What’s for breakfast in Sibu? BorneoPost Online | Borneo , Malaysia, Sarawak Daily News » thesundaypost - New 2 Borneo |
- What’s for breakfast in Sibu?
- Bengoh settlement scheme suits current trend: Part One
- Chirpy Chestnut Munia
- Mitsubishi carries out tree-planting project
- Holding tight when your teen rebels
- The pineapple farmers of Sungai Adong
| Posted: 15 Feb 2014 11:30 AM PST by Chang Yi. Posted on February 16, 2014, Sunday YOU could get Northern Indian food now in Sibu, observed the young excited undergraduate I was travelling with as she obliguely eyed the book I was reading about travels in India. "We had a wonderful gathering last month to celebrate a lecturer's birthday at Payung," she said, adding in the next breath: "We can also have some great Japanese food in Sibu." She said five years ago, the elders were all very traditional and most town kids only liked KFC or McDonald's but now, many of the coffeeshops or eateries also had to look good with new-style service and interior décors. "Sibu is really improving," she enthused. While most people would look for kampua, kompia and kopi-o (the three K's) for traditional Foochow breakfast, Sibu serves up more food choices than you would actually know once you start digging deeper into its gastronomical menu. New food outlets are mushrooming to titillate your taste buds. And one, in particular, along Jalan Kampung Datu serves a special roti canai filled with thin banana slices. The outlet is called Sri Pelita, operated by an Indian from Johor who is married to an Iban woman, and the items on the menu might even be something innovative for our Indian friends. The roti is light and so thinly stretched that you can see the banana slices between the layers. The fine pastry is fragrant and light. One could fall in love with it at first bite. The coffee and tea here — hot or with ice — are on par with local standards. Those preferring Horlicks or Milo drinks may have to look elsewhere such as at the Noodle House which serves some very interesting Horlicks beverages. However, Sri Pelita's nasi lemak has a nice taste of Indian spices and the tandoori chicken is great as well. It's no wonder the outlet is often over-crowded in the early morning, especially with government officers and uniformed personnel. Interesting breakfast treats SEDC operates a food court at the end of Kampung Hilir, offering some interesting breakfast treats such as rojak, Sarawak laksa, served with a couple of big prawns, and roti canai. For a halal breakfast in a kampung setting, this is the place to be. If you are on the lookout for good nasi lemak and other Indonesian dishes, you can head to the police headquarters of Sibu. Behind this four-storey building, housing the police department, is an eatery called Café Ind, owned by Peter Tang, a Sibu-born but overseas-trained businessman. Tang promises fresh and reasonably priced items. And nothing is better than a good friendly suggestion — with a smile — from the waiters or waitresses. The proprietor himself is very hospitable and accommodating. A satisfying breakfast at this café will definitely not break your bank. On top of that, you will enjoy the nice décor and atmosphere. Order the Indian ginger milk tea and your mood will swing to the happier end of the pendulum. There is another food outlet near the Sibu Wharf on the banks of the Rajang where, besides having a good riverview and mingling with the cheerful early morning crowd amidst the constant pep pep pep of motor launches, you will get some hints of incense twirling skyward from the nearby Tua Pek Kong Temple. Here, you can have a good eight treasure chicken broth with longevity noodles — and even bubur cha cha. The breakfast list is long and you can really enjoy a good start to the day. The outlet has great ambience. The interior decorator has done a good job, transforming the old shophouse lot into a modern eatery. It's not too upscale, so you should feel right at home with your Japanese slippers and T-shirt. A bank officer may walk in with his neat necktie, sleek hairdo and a charming girlfriend wearing a top-of-the-line dress. But they will probably still order what you order! Special rice gruel One must never leave Sibu without tasting 'dian bien hu', said Sibu-born author Yong Gien Huong who has written several books on Sarawakian foods and herbs. This special rice gruel with dried squids and fish balls soup is legendary. The proprietor has actually installed a Chinese stone grinder to show he uses "real" rice to make the rice batter. Although the grinder has been around since stones were used in the milling of grains, not much change has been made to the assembly of the two stone slabs — one rotating and the other stationary. The proprietor has mechanised his stone grinder. The rotating slab is now attached to an electric motor, so no hands are needed to rotate the heavy stone slab. His innovation reminds one of the electric acoustic guitar or the electric sape. Every morning, the staff pour bowls of soaked rice into the cavity of the upper rotating stone slab and the motorised stone grinder does the rest. 