Baram Tales : Sungei Peking

 

The Pemancha Wong Kiong Ching is a highly respected community leader of the Foochows of Marudi. Although he was born in Fujian China, he was merely 4months old when his parents brought him out of China to live in the hot and humid Baram valley in a little settlement called Lubok Nibong.

That was way back in 1938. He grew up to be an alert, and well disciplined boy who was studious and keen to learn. At a young age after Primary Six, his parents sent him to study in Sibu first in Kwang Hua Middle School and then Methodist Seconary School. He then became a teacher and retired as a headmaster. He has been serving the people of Marudi well.

During the Japanese Occupation, when he was just about 4 years old, he and his brother helped their parents to eek out a living in Lubok Nibong. His parents rowed their little boat to Kuala Baram where they cooked sea water to make salt. This salt was brought to Sg. Peking where Foochow young men were hiding from the Japanese soldiers.

The Pemancha's brother was one of them. The Pemancha remembered brother and his friends with long hair during the hide out. It was a cultural trait of the Foochows never to have long hair in those days. Long hair was kept by bandits or ghosts.

The sea salt was in exchange for white rice grown by the Ibans. This was how hard life was in those days. The Chinese were scared to grow rice too because the women had to hide themselves from the lurking Japanese soldiers, each time they heard motor boats coming up the river. So it was best not to be in the open field.  And thus for three years the Chinese did not plant padi, for after all their harvest would be taken by the army too. They depended on sago and potatoes from time to time, and the little amount of rice from Sg. Peking.

Many people during the Japanese Occupation suffered from beri beri because they did not eat enough salt. And also they could not get enough meat. Eating just starch in their diet was also very unhealthy. Today, especially after 1953, with the UNESCO/WHO  campaigning for infant and children's health and adult well being, the health standard has gone up.

Public health should never be taken for granted. Besides there are lots of healthy salts available in the market today.

In those days, people had to COOK sea water to make salt. But at least the need was met to a certain extent. In those dire days, the Ibans and the Chinese were able to barter trade rice and Sea salt  this way. 

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