DISAPPEARING SOCIAL FEATURE : ULU DRESSERS

 

Treatment in longhouses given by a trained dresser.

 Since 1956 the Baram was served by quite a number of specially trained Ulu Dressers, men who were sent to Kuching General Hospital to be trained to dress wounds, treat simple ailments and travel in the Ulu to provide medicines. they were quite indispensible in the Medical Service of that time.

However after more than 20 years many of the old dressers had passed away and the Federal Government of Malaysia changed the delivery system. Hospital Assistants were trained up with better qualifications.

Today  we only have some stories of these helpful dressers of olden days. Hopefully some documentation can be done.

Baram Tales : Coffee Shop Marble Table

 Coffee shops run by Chinese towkays have some vintage marble tables.

The coffee shop culture of South East Asia has lots of tales regarding marble tables. I have a tale or two to share.

My great grandfather bought one in Singapore and had it shipped to Sibu sometime in the 1910's when there was a huge sea trade between Sibu and Singapore. When the marble table arrived in Sibu he had it brought over to the Ice Mill which was called Hua Hong (Chinese Prosperity) My great grandfather and his good friend Rev Yao Shiao Khing were famous for giving a lot of names to local businesses. Great Grandfather was patriotic while Rev Yao was a academician, a man of letters.

Years later, the marble table belonging to great grandfather went to my father who continued to live in the same house as he did when he was alive. My mother married my father in 1948 and she fell in love with the marble table, a valuable asset. She had come from the rubber tapping area where most had only wooden home made tables. To her in her own words, "a marble table was then a status symbol."

Later when we moved to Sibu, the marble table came with us although it was quite tale that someone wanted to steal it and my mother's brother, a very strong man took the table from the thieves and carried it from the wharf to the lorry. Well you see, the belongings of our family had to be moved from across river to the Tua Pek Kong Wharf and from the boat, all the belongings had to be moved from the boat to the waiting lorry. The marble table was not packed as it would be like today's movers would do. The stuff was carried one by one to the lorry and the movers had to be very alert. Nothing should be carted away anyhow. Third Uncle had that marble table story to tell for a long time.

"Good things always get stolen."

BanHup in Miri is Hainanese and used to have several marble tables.

In Marudi there are some very good coffee shops with marble tables but there is only one Hainan Coffee shop, Joon Seng Loong Cafe,  that has good bread and coffee. The shop has many marble tables which have been enjoyed by the locals from many diverse cultures. 

Mr. Phua the owner has lots of tales to share. His father had arrived in Marudi from Hainan and started a small coffee shop. This cafe offers good services to people of all races and it is indeed a well loved outlet for all, young and old, to hang out. Muslims and non Muslims love to come to this shop for their morning coffee. It is one of the few shops in the whole of Sarawak that sells ONLY bread and coffeee. No noodles.....sorry. But it is always full.

The kuihs which are halal are supplied by some Malay suppliers.,

Baram Tales : Benches for Ulu People

 In the past businesses opened their doors early in the morning and closed abiut 5 pm. This was especially true in the Baram towns like Marudi and Long Lama.

One awesome feature of Chinese shops in these two towns are the benches the shop keepers build for their ULU customers. Like in the photo a long bench would be most suitable for cutomers to sit down to rest while they converse with the shop keepers, friends and even strangers. This kind of social intercourse was often considered very courteous and was highly valued.

today the bench may not be a common feature of urban life. In the olden days some of the benches were fixed to the five foot way and no one would be evil enough to remove them.

I consider it to be a good hospitality feature and should be maintained.

photo taken in Marudi at 6.30 a.m. before the shop was opened, 

Baram Tales - Express Terminal in Marudi and sharing of stories

 

the Express Terminal in Marudi would always be a special place in my heart. From 1990 till 2005 I had to travel to many places and schools in the Baram to provide mentoring and guidance to English teacher trainees. My life was much enriched by the long years of experience.