'Rice milk,' produced in the process, flows from the grinder into the receiving pail. That's where the goodness of dian bien hu comes from. It's the freshest of rice batter. This special Foochow breakfast was first served at the same place more than 60 years ago by a Mr Yew whose children did not carry on his trade. Instead his first assistant chef, who is the present owner, took over and has been running the outlet for the past 50 years. According to a regular customer, Adrian from the Rajang Port Authority, dian bien hu is really a good breakfast. Both young and old alike frequent the outlet for huge bowls of this special rice gruel which is also popular among members from other ethnic groups such as Adrian, an Iban, and his friend Joseph, a Bidayuh from Kuching. Dian bien hu originated from Fuzhou, China. It was an ingenious invention to hasten the cooking of rice. The innovator ground rice into a soft runny batter and cooked it at the side of a kuali in just minutes. Scraped from the kuali into a waiting boiling broth, the dried rice pancake would become a tasty gruel, ready before one could say do we have to wait for a while? So dian bien hu is actually a wonderful seafood soup — dried squids and fish slices, pumped up with golden needles (edible dried flowers), black wood ears, dashes of white ground pepper and broth with crushed rice pancakes. According to Fuzhou city gourmets, the traditional dian bien hu is Nature's gift to the Foochows — a combination of the best from the land (fresh rice paste, organic golden needles and freshly collected forest black wood ears) and the sea (squids and fish). The huge crowd's presence at the shop vouches for the goodness of the breakfast. Even on rainy days, more and more people are turning up. Many are returning customers and the proprietor said sometimes three generations in a family would come for brunch. It has a really good atmosphere. You could even hear the proprietor tell the customers: "Of course, I know you, I know your father and I know your grandfather too." Perhaps, just by following your nose, you could locate the best breakfast in town. You may be able to smell the flavourful but simple kampua from a few stalls away. Your appeite could also be whetted by the fragrance of Sarawak laksa filtering through your car window or the sweet smell of freshly baked kompia from the backlane of Market Road. You may be also surprised that at every corner, Sibu kopi-o beckons. It's time the Tourism Board publish a book on foods and eateries in Sibu for tour leaders and tourists. Facebook and blogs (still crazy after all these years) have been playing their part in boosting the town's food industry. Indeed, Sibu has hidden gastronomic treasures that your discerning taste buds may find hard to resist.   |
| Bengoh settlement scheme suits current trend: Part One Posted: 15 Feb 2014 11:17 AM PST MORE often than not, we choose to stay at the place of our birth but not infrequently, we move to settle elsewhere – sometimes in the same area, sometimes in a far-off part of the world. Home may be ever-changing. What feels right at one time may not at another. At some point, if people are lucky, they will remain where they were born for the rest of their lives. However, some people may never find a place they can call a permanent home. While moving from one home to another is quite common, some do it out of their own will, others may be forced to vacate to make way to development. If lucky, they will be resettled to a new area that offers opportunities to adapt to a modern lifestyle. And one such area is the Bengoh Resettlement Scheme (BRS) set up for villagers affected by the Bengoh Dam-Reservoir Project which began in early 2008. The objective is to secure sufficient water supply for Kuching city and its surrounding areas. The project has been undertaken at a time when there is a real risk that present water resources are unable to meet the demands of a growing population, the tourism industry as well as economic and agricultural development. The 63.2m high structure is the second Roller-compacted concrete (RCC) dam in Malaysia after the Kinta dam near Ipoh, Perak. The BRS is a modern resettlement area that provides new homes for some 204 families from Kampung Taba Sait, Kampung Pain Bojong, Kampung Semban Teleg and Kampung Rejoi in upper Penrissen. Moving to a new home in a new place for most of the people from the four kampungs is a huge relief to the hardships they had gone through before the move. The old villages are accessible only on foot. When they villagers moved out, everything – from refrigerators, fuel to building materials and furniture – had to be carried by porters across bamboo bridges and steep slopes, not forgetting the havoc wreaked by the frequent storms and the mud. The nearest is Kampung Taba Sait, about one hour 15 minutes walk from Kampung Bengoh, some 