Back to nature: The Bidayuh way

Due to my hectic schedule, I don't have enough time to arrange and manage my thoughts and ideas on Bidayuh life. My weekend's retreat to my kampung gives me the least ideas to write. Well, it's go green and save the environment, the Bidayuh way - "sungkoi tungkus".

My mum would prepare "sungkoi tungkus" everytime I left home, since my younger days till today. Last Saturday  I managed to go back to my kampung to visit my parents. Of course we had to come back to Kuching on Sunday evening. As usual, my mum would prepare our "bekal". We love it because we don't have to cook when we reach our home in Kuching.

"Sungkoi tungkus" is cooked rice wrapped in leaves. It is not just any leaf (I need to check the name/scientific name). The different Bidayuh communities would have different ways of doing it. Since my mum is from Bau, she would do it the Jagoi way but she is also able to do it the Sadong way. There is a difference between the two ways.



So, any environmentalists out there, learn from the Bidayuh on  how to conserve and preseve the environment. The used leaves are bio-degradeable and don't contribute to pollution. After your meal you don't have to do any washing, JUST THROW THEM. Very easy eh? Not plastic containers and poly packs. The leaves are free of charge too. What you have to do is look for them.

I'm not the only one who  love it, my kids too. They love the taste, smell and uniqueness of the rice. My son, once requested my wife to do it for him for his "bekal" to school. Well, you know the answer.

If you want to try it, just pay me a visit (but I have to take you to my parents). "Bidapud lagi..."

Tebedu: Yesterday & Today.

Tebedu, a sleepy small border town (I prefer to use 'bazaar')  has attracted both domestic and international attention. Sometimes  ago, after  the State Legislative Election, the sleepy town had rocked the nation (probably the world) with its news related to logging activities in a few kampung. Recently, once again it was highlighted for its Inland Port issue. Today, it appears again but for good reason. I could not resist but to share my memories. So, it gives an idea for my entry after a long break.

Back to the 50s and 60s (according to my father), it was an international trading centre. Going upriver, it was the last trading 'post' after Tebakang. It is situated along a small Suhu River, a tributary of Kayan River (down river after Serian, it is known as Sadong River). It had served both the local (Sarawakian) and Indonesian Bidayuh communities for a very long time. They travelled either by boats or on foot. The villagers from Tema, Sungan and Sejijag would use boats whereas those from Temong, Ntubuh and other Indonesian villages would be on foot. Villagers would spend the nights along the five foot ways and the river banks because they could not make it a day trip. It was alive. Besides getting their basic needs the villagers also would work for the Chinese 'towkays'. They would transport rubber, pepper, engkabang and other jungle produce down the river to Tebakang. Tebakang was their destination because the road from Serian stopped there. From Tebakang, the goods would be transported by lorries. According to my father, they would transport the rubber by using bamboo rafts whereas pepper would be transported in boats (they could not afford to get them wet). Chinese New Year was always celebrated together. The Chinese towkays would invite the villagers to Tebedu. The villagers would come to celebrate the "Gawai Bisina" (Chinese Festival) together. The five-foot way was the place. Food and drinks would be laid out similar to the longhouse way. Those were the brief stories from my father.

In the mid 70s, I experienced spending my early education in this very small sleepy bazaar. In 1976, I stepped my foot in SRK Tebedu (now SK) for my primary one class. At the age of six (not yet 7), I had to stay at the boarding house because there is no school in my kampung (to this day). This was quite an experience. First, my age, second, the sad condition of the hostel in those days. I just did what the others were doing, waking up in the morning, general cleaning, washing, breakfast and going to class, without really knowing why I was there. Our daily meals only consists of pumpkins, noodles, canned sardine and salted fish. These was because there was no electricity supply and there was no way fresh or frozen food could be served. The menu consisted of the combination of only two: either pumpkin plus sardine or noodle plus sardine. If we had pumpkin + sardine for lunch then we would have noodle + sardine for dinner. Repeated for the whole week (weeks, months and years). Just imagine how malnourised we were. Weekend stay would be the worst- salted fish (kembong) for lunch and dinner because our cook was too lazy to come and prepare our lunch and dinner. She (hehe) would fry the kembong and cook rice early on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Food was cooked by using firewood. Who supplied the woods? We did! We had to look for firewood in the afternoon and weekends. We endured for SIX YEARS. Longer than the  Japanese Concentration Camp!!!

