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Category: Culture

Bisaya Fables

Some Bisaya Folk Lore The scene of this story is the Klias Peninsula situated on the west coast of North Borneo opposite Labuan Island. After crossing the beautiful beach with its palm trees there is a huge swamp with a tangled mass of impenetrable mangrove, nipah and sago. It is

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September 8, 2022 No Comments

Bidayuh

Land Dayaks of the Sadong District Sarawak 1936 Tom’s note: This is a long one, so grab a cup of tea and enjoy!  The Sadong Dayaks say they came over from Dutch Borneo about 18-20 generations(according to Western observers, a generation is a time from birth to reproductive age, 20

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September 4, 2022 No Comments

Rail Roads Coal and Infrastructure in Kuching

Tom’s note: This account about the infrastructure of Sarawak is probably one of the most unintentionally hilarious histories of the times of the Second Rajah Brooke.  Coal Outcrops of coal existed at Silantek and along the Sadong river. Mr St John was dispatched to explore the coal findings. However, he

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August 31, 2022 No Comments

Teochew Temple in Kuching Centre

The Hiang Thian Siang Ti Temple in Kuching Many thanks to John Tan for his kind assistance in helping me understand the Chinese temples. The Hiang Thian Ti temple, on Carpenter Street, was first built in 1863 by the Teochew immigrants as a house of worship for the Deity of

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August 17, 2022 No Comments

Bidayuh Old Custom

Tom’s Note: This old custom has a much deeper meaning. The Malay, whom the Land Dyaks honour, is half Royal Blood and half land Dayak. I am not sure if the author means Bidayuh or another Land Dayak. Black flags are seen on some fishing boats on the river outside

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August 14, 2022 No Comments

Dayak Ghost Story

Kumang Kidundung by Sunga Tom’s Note: This tale comes from the Bidayuh in the Serian district. Kumang, in the Dayak world, are spirits among the people. This story tells an interaction between one of those spirits, Antu Puah, and a Dayak named Kidungdung. Kumang Kidundung One day Kaleng went out

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August 6, 2022 No Comments

Sandakan 1894

The Sandakan Diary Tom’s Note: The founder’s wife of Sandakan, located on Sabah’s east coast, wrote this small diary in 1894. Bajau Legend The Sultan of Johore had a beautiful daughter that was betrothed to the Sultan of Sulu. When the time came, a large fleet was assembled to escort

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July 27, 2022 No Comments

Dusun Proverbs

Tom’s Note: Here are some fun proverbs from the Dusun people of Sabah. Are there any similarities between Malay, Chinese or other languages? Some Dusun Proverbs and Proverbial Sayings 1. “One way or the other, when defeated becomes ashes when winning becomes charcoal a man engaged in a lawsuit. There’s

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July 20, 2022 No Comments

Datu Merpati: A Fable?

Tom’s Note: Here is an oral history of Datu Merpati. He is a person who, it was said, ruled Sarawak sometime in the 1700s and who many of the current and past rulers have traced their lineage. Much of it is fantasy except for one item the Sultan of Brunei

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July 17, 2022 No Comments

The Kut: Connecting the Egan and Oya Rivers

Tom’s Note: Connecting the upper Oya and Egan rivers in Sarawak is a man-made canal called a Kut. It was first built in the late 1790s and has been modernized and dredged since then. Here are a couple of stories telling the origins of the Kut. Early History of the

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July 13, 2022 No Comments
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