I had a near accident when the Express I was travelling in broke a propeller pin and the boat was stranded on the sand bank for more than four hours. I lost a good day's work and I was full of anxieties about facing the then Pengetua, Puan Zakiah Omar. Would she accept the excuse of a river boat accident? And then it had to happen to me.

We needed to make almost perfect schedule for our Practicum travelling. And thanks to all the conditions in those days I was able to travel according to the timetable made at the Teacher Training College. 

Day 1 and Day 2

I had to leave home at 5.30 am in the morning and Langgang our faithful college driver would deliver me to the Kuala Baram Terminal at 6,00. The express would leave at 6.30 and I would be at Kuala Pengkalayan to see Mr. Sonny and his teachers at 7.30. But noon I would be able to flag down the express going up to Marudi....where I would spend the night and see two more trainees the next day .

Day 3

On the third day I  would be speeding across the Baram to Kpg Benawa where I would spend a good morning mentoring one or two trainnes. By lunch time I would return to Marudi to prepare for the next day's travelling up to Long Ikang. 

Day 4

It would be a very early morning express boat ride again.

By noon I would leave Long Ikang for Long Lama which I would arrive at about 5. All shops in Long Lama would close at 5 and I would have to make special arrangements to have a simple meal then, or it would be just bread and Nescafe in the small hotel room.

In the evening my mentee (teacher trainee) could come to meet me and we would discuss her lesson plan.

Day 5

Long Lama would always be lovely early in the morning and I would remember it as a very pleasant place. Years later I would enjoy learning more about its history  which has a big spot in the early history of Chinese settlement in Borneo.

the Baram continues to beckon to me.

there are so many stories to share.

Baram Tales : Foochow Kapitan

 Teacher Wong Kiong Ching is one of the most incredible Chinese Kapitan in the Baram.

He was brought to Sarawak when he was a baby by his parents who decided to join the Foochow Settlement in Lubok Nibong-Poyut, initiated by Pioneer Hii Nguong Sherng.

As a little boy barefooted, he tapped rubber alongside his parents and went to school after his chores. During the Japanese occupation he was sent to live among the Ibans in Sg Peking to hide from the merciless killing of the Chinese by the Japanese. Thus he and his brother were saved.

After the Japanese Occupation his parents sent him to Sibu to study at the Methodist Secondary School where boarding facilities were available. There he completed his Chinese Middle school and went on to be trained as a teacher. 

Upon his retirement from the Sarawak Education Service, he was made a Chinese Kapitan to serve the community in Marudi.

He has also written documents about the history of the Chinese in Marudi. A true Chinese gentlement who is upright and God fearing.

Baram Tales : River Culture

 In 1927 Charles Vyner Brooke allowed a group of 90 Foochows to set up a settlement in Poyut Lubok Nibong .

The Foochow migrants were led by a leader called Hii Nguong Sherng and they had come from various parts of the Min River Valley. After having been granted 2000 acres for the settlement project to plant rice and rubber, the Foochow pioneers quickly set up to develop this part of Lower Baram river valley.

While many of the new pioneers were able to withstand the humid conditions and the swampy peat soil conditions for rice planting several died from fever and diseases or were fatally bitten by poisonous snakes.

The following years saw the hardworking Foochows succeed in their endeavour. The river culture brought by them inherited from their ancestors was an enabling factor.

The river Baram enabled them!! The water brought river resources of fish, and other proteins. It brought them fertile sediments for their paddy fields. In spite of annual floods and normal floods the Foochows were able to over come the severe conditions with grit.

This Foochow built double decker was able to berth in Marudi and Lubok Nibong.

In the 1940's and 50's this double decker was able to travel up to Long Lama and the Bakong roiver too.

River Baram also provide transport means and many of those who lived alongisde Lubok Nibong even made a living out of boat building. Natives started to come by to buy their boats and motor launches were built to serve as trading boats up to the very remotest part of the Baram.