The town itself was alive especially on Sundays. Since the Bidayuh in this area are mostly Catholic, Sundays are off-days. In the 70s, the villagers stopped using Suhu River to get to Tebedu. On Sundays, the Chinese would wait for villagers from Kampung Tema to bring the jungle and farm produce in Kampung Sa'an. Sa'an was the transit point because there was no road to Kampung Tema yet. The Chinese lorries were waiting to transport rubber, pepper, banana and other jungle produce back to Tebedu. The villagers would use the lorries to Tebedu to spend their money to get their basic needs. Salt and salted fish were in high demand among the farmers. The Chinese would give them another free ride back to their repective villages. Those were the days when the relationship between the Chinese and the locals were very close (actually to this day).

Back to my own experience. We used to "lepak" at the town after school and during weekends. On weekdays, the town was very quiet with very minimum activities going on. The local villagers were on their farms. The 'dwellers' were the Indonesians and us. It was very common to see Indonesians in town. They traded rottan mats and other jungle produce. They would bring back lots of salt and biscuit tins (unsure what's inside). According to them, they had to walk for a week or  more to reach Tebedu. Beside the boarders (the word we used to refer to students staying in the boarding house), the other kids were from the nearby police station, children of the police and border scouts personnel. Even those from the nearby Tebedu village were seldom seen around. There was nothing much to see. Recalling it today, I am not sure what really attracted us in those days. May be that was the only civilization available. There was nothing else to do in the hostel and school. No library no extra classes. School was strictly teaching and learning from 7.30 am to 12.30 pm. THAT'S ALL.  To overcome boredom, there we were, loitering around the bazaar, full of emptiness. Once a while we would scavange the dump site looking for thrown away toys and anything that we could treat as toys.

The Suhu River was once our bathing place. Our school was not only unequipped with electricity but also water supply. We would go to Suhu everytime during dry season. Our water tank was strictly for cooking and washing utensils. There is (because it is still there) a stream nearby the school but due to the muddy and murky water, we preferred Suhu.

My attachment with Tebedu is as strong as ever, from now and then I will visit it. Once a while I will drive all the way to the clinic passing by the two rows of wooden shophouses. It is a sad moment, passing by the near deserted bazaar. Once a while, I would purposely walk into the shops. Looking at the dust accumulated, I know that business is not as good as the 50s, 60s and 70s. I reconised the faces appeared in today's paper, they look very old and lament that business is not as good as before. The villagers prefer to go to Serian (by-passing Tebakang). Suhu is overgrown with bushes and shrubs. I do not think anyone is using it both for transporting goods and bathing.

SK Tebedu has transformed. Recently new buildings were built at the site where our football field was situated. Our hostel had long gone. The old wooden walls of the classrooms had been replaced with concrete. Everytime we passed by, on our way to the new township, I would point to my kids where certain buildings used to be and where we used to spend our childhood. They seemed not interested with my story. They never experienced the concentration camp lifestyle.With good road and transportation system, kids from my kampung no longer study in this school. They go to the nearby school. The school is also having proper electricity and water supply. The boarders are now having proper meals and good food. It looks like a school, not a concentration camp.

This year, Tebedu has created history in the country's education institution. It has its own secondary school. It started its operation this year in January 2011. Secondary school students no longer have to go to SMK Taee and Tebakang.

The Sarawak-Kalimantan border is a very busy transit point. Transaction in million ringgit is happening everyday. Goods are transported in containers and trailers. We do not see Indonesians carrying the rottan mats and high-stack biscuit tins anymore. People from both sides are crossing the border in thousands a day in both commercial and private vehicles.

Trying to balance and rationalise the changes is not an easy thing. Part of Tebedu is diminishing while another part is developing. The old wooden bazaar is in such a deplorable condition while the new township, the border town is modernising. One aspects of the social life is slowly forgotten while another aspect is developing. Whatever happens, my memory with Tebedu is still as fresh and vivid as ever. "Bidapud lagi".