55km from Kuching. Kampung Taba Sait is literally suspended above a valley on a patchwork of bamboo and stilts. Villagers live close to each other. They store rice up to five years in advance and light their kampung with a single generator. Once the Bengoh Dam is flooded, some of the farms, hunting grounds and fresh water fishing areas at the village will be completely under water. Farther up Kampung Taba Sait is Kampung Pain Bojong, about one hour 45 minutes walk from Bengoh. According to oral history records, the village has existed in the area as early as 1893. Next is Kampung Semban Teleg, about four hours on foot from Bengoh. Of the four villages, this one is situated on the highest ground and the most difficult to reach. Yet, it is well-established. Although the village and the surrounding native lands are well above the proposed catchment, the residents have also been asked to move out. Kampung Semban Teleg is home to a small number of elderly women known for the brass rings – rasung and ruyang – they wear around their arms and knees. The rings are believed to have been obtained from foreign traders 100 years ago and the wearers back then were considered to be 'somebody.' Kampung Rejoi is the farthest. To get there, one has to cross several bridges, impeccably constructed from bamboo and wires, and strung over upper Sarawak River. The journey usually takes about four and a half hours. Spread over a flat land, well-tended gardens run the perimetres of many of the homes in Kampung Rejoi, some built with timber and some with concrete. Some homes have tiled bathrooms, spacious kitchens and well-maintained social areas. It is believed the villagers from Kampungs Rejoi and Semban Teleg are descendants from a people called the Biemban or people of Emban, named after the Emban River. Their early leaders and warriors were legendary in defending their settlements. Sarawak Gazette articles, published from 1885 to 1887, described the Semban folks as living in an area that would, in later years, be known as Semban Native Customary Rights Land. Kampung Rejoi is situated on this land. Rice, fish, chicken, wildlife (especially wild boars) and fruits are the staple of all the kampungs in the area. Most of the villagers depend on cash crops like pepper, rubber and cocoa for a living and everything they produce is carried to the market on foot. Many of them also work and live in town or outside Kuching or Sarawak, and may come back only once in a while, normally during Gawai or Christmas. Household necessities they buy – from canned food, furniture and generators to fuel – are also carried by porters across bamboo bridges and over narrow steep slopes and mud – or on rafts. But things have changed for better. Gone are the days when the villagers had to go through all these hassles. Now, they can drive straight to their doorsteps with whatever they have bought – building materials, furniture, TV sets and the like. The BRS is probably the best resettlement scheme in Sarawak so far. It has been modified to suit the current trend and probably also correct past mistakes. The issues of human rights, human dignity and risks of exposure too have been looked into in greater depth. Situated along Sungai Raden (a tributary to Sungai Semadang or Sarawak Kiri River), the BRS is specifically designed with consultation and agreement of the villagers. BRS task force committee chairman Itodio Peu Rayu said the settlers were undergoing a new life and experience at the BRS. "The residents are now more inclined towards a modern lifestyle. Padi planting practices may be a thing of the past by 2015. "This is because we are planning to open up our agricultural lots for commercial farming which can bring better income," he said. He added that education would be the main focus from now. "We have no choice but to equip our children with higher education or life skills." The four villages have a total population of about 1,600 people. The BRS is about 5km from Kampung Semadang and about 42km from Kuching. The place covers about 1,000 acres – 300 acres for residential area comprising 204 houses, one Anglican Church, one SIB chapel and four community halls (one hall each for every village) and 700 acres of land for agriculture. The project was fully completed in December last year. Each family has been built a detached concrete house (on stilts) on 25 points or quarter acre of land. Each unit has three bedrooms, a kitchen and two washrooms. The families may wall up the ground floor of their house. Some have already done so and some are still doing theirs. Apart from that, the residential area is also provided with standard amenities such as treated water and 24-hour electricity. The beauty of the BRS is that the four villages have maintained their original identity in terms of their name. The BRS will help bridge the digital divide and improve the living standards of the affected villagers. |
| Posted: 15 Feb 2014 11:09 AM PST
