About Kadayan ... part 6

Written by Amde sidik

Kadayan's land?

One evening I received a call from Sarawak, from Sarawak? Not particularly far if you are living in Sindumin. To find out where the location is, you just have to go to the main road that leads to Lawas. Just before passing Merapok thereby, a police station, that police station I would say is situated half way between Sabah and Sarawak.



Brooke rule in Sarawak 1839-1946
James Brooke, Charles Brooke and Vyner Brooke

The call wasn’t really from Sarawak. However, the person who made the call was from Sarawak, three of them were already in Kota Kinabalu wanting to see me. Wonder what was this? It’s something to do with Kadayan’s they said.

I told them that I would be with them after Isya.

I was greeted when I arrived at the hotel; I have not met the rest except one. One of them was Orang Tua Kampong.

They brought with them a bundle of document-papers¹ and maps-alike, only later I found not all were for me.

To cut the story short, it goes like this: the spokesman said. “ We Kadayan had been given some 5,000 acres of land in Sarawak, that is in Lawas by the government dated back in 1880s, and the documents were handed down to us. May be you cared to interpret for us, whether we have the right to claim and how?”

They showed me two maps indicating the alienation of the lands. Some correspondence-letters written in old Malay-Jawi. They started calculating, yes, about 5,000 acres. The area covers Sakai, Lumut and Siang-Siang.

“These documents were handed to Hj Taha Abd Kadir the Ketua Kampong at that time who lived in Bukit Naga near Sualai, his grave is still there ” as one said. I didn’t want to be impolite, of course, not many people want to remove someone’s grave for nothing. Not in this part of the world, otherwise one is inviting for trouble.

They were starring at me, expecting me to say something. Having seen the map in less than a minute? Nothing much I could say and no whispers came to my ear for rescue either.

I asked a few questions. Where did they get the document from, how long have they had them and anyone else had a copy?

This document had been in their keeping for generations1 in fact there were two documents one was in 1500s and another was 1880s. I struggled to find the date for first one, no avail. The second one was quite straightforward.

According to their story, Rajah Brooke authorised to give the land to Kadayan community for the recognition of their loyalty, under the direction of the Sultan of Brunei. The Chief who received the document at the time was Orang Kaya Kaya Sakai also known by his local name as Beliau Talam originally he was from Brunei.

I told them that not only I needed more time but they have to come up with more information and evidence, probably a research was needed before they could lay a claim or else I said, nothing wrong about claiming except that it would amount to nothing.

Here is my version to this Kadayan’s land; Brooke arrived in Kuching in 1839, became a Governor 1841. The Raja Muda Hashim declared him as Rajah of Sarawak in 1842.

Certain parts of Sarawak especially the 5th Division were still under the direct rule of Sultan of Brunei and in fact, there wasn’t a clear boundary between Sarawak and Brunei at that time. For those who read local history, Rajah Brooke cheated the Sultan in order to get Limbang.

One day Rajah Brooke met the Sultan, he said he had gathered all the indigenous chiefs; some said they were intoxicated, or perhaps he didn’t meet them at all.

He told the Sultan that all chiefs in this region (…) wanted to be under his rule. Brooke therefore demanded certain area of land to be under his domain. Sultan didn’t know which area were Brooke referring to, let alone the size. It was only later that Sultan realised. It was Limbang. Limbang dissects Brunei into half as a result.

Sultan was very angry.

The British government through its Commissioner based in Singapore asked the Rajah to pay compensation. He never did.

Brooke created the disturbances and perhaps it was at this time if Brooke was to come into the limelight, land ‘alienated’ to Kadayan community. On the other hand, it could also be a pure invention by the chief or chiefs in order to have control over this community.

Assuming it was Brooke, he must have instructed the local chief in Lawas arbitrarily-not even through a proper office. The document was signed 1890. However, the irony is I didn’t see any seal on the face of the document that is, if the document is to have any authority then and now. However, the writings and diagrams were similar to what we normally see in the land registrar.

I really couldn’t say if the document were authentic, what I can say is I saw some documents.

What happened to the land?

According to them, the local, including the Kadayan had taken some. The sorrowful state is, an area that had been inhabited for generetions with plenty of fruit trees and burial ground was re-titled as timber concessionaire’s area. So that it could be exploited. No timber here, its kampong now bulldozed including the graveyards.

I supposed they should have brought up to the attention of the local authority. I know some ethnics in Sarawak are given land allocation, under their local customary land right.



(Read Amde's biography HERE)


EndNote:

¹I cannot show the document mentioned they brought them back home with them.