The old wooden shop.




The unoccupied police station




The new SMK Tebedu



Wedding the kampung way. No thanks to RSVP

Wedding in my kampung is the villagers' business. It involves all level of the community. Nobody will 'exclude' themselves from it, starting from the simplest chores of hanging the decorative lightings to the most complicated, slaughtering the animals. This is another very merry activity in my kampung. It involves quite a simple protocol. The head of the family or the representative will announce in church a week or two before the event. That's all, no invitation card! All are welcome starting from the preparation till the dinner. Basically, it is a kampung event not just the bride or groom's family.

The work will start at 8.00 am (the unofficial standard time for any "gotong royong" in my village). The 'host' just appoint leaders according to the work. Roughly the villagers will be divided according to their expertise or volunteer basis. The groups will do works such as slaughtering and chopping up the animals (meat), preparing and cooking the vegetable, cooking the meat, putting up the tents (if the longhouse is not used) and finally the musical instrument (compulsory now a days). The men will usually take the slaughtering and chopping work. This is done at the river bank. This is the luckiest group. The internal organs will be bbqed and cooked on the spot by this group. They will eat as they work! Sometimes a few will 'sponsor' hard drinks. So, they really enjoy their work. The second group is the cook. This is of course taken by the women. They will start their work by preparing the vege; washing and cutting. They will also have to wait for the meat from the men. Usually the men will finish their job at around 10 or 11 am. Chicken and pork are ready to be cooked, they are chopped and sliced just nice for the menu. In my kampung fish, beef and mutton could be considered as unknown to the villagers unless they have special request to cater certain groups especially if they have Muslim family members. In this case outside cooks are needed and the work is not done by the villagers (we have the 1Malaysia concept way before PM announced it).

The women are not as lucky as the men. Infact they do more work than men (as usual). They have to prepare the cooking utensils, controll the fire and prepare the different dishes according to the host's request. Usually the supervisor is from the host family members and the menu is discussed earlier. They will work till afternoon, maybe around 2 pm. This group will also prepare lunch. Again, the villagers will have free lunch. It is not from the dinner's menu. Some internal organs and parts of the animals will be cooked for lunch. It is simple and light but when eaten in groups...anything is tasty, with joking and teasing going on.

Another group will get ready the decorative lightings and the musical instrument. This is usually done by the teenagers (both boys and girls) and usually the family members will do most of it. Putting up the tent is done a day earlier by close relatives and friends.

Cooking is mostly done by firewood. It is very economical. Gas is expensive now a days and it is not advisable to use it considering the volume of food prepared. Firewoods are collected weeks before the event. This is done by close relatives and friends.

My kampung is lucky because we have a complete set of cooking utensils, all belongs to the Women's Institute (they called it WI). I'm not sure whether WI is the same as 'Perkumpulan Wanita'. Everything, the 'kawah' (a big wok), pots, plates, cups and even spoons. The WI have a very good record that they can detect any missing utensils. Recently they were given collapsable tables, I think 10 (All were donated by Datuk Richard Riot. Thank you Datuk).

The night, the dinner is open to all, even to those from nearby villages. No invitation card is needed. The event usually starts at 8.00 (another standard time). Besides the parents and close relatives, the most important person is actually the kampung prayer leader. He decides the starting of the event, if he's on time, fine, but sometimes he's a bit late, so everyone has to wait. He is the one who will say the prayer and bless the couple (doesn't take the role from priest), the family members, the villagers and finally the food. It is a free sitting. Usually there is no table, only stools and a clean floor. So, you can sit anywhere you feel comfortable. I used to go for the floor. Food is usually served but once a while the guests will queue up for the food (buffet). Makan makan makan, next is the merry making session, the live band will play soft and sentimental songs during the eating time. At around 9, makan time is considered over (food is still plentyful), the tempo changes to fast; joget, dangdut, cha cha and rock n roll, the floor is all yours. This will last till the wee hour depending on how long the band boys and the guests can last (dancing and drinking).

The wedding ceremony actually belongs to the villagers. They are very much involved in the whole process in preparing it. Starting from working and enjoying it. This is the best event that is able to unite the villagers. No one is excluded. The host just have to prepare the 'things', the rest is up to the villagers. They have to prepare everything properly because they are the guests themselves, nobody else.

