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John Beville Archer, the last Chief Secretary of Sarawak of Brooke-era

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“As I stood there in the blinding sunlight memories of the Rajahs of Sarawak, of days of festivity, of new awakening, of stirring scenes, flitted through my mind. The timid young gawk of a cadet, who had landed so hopefully thirty-five years ago, who had wandered all over the country and done so many things in so many places and with such a willing heart, had now finished. As the drums rolled and the troops presented arms, I stood there in my disgraceful suit, hiding my battered old sun helmet down my side wondering if I would ever make it. Just as I was leaving my house I had sent a telegram to the Rajah. I said:

‘In a few minutes I shall hand over your State to His Majesty’s representative with full honours and ceremony. I have impressed upon all that the best way of showing their loyalty to you is to support the new government fully and work for the rehabilitation of the State. As your last Officer Administering the Government I wish your Highness and Her Highness the Ranee all happiness in your position.’

This was what John Beville Archer wrote in his autobiography ‘Glimpses of Sarawak between 1912 and 1946’ (1997) which was published posthumously.

In this particular part, he narrated what happened on July 1, 1946 when Sarawak was officially declared as a British crown colony.

The book was compiled and edited by Vernon L. Porritt who is known for his other works such as The Rise and Fall of Communism in Sarawak 1940-1990 and British Colonial Rule in Sarawak, 1946 and 1963.

Archer was born in 1893 and was recruited from the Channel Islands in the Sarawak Administrative Service by the second White Rajah Charles Brooke in 1912.

According to his obituary which was published in the Sarawak Gazette, Archer spent the first eight years of his service, apart from a brief interlude at Sadong (Serian), in the Third Division, mainly in the Coastal District.

“It was during these years that he learnt the Melanau language and formed the strong affection for this people which was noticeable in his later writings. His interest in the Sarawak Gazette, which he retained until the end of his life, dates from 1922 when he was Editor of the Gazette and Manager of the Printing Office in addition to his other duties,” the Sarawak Gazette reported in 1948.

Archer was first promoted to a Resident in 1930 and then the Chief Secretary and Chairman of the Committee of Administration in 1939.

He also contributed many interesting articles for the Sarawak Gazette under the pen name of Optimistic Fiddler or O.F.

John Beville Archer
John Beville Archer in 1927.

John Beville Archer and the 1941 constitution

The 1941 constitution of Sarawak is the first known written constitution during the White Rajahs reign.

The main objective was to approve and fulfill the promise by the third Rajah, Vyner Brooke which was to give self-governance of Sarawak to the locals.

Kenelm Hubert Digby who served as the legal advisor to the government played a major role in the writing of the constitution.

As one read through Digby’s memoir, he pulled no punches in criticising Archer. He accused the senior Brooke officer of having ‘a somewhat feudal outlook’.

Digby stated, “He had joined the service in 1912, at the age of 19, and he had loyally served two Rajahs. He would have preferred to continue under such conditions. He distrusted these new-fangled, democratic ideas, and he had somehow got it into his head that the Committee of Administration was forcing the constitution on the Rajah against the will of the latter. He rather prided himself on his diplomatic skill, and in April and May 1941, he was appearing to co-operate in the deliberations of the Committee of Administration on the one hand, while communicating his private opinions secretly to the Rajah on the other.”

The Committee of Administration was a body that governed the country in the Rajah’s absence.

As for Archer, he did not elaborate much on his opinion about the constitution in his memoir.

He pointed out that the constitution was one of the big events that marked an entire change in the administration of Sarawak.

As a true Brooke loyalist, Archer only expressed that it was the Rajah desired to mark the centenary of Brooke rule by granting a constitution.

In the end, Archer was forced to retire in May 1941 ‘over trying to serve both the Rajah’s and the Committee of Administration’s interests’.

After his retirement, he remained in Sarawak as an Information Officer of Sarawak, the editor of the Sarawak Gazette as well as a Special Policeman.

John Beville Archer as an internee at Batu Lintang Camp

When the Japanese invaded Sarawak, Archer was among those interned by the Japanese.

In his book, Archer did not fail to share his experience as an internee at Batu Lintang Camp.

A talented storyteller; one of the stories he shared is about the pet goat the internees kept at the camp.

“In stories of prisons there are invariably the pets which the prisoners keep out of their scanty fare but the only pet we ever had was a goat. We called it Eustace. Why, I do not know considering it was obviously feminine and later produced a kid. However, although like most goats it could live on the ‘smell of a dirty rag’, there just was not any food to give it so the time came when it was decided that she should go into the cooking pot. This caused quite a stir. Poster artists (we had several) opened a picture campaign. One that touched our hearts was a portrait of Eustace looking sadly at us over the inscription ‘BE KIND AND LET ME LIVE. I HAVE DONE NOTHING WRONG.’ A petition signed by many influential internees was presented to the committee. A reprieve was allowed but the cooks were not beaten. In a fortnight after several days of extremely lean rations, they opened up a fresh attack. This time all our sob stuff was of no avail – Eustace went into the pot.”

At one point, Archer was taken in for questioning by the Kempeitai for four days.

He was imprisoned and spent most of his mornings being interviewed by the secret police.

Describing his prison, Archer wrote, “It was a row of small semi-dark cells opening on to a backyard. The whole of the front of each cell was barred like a beast’s cage in a menagerie, except that the door was like that of a dog kennel. You had to bend double to get inside, which gave the gaolers a heaven-sent opportunity of kicking you hard on the behind every time you did so.”

Thankfully, he survived his ordeal with the Kempeitai.

John Beville Archer and the hoisting of the flag

Perhaps the most popular photograph of Archer is the image of him hoisting up the Sarawak flag in the civilian compound of the Batu Lintang Camp taken on Sept 12, 1945 after Sarawak was liberated by the Allied Forces.

According to his autobiography, the photo was a photo op.

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John Beville Archer hoisting up the Sarawak flag at Batu Lintang Camp. Copyright expired – public domain

“On the 9th we were told by dropped leaflets that unless negotiations broke down the Allied forces would arrive on the 11th. On that morning rumours came in that the Allied sips were at the mouth of the river and that the Japanese Commander had gone down to sign capitulation. The hours dragged on. At three o’clock I went along to the wire at the back of the soldiers’ camp to receive a Sarawak flag which some Chinese friend had promised to bring.

“That evening we procured a long bamboo pole and hoisted the Sarawak flag in our Camp. The next morning the official photographers arrived and I had the honour of hoisting the flag officially.”

After the war ended, Archer was first given a job at the Sarawak Museum office.

He shared in his memoir, “One of my duties was trying to collect what I could of the Rajah’s property. Strangely enough, the Japanese had done no damage to the Astana, and its contents were almost intact but scattered.”

Apart from that, he found the museum ‘lost very little’, the chief secretary’s office ‘became a gaol with a pig-sty outside’, the Anglican Cathedral ‘was a store’, a Catholic School was a Courthouse and the Sarawak Club bowling alley was turned into a shrine.

John Beville Archer and Sarawak cession to the British

On Nov 1, 1945, Archer was appointed the Political Adviser to the British Military Administration in Sarawak.

Few months later in early 1946, Vyner announced his intention to cede Sarawak to Britain.

Looking back at history on how Sarawak was ceded to Britain, the whole process was a practically a mess.

Historian Steven Runciman in his book The White Rajah: A History of Sarawak from 1841 to 1946 opined that the cession ‘had been hurriedly and clumsily handled’.

He added, “It is a story from which few of the principal characters emerge with enhanced credit. Sarawak was to suffer for it.”

The motion was unpopular among the locals who saw the cession as a violation of a provision in the 1941 constitution which stipulated that the Rajah would grant the right of self-rule to Sarawak.

The British government sent two Members of Parliament to Sarawak to enquire whether the people agreed to the cession.

They reportedly found that there was enough support for the cession to be debated in the Council Negri.

John Beville Archer and Cession Debate

Presided by Archer, the meeting took place on May 16 and 17, 1946 with 34 members attended the debate on the second reading and 35 on the third reading.

