RBJTimban’s Crib

When dad was as young as six years old, his uncle, the late Augustine Umpu Janting invited him to stay and study in Singapore. Dad had to leave behind his family – his father (my grandpa Naong), mother (grandma Dimah Janting) and his younger siblings (Eddie, Runai, Mawas, Mathew Rajit and Hilary Giang). Since dad stayed and studied in Singapore for quite sometimes, friends and relatives called his father ‘Apai Eddie’ (lit. Eddie’s father) and not ‘Apai Jang [Timban]‘. In Singapore dad grew up together with his first cousins – Terence Morris Janting, James Janting and Doreen Janting. Eventhough dad was ‘physically’ in Singapore, but his heart, mind and soul were in Stambak Ulu. Some friends or relatives thought that dad was adopted by his uncle Augustine Umpu Janting, but in actual fact, he was not. He was still grandpa Edward Naong’s (rightful) child. In my instinct, grandpa Augustine Umpu Janting brought dad up because he felt pity for his sister’s (grandma Dimah Janting) burden who had more children to raise. When dad was matured enough to be on his own he returned to Sarawak to help lessen his parents’ and siblings’ burden. He was attached to Batu Lintang Teachers’ College. Later he was sent to England to attend a two-year course in wood-working. When he came back to Sarawak, he continued guiding BLTC’s trainees in wood-work. While in BLTC, dad married mum and that was around 1962. After a few years in BLTC, dad was offered a post in the Education Department taking charge of development matter. The education department’s office still stands today which is opposite the General Post Office, Kuching, Sarawak.

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Dad had worked and left his longhouse for many years and he was too busy to build his own (family) room in Stambak Ulu. Despite being away from his long house, he never fail to ‘fund’ his parents and siblings whenever they asked for it.

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Dad retired as an Assistant Education Officer in 1972, and took us back to Betong. My siblings and I were still school-going and that made dad and mum decided to buy a house in Betong. His rationale was that he wanted his children to attend school as day-scholars, rather than staying in hostels. Thus, until his demise, dad did not build a room for his family in Stambak Ulu.

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Decades later …

August, 2003 – Mum was anxious with the plan. A couple of years ago, my siblings and I had planned to build ourselves a house, or rather, a family room at our longhouse in Stambak Ulu. In fact, we were urged by our late paternal uncle, Mathew Rajit. Earlier on he had allocated a plot for my siblings and I to build our room. We had rather sufficient material for the work, thus my unc cordinated the work. After much preparation the house was erected. On the first day, all the longhouse folks worked on a communal basis, meaning to say, they had willingly came to help us build the house. We provided the meals all through the day. On the second day and onward, we had to hire the carpenters to continue the previous day’s work. By the fourth day, I noticed that mum was able to smile when the roof of our new house were installed.

This bilik was built when Unc Rajit was the Tuai Rumah

… The house was still incomplete until 19th January 2007, Unc Rajit died a natural death while he paid a visit to his sister’s place (Aunt Mawas). It was too tragic for everyone to accept, especially me. To me, Unc Rajit was an icon, long after my dad died in 1981. I was just beginning to learn how to appreciate myself as a person, an Iban, and a Stambakian.

… Sometimes in early June 2007, a few months after Unc Rajit’s death, the long house elders debated on who should replace him as a new headman. Unc Abit (who is Unc Rajit’s first cousin) insisted that his younger brother, Unc Esley to be the next headman. Unc Abit’s rationale on feudalism kind of leadership, but unfortunately this idea was not welcomed by the other elders. Arguments and dispute built up and the district officers was engaged to elect a new headman. By October 2007, an election was conducted – one vote per door. There were 27 reps (doors) eligible to vote. Unc Esley lost to Mr. Mark Luna 12:15 votes.

… In November 2007, Unc Abit and Unc Esley submitted a petition-like document to the higher authority (ies) to reconsider the vote as invalid, because Unc Esley was more qualified than Mr. Luna. Unc Esley was a retired police officer, whereas, Mr. Luna was a retired labourer.

… In January 2007, after waiting for a couple of months for feedbacks from those authorities, Unc Abit and Unc Esley called for an extra-ordinary meeting among the descendants of Budin “Grasi” (Unc Esley’s voters, and those leaving in other places). His agenda was very specific – to dismantle their present house (attached to the long house administered by Mr. Luna), and then to build a new one on the once original location. Everyone present at the meeting was surprise at their decision. They explained that, they would pay a big fine (according to the Iban Native Court) amounting to RM500 (including a swine, a knife and an earthen jar). During the meeting, Unc Abit asked each and everyone of us present, and when it was my turn to give feedback on his motion, I hesitantly told him that I have to follow his step, i.e. to dismantle our room and move to the original site. When Unc Abit heard that, he told me (and everyone present) that I would be fined not less than RM300 (including a swine, a knife, 10 pieces of earthen plates and an earthen jar). In my case, I should pay lesser than Unc Abit because I was ‘detaching’ our room from the long house, whereas Unc Abit was seen as ‘cutting’ the longhouse into two.

Mum's Bilik