By the 1930's a small bazaar was established. Several shops were set up. A few were Foochow owned while others were Hainanese, Hakka and Hockkien owners. The businesses were enhanced by the indigenous people who came from not only the Baram but from other tributaries. Lubok Nibong was a convenient pit stop.

Rubber was grown fairly successfully and rubber sheets were shipped directly from Lubok Nibong to Singapore in the 1950's. Actually it was less than 30 years since the founding of the settlement that Lubong Nibong was able to establish itself as a rubber producing centre inthe Baram. Besides in 1952 a crepe rubber factory was founded with free water resources from the Baram.

Thus the river culture of China came with the Foochow pioneers and helped establish a thriving Foochow settlement from 1927. Some set backs occured when the timber business declined and the new generation of the Foochows moved out to Miri and beyong.

Baram Tales : Beluru

 

The Muslim shops of Beluru - older shops were all wooden, making Beluru one of the oldest wooden bazaars in the Baram. 

There were actually two rows of wooden shops built by the g overnment for the Chinese traders in the early days by t he river side. These two rows of shops were popular for every one especially the rubber tappers and growers.

There are now good and sturdy concrete shophouses in Beluru which has become an Oil Palm town. Many planters come with their Hiluxes. Coffee shops aare doing good business. Supply shops continue to do well. Just like all those long ago time.

Baram Tales : The Trained Mid Wife from Nanjing

Mrs. Chung Soh Nien or Madam Chu Chung Hua was an exceptional Chinese language teacher who taught in Poyut and later SRK Sg. Jaong where she taught until she retired.

She preferred a low profile life, being humble and well educated in the old Chinese style.

She is well remembered by the people of Marudi.

1. Many would remember her embroidery skills. She taught her students embroidery and she helped many brides-to-be to sew their bed sheets, curtains, bed curtains and door curtains, often finishing them by kerosene lamp light into the early hours.

2. She was a German trained minwife by profession in Nanjing. After she married Mr. Chung, she came to Sarawak and lived in Kanowit, Bintangor and finally Marudi, following the husband like any other Chinese wife, wherever he was transferred to as a teacher. Many Marudians were delivered by her. Her family still remembers her sent of midwifery equipment and how she would sterilize them.

3.She was the first teacher in Marudi to teach gymnastics to the boys!! The boys actually performed several times.

4. She set a very high standard for Chinese literacy in Marudi.

5. She was a descendant of the Chu (Zhu) royal family (surname) ,of the Ming Dynasty. Hongwu Emperor was the founding Ming dynasty Emperor. The beautiful Shaw Brothers' movie starring Lindai, was based on a Ming Dynasty tale, with Emperor Chu (Zhu) Jende wanting to visit his land and people. She wore the traditional Chinese cheongsam most of the time.

(Photo credits : Chung family. Thanks especially to dear Angela Chung)

Baram Tales: Founders of Chung Hua School of Marudi

When the Chinese traders landed on a spot to trade in south east Asia in the early 18th or 19th centuries, they would most likely put up a small temple for Tua Pek Kong. This would become their permanent place of assembly. And subsequently a small school would be initiated if families joined the traders.

In the same way, the Tua Pek Kong Temple of Marudi made way for the first Chinese school in Marudi to be set up.

The Chung Hua School of Marudi was first established in 1926 although the Chinese traders had landed in Claude Town even before 1901. The Baram was ceded to the Brooke Government in  1882/3 by the Sultan of Brunei.

By 1926 there was already a Tua Pek Kong temple and many bazaar shops. At first the Marudi Chung Hua operated in the premises of the Tua Pek Kong temple. Later it had its own grand belian building.

 

the primary school was first opened its doors to pupils in 1926. The four men who conceptualized the founding of the school were Lim Ching Kiat , Chai Shu Ling, Chng Ting Seng, and Sim Tao Kim.

