Journal of Borneo-Kalimantan

A History of the Fort at Long Akah: Contact, Collaboration and Power

Valerie Mashman — Thu, 28 Dec 2023 12:23:29 +0000

This paper traces history through the fort at Long Akah during the various eras of the Brooke administration, the colonial government and the Sarawak State government. This study takes its cue from the notion of the fort as a vehicle for a distinctive history of an area and uses indigenous oral histories and recollections as “alternative history.” Forts were built during and after pacification and this process was dependent on the collaboration of local leaders whose influence was ritually prescribed by the adat. The forts functioned as a place where taxes were paid, where court cases were heard, and where trading took place. While the fort at Long Akah represented locally a locus of power for the Brooke administration, it will be seen that this power was located in a crucial local collaboration in governance, which depended on the role of local leaders.

Covid-19, Mortality and Inequality in Sarawak

Juna Liau; Sharifah Sophia binti Wan Ahmad; Siti Zanariah Ahmad Ishak — Thu, 28 Dec 2023 08:32:42 +0000

The first two males’ mortality in Malaysia due to COVID-19 announced by the authority on March 13, 2020. The fatalities became the major headlines on the media. Although many people discussed ‘actively’ about COVID-19, however conversations about deaths or funerals of victims from COVID-19 are quite ‘passive’ during the initial stage of the pandemic. When death occurs, biomedical examiners must examine death causation, mechanism and manners of death because COVID-19-related deaths are contagious. As a results, corpses are managed by authorised personnel with no or limited intervention from family or community members. These social responses to deaths from COVID-19 are paradox as funerals are traditionally communities’ responsibility. Due to surging cases of COVID-19, drastic measures are taken by the government globally to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and for social, economy and environment sustainability. This study aims to examine COVID-19 mortality patterns and its socio-cultural dimensions in Sarawak. Data are collected in the duration of 18 months from official sources and from participant observation. Data are analysed in several aspects including age, gender and co-morbidity. The findings show that mortality rates among males are significant higher compared to females. Most casualties occurred among age groups: 70-79, 60-69 and 50-59. The majority of cases have co-morbidity.

Crossing The Rubicon? Maintenance and Change Among Today’s Iban in Sarawak

Peter Sercombe — Thu, 28 Dec 2023 08:27:18 +0000

Among communities reliant on subsistence agriculture as a means of production, transition to wage work may seem indicative of economic progress. In the 21st century, the Iban in East Malaysia utilise three production modes: subsistence rice farming; commerce; and, waged work, to support food requirements and satisfy consumer needs. Waged work is increasingly important, even replacing subsistence and commerce. This study considers perceptions of maintenance and change among the Iban in the Sri Aman Division of Sarawak. The purpose is to gain perspectives of heads of households about “maintenance” and “change”. Research was conducted qualitatively, via observation and interviews. Maintenance is reflected through ongoing use of the Iban language; the longhouse is seen as being of continuing importance for resident and non-resident relatives, even if no longer bound to ancestral longhouse territory. Changes include new technologies, the importance of money, reduced adherence to Iban traditions, and conversion to Catholicism, among the community studied here. Salience of these matters lies in Iban understanding of ways in which modernisation is occurring in their community, in a region known for its biological, cultural and linguistic diversity, providing a voice for community members, and their insights about the contemporary Iban world.

Unfolding the story on the mysterious suspension bridge in Seropak, Bau, Sarawak

Ib Larsen, Louise Teo — Thu, 28 Dec 2023 09:30:46 +0000

In 2005, a steel suspension bridge, hitherto unknown to those outside the community, was discovered in a remote corner of Sarawak. This paper describes the discovery and subsequent stepwise uncovering of the story of the bridge. The research included the study of old records and publications and communication with museums, archives, and historians in the UK. The history and purpose of the bridge is now uncovered.

The Role of Ancestors in Iban Traditional Religion

Kyle Clark, Riki Rikando — Thu, 28 Dec 2023 09:27:14 +0000

Cross-cultural studies of religion have consistently treated ancestor worship as a specific, narrow practice that is found in many traditional societies but far from all of them. In contrast, Steadman, Palmer, and Tilley (1996) have proclaimed that ancestor worship was a universal behavior in traditional, small-scale societies and that the practice is found in societies where it was previously thought to be absent. In this paper, we describe one such society, the Iban, whose religious practices are often claimed to not include the worship of ancestors, despite ancestors being central to their religion. We demonstrate that many of the gods and spirits of the Iban supernatural pantheon are most clearly understood as ancestors. Furthermore, we argue that the Iban example may not be an outlier, and that ancestor worship may be prevalent in many more societies than previously claimed. We end by describing the weaknesses of some of the common reasons used to downplay the ubiquity of the practice in previous ethnographic treatments and cross-cultural studies.

Space of Belonging: Engaging the State in Borneo

Jayl Langub — Thu, 28 Dec 2023 09:08:32 +0000

The Penan argue that their rights and attachment to the land are more than the mere felling of trees to open up land areas for cultivation to create native customary rights land. Their relationship with the landscape have turned hilltops and depressions between two connecting hills into campsites, thus giving these spaces a sense of residence. Their relationship with their rivers and streams is reflected through the naming of these tributary systems, names that are imbued with rooted histories and events narrated over generations. This paper provides an overview on how the Penan constantly navigate the values governing their ever-changing landscapes brought by external forces. In doing so, it charts the history of Penan struggles with state policies, logging activities, and how they assert their rights to their landscape by engaging with not only the state but also environmental and human rights activists, international non-governmental organisations, and other local grassroots organisations. Engagements with these state and non-state institutions and organisations have enabled the Penan to articulate their identities and rights to their resources. Based on these engagements, this paper argues that the Penan rights and way of life is closely related to particular spaces in the landscape, their space of belonging.

Peranan Guru Bungan Dalam Melaksanakan Ritual Ngayo

Emalisa Domian, Nur Qasdina Jeeta Abdullah — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 16:59:28 +0000

According to local residents, the Long Amo village, also known as Uma Kayan Long Amo is a Kayan village located in Belaga, Sarawak. Some of the residents of this village still practice the traditional customs of the Kayan community, the Bungan customs, which have now been adopted as a religion by its devotees. In the religious customs of Bungan, there is a ritual that has its own significance for the Kayan community, which is the Ngayo ritual. The specific implementation of this ritual shows its significancee and position within the Kayan community. This ritual is led by an individual called Guru Bungan. The Guru Bungan also plays an important role in every other Bungan religious ritual. This article aims to explain the role of Guru Bungan in performing Ngayo ritual. A fundamental study was designed using qualitative methods to obtain data of this study. Given the significant knowledge gap on this topic, interviews were selected as the main method for data collection. The informants interviewed are Guru Bungan and selected villagers who are experts in this ritual.The findings of this study indicates that Guru Bungan bears a high responsibility in the traditional customs of the Kayan community. Guru Bungan is one of the individuals who must be present in almost all the cycles of Ngayo ritual ceremonies. The function of Guru Bungan in the Ngayo ritual is as the leader of the ritual ceremony who gives numerous instructions and reminders to ensure that every equipment and requirement in performing the ritual is done correctly. In addition, Guru Bungan also acts as an intermediary for Bungan religious customs and its followers.