at Putussibau, Indonesia

Published on October 29, 2018

Travel

An encounter with a fellow Kayan at Putussibau, Indonesia — 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.

From one Kayan to another

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.

Kayan and blowpipe shooting

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.

Blowpipe shooting as a hobby

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.)

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.

Sharing the same roots from Apo Kayan

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.”

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.

Get to know the hopping ghosts of Asia, pocong and jiangshi

Published on October 25, 2018

Culture

There are two varieties of ghosts in Southeast Asia renowned for hopping their way around, one is the pocong and the other is jiangshi.

They have different reasons for only being able to hop around: Pocong hops because its whole body is bound while jiangshi’s limbs are stiff from rigor mortis so it hops around with its arms outstretched.

Here we take a closer look of pocong and jiangshi, the hopping ghosts of Asia:

Pocong

On top of nasi goreng and rendang, Malaysia and Indonesia share many other non-edible similarities and one of them is pocong. It is believed to be the soul of a dead person trapped in its shroud or kain kafan in Malay.

In Muslim burials, the corpse is wrapped in a simple and modest manner which is why white cotton cloth is used. After being enshrouded, the body is tied in three areas; around the head, neck and feet.

According to traditional beliefs, the soul will stay on earth for 40 days after death. In order for the soul to pass on, these ties should be released 40 days after the burial. If they aren’t, the corpse will appear as pocong, hopping around hoping to be free from its ties.

Pocong pranks

With white fabric and some strings, dressing up as a pocong seems to be the easiest Halloween costume.

With fear of pocong still very real, it is also the easiest way to prank people. Earlier this year in Malaysian state of Kedah, a group of youths decided to dress one of their friends as a pocong to scare young children.

Unfortunately for this pocong and his friends, they bumped into a policeman barely 15 minutes after they set out on their mission.

The policeman told them off and the prank ended just like that.

Moving over to Indonesian city of Depok, two teenagers pulled the same prank. But they did not meet with the same ending with their fellow pranksters in Malaysia.

The villagers who caught the pranksters punished them by forcing them to sleep in a graveyard. They ended up calling their parents because the two ‘pocongs’ started crying as they lay in the open graves,

Thankfully in both cases, there were no police reports filed against the pranksters.

So if you think you saw what appeared to be a pocong, look closer. It might be just some kids pulling some tricks.

Or maybe a real pocong waiting to be untied.

Jiangshi

Unlike pocong which is dressed in white cloth, jiangshi have better OOTD. They are usually dressed in official garments from the Qing dynasty with a coat-like robe and tall rimmed hat.

Jiangshi is separated into two categories; a person who died recently but came back to life and a corpse that does not decompose after being buried for a long time.

There are plenty of supernatural reasons why these dead bodies make their comebacks as jiangshi. Somebody may have used supernatural skills (maybe something similar to Harry Potter’s Resurrection Stone) to resurrect a body, or another spirit has taken possession of the dead body.

Other causes are when a dead person is not buried and was struck by lightning, bringing it back as jiangshi or when the soul simply refuses to leave the body.

Either ways, there are methods to put jiangshis back where ever they should be. According to traditional folklore, these include a mirror (they are scared of their own reflections), items made from peach tree wood, a rooster’s call as well as jujube seeds.

The origin story of jiangshi

But what do pocong and jiangshi have in common besides hopping around to get to places?

Just like pocong whose soul wants to be released from this Earth, jiangshi is a soul who wants to go to its final resting place.

The origin story of jiangshi came from the ancient practice of transporting a corpse called xiangxi ganshi. Xianxi is a prefecture in China located in western Hunan province. In the olden days, many people left their homes to work elsewhere.

After they died, their bodies were transported back to their hometown. These were the days when there was no such thing as a hearse. So the body wasput in an upright position with bamboo rods tied to its sides. Two men would carry the rods on their shoulders to transport the corpse.

When the bamboo rods flexed up and down, the body would move up and down too. This is perhaps how the legend of jiangshi originated since the corpse looks like it hops up and down.

The two famous hopping ghosts have Asian origin proving again that Asia have more varieties not only with is rich culture and biodiversity but also its supernatural world.

10 interesting facts about Indonesia’s Kapuas River

Published on October 24, 2018

Travel

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.

10 interesting facts about Indonesia's 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.

How the tikung beekeeping tradition is supporting life for man and bee in Danau Sentarum

Published on October 17, 2018

Culture

How the tikung beekeeping tradition is supporting life for man and bee in Danau Sentarum — A bottle of APDS (Association of Periaus of Danau Sentarum) honey.

Where the locals farm their own honey

At Danau Sentarum National Park, the local communities manage their honey production in groups called periau made up of traditional forest honey farmers.

Each periau belongs to a village, which will see their respective honey farmers collecting and harvesting their own honey from the tikung, an artificial branch the villagers of the national park use in their traditional honey farming.