At first the classes used the back of the Tua Pek Kong Temple and the first Headmaster was GOH JING CHEW who had only 15 students. In 1936, the first wooden building on a hill , was completed. Due to wear and tear, the wooden building was demolished and in 1973, a new building was erected.

The Opening ceremony in 1973 was graced by the Minister of Local Government, YB Sim Kheng Hong on 4.11.1973.

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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Baram Tales : The Arrival of the Hokkiens in the Baram

 1882 - the Baram was ceded to the Rajah Charles Brooke by the Sultan of Brunei. At the end of that year, the Rajah brought 11 Hokkiens and 1 Cantonese to the Baram to trade. Among them was Lim Teck Leong, who became the first Chinese Kapitan of the Baram. 

The Hokkien Association of Baram.

The local indigenous tribal people preferred the Chinese traders.

1883 A group of Hokkiens arrived in Baram by a steamer to start trading at the trading post a little below the hill where the Brooke officers were to start building the fort. BEtween 1885 and 1886  as more and more Chinese migrants arrived they applied to the government to build a bazaar. The centre came be be named Claude Town, after the first Resdient, Claude Champion de Crespigny.

By 1888 there were more than 300 Chinese in Claude Town and were mainly Hokkiens and Hakkas.

They were regarded as men full of integrity by the local indigenous people who welcomed them. As Claude Town was the administrative centre of the Baram, it was well policed, with a garrison. The Chinese and the local indigenous people found that trading was peaceful  and regulated and trade  prosper. The Government sent steamers to collect jungle products to be sent to Kuching and then to Singapore.

The Chinese were thus "approved agents" who brought salt and much needed necessities like cloth for the indigenous people and helped to export jungle products like rattan and jelutong to Kuching to transit before being exported to Singapore. The indigenous people were enthusiastic for the Chinese ceramic ware for their domestic and other uses. The larger jars were even used for burial purposes.

As a result of more land added to the Kingdom of Sarawak, the Brooke Government prospered and the capital,  Kuching became a thriving entrepot in those days.

Baram Tales : Long Boats

This is the Sarawak Medical Department Long boat which travelled up and down the Baram.

My uncle the late Prof Dr Chong Chung Hian went a few times to visit the ulu folks and to assess the public health of the Baram.

Dressers would travel in this kind of long boats. The boat is specially constructed and the roofs can slide lengthwise. It was really a very superb kind of riverine architecture!! Sometimes a whole tree can provide enough lumber for the building of this kind of boat.

The long boat can easily take more than 8 to 10 people, but it can really only comfortably be for 6 people.

 

Baram Tales : Pemancha Wong Kiong Ching

Foochow community leader of Marudi Wong Kiong Ching has been made a second term Pemancha in Marudi.

He was only 4 months old when his parents brought him by sea from Fujian to join relatives in Lubok Nibong and Poyut, in the Baram.

He was fortunate to be able to go to school after the Japanese occupation. He said that during the difficult times of 3 years and 8 months of Japanese Occupation, his parents went to the Kuala Baram area to "cook sea water to make sea salt" The whole journey would take one whole week to paddle to the sea coast, cook the sea water, make salt and then paddle back to Lubok Nibong. 

His parents and other Foochow parents had asked their older children to hide in Sg. Peking among the Ibans, away from the fierce Japanese. He remembers his brother who came home for a short while after more than 3 months in Sg. Peking have very long hair!!

His parents used salt to barter trade with the Ibans for rice. Thus they had rice to eat during the Japanese Occupation.

He saw only ONE Japanese during this childhood in Lubok Nibong. He was a fierce man with a loud voice and he carried a long Samurai sword. He was then about 7 years old.

Today Pemancha at age 86 has very strong and vivid memories of his days in the Baram and Sibu.  He has written quite a bit about the history of Marudi. Being a teacher and headmaster, he has also trained many youths in leadership and management.

Pemancha Wong is a former student of Kwang Hua and Methodist Schools of Sibu. He is a very humble,articulate, and honest Foochow leader.

