Penans of Apoh-Tutoh, Baram

By KC Ling and Laing Imang

Sarawak has a very diverse population comprising of many races and ethnic groups. Among the ethnic groups, the Orang Ulu (meaning upriver people) include the major Kayan and Kenyah, and the minor group like the Penans. The Penans are the original nomadic people; some of them still maintain the lifestyle of hunter and gatherer. The narration of this book is not meant to be an anthropological study of the Penans of Apoh-Tutoh, Baram. The subjects are more of general interest to common people as they are a mix of historical events recalled by the elders, storytelling and tall tales. It started with the Penan settlements at Lapok, Tinjar and the migration to Apoh-Tutoh. The role of the Penans as proxy warriors in the Kayan-Berawan tribal wars was explored as continued with the history of head hunting and Baram Regatta. The White Rajahs and their punitive expeditions (Lang, Sadok and Kayan) against the Sea Dayak of Saribas and Skrang, Rentap, the Kayans of Rajang and peace making are described to give perspective to the Baram Regatta and peace-making ceremony. However, there is increasing number of the Penans who have abandoned the nomadic lifestyle for settlements in longhouses. Hence, the Penans face the dilemma of a semi-settled lifestyle and changes due to development such as disappearing cultural heritage (sign sticks “oroo” and traditional dance “saryau titut”), lost generation (school dropouts, teenage mother, marriage with outsiders, sexual violence and exploitation and alcoholism), forestry issues and the disappearing Penan Landscape (“Tana’ Pengurip Penan”).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing Singapore
• Release date: Mar 8, 2023
• ISBN: 9781543773231

KC Ling

KC Ling was born in Tatau, a small rural town, and now lives in Miri City, Sarawak, Borneo. He took up forestry and graduated from Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (renamed Universiti Putra Malaysia) in 1981. After graduation, he went to seek work and adventure in Sabah when logging in Sabah was at its peak. He returned to Miri in 1986 and continued to work in the forestry sector since then. He has an insider’s perspective on the trends and development issues of forestry in Sarawak. His empathy with the local community and affinity for nature was due to his rural boyhood mixing with children of other ethnic groups and roaming around the nearby river and jungle. Laing Imang, his co-author, was born in Long Bemang, a Kayan settlement in the interior of Baram, Sarawak, Borneo. He is a trained forest surveyor and has worked closely with KC Ling in the same timber company for more than two decades. Both have shared experiences in their course of engaging with the local communities and trekking in the jungle of Borneo.

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CONTENTS

Preface

Chapter 1     Penans Of Baram

Penan Lamah

Penan Linei

Long Buang

Long Tujang

Penan Purau or Penan Nibong

Penan Tanah, sub-group of Selungo Penan

Penan Ugei (Naked Penan)

Chapter 2     Penan Settlements In Apoh-Tutoh

Long Daloh

Long Kevok

Long Leng

Long Nen

Long Kawa

Long Latei

Ba Kerangan

Kampung Stumping

Chapter 3     Migration In Baram

Uyau Kiew

Ajeng Kiew

The Kayan

The Kenyah

The Kelabit

The Berawan

The Laleiput (Kiput)

The Sebop

The Bisaya

The Seping

The Saban

The Memaloh (Maloh)

Other Minor Groups

Muslim Converts – The Narum and Bakong

The Iban

Chapter 4     Head Hunting And Baram Regatta

Lost Tribe "Tering"

Head Hunting and Proxy Wars

Lake’ Lah

Aban Wan

Tribal War at Long Puloh

Daloh Ayau

Duman Kayau

Claude Town

Fort Hose

Baram Regatta in 1899

Marudi (Malu Di)

Tuan Arden Cup

Naming of Racing Boats

Chapter 5     White Rajahs, Punitive Expeditions, Peace And Regatta

James Brooke, the first White Rajah

Brooke Dynasty

Battle of Beting Marau (The Albatross Affair)

Saribas and Rejang Expeditions

Rentap

Charles Brooke, the second White Rajah

Lang Expedition

Sadok Expeditions

Kayan Expedition

Peace-making

Regatta

Chapter 6     Penan Leadership

Election of headmen

A bear cat tale

Ajeng Kiew

Sarawak Penan Association

Chapter 7     Origin Theme And Tall Tales

The First Penans

Tall Tale of Mount Murud Kecil

Penan Pastor’s Reply

Korean Pastor Kim

Borneo Evangelical Mission (BEM)