The following day is another working day, washing and cleaning up and also sharing the left over food(still in good condition). Again they will have free lunch!

I hope this tradition will go on (even better-forever). Some quarters from outside my kampung disagree with it saying that there is no 'standard' (prestige) to it, sitting on the floor, eating from rice wrapped in leaves but some praise it because it is very economical and no protocol at all. Everyone enjoys it. Whatever it is, different areas, different minds will have different ways of doing it. Some go for prestige and reputation (hotels are better) on the other hand, some go for simplicity and cost (my kampung is better!!!). Anyway,  "Bidapud lagi"...



Waiting for what to cook.




Cooking time...observe, firewoods are used.




Makan time, in this wedding, it's buffet.



Gawai: The past and present.

I still remember how we used to celebrate Gawai in the 1970s. Relatives from other villages would come, stayed with us to celebrate the festival for a few days. I could only recall the 70s because my memory starts somewhere there. My grandfather and my father told me that Gawai was not celebrated as how it is today, it was celebrated with traditional activities. In those days ( I don't know when), there was no such thing as open house or visiting from house to house. This is because basically there was only ONE VERY LONG HOUSE. Visitors were relatives from the surrounding villages. In those days, Gawai was not celebrated on June 1 but it was decided by the villages themselves. After thorough discussion among the villagers and "discussion" with the spirits, the days were fixed. Therefore, Gawai was celebrated and shared with other villages. Usually it was after harvesting season.

Gawai was a "night event". I say so because the merry making only occured during the night, all night long. During the day? Well everyone was asleep, till the evening. The activities would be repeated the following nights. Food and drinks were served at the verandah of the longhouse, so, there was no need for individual house visits; no open house.

What were the "merry making" activities? Along the longhouse verandah, there would be more than one set of gong. At the interval of maybe 10 doors there would be another set. The main event of course was the "Belanggi". As far as I could remember, the elderlies really enjoyed this. They would comment the moves, who were more graceful. To me all the moves were similar, I couldn't detect any difference, who could do better than the other. There would also be the "birayun". This is a song, very melodious. It contains "pantun"; praising while asking questions. The men vs. the women. The losers were those who could not produce accurate impromptu response. The ability to rhyme the words in lines is another challenge in "birayun". The other party would laugh and mock the opponent if they failed to fulfill the criteria. Besides that of course the Bidayuh also borrowed the Sarawak Malay's "nopeng". In those days they didn't use cd to dance or 'joget' but "gendang". Again someone who were good in pantun would sing and the rest would get up and dance. The Malay "silat" and the Bidayuh "kuntau" would also be presented. Some were genuinely good but others were merely doing it for fun. Laughter was the main motive. So, merry making involved all levels of ages in the long house.

Drinks? There would be no laughter if the celebrants were 'normal' (not intoxicated). Well, "tuak" (fermented rice wine) was the main drink. The folks would comment on the taste and 'kick' of the tuak served. As we know some tuak are sweet some are sour and some are just nice. It all depends on how they are prepared. According to those who used to prepare it, they have to observe certain rules and regulations (pantang) while preparing the "tuak". There were no carbontaed drinks, syrup or even wine. It was only "tuak" and "kopi o".

Things started to change gradually. With many longhouses being demolished to give way to a more well-planned villages, the celebration also changed. Activities are getting more individualistic. Each family no longer celebrate Gawai together with relatives from other villages because the time is set on June 1 and maybe goes on to the most is 3 days. The night activities are more concentrated in the community halls, with different events; beauty contest, stage performances (singing and dancing) and open dance floor with live bands or cds. Since it is not a spiritual and ritual festival, the respect for Gawai is also diminishing. It is only a festival for enjoyment.

With roads connecting villages, relatives no longer spend the night with other relatives. Gawai is slowly transforming into a 'day event', similar to Hari Raya, Chinese New Year and other festivals. The main activity is open house and visiting.