A FLOCK of small chestnut-coloured birds flitted amongst the tall waving grass. The bird at the back of the flock flew over the ones at the front and feasted on the grass seeds. Meanwhile all the birds were hopping over each other across the grass wasteland. It was a wasteland only in the human context because it lacked buildings, but in reality it was a thriving conglomerate of natural ecosystems in an urban environment. The birds called 'tink', 'tink' as they flitted and jumped across the field. The tiny Chestnut Munia (Lonchura malacca) is probably the most frequently seen munia in Malaysia. Munias are members of the order Passeriformes, which contains 386 species worldwide including, for example, sparrows, flowerpeckers and sunbirds. Munias are members of the Esterildidae family, of which there are 41 species in the world. Of these, 12 are found in Borneo, including three species only found in Borneo on the island. Chestnut Munias do not migrate, but large social flocks are constantly on the move looking for grass seeds. These urban reminders of the natural world are frequently seen along roadsides and other areas where grass has been allowed to grow tall and go to seed including damp grasslands. In the countryside, they flock to the roadsides, fallow fields and unfortunately paddy fields. They have been known to descend on paddy fields (rice is a member of the grass family) and farmers are constantly on the lookout when the rice is almost ready for harvest. They can be found up to an altitude of 1,650 metres. Their bluish grey conical shaped beaks are designed to for eating grass seeds. However the identifying feature of this small 11-centimetre bird is its chestnut plumage, black head, upper throat and upper breast. To the untrained birder, it looks like it has a black helmet and chestnut brown body. Its distinctive colouring does make it easy to recognise. The dull brown young are less extravagantly coloured. The nest of Chestnut Munias is a ball of dried grass strung on long grasses or low bushes close to the ground. They roost in the old nests at night. They are also a common resident in Singapore with a range extending from South China to Taiwan and throughout Southeast Asia from Malaysia, to the Philippines, to the Indonesian islands of Java and Bali. The common Chestnut Munia is not in danger of extinction, but that does not make it less valuable or remarkable. It is able to make its home in grassy urban areas, it reminds us of the natural world beyond the glass and steel of cities and the power of nature of adapt. For more information about Chestnut Munias or other birds of Sarawak read 'Phillipps' Field Guide to the Birds of Borneo' by Quentin Phillipps and Karan Phillipps. The Malaysian Nature Society |
| Mitsubishi carries out tree-planting project Posted: 15 Feb 2014 11:09 AM PST by Antonia Chiam, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on February 16, 2014, Sunday WITH global warming and other environmental woes rearing their ugly heads like a modern-day plague, Mother Earth needs more tender loving care than ever before. It is not enough for just one individual to tell the world how to be a tree-hugger. Rather, it takes concerted effort – from old and young, at all levels of society in every corner of the planet. It is with this in mind that Mitsubishi Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, is continuing to plant trees annually right here in the Land of Hornbills. On February 12, a 23-member delegation arrived for an ecotour to help with the multinational corporation's longstanding conservation project at Gunung Apeng Forest Reserve. The project was in collaboration with the Japan-Malaysia Association, Sarawak Forest Department, Unimas and the local community. The group was led by the Corporate Social Responsibility & Environmental Affairs Department general manager Yoshiyuki Nojima. This time, Mitsubishi Corporation decided to do things a little differently. For the first time since the project started many years ago, Mitsubishi chose to reach out to a local primary school with the message of conservation. SK St Norbert Paon Gahat has 89 pupils from two nearby villages – Kampungs Paon Gahat and Tong Nibong. With 12 teachers, it conducts classes from pre-school up to primary six. The headmaster Boniface Daddy Tinggon said everyone in the school felt honoured by the visit from the world-renowned corporation. "We hope this is the first of many more activities to come. We look forward to a long-lasting friendship with Mitsubishi Corporation and I hope they can contribute to our future development." According to Boniface, SK St Norbert has come a long way since its establishment in 1960 in the form of a hut made of lalang grass and bamboo. There has been much change – thanks to assistance from the state government. "Last year, our school achieved 61.11 per cent passing rate in UPSR and we were ranked seventh out of 79 primary schools in Serian. We will continue to try our best," he told thesundaypost. The Mitsubishi delegates were given