Aki Unchat : An Iban Man who Rode a Bicycle in Sibu

(Aki Ben) or Uncle Unchat to most Methodists in Sibu sent him off on his final journey on 9th May 2020 during the MCO. He died at the ripe old age of 99 at the Sibu Hospital.

The Foochows in Sibu will remember him as a shophouse owner at Island Road and one of the few Ibans who became rich from rubber and rice. He was a very intelligent man and was able to stand tall among the businessmen of Sibu. He was an upright man, and a man of few words.




Towkay Wong used to say this of him , "He believes in savings and not squandering hard earned money. He can be trusted to the last cent."

Uncle Unchat was a pillar of the Methodist Iban Church in Sibu. He had led the church for many decades and advised both the young and the old church members.

He had lived in his house in Archer Road since the 1950's, where his children were brought up. All of them are well educated overseas and have been contributing tremendously to the community since they returned hom to Sarawak.

 For years people saw him as a veryremarkable and humble man because he only rode a bicycle to the town.  He and his good friend, the late Rev Ling Kai Cheng must have a lot of shared jokes when they rode their bicycles together along Queensway.

Many Foochows were honoured to have been his friends.