The rituals are done but they are just acting. The "sadih" (altar for offerings to the spirits) are set up merely for decoration. Blessing for a better harvest is done by Christian priests and not by Pagan priests. In villages with longhouses, some still try to mantain the practice of "belanggi" but the "birayun", "nopeng" and "kuntau" were all gone. Most of the nights are mostly used for dancing. Modern means of entertainment are adopted; lucky draw, beauty contest and karaoke. Gawai no longer involved all. Those who are too shy to dance and sing will be merely spectators. For the youngsters, it is a 'drink till you drop' event. For those with hypertension will slowly 'disappear' into their houses and enjoy tv.

Gawai has indeed transform according to time. Is this 'modernisation' of Gawai good for the community, culture and identity of the Bidayuh? Should we transform according to time for survivor? Well, everything evolves and transforms according to time, that is why we have terms such as 'history', 'memory', 'antique' etc. Nothing lasts forever. To know the past, we have to research and study history and anthropology. "Bidapud lagi".





A Pagan Priest performing the ritual.



A Catholic Priest performing the blessing.



The modern way of preparation.

The Pagan ritual preparation.



Teachers Day today, A TEACHER FOREVER (Amen).

We celebrated our Teachers Day today. It was a grand event organised by the Students Council (Prefect) and PERTENO (Six formers). It was different from the previous years; the arrangement of students and teachers, the flow, the gimmicks, the concept and even the speech from the head girls was different. She showed maturity in the content. A few teachers realised the difference in the speech. Usually less attention is given to speeches in most events, but this morning's speech from the head girl was TRUELY different. The teachers were paying attention to her speech. She is quite a quiet girl, soft spoken and gentle.

The most touching part was the song played when the principal was cutting the  "pulut kuning" (yellow glutinous rice). Out of a sudden. I never expect to hear that song again. It's been years. I still remember the lyrics VERY WELL. It goes like this:

HARI PERTAMA MASUK SEKOLAH

TAK PANDAI MEMBACA MENGIRA

TETAPI CIKGU BEGITU TABAH

MENGAJAR KAMI SUNGGUH-SUNGGUH.

BERMULA ABC SAMPAI Z

KIRA SATU SAMPAI SEPULUH

BARU EJAAN DAN KIRA-KIRA

KAMI BELAJAR DENGAN TABAH

BERKAT KESABARAN GURU BIJAKSANA

MEMBERI BERBAGAI PETUNJUK

HARI DEMI HARI

KAMI PUN MENGERTI

PELAJARAN NILAINYA TINGGI.

KAMI INGAT SETIAP MASA

JASA GURU MENDIDIK BANGSA

DENGARLAH INI UCAPAN KAMI

TERIMA KASIH CIKGU...

Why is this particular song gives lump in my throat? It reminds me of my first year teaching in SK Long Pillah, Baram. I just held my tears with lump in my throat as I tried to sing along with the students. My early years as a teacher was the most momerable and treasured part of my teaching life. That was when you were really appreciated and felt important.

I still remember clearly it was June 1989 I started my life as teacher. I was accepted to do my training in Rajang Teachers College (MPR) in Sarikei. I went there by express boat from Kuching to Sarikei. After two years I was posted to a very alien place-Long Pillah, Baram. The "Long" is enough to give chill to any teacher-to-be. Many even asked for transfer before setting their foot there. Young, energetic and enthusiastic, I took the challenge.

In late November 1991, I set my foot in Marudi town after taking the long Kuching-Miri-Marudi connecting flights. In those days, the school term started in December. In Marudi I met my new friends, all from Kuching. The four young men were my colleagues; three "Wans": Wan Sulaiman and Wan Mohd Halik (both from Sejingkat), Wan Alek (Sebuyau) and Mohd Sahari (Perumahan Petra Jaya). Sahari later gave himself a "wan" title too (Sahari-One Day-Wan Day). That's the beginning of our bond.