a warm welcome by the pupils who performed traditional Bidayuh dances. They were then led to the school hall for a simple welcoming ceremony. Nojima handed over donations of music recorders to Boniface, who in turn gave him a scroll of appreciation. The other delegates distributed Japanese candies to the happy pupils. After the formalities, the Japanese visitors started their tree-planting near the school field. The delegates, including 86-year-old professor Akira Miyawaki, planted five rhu laut (casuarina equisetifolia) trees. They were then ushered back to the school hall for refreshments. Pupils, still decked in their cultural attires, broke out into an impromptu dance and invited the visitors to join them. It was a merry sight, a rare exchange where two different cultures met. Too soon, the Mitsubishi delegates had to be on their way to the Gunung Apeng Forest Reserve, some 5km from the school. It was heart-warming to see how the brief visit had touched the visitors. Some of the women in the delegation were teary-eyed when the pupils gave them an equally warm sendoff. At the tree-planting site, the group was welcomed by the folks from Kampung Tong Nibong as well as a representative from the Forest Department, Biha Razali. The trees planted were kapur bukit (Dryobalanops beccarii) in an area measuring about 1.5 hectares. Nojima noted that the loss of forests was a serious problem worldwide. "It causes a lot of damage to the environment, including global warming and pollution. The trees we plant today may not be enough to replace what we have lost over the years but it is still an effort. "I hope it will continue to make us realise the importance of trees. I hope the seedlings will grow to become a wonderful forest," he said. Also present during the ecotour were Japan-Malaysia Association director Tetsuhiko Arakane and Insar Tours & Travels chief executive officer Kazue Sakai. |
| Holding tight when your teen rebels Posted: 15 Feb 2014 11:09 AM PST by Joe White. Posted on February 16, 2014, Sunday THE worst nightmare of many parents is to have a rebel – a kid who makes her own destructive way through life, ignoring everything she's been taught, refusing to abide by any rules, causing chaos in the lives she touches. The fear is so great that some parents stress over everything their teens do, taking even normal behavior as a sure sign that their kids are headed for the edge of the cliff. Other parents do the opposite. They ignore obvious warning signs, hoping it's a phase their kids will grow out of. I've talked with moms and dads who couldn't believe the alarms they missed — a drugged-out son coming home glassy-eyed and wanting to devour every snack in the house, an alcoholic daughter returning on weekend nights and vomiting on the front lawn. One couple discovered their son had helped a friend break into a truck. Later they would say: "We didn't think our son was capable of anything like that. Now we're finding out, OK, he's done some serious drugs, he's been involved in a crime, he's hanging with a kid we hate. That night started us on the process of determining what we should do with him because it was apparent we had a problem here that was bigger than we were." No parent wants to live through something like this. But more and more are being forced to these days. They're finding that no matter what they did to raise their children right, it's possible that one or more will rebel. Don't give up This is a tough section to write. Tough because there's no easy answer to your situation. Each kid is different and will take his own detours. That's why each situation needs to be assessed individually. Consulting a counsellor is wise; sometimes more drastic measures need to be taken. When a teen is a threat to himself or others, for example, a place where well-trained professionals can monitor him 24 hours a day may be the best call. There are many good counsellors and programmes available. The temptation is to walk away, to throw up your hands and surrender. You wouldn't be alone if you did. Many parents want to give up — and do. Unable to take the pain any longer, they protect themselves by pretending it doesn't matter. Their child screams: "Leave me alone" and so they just do what he says, removing themselves emotionally from his life. What these folks don't realise is even though the teen's every action and word is designed to push the parents away, deep inside he longs for his mom and dad to hang tough, to keep trying — to be there for him no matter what. Insights from parents It's one thing for me to tell you what I've learnt. What about parents who've watched their kids make bad choices, who've been dragged down the most dangerous detours, who've agonised and cried and prayed — yet somehow survived? I've talked with moms and dads like these and want to share their insights with you. It's surprising how many of them report learning similar things about what it takes to make it through. Here are some of their hard-won lessons.
