The Dollar Princess of the Baram

The British Governor General of South East Asia,  Malcolm MacDonald was the one who called her the Dollar Princess as she was the wealthiest person of the Baram before the Second World War. Her long house was visited by the third Rajah of Sarawak, Sir Charles Vyner Brooke and  later by Sir Malcolm MacDonald and the Governor of Sarawak Sir Arden Clarke after World War Two.

Her wealth came from the ownership of many birds' nest caves in the middle Baram. Many birds' nest caves can be found along the small tributaries of the Baram like the Anau, Kejin, Meterek, Sepayang, Malaoi, Temala and Salai.

She was the late Penghulu Lalang Batang from Long Laput Baram. She was also the mother in law of the late Temengong Oyung Lawai Jau of the Kenyah people.

In 1956 Malcolm MacDonalt published a book called "Borneo People" which describes his travels in Sarawak, a land he called, "rivers are the highsways and byways in roadless Sarfawak.." It was a very apt and accurate description of Sarawak then.