According to later accounts, there were no speeches translated for the benefit of the 26 non-European members who attended the meeting.

Christopher Dawson who was sent out to Sarawak by the Colonial Officer to supervise the legitimization of the cession said Archer appeared to be drunk during the debate.

Later, many accused him of making no attempt to maintain impartiality as a presiding officer of a legislative body.

Looking back at his official winding up speech, it is understandable where these accusations came from.

“Having heard all the references made to the cession, I hope you all here realise that is not a rich country. There has been talk about war debts and if this question is broached then we have to pay our share of the war. I think we all agree on that point. We cannot get everything free. I am sorry to say that we cannot carry on with our independence in Sarawak. You can look at it from any point you like. We have our revenue here which shows that it is considerably less than it was before the war, and we probably will have even less later, and it is up to us at this moment to come together with the rest of the countries into some sort amalgamation otherwise we are sunk. I want you to remember that we are servants of the Rajah and I am a servant myself. I have been a servant of His Highness the Rakah and also His Highness the Tuan Muda, but there comes a time when we cannot be alone. The Rajah has not done this thing on his own. He has had the best advice and has consulted the highest authority in London, the Secretary of State for the Colonies. There are no snags behind it. We cannot afford to be on own. Ask The Treasurer about it. We have set aside a certain amount of money for agriculture in order to increase our food supply, otherwise we will starve. There seems to be a sort of feeling here, I am sorry, that it is a ramp. The British Government is not bad. I can assure you that we will get a fair and absolutely good deal. I do not know how long I will be here but you will be here anyway. You have got to vote on it. I can see the feeling of the house is rather tense now. Please understand that there is no ramp. There is no idea of suborning about the British Government. I can assure you that. I am not lying about it.”

The final vote of the council was 19 to 16 in favour of cession. A difference of only three votes that changed Sarawak history forever.

When the Rajah left Sarawak for the last time on May 21, 1946, Archer was appointed as the Officer Administering the Government.

With this post, he was entrusted with the job of handing the country over to the British.

On Cession Day July 1, 1946, Archer relinquished all his official posts.

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Vyner (sitting left) signing the Instrument of cession at the Astana with Archer standing at his left hand side.

John Beville Archer, “It has been a labour of love”

Regardless of his view which was clearly unpopular among the anti-cession movement members, no one could deny Archer’s loyalty to Sarawak and especially to the people of this land.

According to his autobiography, one of Archer distinctive characteristic was his ‘debilitating stutter’ when he was speaking in English.

Curiously, he did not stutter at all when speaking in local languages such as Malay and Iban.

In his reply to an Address of Appreciation from the Supreme Council on the occasion of his retirement, Archer said,

“You all know, I think, how sad I feel at leaving a Service of which I was proud to be a member for so long. I was the last European active member of His Highness the late Rajah’s staff, and I served His present Highness throughout the whole of his reign. It may be considered trite, but I can truthfully say that it has been a labour of love…”

On July 17, 1948, Archer’s nephew Owen Wright found him in his bedroom with a gunshot wound on the forehead.

He was pronounced dead a few hours later at Sarawak General Hospital. According to the official inquest, he was suffering from depression as well as alcoholism.

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What you should know about the Dayak shields of Borneo

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While Captain America has his vibranium shield, the Dayak people in Borneo also have their own.

Here are five things you should know about Dayak shields of Borneo:

1.Different tribes call their Dayak shields in different names.

The Kliau, also known as Keliau or Klau, is the more common term for the traditional shield of the Dayak community.

Meanwhile, the Kelabit, Kayan and Kenyah people called it Klebit Bok or Kelavit Bok.

Klebit means shield while bok means hair.

All Dayak shields are typically in a hexagon shape.

2.Some of the illustrations on the Dayak shields meant to protect the owner.

When Norwegian explorer Carl Lumholtz visited the Mahakam, Kalimantan sometimes between 1913 and 1917, he got himself a shield from the locals.

Although he did not mention from which Dayak group the shield belongs, Lumholtz was informed the meaning behind the feature of his shield.

In his book Through Central Borneo (1920), Lumholtz stated, “I acquired a shield which, besides the conventionalised representation of a dog, exhibited a wild-looking picture of an antoh (ghost), a very common feature on Dayak shields. The first idea it suggests to civilised man is that its purpose is to terrify the enemy, but my informant laughed at this suggestion. It represents a good antoh who keeps the owner of the shield in vigorous health.”

3.In the same time, some designs on the Dayak shields meant to frighten the enemy.

Researcher Augustine Anggat in his paper Basic Iban Designs (1989) explained that the preferable design for adorning Iban shields is giant head motifs of tendrils.

“The melancholic, fierce looking face on the shield give a courageous heart to the warrior who uses it during combat and at the same time it will frightened the enemy by the sight of a demonic looking face of such a shield design,” he stated.

4.One of the favourite ornaments of Dayak shields is human hair.

Norwegian explorer Carl Bock was commissioned by the Governor-General of the Netherlands East Indies to travel and report on the interior part of Kalimantan in 1879.

During his visit, he came across many Dayak groups and observed their culture.

On the kliau he wrote, “Among the Trings and one or two other tribes, it is the fashion to adorn the outer side of the shield with tufts of human hair.”

Bock added, “This shield forms a valuable weapon of defence against blows from the mandau, while it is perfectly proof against the poisoned puff-arrows.”

The Dayak Tring was not the only who put human hair on their shields.

According to British zoologist and ethnologist Charles Hose, the Kenyah did theirs as well.

Hose wrote in his book The Pagan Tribes of Borneo (1912), “The shields most prized by the Kenyahs are further decorated with tufts of human hair taken from the heads of slain enemies. It is put on in many rows which roughly frame the large face with locks three or four inches in length on scalp, cheeks, chin and upper lip; and the smaller faces at the ends are similarly surrounded with shorter hair. The hair is attached by forcing the ends of the tufts into narrow slits in the soft wood and securing it with fresh resin.”

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5.How to surpass the Dayak shields

Brooke Low explained in Catalogue of the Brooke Low Collection in Borneo that there is a way to attack even when the enemies are defending themselves using the Dayak shields.

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

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

Since the shields are made of wood or bamboo, just throw some heavy stones to break them apart.

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Reflecting on Anthony Abell’s 1959 Chinese New Year Message: A Historical Perspective

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Sir Anthony Abell was a British colonial officer who served as the Governor of Sarawak. He joined the Colonial Administrative Service back in 1929 and was posted to Nigeria. Then in 1950, Abell was offered the governorship of Sarawak where he was concurrently High Commissioner to Brunei.

He was originally appointed for a three-year term only but his term was extended.

In the end, Abell worked in Sarawak from Apr 4, 1950 till Nov 15, 1959.

When the formation of the Malaysian federation was still in discussion, Abell returned to be a member of the Cobbold Commission.

Here is a little random, unknown fact about the former governor; he was not exactly a foodie.

Peter Mooney, the former Crown Counsel of Sarawak once wrote in his autobiography, “The Governor, Sir Anthony Abell, was a bachelor who had spent his previous service in Africa. He had no great interest in food and the lunches and dinners he gave were adequate but undistinguished. Simple Malay food, clearly chosen as well as prepared by the staff, was served at his private lunches and dinners.”

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In 1959, Abell delivered a Chinese New Year Message which was published in The Sarawak Gazette. Here are some key points of his message:

“May I start this New Year message by wishing all of you peace and prosperity and happiness in the year ahead. This year I am spending Chinese New Year in Sibu where I will be visiting many friends of long standing. I would however like to send a special message to all my kind friends in Kuching who in the normal course of events I would today visit in their homes to meet their families on this great Chinese family occasion.”

The tranquility of Sarawak

“This will be the last Chinese New Year I shall spend among you as Governor. The pleasure I always derive from your unvarying hospitality and kindness is therefore on the occasion touched with sadness. You and I have spent nine peaceful and very happy years together during which time Sarawak was made great material progress. These years have been unmarred by any form of strife and our ancient tradition of tranquility and concord have been maintained and I hope strengthened. I am very thankful for this and I know you and all the other people in Sarawak are proud of our record too.