Meeting the students for the first time was really an unforgetable experience, especially the year one. They had never been to pre-school. So, their first year was their pre-school. Everything from zero. They were very clean and pure. The only language they knew was Kayan. Just imagine trying to teach English and muzik to this young and enthusiastic kids. This was the time when I developed my own sign language; "eyes" (ponting to my eyes), the whole class did so, pointing to their eyes and said "EYES". How cute they were. I had to teach verbs too. "Stand up", "Sit down", "Walk" etc. I was puzzled and confused whenever I said "Sit down" the whole class burst into laughter. Luckily there was a boy who knew Malay quite well. He told me that the word was obscene and it's a taboo for them to say it. Guess what? "Sit" means the female genitalia! Oh my God! At first I was "freeze". How am I going to teach this word? Everytime I commanded them to settle down/"sit" down, the boys would laugh whereas the girls would giggle. Then I told the boy who understood Malay that I was teaching English, not Kayan. So, the "sit" is "melok" (Kayan for sit down) not the taboo word. Fuh...that's really an experience for a new English Language teacher. After that, they accepted the word 'openly', no more laughter and giggle.

Besides English I was teaching muzic and PE (PJ) too. For those who are unfamiliar with primary school world, teachers could be assigned to teach and do anything under the sun. NEVER REJECT WHAT THE GURU BESAR ASKED YOU TO DO. PE meant football and telematch, no other skills. Teaching muzic was also very interesting. Radio was not working most of the time. Why? No electricity supply! Dry cells (battery)? Sometimes out of stock. So we did it without any musical instrument. Later I bought a guitar in Marudi. Yeah...With my limited knowledge and skills I impressed the kids with it. One of the songs we used to sing was that particular song up there. That was a 'mandatory song' we introduced in year one. That was the reason why I choked when it was played this morning. It was our 'sacred song'. All the kids appeared in my mind, my memory ran back to the young kids in Long Pillah 20 years ago. I could remember clearly and vividly. Nothing is missing to this day.

With FB, we are establishing out network, contacting each other. They are everywhere, one girl even ended up in the US. They showed their children. I thought I remember them well but I was wrong. I still remember them as they were 20 years ago. Seeing them in FB, I couldn't recognise them. I have to recollect who is who by the photos in their album. Time flies really fast. I thought I was still as young and energetic but grey hair starts to appear and my three children are nearly as tall as me. Then I realised that I am not as young as before. But my time in Marudi, Long Lama, Long Pillah and sometimes I went up to Long Kesseh and Long Na-ah, were still fresh, as if they were yesterday. I can still remember the time we went picnicing with the kids, harvesting padi with the villagers, spending nights at their "sulap" (hut) and getting to know a few Penans  during weekends.

Experience living in Long Pillah can never ever be obtained if I rejected the posting. I never regretted going there. May be one day we will go back there with the "wans" to meet our foster families. God's willing. Bidapud lagi...

The unique /ɯ/ vowel sound in the Bidayuh dialects.

I have been listening to readings of the Bible since I was young and I still listen to it now and than whenever I went back to my kampung. Everytime while listening, I will be attracted to the words being pronounced by the readers (plus the content of course). The pronunciation tells me how complicated vowel sounds of the Bidayuh Language could be. Certain words are not pronounced as how they are spelt. In Bahasa Malaysia, there are only six vowel sounds; /a/, /ə/, /e/, /I/, /o/ and /u/. In the Bidayuh Language, there is a unique sound which is only found in the Bukar-Sadung (Serian), Singgai (Bau), Biatah (Penrissen), Bianah and Pinyewa (Padawan). This particular vowel sound is missing in the Jagoi dialect (Bau). This unique vowel sound is /ɯ/.

The diagram below shows the position of the vowel sound /ɯ/. This sound is next to the vowel sound /u/. The vowel sound /u/ is pronounced with a rounded lips, whereas in /ɯ/ the lips are relaxed (spread) without moving the articulatory organs especially the tongue and the air passage around the velum.

The Vowel Phonetic Alphabet of the International Phonetic Association (IPA)

This unique sound has created difficulty in getting the correct pronunciation especially the non-speaker of the mentioned dialects. Since Bidayuh Language has no writing system of its own, it has to rely on the Roman alphabets and the Bahasa Malaysia pronunciation system, that is syllabic in nature.