Thanks to this traditional way of producing honey, the Board of Indonesian Organic Certification (BioCert) certified it organic in 2007.

There are at least 15 periau located in the area with the oldest group being periau Semangit.

After harvest, the honey will be sent to APDS (Association of Periaus of Danau Sentarum) located at Dusun Semangit (Semangit village).

From APDS, the honey is packaged and sent to Jakarta. According to APDS product manager Abang Muhammad Erwanto, APDS managed to export 7 tonnes of honey to Jakarta this year alone.

Even so, the association is still able to keep up to 3 tonnes for their own stock.

“This stock is for us to sell to any visitors who come to visit Danau Sentarum,” Erwanto said.

The income from the honey provides an alternative income for the these communities who rely heavily on their fishing industry.

The legend behind the tikung method

How the tikung, or the rafter, method came about is an interesting story on its own. According to Erwanto, the tikung has been used by the local communities for generations.

“Once upon a time, flood hit our villages. Boats drifted away and one of the boats got stuck to a tree. As time passed, a colony of bees came and built their hives in that small boat.”

Inspired by this, the local Malay community of Danau Sentarum started to put up their own artificial branches which they called the tikung.

Tikung is usually made from tembesu (Fagraea fragrans) wood. It is cut into a board about 1.5m in length and hung at an angle from a tree. The bees will come and make their nests on the tikung when the trees begin to bloom. The size of the tikung allows the bees to make bigger hives.

Erwanto pointed out there are no specific kinds of tree to hang the tikung. As for the location of the trees, there is no preference either.

A song to call the bees

Interestingly, one of the most important parts of setting up a tikung requires some singing skill. Before a honey farmer climbs up a tree to hang a tikung, one of the villagers would sing a special song called timang.

Muhammad Wasir, 63, is one of the few who can chant the timang song. He remembers how as a young child he used to follow his grandparents to harvest honey. It was then that he first heard the song.

Wasir explained that they believed every tree had a ‘penunggu’ (spirit) who guarded the tree. By singing the timang, the farmers were asking permission from the penunggu to set up the tikung against the tree trunk.

They were also calling upon the bees, imploring them to set up their hives on the tikung and to call more of their friends to the tree.

He has taught his children the song, so he believes that the timang tradition will continue on.

Watch Wasir singing the timang song down below. Take note that every time he claps, those present during the setting up of the tikung also have to clap their hands too.

https://youtu.be/ZoEnEi0j1Qw

The importance of honey production to Danau Sentarum

The forest honey bee (Apis dorsata) is indirectly a bio-indicator of Danau Sentarum.

According to Erwanto, this is because the bees are sensitive to any changes of environmental factors such as temperature.

“If there is any forest fire, the bees will not return to make any hives the subsequent year. This happened once in 2005 when open burning took place near here.”

Erwanto explained that knowing the importance of the forest to these bees made the local communities more protective of the environment.

A partnership to make Heart of Borneo initiative successful

Located in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, Danau Sentarum National Park falls under the area of Heart of Borneo (HoB).
HoB is a conservation agreement initiated by WWF to protect a 220,000km2 forested region right in the middle of Borneo island.

As part as the HoB initiative, WWF-Indonesia has been supporting APDS through product marketing activities. WWF-Indonesia also been assisting APDS members in Internal Control System (ICS). This is to ensure the farmers maintain the hygiene of their products.

5 things I learned through my gastronomic experience at Kapuas Hulu

Published on October 16, 2018

Travel

As a Kayan from the Malaysian state of Sarawak, Kapuas Hulu is a place that feels familiar and foreign at the same time.

First of all, the Kapuas Hulu region in West Kalimantan is home to a wide diversity of indigenous communities such as the Iban, Silat, Sejiram, Seberaung and Kayan.

Hence, some of the dialects, architecture and of course, food are so familiar making a Sarawakian like me almost forget that I was in another country.

It seems only natural since the north of Kapuas Hulu borders Sarawak. The differences in Malay dialect and vocabulary as well as infrastructure, however, did remind me that I was no longer in Malaysia.

Thanks to World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Indonesia, I got to visit several districts (kecamatan) under Kapuas Hulu such as Putussibau, Semitau, Suhaid, Badau and Batang Lupar from Sept 25 till 28, giving me the opportunity to explore what made us similar yet different.

5 things I learned through my gastronomic experience at Kapuas Hulu — Indonesian nasi goreng.

Here are five things I learned from a Sarawakian perspective through my culinary experience at Kapuas Hulu, Indonesia:

1. You can take the girl out of the village, but you sure can’t take the village out of the girl

“Terserah kedayakanmu, asyik-asyik makan daun ubi, (You are obviously a Dayak since you keep on eating cassava leaves).”

This was what one of my travelling companions, a local reporter from Pontianak said to me.