Sidang Injil Borneo (SIB) Canadian Hill Church

Chapter 8     Disappearing Cultural Heritage

Sign Sticks ("Oroo")

Penan Traditional Dance "Saryau Titut"

Chapter 9     Lost Generation

School Dropouts

Teenage Mother

Marriage with Outsiders

Sexual Violence and Exploitation

Alcoholism

Chapter 10   Development And Dilemma

Development Programs

Long Sayan Declaration 2002

Forestry Issues

Dilemma

Penan Landscape ("Tana’ Pengurip Penan")

Appendix I

Appendix Ii

Appendix Iii – Portraits Of The Young And Old

Appendix Iv – Brooke Gallery At Fort Margherita, Kuching

Bibliography

PREFACE

Sarawak has a very diverse population comprising of many races and ethnic groups. Among the ethnic groups, the Orang Ulu (meaning upriver people) is used collectively to describe the numerous tribes that live upriver in the vast interior of Sarawak. They include the major Kayan and Kenyah tribes, and the minor groups of the Kelabits, Lun Bawang, Berawan, Saban, Kajang, Kejaman, Ukit, Punan and Penan. All these ethnic and sub-ethnic groups live mostly at the upriver and uphill areas of Belaga, Baram, Limbang and Lawas in Sarawak. Most of the Orang Ulu tribes are Christians of Borneo Evangelical Church (Sidang Injil Borneo, SIB) but some still practice the traditional animism.

In Sarawak, the Penans were the original nomadic people, some of whom still maintain the lifestyle of hunter and gatherers. Many of them continue to roam the rainforest hunting wild boar and deer with blowpipes. However, there is increasing number of the Penans who have abandoned the nomadic lifestyle for settlement in longhouses. They have also been converted to Christianity through the missionary works of the Borneo Evangelical Church (Sidang Injil Borneo, SIB). They have basically joined the mainstream of the society through the development programs implemented by the government.

The story of the Punan/Penan has been covered by anthropologists like Charles Hose and William McDougall, Tom Harrison, Rodney Needham and I.A.N. Urquhart in the fifties; and J.P. Brosius, Robert Pringle, Benedict Sandin, Peter M. Kedit, Jayl Langub, Charles Leh, Ipoi Datan, and Henry Chan in recent past. The writings of these anthropologists are more of academic value and of interest to researchers. Their narration covered the landscape, aspects of nomadic and settled lifestyles, cosmology and rituals. Nevertheless, we like to acknowledge their works which have somehow helped in the writing of this book.

The narration of this book about the Penan of Apoh-Tutoh has a different perspective and is not meant to be an anthropological study. The subjects are more of general interest to common people as they are a mix of historical events recalled by the elders, storytelling and tall tales. It started with the Penan settlements and the migration story to the role of proxy warriors in the Kayan-Berawan tribal wars, origin theme and tall tales, Korean Pastor Kim, Borneo Evangelical Mission (BEM) / Sidang Injil Borneo (SIB), disappearing cultural heritage, lost generation and lastly, the development and dilemma of a semi-settled lifestyle.

A chapter of this book is devoted to the White Rajahs of Sarawak, James Brooke and Charles Brooke, and their punitive expeditions against the Sea Dayaks of Saribas and Skrang, Rentap and the Kayans of Rejang. The ultimate goal of the White Rajahs was to end the misery of the Land Dayak and Malays by the head hunting raid and plunder by the Sea Dayak and the Kayans. The narration of this chapter was derived mainly from the writings by Steven Runciman, S. Baring-Gould and C.A. Bamfylde. This section was included so as to give perspective to the Baram regatta and peace making ceremony.

We like to express our heart-felt gratitude and appreciation to the elders who have willingly shared their living memories of the past events. The same is also extended to the Ketua Kampung (headmen) who have related the story of their settlement for this book. God bless and happy reading.

KC Ling

February 2023

CHAPTER 1

PENANS OF BARAM

Penan is one of the minority ethnic groups in Sarawak. The other minority groups are the Kayan, Kenyah, Kelabit, Lun Bawang and others. All of them are also commonly known as Orang Ulu or people from up river. The Penans are classified by the watershed of where they live and are commonly grouped into two major groups: Eastern group in Ulu Baram and Limbang; and Western group in Balui, Silat and Tinjar.

The Eastern Penans are far behind the other Orang Ulu in terms of standards of living. Some are still living as semi-nomads without