He is very helpful and kind. He was so happy to find out that I was his school junior (1962-68) although he graduated from Senior Middle Three in 1956 and was taught by the Reverend Dr. Yao Shiao Khing and Mr. Tiang Kwong Poi among many other trail blazers of early teachers in Sibu. The Methodist School in Sibu was founded in 1949.

A former school mate reminded me that the Pemancha truly keeps the Methodist School Motto, "Seek, Find and Serve"

May God bless him and his family always.

 

Baram Tales : Hwang Teck Sii

 Hwang Teck Sii was one of the first Foochow pioneers of Poyut-Lubok Nibong. He had first set foot in Sibu to be with the Foochow settlers there but later he was recruited by Hii Nguong Shern to be part of the 90 Foochow pioneering team of Poyut Lubok Nibong in  1927.

Huang Teck Sii

His Fujian ancestral home was in Minqing 9 Du. By joining Hii Nguong Sherng he opened up more than 10 acres of land for rubber planting. As he was a late comer to Sibu, like Hii Nguong Sherng he was not entitled to  "free land" under the Foochow Settlement Project. In the first five years, he planted rubber for t he settlement and at the same time he was water carrier for the local Malay headman of Kampong Lubok Nibong. He established a very good relationship with the kampong people .

He and the other Foochow pioneers showed their Foochow spirit and character : they were hardworking, full of integrity and honesty. Their words were their honour.

After Hua Nam Primary School was established in 1936, he was the Treasure of the Management Board of the School for many years.

He and his friend established the Sin Hin Rice and Rubber Mill in Lubok Nibong  1952 which became a land mark in the Mid Baram Valley. He joined the Foochow Agro Investment Project and planted more rubber in 1957.

He was married to Wong San Mui and together they had 9 children, 7 boys and 2 girls.

Baram Tales : Government Boats and Native Officers

Photo from  The History of Sarawak. Gutenberg Project. THE "GAZELLE." 
(One of the small Government steamers for river work).

Government steamers used to sail up the Baram, 100 km of water way to come up to Marudi for official businesses. The steamers used coals in the earlier days and much later in the 1930's diesel. The steamers were called Kapal Api, and the Chinese called them Hui Soon, as a direct translation.

These steamers would transport jungle products like rattan from Marudi to Kuching, besides government officers and Native Officers and their families. The Adeh must have been fairly big for in 1890 Charles Hose wrote that the jetty of Marudi was enlarged to accomodate p.s.Adeh.

 Native Officers of Marudi were appointed by  the Rajahs to carry out specific duties very much like information officers of modern days. The Sarawak Administrative Officers were based loosely on the Native Officers' Service.

Datu Sharip Abdul Hamid was of Arab descent. He was born in Simanggang in 1864. In fact his father, Sayyid or Syed Agil was a Native officer too until he passed away in 1916. Datu Sharip Abdul Hamid succeeded his father as Native Officer in the Baram, as requested by the Rajah. Datu Sharip Abdul Hamid had been serving as native Officer in Kuching, Paku and Mukah. He was conferred the title of Datu in 1916 and he retired in 1921. He passed away in 1929.

Besides the famous Datu Sharip Abdul Hamid was Datu Haji Tuanku Abdulrahman  (born 1870 in Simanggang) who was assistant of Datu Sharip Hamid and his business partner.

Datu HajiTuanku Abdulrahman was made Government Agent in 1902 after Datu Sharip Hamid was appointed as Native Officer. He held the post until 1917 when he took over from his mentor Datu Sharip as Senior Native Officer.

He was a brave man who repelled  two Dayak attacks, once in  the Silat and once in the Tinjar in t he "absence of any white officers". He knew the people of the Tinjar well, was knowledgeable about their customs. He had served the government well, with a great of bravery and initiative. 

In 1926 Datu Haji Tuanku Abdulrahman went on a pilgrimage to Mecca and in 1928 he was made a member of the Council Negri. He passed away on 8th June 1932.