“It is customary to count our blessing at a season of happiness and goodwill like this because they provide the basis of our confidence in the future but it is also wise at the New Year to do little stocktaking as well and see how we can face better the problems of the coming year.”

The Chinese Contribution

“It is true that 1958 was not a year of great commercial prosperity. By comparison with my early years in Sarawak it was rather lean. This is due to circumstances over which we have little control and we can but hope that the prices of our major exports will hereafter improve. You have in the past often experienced similar fluctuations in our fortunes. For you Chinese have been in Sarawak for many generations and have made a very notable contribution to the prosperity we at present enjoy. One of the most outstanding of your characteristics is your resilience and adaptability. You came here as strangers long ago to a land which was very different to your own. You had little more than the clothes you wore.

You could not speak the language of this country, you knew nothing of its customs but your vigour and adaptability quickly made an essential part of the community and showed how best you could contribute to Sarawak’s progress.

It is interesting to recall that as long ago as 1850 the first sago refinery was opened in Kuching by Chinese. In 1878 the Rajah allocated land to certain Chinese merchants so that they could experiment with the cultivation of pepper. You found gold and exploited it in Bau. You brought rubber from Malaya and in very many ways demonstrated the commercial promise of this country.”

Chinese Qualities

“Your genius for taking the long view in trade and politics is equally required today. We cannot rely for always on the old methods of earning our living. But by exercising those great virtues of industry, initiative and perseverance which everybody so particularly admires in the Chinese. I know Sarawak will develop its economy with that vigourous pioneering spirit which has served us all so well in the past. I imagine such ideas and plans are among your New Year’s resolutions and I am sure your initiative and enterprise will be increasingly followed by your countrymen of other races.”

The Present and the Future

“You know well that when you are on to a good thing, you should stick to it and back it for all you are worth. Sarawak offers you security in a peaceful environment. In this country enterprise and opportunity can flourish, assisted and protected by an honest and an efficient administration. aWe live by the rule of law. There is freedom and justice assured for all without regard to class or race or creed. There are some who lag behind others in education of health, in wisdom or in riches and it is in all our interests to give a helping hand to the weak and the backward until a common high standard of living and education has been achieved. In this the Chinese can make the greatest contribution of all and therefore perhaps the greatest sacrifices. There can be no real happiness or harmony in our Sarawak family if there is a wide disparity of wealth or learning. Ignorance and poverty breed dangerous frustrations which can explode in savage retaliation.”

It has been more than 60 years since Abell delivered this Chinese New Year Message. His message to help those who are weak and stay united still resonates with Sarawakians today, don’t you agree?

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Discover Eric Mjöberg’s Curious Animal Descriptions as Sarawak Museum Curator

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In 2004, a former Sarawak Museum curator made controversial headlines across the globe thanks to what he did 90 years earlier.

Eric Mjöberg served two years as a curator for the Sarawak Museum from 1922 until 1924.

Before he found himself in Borneo, he had made various expeditions to Australia during the early 1900s to prove his Darwinian human evolution theory.

A zoologist and ethnographer trying to do his job… how controversial could his work be?

In Western Australia, Mjöberg who started off by collecting plant and animal specimens for research purposes, had also desecrated the sacred burial grounds of the Aboriginal people.

After stealing their human remains, he then passed them off as kangaroo bones and smuggled them back to his home country Sweden.

He did this reportedly over the course of two expeditions between 1910 and 1916, collecting parts from 12 deceased individuals.

After suffering from an extended, undiagnosed illness, Mjöberg passed away in Stockholm in 1938, living in poverty. Throughout this period, he endured recurring nightmares that mirrored his encounters in the Kimberleys. These haunting dreams involved a feeling of being chased by Aboriginal individuals and interactions with the Dreamtime’s creation spirits called the Wondjina.

In September 2004, Lotte Mjöberg, his great-niece, took the initiative to return the skeletons to the Aboriginal people.

Interestingly, Mjöberg actually exposed his own unethical practices through his 1915 publication of his diaries ‘Among Wild Animals and People in Australia’.

Apart from this book, he also published another book Forest Life and Adventures in the Malay Archipelago (1930).

In the book, he wrote mainly brief descriptions of the rich fauna and flora in the region while giving more attention to Borneo.

Although he was described by historians as aggressive, arrogant and devious, his descriptions and observations of nature are interesting and detailed.

We might never see this type of explanation in a formal zoology textbook again, so here are some of examples of Mjoberg’s curious descriptions:

1. Mjöberg called the pangolin ‘stupid and obstinate’.

“Our ant-eater is stupid and obstinate, two attributes no doubt inherited from the dim past. When in danger he rolls himself up into a ball, and no power on earth can induce him to unroll until he wishes, which in other words, is not until all danger is over.”

2.The proboscis monkey is ‘a human caricature in flesh and blood’

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A proboscis monkey spotted at Tarakan’s Bekantan and Mangrove Conservation Park

“Sometimes a man may be as ugly as a monkey, and a monkey may have something very human about it; indeed, it is quite customary to call monkeys humanity’s caricatures. Of none can this be said with such truth of the Borneo proboscis monkey.

“The Malay natives in Sarawak call them ‘orang belanda’ which is a contraction of orang hollanda or hollandare (Dutchmen). Not a great compliment, this, to Queen Wilhelmina’s representatives in the Tropics!”

3.Banded archerfish or squirting fish is one of the shrewdest of fish and ‘the most economical marksman’ in the world.

“One of the shrewdest of fish is the little squirting fish (Toxotes jaculator). The struggle for existence and one’s daily bread is not hard on dry land only, but the under the water as well. It is essential before all else to satisfy the strongest and most primitive of impulses, the desire for food, the first essential of any individual’s existence.

“He is generally seen patrolling in the water along the river banks, carefully inspecting the leaves of the water plants. As soon as he discovers a suitable victim he backs, takes in more copious supply than usual, and with soldierly precision shoots a stream of water at his prey. Taken aback by the sudden cold douche, the insect loses its self-possession, and tumbles down into the water, where he is speedily dispatched by our ingenious little shot. Inspired by his success, he continues this pastime until he has satisfied his appetite.

“Since he only uses water, the squirting fish is undoubtedly the most economical marksman in the world.”

4.The most pugnacious bird in the Malay Archipelago is the Argus pheasant

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“Argus Pheasant” drawn by T. W. Wood for Charles Darwin‘s 1874 book, Descent of Man

“The Argus pheasant is very defiant and suffers from a hot and choleric temperament: an affliction of which the clever Malays take the utmost advantage.

“They plant in his dancing ground some dozens of yard-long pointed bamboo sticks, in such a way that the sharp points stick up a little more than a foot – the height of the dancer’s breast – out of the ground. When he arrives at break of day to give proof to the fair sex of his superabundant vitality, he flies into a towering rage at these unexpected hindrances to love’s measure, and at first makes disdainful attempts to kick away the sticks.

“But this is no easy matter, for they are firmly fixed. His undisguised wrath flares up and he attacks them with tooth and claw. His fury – violent as it is – reaches boiling point, and he slashes round fiercely in every direction, with the final result that he wounds himself mortally on the little stakes planted at fixed distances. There have been birds that in blind frenzy have literally beheaded themselves, or have hung dead with pierced throats, transfixed by the pointed bamboos.”

5.The flying frog inventive for being the only flying expert amongst thousands of his tribe.

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Illustration from Wallace’s 1869 The Malay Archipelago by J. G. Keulemans

“There is only one single specimen of earth’s multifarious frogs – wellnigh a thousand in all – that has climbed to heights beyond the commonplace and sails above his four-footed clumsy relatives. This fellow with the black feet goes by the name of Rhacophorus nigropalmatus, and lives on a high, moss-covered height, Mount Dulit in Northeast Borneo.