Some folks prefer counseling; others opt for a therapist. Just take that initial step and get help.
Forcing your teen to live elsewhere is no easy decision, and it should be made with the concurring wisdom of a professional. But if your teen is unmanageable, don't hesitate to find a residential facility where he has a chance to turn his life around. At the very least, it's a place for him to be relatively safe until he's 18 and can sign himself out to live where he wishes.
You don't need to share details with gossip-mongers but be real. Many parents have been surprised at how their transparency proved helpful to families in similar situations. Pain shared is lessened; shared joy is increased.
Don't neglect the physical side of your relationship with your spouse. Take a weekend off. Set a regular date night, and don't talk about the kids during that time. Relax in a bubble bath. Rent a funny movie and watch it together.
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| The pineapple farmers of Sungai Adong Posted: 08 Feb 2014 11:10 AM PST by Chang Yi. Posted on February 9, 2014, Sunday SMALL boats with modified outboard engines stream in with loads of pineapples while several housewives wait at a nearby shed for an on-the-spot buying spree. Next to the shed is a muddy road with a puddle yet to dry up in the morning sun. The weather has not been kind to the pineapple farmers as it has been raining for many days, causing the temperature to drop as low as 22 degrees Celsius. Some of the women are wearing long sleeved T-shirts. This is the place where discerning housewives at the Pujut area in Miri get their supply of fresh pineapples direct from the Pujut Lorong Tiga Squatter Area – home to 600 squatters from different racial backgrounds. Not many locals know about this special enclave along the Adong River despite having tasted the sweet pineapples farmed (and supplied to Miri city) by the squatters. About 30 years ago, Kayan, Iban and Kenyah families migrated from the Upper Baram to work in the oilfields and construction sites in Miri. They brought along their young children – and even their elderly parents. When Shell started its re-engineering, many of these migrant workers left to seek employment elsewhere but some remained to work in shipping yards, construction sites and other general jobs. Many of the original migrant children have grown up and while some got highly educated, others only managed to reach SPM level and found work in hotels and restaurants. A new generation has arrived and the upcoming one is below 10 years old. Most of the womenfolk, especially those who are illiterate and in their 50's, are farmers or itinerant foragers of jungle produce, looking for nipah palm, oil palm, rattan, nibong, coconut shoots and fern tops. They are the main suppliers of pineapples and jungle products for Miri. On their off-days, some of the men fish in the Adong River and deliver their catch to the Padang Kerbau market. Others look for odd jobs during their free time to supplement their incomes. These are hard-working people. Once or twice a year, they return to their longhouses in the Ulu Baram or Saratok and for some, as far as Kuching, to harvest rice from their ancestral lands. Better home needed Julian (not his real name) who works for a shipping company, is trying to improve his family home at the Pujut squatter colony. The Berawan from Mulu said as his children were growing up, the family needed a better home with windows, good walls and rooms where the young ones could study. "I'm collecting some old wood to repair the rotting plankwalk so that my family and neighbours can use it safely," added the father of three. Julian repairs his house during his off-days. His relatives who are working full time in different companies, help him to put up a new wall. He looks for pieces of wood to repair the plankwalk because, like all the others in the area, he cannot afford new timber. According to him, during flooding, the water can rise to a few inches above the plankwalk. With more than 600 people living in this simple squatter area, life appears caught in a time warp. Water supply is by private piping – and untreated. Electricity comes from generators, owned by individual families. Few TV's are found here. The children go to nearby schools but some do not attend pre-school at all, according to a recent survey. A school teacher said the children were well-behaved and keen to learn but pointed out that many of them went straight to Year One. "Their families aren't aware of the importance of pre-school but probably, they also cannot afford early childhood education. So the children are facing problems of catching up with the others when they enter primary school," she added. Some of the families do send their older children to boarding schools in Long Lama and Marudi. The younger children attend the nearby SK Pujut. Julian also said the houses all bore a number – L/S XXXX – which means they have been surveyed by the Lands and Survey Department. He hoped after settling down in the area for over 20 years, he and his family could at least claim the small piece of land their house is built on. Hardy cancer