(Ref: Sarawak GAzette, Issues 1920-1930, A History of Sarawak, Gutenberg Project)

Baram Tales : Cannons of Marudi

 During the Brooke period of Sarawak history, the cannon was a symbol of power. When one or two were strategically positioned on a hill, or in front of a fort, pointing towards the river mouth, the enemies could easily be frightened off.

Chinese migrants arrived in the Baram fairly early in the 1880's. The Baram was ceded to the Brooke Rajah in 1883 after the English Rajah (or White Rajah) managed to negotiate with the Brunei Sultant that he could pay him $4500 per year (the amount the Sultan expected to collect from his Baram subjects).

With the offing of a fairly peaceful government, more Chinese traders came and they eventually settled down.\

By 1901, two cannons were installed at the front of the Fort Hose, built on a hill on the left bank of the Baram River.

Early photo of Chinese in the Marudi Bazaar - wooden and attap buildings
in the 1950's.

Brooke's Cannon at Fort Hose (Built in 1901)  in Marudi. This photo was taken in 2018.

The word cannon is derived from several languages. Originally the word meant tube, cane or reed.

Cannons were mentioned by the French in the 14th century but they were more often documented and popular during the European wars e.g. Napoleonic Wars.

However earlier mention of cannons could be found in Chinese history as they were already used during the Song Dynasty in the 12th century.

 Marudi was a Brooke administrative centre set up by the first Resident of the Baram,to control the river valley. The Brooke Government was very lucky then as "people could be easily controlled by symbolic tokens" like a flag, a sword, a tongkat etc But nevertheless, the natives of the Baram were subdued by their firearms. A cannon was definitely a huge monstrous weapon or artillery then.

 In 1901, Fort Hose was actually its "government" or Administrative building. Almost all government affairs were conducted from there. And when the Chinese arrived, a bazaar was built next to the river below the Fort. The Chinese traders were only too happy with some kind of rule of law and of course, protection of two cannons and a fort.

So it was the Brooke style to place Two CANNONS in front of a fort, pointing to the river mouth. "And any enemy coming up from the river could be easily sighted and repelled."

Like many other Brooke forts in Sarawak, Fort Hose had two cannons pointing towards the mouth of the Baram. 

Were the Fort Hose Cannons ever fired on invading enemies? No one had ever written about the incidents.

Note : Only the cannon in Fort Margerita was fired regularly at 8 p.m to announce that all guests must leave the Astana and the family of the Rajah would be having dinner. The practice was stopped at 

Baram Tales : Rubber Tapping

Chinese surnames : Tiong and Hii. The third character means Garden.

A chance visit to a kampong house in Bekenu, 20 years ago,  gave me a special encounter with an Iban man who had lots of stories to tell. He said he was born in Marudi but he had no more long house to go back to already. He became a migrant worker in the Baram for years. His life must have been very sad and challenging.

He showed me some of his keepsakes. A charcoal iron, an old photo, an old wallet, an old lampit (mat). Then he had his parang in his old fashioned matted basket. There was an ash tray which I recognised as a rubber latex cup. 

He had tapped rubber for a Chinese family. When he heard that my surname was Tiong, he gave me one of the two bowls he had. He had been using the bowls for his cigarette butts and ashes.

He said, "After the rubber prices went down, my towkay moved to Miri to continue his business and later passed away. His children are all over the world now. I have worked in Marudi, Bekenu and even Miri. Now I am too old and I am staying with my daughter who is married to a Kedayan. "

The latex bowl has marking indicating the rubber garden belonged to two men, a Tiong and a Hii. What a remarkable souvenir.

I presume that their rubber latex bowls were custom made by Ng Sian Hup Pottery of Miri. Ng sian Hup's main branch was in Kerto, Sibu.

latex bowl: the outside is not glazed while the inside is glazed to make it more lasting.

The bowl still looks very new after I have cleaned it up. 