“When he feels like flying, or is very much disturbed by the neighbourhood of green tree snake, who is too evidently anxious to have him for breakfast, our sticky aviator climbs up the mossy trunk to get a good start and a better view of the country.

“His greatly elongated phalanxes are quite joined by a web for swimming or as might be more correctly said in this special case for flying.

“When the psychological moment arrives, he fills his lungs with air to their utmost capacity and takes the daring leap, drawing his feet aside so that the wide flying-webs become one with his body, and this begins his flight in long bold curves, taking intelligent advantage of any local puffs of wind. The whole proceeding is so grateful as to fill us with amazement that an awkward frog can manage anything of the kind.”

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Explore the Intriguing History of Nissa Shokai: Former Japanese rubber estate in Samarahan and uncover espionage allegations

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In the contemporary business landscape, welcoming foreign companies to invest in and establish their presence in our country has become a commonplace occurrence. The allure of international investment has evolved into a standard practice, shaping the dynamics of our economic landscape.

However a century ago, it was something rare.

Here in Sarawak, the only Japanese trading firm that successfully broke through our local market was a company called Nissa Shokai.

According to a paper by The International Journal of East Asian Study, Japanese immigrants first arrived in Kuching in the latter part of the 1880s.

In the early days, many came voluntarily, seeking out new opportunities as they worked as petty traders and street hawkers among other professions. The more notables include Japanese professionals like Dr. Nakagawa, a dentist in Kuching whose daughters, the ‘Iwanaga sisters’ were teachers at Kuching’s St. Mary’s School.

The paper stated, “Later arrivals during the early 1900s engaged in smallholdings, para rubber cultivation and market gardening on the eastern infringes of the town. Other worked as physicians, dentists, photographers and prostitutes in the bazaar.

“Nissa Shokai, a trading firm specialising in Japanese goods, was established at the turn of the century, to cater for the needs of the then small Japanese community in Kuching and its outskirts. This firm was affiliated to a Japanese-owned Para rubber plantation in Samarahan. On this Samarahan estate, attempts were made to grow pineapples and other tropical cash crops. There were ambitious attempts to establish a Japanese rice-farming community during the late 1920s. However, the wet-rice cultivation undertaken by a small group of Japanese farming families on the Nissa Shokai property in the Upper Samarahan did not go beyond the experimental stage.”

While it was good to have foreign companies investing in the local market, apparently there were some drawbacks. In some cases, it was like bringing in a Trojan horse.

Here are five things you might not know about Nissa Shokai:

1.At one point, Nissa Shokai housed the largest concentration of Japanese in Sarawak during the Brooke-era.

Former Sarawak Attorney-General Kenelm Hubert Digby wrote briefly about Nissa Shokai in his 1980 memoir Lawyer in the Wilderness.

According to Digby, the largest concentration of Japanese in Sarawak was to be found on the Nissa Shokai estate on the banks of the Samarahan river.

Explaining further about the estate, he wrote, “This consisted of about twelve persons holding executive posts, including a resident doctor. There were also, I think a few foremen. There were a handful of wives and children. The labour employed were mostly Malay and Chinese. The estate included one hundred acres of wet paddy and a large area of pineapples but the greater part of the land was under rubber. It had its own Chinese bazaar and its own police station, kindly garrisoned by the Government with one lance-corporal and four constables presumably to keep the labourers in order.”

2.The company successfully established a good relationship with the reigning Rajah at that time.

For Nissa Shokai to be able to have all that in Sarawak was greatly contributed to their relationship with the then government run by the White Rajah.

Ooi Keat Gin in his book The Japanese Occupation of Borneo, 1941-1945 wrote, “Nissa Shokai cleverly curried favour with Rajah Vyner Brooke of Sarawak, including arrangement for his visit to Japan (1928) following discussions in London (1926) about Sarawak’s mineral resources (oil, coal, etc) during the second half of the 1920s.”

These discussions turned out successful as the Japanese company was able to secure concession for prospecting coal at the Pila and Pelagus rivers in the Upper Rejang area as well as at Sama, Murit and Pegau rivers.

It wasn’t until 1936 or 1937 that the British Colonial Office in London took notice the increased interest of Japanese in Sarawak that they immediately moved to halt ‘any concession which afforded the Japanese a pretext for penetration into Sarawak as eminently undesirable from the defence point of view’.

3.The boycott against Nissa Shokai products

Boycotting products based on its origin due to war is not something new.

When the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, the local Chinese in Sarawak boycotted agricultural produce from Nissa Shokai.

There were also some cases of sabotage against the Japanese reported such as cutting off the telephone line to the Nissa Shokai estate.

The Brooke government tried their best to kill the boycott of Japanese goods out of that spirit of comradeship but all of their attempts were unsuccessful.

4.Some of the employees of Nissa Shokai were believed to be spies.

According to Ooi, in Sarawak there was an espionage network known as Yorioka Kikan named after Yorioka Shoza, the founder-proprietor of Nissa Shokai.

Ooi pointed out in his book, “Allied sources reported that the company’s manager in Sarawak and its agent in Kuching as well as employee, Kurasaki, Mori and Matsui Tomisaku respectively were all active in this espionage network.”

Digby in his memoir also shared how he found out that one of the Nissa Shokai employees turned out to be a Japanese army.

“I could not withhold my admiration from one of the Nissa Shokai executive officials, who visited Serian for a court case, and rejecting my offer of hospitality, insisted on staying in the thoroughly hostile Chinese bazaar. The next time I saw that man was on Dec 24th, 1941, the day on which the Japanese occupied Kuching. He was then in the uniform of an officer of the Japanese army.”

Japanese paratroopers heading to Borneo 1941
Paratroopers of the 2nd Yokosuka Naval Landing Force under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Genzo Watanabe (standing on top in the left) inside a transport ship before the invasion of Borneo. Copyright: Public Domain.

If there was an espionage network in Sarawak way before the war began, how much information did these spies obtain?

Apparently according to John Beville Archer in his memoir Glimpses of Sarawak between 1912 and 1946, they knew ‘a lot’.

“When I was passing through Singapore on my way back from furlough in 1939, I visited a Japanese house down the East Coast road to sup off that splendid Japanese dish know as sukiyaki. We were party of four and whilst we squatted on the floor watching the girls prepare and cook it we got talking. They spoke some Malay and some English. We asked them their names and asked them to guess our professions. Well, blast my buttons, if those girls didn’t know not only our names but our jobs and where we lived! Not much of a story but just an inkling as to what a far-reaching spy system they must have had. Again, a few days after I was captured I was called before one of the local Japanese residents who had obviously stepped into some official position at once. He called for my dossier and I could not help noticing that it was a pretty fat document already. This was confirmed when he read out extracts from it. My personal and domestic life was apparently no secret to the Japanese; I was amazed at the lot they knew about me.”

5.There are records of former Nissa Shokai employees that had assimilated into the Sarawak community.

Like many migrant workers in the present day who found love and home in their new countries where they worked, there is no surprise to find out that some Nissa Shokai employees also found the same thing in Sarawak back in the early 20th century.

In 2021, The International Journal of East Asian Studies published a paper on Japanese immigrants in Sarawak before World War II who assimilated through inter-ethnic marriages. The purpose of this paper was to posit that cemeteries involving Japanese immigrants should be promoted as tourist destinations as they reflect Sarawak’s rich multicultural heritage and history of assimilation with foreigners.

One example from the paper which was written by Md Nasruddin Md Akhir, Geetha Govindasamy and Rohayati Paidi, was the case of Seiji Kuno.

The paper stated, “Seiji Kuno, a Japanese national was believed to have arrived in Sarawak 1909 or 1910. He was reportedly a former employee of Nissa Shokai. Seiji Kuno who was known by several names – Mohd Towfek or Mohamed Towpik Kuno or Mohd Jepun, owned a shop in India Street in Kuching. Reportedly, he was an acupuncturist and herbalist. Kuno married Ejah binti Haji Rais when she was 18 years old on 12 June 1917 and had 7 children. Prior to his marriage, Kuno had already converted to Islam. Having immersed himself with the local community, he eventually became the Tua Kampung of Seniawan, located in Samarahan, for about 17 years.”