patient Meanwhile, a Kayan woman from Long Bedian drove her boat into a stream to transfer her pineapples to the shed where the housewives had gathered. She has been growing pineapples all her adult life, and with her husband, supply the tropical fruits to the Tamu Muhibbah. "When my husband is not around, I use our boat to pick pineapples alone at the farm. We need to earn some money," she said. Although a cancer patient registered with the Miri Palliative Care Association, the Kayan woman seems very determined to carry out her responsibilities as a wife, mother and grandmother. Nurses from the Association visit her at least once a month to provide palliative care, and from time to time, she goes to Miri Hospital for check-up. Despite her condition, she is always very cheerful. She and her husband can collect about 150 ripe pineapples per week. Between harvests, the family fish in the Adong River. Her husband repair roofs and does odd jobs. Since diagnosed with cancer, she has been cutting back her workload. Pineapples are grown in Upper Adong River by many of the squatter families. Besides farming, the womenfolk forage for palm shoots like pantu, nibong, coconut and rattan which are very popular among Mirians. Pantu is the true organic vegetable of Sarawak. On a good day, most of the womenfolk can pick fern tops, paku and midin – besides palm shoots. They bundle the paku and midin with the help of their families and sell the jungle produce in the Lutong or Padang Kerbau market in the evening. On weekends, they sometimes sell direct to the consumers by the roadside in Lutong. New bridge A bridge is being built across the Adong River, not far from this squatter colony, linking Tudan and Senadin areas or roughly all the Kuala Baram areas to Pujut. Piling is now being carried out and the structure of the new bridge is probed up by numerous stilts in the early stage of construction. The work is making it dangerous to navigate in the river under the bridge but most of the womenfolk are up to the task of driving their motorboats to the farms on their own. The Javanese wife of a Kenyah who has been living in the area for a number of years, cheerfully allowed photos of her family to be taken. She met her husband at a timber camp in the ulu and now lives with her family at Pujut Lorong Tiga Squatter Area. She attends the local church while her children go to Sunday schools. Life in the squatter colony is good and she is learning to be self-sufficient. The river provides fish for her family, water to wash and clean and there is also electricity from their own generator. "Marrying a Kenyah man who provides for the family well is a blessing from God," she beamed. She said when her children were older, she would try to bring in a second income by working as a cleaner or a cook. She is happy to note that so many families from different races are co-existing harmoniously in the area and she herself has made friends with the Ibans, Kelabits, Berawans and the other races. Previously, many of the womenfolk were left in their longhouses or settlements upriver. But now, they prefer joining their husbands in Miri and are trying their best to cope with urban living. Some are already working in hotels, restaurants or even transport companies. Help for squatters Some Miri political leaders have expressed interest in helping this small squatter community. While campaigning for votes during the recent elections, the political parties involved learned about the plight of the squatters. One suggestion that came up was resettling the families to another area equipped with proper amenities such as electricity and water supplies. A good example of squatters resettlement in Miri was when the Pujut 7 bridge was constructed and several of the affected families were resettled by the government to another area. But back then, only a few families were involved. Here in Lorong Tiga, there are over 100 squatter families. Low-cost houses are beyond many of them. If the prices are maintained at RM130,000 per unit, it is still too high. Even with a basic salary of RM800 or what the government calls minimum wage, a general worker cannot afford such a home. Low cost houses should be as low as RM40,000 per unit. The Pujut Lorong Tiga Squatter Area is a micro society set up over a generation ago because Miri then needed a suitable workforce. Wooden homes sprang up when no proper housing was provided for the lower strata of employees whereas the senior staff were given proper housing like the Piasau Camp and a big rental allowance to go with it. Today, the Pujut Lorong Tiga Squatter Area is occupied by a community already well established and close knit, and the hardships are shared. Perhaps, their plight indicates the absence of social balance and if they pose a problem, surely a humane solution can be found. The area is thriving because the squatters are resilient, self-reliant and determined to slog for a better future not only for themselves but their children as well. Being a significant part of our human resources, they deserve a little help to break out of the vicious cycle of poverty. |
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