The old Iban man must have been a careful rubber tapper in the olden days and had kept all the rubber tapping equipment with him, the tapper's knives, and even the old lights which he wore around his head.

He was quite a sentimental gentleman by the look of it. 

He also told me that a long time ago the Ibans in Poyut owned a lot of rubber trees as the Rajah encouraged them to grow rubber, but when the prices went down they moved on to work for the Chinese in the timber logging companies in the ulu. He too moved to the logging camps with them.

If you visit a Marudi rubber garden you might still find rubber trees with all their marks of tapping, residue latex on the trees. May be you might even find a few broken latex bowls, sherds and others!!

Some trees are well tapped by the the workers and the cuts are very geometrically beautiful.

Many rubber trees in Lubok Nibong area have been cut down, and fruit trees like durians have been planted in the last 30 years. In fact some landowners have started to grow oil palm.

A glorious era has passed and a new dawn of a prosperous future is in the offing.

God bless all who work hard for the good of the community.

The metal plate to allow the latex to drip into the latex bowl is called spoon or gutter
and in fact you can still buy them in bundles in shops in Marudi and Bekenu.

 The story of rubber tapping in Poyut-Lubok Nibong started in 1920's when Foochows were invited by Rajah Charles Vyner Brooke (Rajah 1918-1946) to start a settlement in the Baram.

Pioneer Hii Nguong Shern recruite 90 Foochows (60 from Sibu and 30 from Fujian) to Mid Baram Valley. 1927 was considered the year they started the settlement of Poyut-Lubok Nibong Foochow Settlement in the Baram.

The Foochows were specially recruited to plant rubber (2000 trees) in 5 years. They were given a loan by the Rajah and they had to pay him back within 5  years. In return, they would be given the land on which they planted the rubber trees. The Third Rajah was hopeful that the group going to the Baram would be as successful as the Sibu group during his father's time.

The new Rajah was not wrong because the Baram Foochows were hardworking and honest people They were successful in rubber planting project and became prosperous. Subsequent generations have been very successful too.

Baram Tales : The Lampit Mat

The Lampit mat is made from good rattan, often specially selected by the maker himself or herself. In the last decade or so it has been extemely hard to look for the rattan SEGA ,which is the best of rattan for lampit making, as it was only found in the undulating hilly and slightly lower lands of the Baram and the Limbang Valleys. 

Belaga a long time ago, before logging came into play, was a centre of rattan trade. Rattan is a very rare commodity now.

However there are actually many different kinds of rattan. Some experts have mentioned that there are more than 50 varieties of rattan and not all of  them are of commercial value.

Mat weavers have been able to find the best of rattans for their art.

My father in law for example in the 1980's would be so happy to bring home a load of rattan sega he found in Sg Bala in the Ulu Baram. He and my sister in law would then process the rattan for days, to get them ready to make a lampit mat or two. The round vines of dried rattan had to be split and dried in the sun. the long vines of rattan would then be rolled up into coils - all properly counted, ready for a certain length of the mat. The rattan would then be marked at suitable intervals for "threading" together.  This poking of small holes in the rattan was tedious and had to be meticulously done. A small twine, or good nylon would be used to piece the rattan together.

In between planting padi and growing and harvesting oil palm, Iban mat weavers would spend their leisure hours making mats for their next generation or for personal use. But with the passing of time and the lost of jungle resources this "household hobby or art" might be lost.

During the Brooke rule, the District Officers and even the Residents of the Baram had documented about sending rattan by government boats to Kuching. (CD Adams for example). Marudi in the 1930's was a trade centre for rattan in the Baram. Kayans and Ibans would bring down their rattan from upriver to be sold. And middlemen or sometimes just the Government Agent to send the shipment of rattan to Kuching. If you can check and read the old issues of  Sarawak Gazette, you can even find the prices of different kinds of rattan!!

This is Chupong who was a good lampit weaver. 

Chupong giving final touches to the edges of the lampit he had made. A lampit can last several generations. 

