Baram Tales : Foochow Cemetery in Marudi

                                                                                                                                                                                                  

 (This post is according to Oral History I collected a few years ago when I first stumbled on the history of t he Foochow settlement in the Baram. I am waiting for more written records to ascertain my writing. Please be patient. I am writing this so that I dont forget what I hear and it will go with the photo I have just taken in Poyut.)

When the Foochow pioneers first settled into rubber tapping in Poyut and Lubok Nibong in 1927, they still had the notion of returning to Fujiang (return to the Hills of Tang) for their old age. While some did, most stayed on with their children and grandchildren and lived out their lives.

There were only 90 of them, 60 had already been working in Sibu for some time and were interested in the free land offered to them in the Baram. After the Pioneer Hii Nguong Sherng had negotiated with the Rajah Brooke, the first batch of Foochow 60 recruits from Sibu were given passage (government vessel) to travel to Poyut. It was at the beginning of the year in 1927 and was probably windy and rain drenched.

These Foochows started to tap rubber (already growing and ready for tapping) and plant more on the 2000 acres alloted to them by the Government. Most were able to clear between 10 to 20 acres on their own with just axe, changkul and bungee. A few of them had two-man saws. Slash and burn was almost on a daily basis. When the flood came, they walked in the mud knee deep. In order to have food on the table, they started to plant rice in the very first year they arrived. Rubber tapping was early in the morning. In between planting rice, they slashed the jungle and planted more rubber.

 In June 1927, Hii Nguong Sherng went to Fujian to recruit 30 more for his Foochow venture in the Baram. His destination was 3Du, the sub district of his village in Fujian.

So the Foochow settlement of Poyut-Lubok Nibong was officially initiated in 1927. Each of the 90 were able to plant 10 to 20 acres within the first five years and paid off their loan from the Rajah's government. 

While most of the Pioneers like Hii Nguong Sherng had their families with them from Sibu, others ,from 1927 to 1931, having  saw success in their rubber enterprise and were satisfied, returned to Fujian to bring out their families. Some went to look for brides. 

In due time it was also found that the Chinese cemetery in Marudi (or Claude Town) was not a suitable burial place for their fellowmen who had passed away because Marudi was logistically too far away from Poyut. A river journey had to be made from Poyut and Lubok Nibong to Marudi and then the mourners had to carry the coffin further in land. It was too difficult

In 1938 a group of Foochows led by the Pioneer Hii Nguong Sherng approached the Resident C.D.Ward for a suitable burial ground specifically for the Foochows in Poyut. Pioneer Hii was then reckoned as the Foochow Headman by the Resident (Ward)/ and he was given some land for that purpose.

In 1958 the local Foochow communities leaders, led by the son of Hii Nguong Sherng , Hii Tze Toh, applied for the cemetery to be extended and to be legally apportioned to the Foochows of Poyut.

The Poyut Cemetery looks serene and clean. 

Today the cemetery looks clean, serene and pretty. Usually the Chinese choose a hill for their burial grounds. Good feng shui.