The earliest written document in Bidayuh was the Bible. They were written by the 'western priests'. They had substantial knowledge of the different dialects, ranging from Lundu to Serian and to the most remote areas of Lundu, Bau, Serian and Padawan Districts. This early written document was written based on the priests' perception on the pronunciation system. They were not linguists. They were having problem on how to spell certain words because of the unique vowel sound that is not found in both English and Bahasa Malaysia. A few of the words are listed below with the meanings:

1. aduh (available/present)
2. mbuh (already/done)
3. ntubuk/tubuk (see/seen)
4. ijun (just now/ a moment ago)
5. batuh (depending on the pronunciation: stone or eyes)
6. sante (saint)

To overcome mispronunciation, these early writers introduced a letter to differentiate the /u/ from the /ɯ/ sound. Mispronunciation can give a totally different meaning and as a result the idea of the text will be distorted. For example the word 'aduh' if mispronounced will become the expression of pain and usually be written with an exclamation mark: 'aduh!'. The letter 'ŭ' was used to show that the 'u' is pronounced as /ɯ/. Here I use the term 'alternative spelling to refer to this alphabet. With this alphabet, readers who are familiar with the dialects will pronounce the word as /adɯh/. Some writers try to overcome the problem by changing the spelling. The /ɯ/ sound will be replaced by 'e'. As a result of this the word 'aduh' will become 'adeh' and pronounced as /adəh/. The reader who proficient in the dialects will still pronounce the word as /adɯh/ because they know the dialect well. So, by changing the spelling will only make the non-proficient speakers to pronounce the word wrongly. This is because the vowel sound /ɯ/ and /ə/ are two distinct vowel sounds.

The word 'ntubuk' is problematic because the two letter 'u' if mispronounced will make the word meaningless. The first 'u' is pronounced as /u/ whereas the second one is /ɯ/. So, it should be pronounced as /ntubɯk/. The alternative spelling of this word is 'ntubŭk. Another example is the word 'ijun'. It is pronounced as /Ijɯn/ and this word is attached with the word 'neh' (/nəh/). The alternative spelling will be 'ijŭn neh'.

The word 'batuh' has two problems when readers who are unfamiliar with the dialects read a Bidayuh text. The word if pronounced as /batuh/ means 'stone' whereas if pronounced as /batɯh/ means 'eyes'. Since both words exist in Bidayuh, the readers have to get the context to get the right pronunciation. The alternative spelling is 'batŭh'.

The letter 'u' is not the only confusing letter in a Bidayuh text. Another letter is 'e'. 'Sante' is a borrowed word from Spanish (Latin?), 'Santo' (Saint). In the Bukar-Sadung dialect, this word is pronounced as /santɯʔ/. Since this is a borrowed word, some pronounce it as /sante/ (even without the glottal stop).

The Bible written in the Jagoi-Singgai dialect is written in the Jagoi dialect. In this case, the problem arises among the Singgai speakers; in determining the correct pronunciation of the letter 'o'. In Singgai not all words with 'o' is pronounced as /o/. The readers have to determine whether to pronounce the vowel as /o/ or /ɯ/. Some of the words spelt according to the Jagoi pronunciation are as follows:

1. boton (eyes)
2. mboh (already/done)
3. idoh (no)
4. ko-ot (tight)
5. songot (black)

Unlike the Bukar-Sadung, there is no alternative spelling in Singgai to differentiate the two vowel sounds. The word 'boton' is a good example whereby not all 'o' is pronounced as /ɯ/. The first 'o' is still pronounced as /o/ but the second one is /ɯ/. The table below shows the different pronunciation between the Jagoi and Singgai dialects in relation to the letter 'o'.

The written form	Jagoi	Singgai
mboh	/mboh/	/mbɯh/
idoh	/idoh/	/idɯh/
Ko-ot	/koʔot/	/kɯʔɯt/

The reader must be very familiar with the dialect itself in order to be able to differentiate between the /u/ and /ɯ/ and /o/ and /ɯ/ sounds. How do we rectify this problem? Should we reintroduce to the alternative spelling using 'ŭ' as in Bukar-Sadung or just go on using 'u' and 'o'? If we choose the latter, we have to be very familiar with the dialects to get the correct pronunciation. In English and a few other languages, the pronunciation does not follow the spelling and not even syllabic. For example the 'ough' in 'cough', 'dough', 'tough' and 'plough' are pronounced differently. If the reader is incompetent in English, he will mispronounce the words.