Photo taken in Rumah Changgai, Ulu Niah

It is a gracious reception for the owner of a bilik (household) in a longhouse if he were to roll out the Lampit mat to welcome visitors.

Ordinary visitors or passersbys would sit on the vinyl covered floor in the ruai (Common hall).

The lampit if made from good rattan like sega is highly valued. Today they fetch good prices but in fact many who make lampit mats do not want to sell their work. To the weavers the mats are their legacy and they will pass them to the younger generations.

 

Marudi : History of the Foochows

 The History of the Foochows of Lubok Nibong started in 1927 when the Charles Vyner Brooke gave the permission for the Foochows to establish a 2000 acre rice and rubber settlement in the Baram. 

Hii Nguong Sherng with the help of a Native Officer, Tuanku Mohammad, met the Rajah and obtained his blessing. Thereafter Hii brought 90 Foochow pioneers, in two batches, 30 were fresh from Fujian while 60 were from Sibu, to the lower valley of the Baram. The bend of the Baram river at Lubok Nibong, was deep enough for sea going vessels. Within 10 years Poyut and Lubok Nibong became a thriving agricultural centre due to the hardworking chartacter of the Foochows. Charles Vyner Brooke was not wrong in trusting the Foochows to build another Foochow Settlement Scheme.

The Foochows established 4 schools in the area and soon Marudi and the surrounding areas started to develop too. While the Foochow landowners have never abandoned their homes, many new generations have moved to better places and even overseas. Many of the original landowners have continued to use the land to grow new crops like durians and other fruits. The rubber trees have long gone and no one plants rice there any more.

Only one shop is operating in the Lubok Nibong Bazaar. The area still has its Foochow Kapitan and Penghulu. The present Pemancha is Wong Kiong Ching who grew up in Lubok Nibong, studied in Sibu and was a teacher in the Baram for many years until he retired.

 A village of Chinese and Malays also sprang up across the river, opposite Marudi town. A primary school was started and rubber was grown, besides rice. The rubber trees were finally abandoned in the 1970;s after  much damage caused by decades of flooding. The Sarawak government moved the Chinese and Malay residents of Kampong Seberang to a new settlement area near the Marudi airport,

The Malay kampongs along both banks of the Baram also developed. The continue to exist to this day.

Marudi : Durian King

The pioneer Hii Nguong Song led two groups of Foochows to settle in Lubok Nibong and Poyut in 1927, with special agreement with the Rajah Brooke. He had done careful research for several years before he decided he could bring his fellow men to the Baram.

The pioneering Foochows responded to the environment, the River Baram and thrived.

This is one of the success stories. A family since 1927 has been close to the land and brought forth results! Huong is third generation of the Pioneer grandfather. His father passed away last year. His children are developing their own businesses and profession outside their farm land.

12.01.2022. 

 It was a great welcome for us from Miri indeed. Durians were already picked and placed in a wheel barrow. We had driven from Miri early in the morning. Reaching Marudi at about 10.30 we visited the Foochow Association and witnessed a lovely demonstration of the Foochow traditional brass band led by Lau Hui Ngo.

We were then invited to a sumptious lunch by the Music Committee chairman, Huong How Ho which included a steamed bertutu fish, a great delicacy.

After lunch we went to visit a durian farm owned by another Huong family. What a glorious welcome for us. My aunt, my cousin and I were given such a warm welcome.

Huong had waited the whole morning for my cousin Chiong Hua to arrive. In Foochow, my aunt and I were just the hangers on for this invitation!! The couple were so warm hearted , generous and sincere. I was deeply touched.

With 12 acres of land inherited from his grandfather, Huong and his wife (from Pulau Keladi Sibu) have done very well in the last few years, taking care of their durian farm.

The family for three generations has been growing the best fruits in this part of Marudi. Durians, mangosteens, langsat and even Chinese dates grow well in this fertile alluvial and undulating hill land.