Kuno had assimilated so completely that he was seen as a defender of Islam and the local community during the Japanese occupation period.

“Prior to the war, Kuno taught religious classes in Samarahan. He even assisted the Malays by obtaining support from the Japanese authorities to fund certain activities in the mosque. Eventually the authorities began providing $900 annually for wages, grass cutting, feasting on important occasions like that of the birthday of prophet Mohammad as well as supporting expenses for entertainment during the fasting month.”

So if there is DNA ancestry test to be done, don’t be surprised to see some Sarawakians today with Japanese heritage.

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Discover Sarawak’s Must-See Animals: A Guide for Wildlife Enthusiasts

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For first time visitors discovering Sarawak, we are sure you have planned alot of things to do in your itinerary.

If you are a nature lover, your visit to the Land of Hornbills would not be complete without getting close to some animals.

Here are five must-see animals in Sarawak when you are in town:

1.Bornean orangutan

Semenggoh 7

Did you know that orangutans share approximately 97 per cent of their DNA with humans? They are practically our cousins.

There are two species of orangutan. The Bornean orangutan and Sumatran orangutan are two different species that diverged about 400,000 years ago.

The species that is endemic to the island of Borneo is Pongo pygmaeus or the Bornean orangutan.

One of the many differences between the Bornean orangutan and its Sumatran brother is that the former travels on the ground more than its Sumatran counterpart.

Many believe this is due to no large terrestrial predators that could attack an orangutan in Borneo.

However in Sumatra, this great ape sometimes come in contact with the Sumatran tiger.

Thanks to this trait, you can find these must see animals in Sarawak walking around the Semenggoh Nature Reserve if you are lucky.

Located 20km from Kuching city, Semenggoh Nature Reserve is home to semi-wild orangutans.

They spend most of their time in the forest (especially during the fruiting season) but some get back to the centre during feeding time.

So if you are making a visit, make sure you are there during their feeding times at 9am to 10am or 3pm to 4pm.

2.Proboscis monkey

Bako National Park 3

Another mammal that is endemic to Borneo is the proboscis monkey or long-nosed monkey (Nasalis larvatus).

It is known for its distinguished large nose. Proboscis monkeys live commonly in the mangrove forests and on the coastal areas.

Being accustomed to its natural habitats, these primates are known to swim across rivers and are even able to dive underwater.

While the largest remaining populations can be found in Kalimantan, there are a few found in Sarawak.

In Sarawak, one of the best places to see proboscis monkeys in the wild is Bako National Park.

There, you might catch these must -ee animals in Sarawak jumping from one tree to another or munching on fruits or leaves.

3.Saltwater crocodiles

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There are two species of crocodiles found in Sarawak: the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) and the Malayan gharial (Tomistoma shlegii).

However, the one you really catch a glimpse of while in Sarawak is none other than what the Australians call the ‘saltie’.

It is the largest living reptile in the world.

If you are in Kuching, make a trip to Jong’s Crocodile Farm and Zoo in Siburan. It is one of seven crocodile farms in Malaysia that is registered under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Another place to see a saltwater crocodile is at Matang Wildlife Centre.

It is not a zoo but a centre dedicated to the rehabilitation of endangered animals before being released back into the wild.

The crocodiles sent to the centre are usually the ones caught intruding human settlements.

4.Hornbills

Julie Larsen Maher 1966 Wreathed Hornbill PPZ 02 02 17
Press Photos: (All Credit: Julie Larsen Maher © WCS)

Unless you are an avid bird watcher, you are considered one of the lucky ones if you are able to see hornbills fly freely in the sky.

Despite the name ‘Land of the Hornbills’, don’t expect these birds to be easily spotted unless you head over the the Piasau Nature Reserve in Miri.

There are eight species of hornbill found in Sarawak including White Crested Hornbill, Wrinkled Hornbill, Wreathed Hornbill, Black Hornbill, Bushy Crested Hornbill, Pied Hornbill, Helmeted Hornbill and Rhinoceros Hornbill.

The Rhinoceros Hornbill is not only the state bird of Sarawak but Malaysia’s national bird.

To see this iconic bird, Santubong National Park reportedly is the closest site to Kuching which offers a chance to see the Rhinoceros Hornbill.

5.Bornean bearded pig

Bornean Bearded Pigs

You might think, “Why would I want to see a pig when I come to Sarawak?” This is not any pig, this is the Borneo bearded pig.

Putting aside its name, the Bornean bearded pig (Sus barbatus) can also be found in Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula as well as some small islands in Sulu archipelago.

This pig can be recognised by its prominent beard which is more pronounced in males.

Make a trip to Bako National Park and you can find them around the park HQ or along the beach.

If you are staying over at the park, don’t be surprised if you hear snorting sounds in the middle of the nights. Sometimes, these pigs would hover around the accommodation area scavenging for food.

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NKF Malaysia launches VoKAL at the 16th Annual Patient Forum

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VoKAL serves as an official platform to elevate voices and transform policies for better kidney care in Malaysia

Kuching Sarawak, 1 October 2023 –  The National Kidney Foundation (“NKF”) of Malaysia held its 16th Annual Patient Forum 2023 in Kuching on October 1. Since 2003, the forum has been dedicated to serving kidney patients, their caregivers, and personnel from government, private, and NGO dialysis centres.

“I would like to express my gratitude to the National Kidney Foundation of Malaysia for their efforts in choosing Kuching as the location for their 16th forum. Their decision to subsidise registration costs is commendable, as it paves the way for greater public participation, allowing a wider audience to partake in this valuable event,” said Dato’ Sri Professor Dr. Sim Kui Hian, Deputy Premier, of Sarawak and Minister For Public Health, Housing And Local Government.

“NKF has been championing the fight against kidney-associated diseases through improving kidney care and preventive education. Recognising the need for support among kidney patients, this forum provides a convenient platform for patients to access essential information and advice,” said Dato’ Dr Zaki Morad Mohd Zaher, Chairman of NKF Malaysia.

Vokal 2

In conjunction with Patient Forum 2023, NKF also launched VoKAL (Voice-out Kidney Alliance), a nationwide kidney support group. VoKAL serves as an official platform for patients, caregivers, donors, service providers, and healthcare professionals to express their thoughts and concerns regarding kidney-related matters.

The primary purpose of VoKAL is to operate as an advocacy and advisory body, amplifying voices through support, advocacy campaigns, and activities that result in substantial contributions to kidney care in Malaysia. Its goal is to serve the community by providing a venue for formal recommendations to government and policymakers. These proposals address critical issues such as improving affordability and expanding access to quality treatments for kidney disease; protecting living donor rights, and removing barriers to organ donation; championing patient’s rights and empowerment; as well as supporting policy changes that can reduce the risks of kidney diseases.

NKF Malaysia invites all patients and interested parties to join VoKAL today and be the change of our kidney community needs. Your voice matters in shaping policies for better kidney care in Malaysia. Raise your voice at https://vokal.nkf.org.my/

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Discover Kuching’s Culinary Delights: A Comprehensive A-Z Guide!

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If you web-searched ‘ Food to eat in Kuching’ or ‘Kuching Food Guide’ or ‘Food to Try in Kuching’ or ‘What food is famous in Kuching’, honestly the results are pretty much the same.

Here at KajoMag, we want you to take your gastronomic adventure in Kuching (Unesco Creative City of Gastronomy since 2021!) to another level and not just go through the food list halfheartedly.

So how about enjoying the best food that Kuching has to offer alphabetically?

This is our pick of what to eat in Kuching from A to Z (a non-halal version):

A is for ABC

ABC, also known as ais kacang, is one of the many ways Kuchingites use to escape from the tropical heat.

It traditionally consists of shaved ice, red beans, cendol, grass jelly with evaporated milk or coconut milk drizzled on top.

If you have no idea where to have one, here are some of KajoMag’s suggestions.