Malaysian-style ‘nasi campur’ is also common in neighbouring Indonesia. It is our local buffet style where you pick two or three mains – vegetable or protein – to go with your white rice. The price of your meal will be based on your dish types and portions.

While other types of vegetables such as long beans, bean sprout, cabbage and cangkuk manis (Sauropus androgynus) are available, I guess the Kayan blood flowing through my veins led me to pick out the cassava leaves over the rest.

Locally known as daun ubi or sometimes daun bandung in Sambas regency, the leaves are pounded and stir-fried to perfection, just how Sarawakians would enjoy it.

2. Chicken rice is called ‘ayam goreng’, not nasi ayam.

Ayam goreng means fried chicken in Malay. To order ayam goreng in Malaysia will bring you a piece of fried chicken. Meanwhile in Indonesia, ayam goreng comes with a bowl of rice and other side vegetables.

3. Tea is life, not coffee

Most of us in Malaysia love Indonesia’s famous and iconic beverage Teh Botol. Unsurprisingly, tea is a more preferred beverage in the country, compared to coffee.

Indonesia is just like Malaysia where ordering drinks can be tricky and different depending on which state you are in.

But here are key points to remember; it is called ‘es’ not ‘ais’ if you want to order an iced drink. Jeruk in Malaysia means pickled while in Indonesia, you can order ‘air jeruk’ which basically is a lime drink.

Interestingly, you can also order a cup of cappuccino in any common eatery. However do not expect it to come as a double espresso with steamed milk foam. It is equivalent to premixed Malaysian white coffee.

4. The fish is delicious in Kapuas Hulu!

My visit to Kapuas Hulu revolved around Danau Sentarum. It is a magnificent-looking floodplain with plenty of biodiversity treasures and resources especially fish. Hence, the star of my gastronomic experience is none other than the fish. At one point, it was hard to keep up with the types of fish I tried or which is which but I remember I have tried toman and biawan.

The only type of fish I tasted before during my trip was baung fish. It is a type of catfish which can also be found in Sarawak such as in Bakun or Belaga. In Kapuas Hulu, it is more common to cook these kinds of fish with asam pedas (spicy tamarind).

Fish may not be everybody’s favourite kind of protein, but in Kapuas Hulu, you might find yourself enjoying it as the freshness adds to its tastiness.

5. Kerupuk basah is a must-try snack

Kapuas Hulu’s kerupuk basah is reportedly Indonesian President Jokowi’s favourite food in West Kalimantan and I have to agree with the president because it was delicious. To this day I regret not buying some to bring home.

What might come to mind when you see kerupuk basah is how much it looks like the Malaysian keropok lekor, a traditional fish snack originally from Malaysian state of Terengganu.

The main similarity between kerupuk basah and keropok lekor is that both of them are made of fish but that’s where it ends.

Kerupuk basah has a spongy and smooth texture, almost like a crossover of textures between siu mai and fish cake.

Apparently the most delicious type of kerupuk basah is made from belidak fish. The one I tried was made from toman fish, but it is still tasty.

Most of the time, the kerupuk is served straight from a steamer, although some people prefer it fried.

What makes kerupuk basah extra tasty though, is the peanut sauce that comes with it. Made from fried peanuts, salt, chilli and sugar, the peanut sauce that goes with kerupuk basah is sweeter than our typical peanut sauce here in Malaysia.

So if you ever make your way to Kapuas Hulu, especially its administrative centre Putussibau, do not leave the regency without trying this iconic snack.

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Indonesia - Page 5

Here are 5 things to know about SS Vyner Brooke:

1.She was named after the third White Rajah of Sarawak

2.The interior of SS Vyner Brooke was clearly described in an issue of The Sarawak Gazette

3.She was requisitioned by the Britain’s Royal Navy as an armed trader

4.SS Vyner Brooke was bombed by Japanese aircraft and sunk

5.Some of the survivors died during the Bangka Island Massacre

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1.The legend of patin fish

2.The legend of burung punai

3.The Dysfunctional Ghost Couple

4. The disturbing love of an orangutan

5.The otter that demands compensation

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From one Kayan to another

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Here we take a closer look of pocong and jiangshi, the hopping ghosts of Asia:

Pocong

Pocong pranks

Jiangshi

The origin story of jiangshi

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

1.It is the longest river in Indonesia

2.Wait, there are two Kapuas riverS?

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

10.You can take a tour upriver from Pontianak

You might be interested in

Where the locals farm their own honey

The legend behind the tikung method

A song to call the bees

The importance of honey production to Danau Sentarum

A partnership to make Heart of Borneo initiative successful

You might be interested in

1. You can take the girl out of the village, but you sure can’t take the village out of the girl

2. Chicken rice is called ‘ayam goreng’, not nasi ayam.

3. Tea is life, not coffee

4. The fish is delicious in Kapuas Hulu!

5. Kerupuk basah is a must-try snack

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