Dang Ganti: Beyond the Brunei Bay: Chapter 8: Epilogues

I never dreamt of writing this autobiography, but as I see it among the Malay traditions, few literature s are kept regarding ancestors roots, so after three or four generations, their ancestors’ names are erased and forgotten. In writing these, I hope others of my descendants will help to complete and ratified. The following episodes will perhaps helps to capture the picture:

Episode 1: A matter of opinion

Writing is not one of my hobby, but gardening is, as the works associated with gardening tends to yield beautiful and colorful garden and more of in an arranged manner. Once I wrote I cannot undone or erased to forget. With plants those that do not bear fruits or flowers, I can just pull them like weeds. But this is a weakness. The absent of a written literature serve no evidence to be believed, like the case of Hang Tuah; his hikayat perhaps is more of melodramatic and fiction rather then as part of history. But this is the Malay way, which should not be questions, just like answers are just one’s interpretations of opinions. Like this writing, is not a subject matter for debate, but an attempt to record and to be ratified by those relevant.

I often asked my self whether I can be called a Malay. In our Federal Constitution there is no such recognition; as in my case because of my origin. I am more Brunei than Dusun or Kadazan and as I do not speak their dialects either. So we are outside the definition of being native, since Brunei is not part of Malaysia. So in my opinion, political boundaries and definitions should not apply here, since we are going to be segregated in many fields. My forefathers left us a lot of inherited properties, but should our decedents dispose them for quick gains then eventually we have no place to go except to ramble around and this is an experience on my part.

Episode 2: Looking Back

Most Bruneis (Sabah Origin) tend to settle along the river estuaries, perhaps making life easier for them to harvest the sea or perhaps because of their nature of being sea-wanderers, who like adventures. They even practiced marriage among close relatives. But this ways are no longer promising. The old saying is, “menjadi katak di bawah tempurung”. The other local practice or belief of ‘living life to fate’ is no longer should be taken seriously and so is practice of performing ‘kenduris’ which are more wasteful then bringing good. Praying is a must and there is no necessity to offer or celebrate by having big feasts.

Everybody have his or her own childhood story. How beautiful or colorful, I do not know but whatever the story is worth telling. Mine is from being broke not poor, and the struggle is worthwhile. Everybody dream t too, though not always, and mine, I have achieved. Education is one way to help achieve dreams and to get away from being poor. Like it, this is priority for my children.

Episode 3: The Career

I could stay in the civil service and still could be working right now, and with the new ruling will be working until reaching the age of sixty. I could be in a very high position base on my background and education, but then again because of my style, I could end up nowhere. And I could have been buried then or spend time in some other institutions for disable. I guess I made the right decision of leaving the service early, as I had achieved more things then I could while in the service. Most of all apart from the experiences I gain respect and as I walked the streets on short pants, sandal, and t-shirt anywhere all walks of people seldom dared to look at me in the eyes.

No harm or offense intended will always be my simple way. Negotiation is better than to enforced as there is always another choice, even if we tend to choose the wrong path.

Episode 4: The Search Continue

My forefathers from my paternal side migrated from the state of Brunei Darulssalam, and settled here for more than five generations. Even my grandma from my paternal side migrated here from Brunei Darussalam about a hundred years ago.

I tried to trace back her origin and there after managed to lay my feet’s in her village of Kampung Burung Pingai, where my search for her descendents from her paternal side end. She was a loner, with her real name ‘Norhayati Binte Ahmad’. In Sipitang she changed name to commonly known by Dang Ganti. I assume, from my search, she had no brother or sister from the same mother and father. Aminah or Minah I presumed as the wife of the late Osman and who later persued her to Membakut, but later probably resided and rest in Kg Gadung, Beaufort under the care of Imam Matali. Or perhaps she came to Sabah in search of her daughter Dang Ganti.

But I am looking and seeking decedents of the brothers and sisters of Ahmad (Osman) his surname, this is the gap and perhaps readers could help me and let us document this,and also the descendants of other siblings of my great grandpa's wife. She was known to be mute and of a Brunei Tutong origin (Kadayan ethnic). As I set feet in Kampong Burung Pingai, I realized that the scenario is much similar to many Kampung Ayer in Sabah, and we do speak the same dialect. So much time had passed (over a hundred years) and very little changes. So my daughter Siti Juliana come back to the country of origin, ‘Alhamdulillah’. Perhaps my ancestors began to settled in Sipitang and the surrounding areas around the year 1846 or thereafter that year.