Kajo Places in Kuching to go to for that ABC Craving

B is for Beef Noodle

Kuching is known for its own version of beef noodle or mee sapi.

This noodle dish is served with been sprouts and beef slices on top as well as a bowl of hearty beef-based soup.

Some of the best places to have that satisfying bowl of beef noodle are Ah Mui Beef Noodle and Green Hill Corner Hawker Centre.

C is for (Salad) Chicken Rice

Do not be fooled by the name of this dish and expect a bowl full of greens.

Sarawak’s version of salad chicken rice is rice served with fried chicken.

The ‘salad’ part is the pink-coloured dressing made from mayonnaise mixed with tomato sauce.

The original version of this dish also came with baked beans.

Nowadays, the common version of salad chicken rice is with mayonnaise drizzled on top of the fried chicken and tomato sauce on the side.

The most popular place to have a plate of this is none other than KEN Salad Chicken Rice on Jalan Pending.

D is for Dabai

Dabai (Canarium odontophyllum) is an indigenous seasonal fruit that can only be found in Sarawak.

Many call it the Sarawak olive because they look similar.

If you are not in town during dabai season, no worries. You can still enjoy this fruit but in another form.

Nasi goreng dabai or dabai fried rice is one of the ways to enjoy the fruit all year round since it is made from salted dabai.

E is for Ensabi

Ensabi is a local mustard green which is known for its distinct bitter taste.

It is commonly prepared by stir-frying it with garlic and anchovies with salt to taste.

Sarawakians love the preserved version of it called kasam ensabi.

From a simple dish that the folks at the longhouse enjoy, now it has found its way to Kuching hawker stalls selling indigenous food.

One of these stall is as at Langkau Arau Rumah Asap Dayak.

F is for Fried Midin

Midin

Another must-try vegetable is Sarawak is midin (Stenochlaena palustris).

It is a type of fern usually prepared by frying with garlic or shrimp paste (belacan).

Have it with rice and some protein such as chicken or pork, and voila! You will have the perfect plate for lunch.

G is for Gula Apong Ice-cream

Do not think about leaving Kuching without giving this a try.

Gula Apong Ice-cream is one of many must-try desserts when you are in town.

It is basically vanilla ice-cream topped with gula apong, a Sarawak palm sugar.

Do not leave Kuching without trying these two ice creams

H is for Hot bowl of Terung Dayak Soup

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One of many ways to cook this local eggplant, Terong Dayak Asam Pedas

Terung Dayak or terung asam is a type of eggplant which is commonly found in Sarawakian cuisine.

They are usually cut into quarters and cooked with or without their seeds.

Most people do not remove the skin because it comes off easily when cooked.

One of the best ways to have it is to cook the eggplant in soup with pork or smoked fish.

I is for Ikan Terubuk Masin

Ikan terubuk masin is salted toli shad or Chinese herring.

It is one of highly prized fish among Sarawakians.

Nowadays it has become one of the must-buy food souvenirs among tourists who came to Sarawak.

Whether you have it here right on site in Sarawak or bring it back home to savour, this fish is one of many Sarawakian foods you must eat in Kuching.

J is for Jani

You cannot come to Sarawak and not pick some of the local languages. This largest state of Malaysia has more than 40 sub-ethnic group, each with its own distinct language.

Here at KajoMag, we want to teach you the Iban word ‘jani’ which means pig.

While the African Americans are known to have their cookouts featuring a menu of soul food, the Iban people have always love to gather among family and friends to barbeque and drinking some beers.

And a typical Iban or even Dayak barbecue is incomplete without jani or pork.

You can have the barbecued pork with rice or on its own, it doesn’t matter as long as you have a can of cold beer to wash it down.

No invites to a BBQ? No worries, you still can have it in Kuching.

The best places to have Dayak-style barbecued pork are at Rumah Asap Tabuan Dayak and Langkau Arau Rumah Asap Dayak.

While you are there, don’t forget to order some barbecued pork intestines.

K is for Kueh chap

Woon Lam Cafe 1999 5
Kueh Chap

Speaking of pork intestines, here is a dish you must have in Kuching if you love having some pig’s innards.

Originating from Teochew cuisine, this dish consists of flat, broad rice sheets served in a soup made with dark soy sauce along with an assortment of pork cuts.

You can have early in the morning for breakfast or late at night for supper, it doesn’t matter.

Some of the places that served best kueh chap in town are Lao Ya Keng Food Court at Carpenter Street and 3rd Mile Wet Market Food Court.

L is for Laksa Sarawak

A Twitter user in 2012 once asked the late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain to settle the score on who has the best laksa? Penang, Sarawak, Johore or Singapore?

Bourdain tweeted back only one word ‘Sarawak’ so sorry not sorry Penangites, Johoreans and Singaporeans.

A classic bowl of Laksa Sarawak is made of rice vermicelli served in spiced coconut broth with shredded chicken, shredded omelette, bean sprouts, prawns and coriander.

Some of the famous places in Kuching to have a taste of this dish are Choon Hui Cafe and Golden Arch Cafe.

M is for Mee Kolo

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Kolo mee at Woon Lam Cafe 1999.

Never ever ask a group of Kuchingites on where is the best Mee Kolo or Kolo Mee especially on social media platforms, you might accidentally trigger a debate as heated as the Taiwan parliament.

A kolo mee is springy egg noodles tossed in a sweet and savoury shallot, lard and vinegar dressing. Kuching’s most popular variant is the kolo mee merah (red). It uses oil from cooking char siu for that extra flavour as well as the red colouring.

Kuchingites are proud of their kolo mee and sometimes can be very defensive on which stall offers the best.

Most of the time, nostalgia is a powerful ingredient and Kuchingites tend to pick the best based on where they had it as a child.

For instance, someone who grew up in the 3rd Mile area would probably choose the stall on the first floor of 3rd Mile Wet Market to have the best kolo mee.

Regardless, there is one thing for sure. A first-time visitor to Kuching cannot leave the city without having this bowl of springy noodles.

N is for Nasi Aruk

For a dose of traditional Sarawakian Malay food in your gastronomic adventure in Kuching, do give nasi aruk a try.

Basic nasi aruk is made from rice, garlic, onion and anchovies.

What makes it different from the typical fried rice, nasi aruk does not use any oil to fry the rice and it requires a longer frying time resulting in a more smoky flavour in the rice.

O is for Oyster Pancake

Sometimes also known as oyster omellete, this dish is best to have while it is still hot and crispy.

It is one of the must-ordered dishes at any seafood or Chinese restaurants in Kuching.

But you can still have it as a snack on a late night out with friends.

The dish is round and crispy pancake with oysters cooked with it.

P is for Pansuh

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Manok pansuh (chicken cooked in bamboo)

Originally an Iban dish, pansuh is food that is cooked in bamboo.

Manok pansuh is chicken cooked in bamboo with ginger, lemongrass and tapioca leaves. The bamboo is then roasted over a fire.

A dish that was common in the longhouses where bamboo is easily found, has now made its way to food courts and restaurants.

Q is for Qing Mian or Green Noodle

Qing Mian is green noodle in Mandarin. This noodle dish is more widely known as spinach noodle in which the noodle gained its colour from.

The unique thing about this noodle dish is that every stall that sells it has its own recipe.

Some serve the noodle with pork and others with beef.

Chong Chon Green Noodle for instance is served with beef while the one at ABC Food Centre comes with minced pork.

R is for Roti Kompia

Roti means bread in Malay and this is the only bread on the list.

It is made with lard, salt and flour.

One can enjoy it just like that or with savoury minced pork as its filling; either way is equally delicious.

S is for Sarawak Three Layer Tea

Teh C Peng Special

Widely known as Teh C Peng Special, this is perhaps the most popular tea beverage in Sarawak.

The three layers part of the drink come from tea, evaporated milk and gula apong (palm sugar).

This is one of many prides of Kuching since it is originally invented right here in this city.

T is for Tomato Crispy Mee

Here is another unique Sarawak dish for you to try in Kuching.

It is deep-fried noodle served with sweet and sour tomato gravy with vegetables and sliced chicken or pork on top.