My opinion...we should not create any 'letter' or symbol to represent the /ɯ/ vowel sound. The Bidayuh language will be very interesting to explore as what English, French, Spanish and other languages have offered us. Create a bit of headache to learn Bidayuh. The diverse lexical items is another interesting area to explore and I try to share a little bit on this. The differences in lexical items do not occur inter districts but intra districts, diversity happens even among the neigbouring villages. In Tema stomach is /naʔIh/ but it is /putuŋ/ in Tebedu, which is only a few kilometers away. Even the word 'Bidayuh' is never pronounce as /bIdajuh/ among the Bidayuh community, it is pronounced as /bidəjɯh/ in Bukar, Sadung, Biatah, Bianah and Pinyewa. It is /bIdojoh/ in Jagoi and /bIdojɯh/ in Singgai. Very interesting eh? Bidapud lagi...  

The Legacy of Bung Bratak

On 1 May every year, the Bidayuh in Tembawang Sauh will see pilgrims going up Bung Bratak. 'Bung' means mountain or hill top. So, Bung Bratak means the top of Bratak Hill. The name Tembawang Sauh also carries a historical significance. 'Tembawang' means an old settlement, ususally a few 'splinter' villages break away from it. In the Sadung dialect, this is known as 'mawang'. That is why we have villages called Mawang Taup, Tema Mawang, Temong Mawang (sounds familiar), Tubih Mawang etc. In Sadung, the opposite of 'mawang' is 'plaman'; a new settlement. So, we have Plaman Nyabet, Tubih Plaman, Plaman Sa'an etc. O.k. back to Tembawang Sauh. 'Sauh' (Souh) means burnt. So, by now can you guest what 'Tembawang Sauh' means? Yes, it means 'burnt settlement'. Who burned it?

According to the written statement found at the site, a few centuries ago (probably more than 700 years ago), a group of adventurers from Sungkong in Kalimantan wandered to find green pastures. In those days there wasn't any Kalimantan (Indonesia) or Sarawak (Malaysia). There was only an island only with perhaps communal boundaries. These adventurers (imagine the wild west movies) reach the peak of a fertile hill and decided to make it their settlement. They named their village Bung Bratak.

Fast forward...the village was attacked by marauders in around 1838. These raiders were from Skrang. Hundreds were enslaved. Panglima Kulow, with the help of James Brooke recaptured Bung Bratak in 1841. According to the info released by Bung Bratak Foundation, there are 30 villages originated from Bung Bratak. They spread all over Bau and Lundu Districts and even one in Padawan. These villages still recognise Bung Bratak as their place of origin or 'tembawang'.

Going to Bung Bratak is not that challenging. It 's a 20-25 minute walk. Depending on your state of health and stamina. I even came across a grand ma, perhaps around 80 years old and a mother carrying a baby going up the hill. But a word or warning, I observed a few youngsters who were gasping for air. May be they had taken a bit of 'tuak' or they are heavy smokers. Forgive me, may be I am a kampung boy, so it was not much of a problem going up the hill. For your info, I'd been to Gunung Jerai, Gunung Santubong, Mulu and the nearest is Singgai, yeaah...

On 1 May, the cultural groups from a few villages will put up their best dress and present their traditional dances. A  ritual is performed by a traditional priest. It is a simple but interesting event.



The young performers doing the 'belanggi'

 

The traditonal priest preparing the 'sadis'



Bung Bratak is suitable for us to take a break from the hectic city life and just to break our routine. You will see a nice view if you reached the peak at around 7.30 am. Really amazing, never know that we have such a view. Actually it's facing the Singgai area; Mts Singgai and Serapi.

 

 The 'sea' from the hilltop

The experience on top of Bratak was very sentimental. I walked around the area trying to imagine where the houses, the baruk and the 'playground' were. I imagined the young kids running around where I stood. It was early in the morning, perhaps the maidens were on their way to the washing area where the 'ayak' were, to do their morning chores and perhaps the men were still sitting around me smoking their leaf cigars.

I left Bung Bratak with 1001 "perhaps" and perhaps hundreds of years to come my generation will imagine where I once stood with my camera. "Bidapud lagi..."


"How will my future be..."