From my maternal side, I manage to be part of the community as I traced the relatives back to my grandma Kampung Terawi. I am the second cousins to a great many, even as uncle and grandpa. Most of them still as they are for generations, full of customs and traditions and together from my Brunei, and my wife's family whose roots are from the Hokien and Fook Cho we form a very big and diversified family. I do not believe in segregation as by segregation we tend to divide and rule. This should not be the way.

How do we identify our self then? I suggest we go by clans. So we should have those from the Lakuna clan, the Bogok clan and me from the Hapipah (Latahim) clan as we are more associated with the Brunei Dusun, but we are still from the same background and interrelated either through marriage or blood or through adoptions.

It is not out of context here if I am to highlights of my wife roots. Mother Hajjah Esma Eyaw is not of Iban but of Chinese origin, of the Hokien community with the original surname of HO, a very small group, with the same surname in the community. But as I watch it during Hari Raya first day in Kuching, their numbers coming to celebrate Hari Raya with us keep on growing. From pa Haji Masri family outlook, the scenario is similar to my own father the surname last only one generation, and to the second generation it will be erased which is a common Islamic practice of ‘tidak mengagungkan’. Pa Haji Masri Hj Lee (Hj Ali) was born in Simunjan from families who hold the hereditary title of ‘Abang’ and perhaps his ancestors hails from Kalimantan. But judging from his style and versed with the Quran he must have come from a family who practiced the ‘Sekolah Pondok’ or ‘Pasentran’ where in modern ere such schools diminish in numbers.

So finally, after years of work and after years of searching; when ever there is a beginning, there must be an end or just a pause. I could not go on searching the roots of my ancestors in Brunei, for fear of the saying 'Hidung ta mancung pipi surung-surung'. The Brunei’s are proud people, because their country is rich, and so is Sabah at one time if not for mismanagement and the plundering by politicians, bureaucrats and corporates. At the point of this writing, we are clearing the inheritance claims of the properties left behind by my mother and my grandma. These are part of the properties left over from their father Hj. Durahman bin Hamzah, and what is left from the Karim estate. The Karim estate is to my opinion destroyed because of greed, mismanaged, snobbish and arrogant attitudes. If these features could be overcome, to build it up again is not impossible. It is said that inherited properties could only last for three generations. The first generation work to build them, then the second generation collects, and finally the third generation spend them. The other factor which led to the destruction of the Karim estate is 'trust' which in this case could possibly referred back to the then administrators. It is said and written (sabda Rasulullah) “Apabila sesuatu Amanah itu, diberi kepada orang lain maka menunggukan kehancuran sahaja”.

Episode 5: Whispers of The Heart

At the point of writing this episode, I have yet to spend time correcting my written English in the many chapters and episodes of this blog. I am rather rusty and I have to tender my apologies. I suddenly realized that in the search of my family descendents (Brunei half), I am only equipped with:

Memory of the name Dang Ganti, Salleh bin Daim;

The name 'Tuah Lenggang';

Rumah Bumbung 12; and

My prayer and motivation

The day, the 28^th of May 2013, our final day in Brunei after years of looking and coming in and out of B.S.B, part of my search for my paternal descendants comes to light. My last visit here (December of 2012) was to pay respect to Hjh. Jana bte Hj. Omar whose phone contact was given to me by Tengah Ag. Besar bin Ot Maidin. But due to poor timing, I could not met her but eventually I manage to meet some of her twelve children, and one of her son in law was Pangeran Arifin, one of her daughter's husband. Fortunately Tengah Ag. Besar's brother Tengah Buntar was around to give details of the story of grandma Dang Ganti who is his auntie and by look of it we come from the same root. My grate, grate, grandfather Osman and their grate grandfather Yussof are brothers. With the family tree adjusted the line from my Brunei half and that from of the Sabah of from Dang Ganti is finally in the picture. The other part is still illusive Nek Salleh's descendants, and that of from my mother's father Hj. Durahman bin Hamzah.

However, the bridge has been conected and I have to be thankful to the family of my late auntie Hjh. Jana bte Hj. Omar and the family of Nek hj. Maidin, to his sons and families in Kuala Mengalong and to my daughter Siti Jualiana, my search is made easier “Alhamdulillah”. I must in this writing for only reasons known to me, pay salute to Pangeran Ariffin, this must be a very big Brunei family, as we are forth cousins, but I see very few elders around.

As we could not come back to the days that passed, I have to follow my heart to find out the layout of the extend of my root. I met my other part of my root in Brunei of my paternal grandma, then there is that of my paternal grandpa and that of my maternal grandpa, both also of Brunei origin. This is just not out of my own curiosity but I should say as a part time adventurer hobby. But I have to be honest that for all intends and purposes it is not in my heart to show off, be snobbish or to glorify. I guess somebody must do this and who knows these could be useful.

Mum's Roots