U is for Umai

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Umai made from raw fish, citrus fruit and bunga kecala

This popular traditional dish is a traditional food of the Melanau people.

It is consists of sliced raw fish mixed with onions, chillies, vinegar, salt and lime juice.

The dish is similar to Latin American ceviche and the Filipino kinilaw.

V is for Vermicelli Noodle With Shrimp Paste aka Belacan Beehoon

The list of ingredients that make up of this dish doesn’t make sense if you just go through it one by one.

But if you actually sit down and enjoy it, this dish does make sense.

Imagine rice vermicelli served in a dressing made from belacan (shrimp paste), chilli, tamarind and dried shrimp.

On top of it, there are cuttlefish, cucumber, bean sprouts and century egg.

W is for White Lady

Here is another source of pride of Kuchingites, the White Lady.

It is a dessert-like beverage made from evaporated milk, mango juice, longan and pineapple.

Some of the places where you can have a glass of the White Lady are Old Rex Cucur Udang Cafe and Swee Kang Ais Kacang.

X is for Xiu Mai Kuching style, Sio bee

Sio bee is Kuching’s interpretation of xiu mai or siu mai.

Unlike siu mai that contains both pork and shrimp, sio bee contains only pork inside.

Y is for Yong Tao Foo

Yong tao foo is a Hakka dish consisting of tofu filled with ground meat mixture.

The term ‘yong tao foo’ is also used to describe a clear soup dish with various forms of tofu stuffed ingredients such as bittergourd and ladies fingers.

The soup can include other ingredients such as fish balls, crab sticks and vegetables like bak choy and white Chinese cabbage.

Here in Kuching, a yong tao foo stall sometimes comes in a buffet-style where you can pick your ingredients to make up your soup.

Z is for Zao Cai Fen Gan and other Foochow foods

While Foochow food is more associated with Sibu town, you can find them here in Kuching city.

One of them is definitely Zao Cai Fen Gan or Zao Cai Hong Ngan. It is rice noodle cooked with preserved mustard greens.

The best part is you can have either dry or soup version of this dish. Both versions are equally delicious.

KajoMag’s recommended place to have this is at Mee Kwong Cafe.

Other Foochow dishes that can be found in Kuching are kampua, ding bian hu and mee sua.

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KajoReviews: Rajah’s Servant by A.B. Ward, an account of a Brooke officer in Sarawak

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It is always fascinating to read books written by Europeans who came to Sarawak before there were even proper records by locals of our own state.

Stories about our ancestors’ lifestyles and customs were sometimes seen narrowly through their European point of views.

Hence, the words such as ‘savages’ and ‘primitive’ were often found in their writings.

However if the books were written by Europeans who worked here during Brooke dynasty and during the time Sarawak was under British colony, the tone of writing can be completely different.

Perhaps due to the years they called Sarawak home and getting to know the local peoples, these writers tended to write with not only less judgmental mind but with more understanding and sometimes, fondness.

Brooke officer Ward
Resident Arthur Bartlett Ward at Simanggang circa 1913 (back row, left). Vyner Brooke (seated, second left)

Looking at a Sarawak forgotten historical figure through the eyes of a Brooke officer

One of the things we can learn from reading the memoirs of Brooke’s former civil servants or British colonial officers is to know about the locals.

Some of these locals had contributed to Sarawak but became pretty much forgotten in history.

Thankfully, they left a lot of impact to these former Sarawak officers that their stories were recorded in their books, including Arthur Bartlett Ward.

Ward was born on May 14, 1879. He served for 24 years in the Sarawak Civil Service from 1899 until 1923, 17 of which were spent under the second White Rajah, Charles Brooke.

Throughout his service, he had worked in Sri Aman, Bintulu, Limbang, Brooketon and Kuching.

In his memoir written in 1934, Ward had described many of his experiences visiting outstation posts throughout Sarawak.

While in Lubok Antu, he had the pleasure to meet with a police officer named Dagang.

“The fort was garrisoned by a guard of fortmen under the charge of old Police Sergeant Dagang. He was known to us as ‘Sniff and Jingle’ from his habit of sniffing and jingling his official keys to announce a visit to the officers’ quarters. After making a report Dagang always expected a drink of gin. His face was reminiscent of a hideous gargoyle covered with green mildew after gin it almost seemed to assume phosphorescent light.

All the same Dagang was a man in ten thousand. A Banting Dyak who had embraced Mohammedanism, he enlisted as a fortman at Simanggang at 17 years of age. He accompanied the Rajah (then Tuan Muda) on board the sailing gunboat Venus at the attack on Mukah in 1860. The advance up the Mukah river was made at night and the ‘Venus’ ran foul of thick rattan hawser stretched from bank to bank. Heavy fire was opened on the helpless vessel and things are looking bad when Dagang leaped overboard, a ‘parang’ between his teeth, and severed the rope.

Dagang showed his pluck in numerous expeditions, always proving himself a steady soldier and a gallant leader. The old man died in 1915. He was the type of the old class of government servant one was proud to know and treat as a trusted friend.”

If Dagang hadn’t appeared in Ward’s memoir, we would never heard of about the gallant story of ‘Sniff and Jingle’.

Brooke’s policy: Turning enemies into alliances?

Often through these memoirs, we caught a glimpse what was it like to be working under the Brooke’s administrations.

On that note, we can’t help but notice one specific way the former White Rajah ‘managed the locals’ in those days.

During his posting at Simanggang, Ward worked closely with senior native officer Tuanku Putra.

This local Brooke officer had interesting background.

Ward wrote, “The Tuanku was the son of Sharif Sahap, the prime pirate who had been defeated by Sir James at Pemutus in 1844. He was distinctly of the Arab type, and being a Sharif, claimed lineal descent from the Prophet Mohammed. Tall with spindle legs and a Jewish nose, his nickname with us was ‘The Camel, though his fine character had nothing in common with the animal.

“His responsible position was an example of the Rajah’s policy towards those who had once defied him. Having shown his power and reduced his opponents to impotence, they were gradually given important positions in the Government and in practically every case, these ex-rebels proved their worth, and became the most reliable and loyal supporters of the Rajah’s ruler. ‘En passant’ it is rather curious to reflect that, with natives especially, the greatest rascals always make the most faithful servants.”

More than 100 years ago, there were Ibans who made it to New York?

Having spent so much time among the Ibans in Simanggang, there is no surprise Ward spoke highly of them.

He wrote,

“The Dyak in his jungle retreat is a charming person, both men and women of pleasing appearance, short in stature but well made, full of life, hardworking and independent. Hospitality with them is not so much as a custom as a law. The Malay, owing to his contact with Islamic traditions, is reserved and indolent, his womenfold lurk in the background. Not so the Dyak, he is open in his nature, and the women are very much in the fore. My experience of the so-called ‘savage’ of the jungle is that he is definitely more moral, honest and sober than his fellow who has learned Western ideas.

“There is not so much that our wonderful civilization can teach them. The Dyak has an adventurous, roving disposition, so that parties of the young men constantly break away seeking what fortune may bring them in other lands. They go the Malay Peninsula, to Java, to the Celebes Sea, and once in a Dyak house far in the interior I was proudly shown a picture postcard of Brooklyn City Hall sent home by the chieftain’s son, who had reached New York as a ship’s hands.”

We would have never known these little yet still important facts like this about our own people if it were never been mentioned in Wards’ autobiography.

Some facts are still debatable

Still, there are many things told through Wards’ words are debatable to this day.

It is understood that Ward jotted them down based on what the locals told him back in those days. Yet, some of these facts are never or rarely heard of during present times.

This include about the origin of the Kedayan people.

Ward called them ‘one of the riddles of Borneo’ perhaps due to of their unclear origin.

As for they came from, Ward wrote, “Bulkiah, Sultan of Brunei about 1500, a sea-rover and conqueror better known throughout the East in verse and prose as Nakoda Ragam, married a Javanese princess who brought with her many followers to Brunei. These intermarried with the Bisayas, and it is conjectured that the Kedayans spring from this union.”

