Buried treasure always comes with a story or legend. Sometimes, it even comes with a curse.
Here is a legend of buried treasure in Kuala Sibuti, Sarawak that was recorded by Sarawak Gazette writer R. Nyandoh:
Long time ago, a vessel was wrecked at Tanjung Payung somewhere near Kuala Suai, south of Niah river.
The vessel carried many passengers as well as their valuables.
After the wreck, the survivors managed to float off on a small box. This boat eventually made its way to Kuala Sibuti.
There the people dug a large hole and hid their belongings. To mark the site, they plant a tree called Kaya Ra which was not found in any part of Sarawak.
Many years later, the Kedayans came and settled down in Kuala Sibuti. They found the belongings that were previously buried there. What were left were broken pots and jars which the Kedayan called “Gusi”.
The curse of Kuala Sibuti’s buried treasure
One day, a woman named Hanipah was collecting shrimp at Kuala Sibuti. She accidentally caught a golden cup in her net.
Happy with her potential for riches, she decided to sell the golden cup.
With her newfound wealth, Hanipah went on a pilgrimage to Mecca. Many years later, despite having many children, only a few them survived.
She blamed the deaths of her family members on herself for taking and selling the golden cup.
After Hanipah, there was another person who accidentally found one of the buried “gusi”.
Allegedly, a Chinese man named Eng Soon found a jar while planting coconut trees. He tried to find more treasure by digging around in more places, but he was not successful with his attempt.
What happened to Eng Soon and the jar that he found remained a mystery to this day.
In the following years, many have tried looking for the buried treasure in Kuala Sibuti.
It is said, however, that whenever they started digging, wind, rain and storm will start to pour in. This has left them too frightened to carry on digging. Eventually, people stopped trying to look for the buried treasure of Kuala Sibuti.