As we compare this to the common legend about the Kedayans, it is widely believed that a group of Javanese came to Borneo during the rule of Sultan of Bolkiah in Brunei.

However, the common known reason is that the Sultan was interested in Java’s local agricultural techniques.

Hence he brought some of the Javanese farmers back to Brunei to spread their knowledge.

These Javanese farmers subsequently intermarried with local Bruneian Malay people (not Bisaya as per stated by Ward) giving birth to the Kedayan people.

Rajah’s Servant, a book that is definitely worth reading

There are plenty of other Brooke officers as well British colonial officers who came and left with written memoirs of their experiences in Sarawak.

One of many reasons why Rajah’s servant is different from the rest is easily you can tell by the title ‘Rajah’s Servant’.

Ward obviously loved his job in Sarawak and even more so enjoyed working under Charles Brooke. He had mad respect for the former rajah.

When writing about Charles’ death, Ward wrote, “Sarawak had lost a loving ruler. I had lost my hero and a benefactor.”

As for his last days as a Sarawak officer, Ward described them as ‘painful’.

“I sent in my request to be allowed to retire. It was a wrench to so after twenty-four years in a country I was devoted to. All the same I think I was right. I had held the chief executive post for nearly eight years and in that period ideas become set. In every undertaking fresh blood infuses a new spirit, so necessary when old methods move slow to modern thought,” Ward wrote.

Perhaps that is the number one quality from Ward we need from leaders these days; the self-awareness to know when to stop and retire, the consciousness to know that their ideas are slowly going irrelevant against time, and above all having the grasp of reality of when to let go their powers.

Ward might not share the same nationality with Sarawakians but we can never doubt his love and passion for Sarawak.

However, if you also share the same passion for the state like he did, this is one of the books you must read.

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10 things you should know about Dayak traditional weapon, mandau

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While the Japanese are known for the katana and the Korean for their geom, here in Borneo the Dayak are collectively known for their mandau.

The katana, geom and mandau are all traditional weapons once used to slay enemies.

The mandau for instance, was highly associated with the headhunting custom which was officially abolished in Sarawak during the Brooke administration (but saw something of a revival during World War 2 and even the Communist insurgency).

Mandau rotated
A mandau from Kutai, Indonesia. Part from Tropenmuseum. Photo credit: Creative Commons.

Here are 10 things you might not know about the Dayak traditional weapon, the mandau:

1.It is known by many names.

While the Iban, Bidayuh and Penan people call it parang ilang, the Kayan call it the malat.

This traditional weapon is called baieng by the Kenyah people, bandau by Lun Bawang or Pelepet by Lundayeh.

2.A mandau usually comes with a whittling knife.

A whittling knife or a pisau raut is a popular accompanying knife placed in the same sheath with the mandau.

While the mandau is used as a weapon, a whittling knife is used as a common crafting tool.

3.A Dayak man without a mandau was considered a ‘naked’ man.

Author Charles C. Miller in his book Black Borneo (1946) described how important the mandau was to a Dayak man back in the olden days.

“A Dayak would no more be caught without that formidable weapon attached to his person than a white man would be caught without his trousers. It was so essential that a man deprived of it in battle has been known to slink around the outskirts of the kampong like a pariah for weeks, not daring to be seen in public until he has secured another one to conceal his nakedness. Proud as the Dayaks are of their carved verandahs and doorways, their real craftmanship is lavished upon their mandaus.”

4.The beauty of a mandau perhaps lies in its hilt not in the blade.

Miller in the same book described the mandau as a ‘thirty-inch combination of battle axe, sword, cutlass and machete’.

He wrote, “The blade is about two feet long by three inches wide, whetted to razor-edge sharpness on one side, and nearly a quarter-inch thick on the other to give it weight. When they swing, they want it to mean something. A slight curve to the edge makes it especially effective in a cutting stroke, such as a blow aimed at the base of the neck.

“Though the blade is intricately engraved, the real soul of the instrument is in its handle, usually of ivory, though sometimes of ebony or horn. Dragons, human heads, reptiles and every conceivable form of Oriental symbolism are delicately carved thereon with such loving attention to detail that if it be an open-jawed dragon represented there you can see every feature of the mouth to the tonsils.”

5.They used to add their victims’ hair to the handle.

Explorer Carl Bock in his book The Headhunters of Borneo in 1881 wrote, “A thick rim of gutta-percha marks the point where the handle is fitted to the blade. Here are hung tassels of horse-hair, dyed various colours, or more often of human hair taken from victims.”

Meanwhile, Miller in his account also described similar thing about the origin of human hair on a mandau.

“Instead of the weapon being notched for every human life it has taken, a tuft of the victim’s hair is added to the handlle. A bald-headed mandau, no matter how handsome its carving, is still regarded by its owner as an inferior weapon until the sorry condition can be remedied. The chief I noticed, had more hair on his mandau than on his head.”

6.In the olden days, a man was not allowed to carry a mandau regularly unless he was married or had been on a headhunting expedition.

According to Bock in his book The Headhunters of Borneo, a man with a mandau is a sign of manhood.

“It is a rule among all the tribes that no youth can regularly wear a mandau, or be married, or associate with the opposite sex, till he has been on one or more headhunting expeditions. A mandau is presented to him, probably, at his birth, or when he receive a name; but not till he has washed it in the blood of an enemy can he presume to carry it as part of his everyday equipment.”

7.A mandau is equally useful in both battle and farming fields.

The mandau was, and still is, a common farming tool. It is perfect for clearing creepers as well as cutting paddy.

Thanks to its sharp and efficient blade design, it is also useful in bringing down large timber when clearing land for farming.

8.A mandau was a common form of gift and payment.

In this modern days, the last thing you thought of gifting someone as a birthday, Christmas or farewell present gift is a sword, right? You might want to give someone who loves to cook a chef’s knife but you wouldn’t think of a weapon as a present.

However during the olden days, the mandau was a common form of present.

Norwegian explorer Carl Bock was given a mandau as a farewell gift by Sultan of Kutai when he visited the region in 1878.

In the olden days before conventional medicine, the Kayan people turned to dayong or a priestess to cure them of illnesses.

Apart from money, the fee to pay the dayong for her service usually included a gong, a valuable bead (lukut) and a fine mandau (malat bukan).

A malat was and still is a common betrothal gift among the Kayan people during a traditional engagement ceremony.

9.A mandau or parang ilang used to be a ‘sought after’ item among tomb raiders.

Frederick Boyle (1841-1914) was an English author, journalist and orchid fancier. In 1863, he visited Sarawak with his brother and the result of this trip was a book ‘Adventures Among the Dyaks of Borneo’ (1865).

According to his travel account, Boyle bought himself a parang as a souvenir.

He stated,“The finest parangs – or those esteemed so – are found in the graves of Kayan warriors, which are consequently rifled by Dayaks and Malays on every possible occasion. I have one, purchased at Kanowit, which I was told had been obtained from a sepulchre three hundred years old – a rather improbable assertion, though I believe the weapon was really found in a Kayan grave, for it was strangely stained and rusted when I bought it.”

10.It was used during World War II.

According to some reports, “hundreds of Japanese soldiers’ heads were cut from their bodies with traditional weapons called mandau.”

This happened mainly in West and Central Kalimantan, Indonesia where Dayak people took part in guerrilla warfare against the Japanese occupation during World War II.

One of the highlights of this conflict was the Dayak Desa War or Majang Desa War.

The Dayak tribes from Ketapang to Sekadau initiated the mangkuk merah (red bowl) ritual as a symbol of hostility to the Japanese. This resulted in the town of Meliau falling under Dayak control from June 24, 1945. Many Japanese were killed and their heads taken.

Weeks later, Japanese forces managed to retake the town on July 17.

Even after the war had ended, the Dayak in the area continued to resist but this time the return of Dutch colonial authority.

Decades later on July 30, 1981, the Dayaks returned five skulls of Japanese soldiers to their families in Japan.

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