An Overview of Sarawak Culture.

Sarawak is one of the more than 10 states that constitute the nation known as Malaysia. To the westerners, Sarawak has always been associated with the exotic name of Borneo, which is actually a large island situated north of the Indonesian archipelago. North Borneo has in fact 2 distinct political entities comprising the 2 Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah and the Kingdom of Brunei ( an oil rich Sultanate ). South Borneo is known as Kalimantan to the Indonesians, which has sovereignty over it since it is now part of Indonesia. It is safe to say that history has dictated that the peoples and cultures of Borneo are broadly similar throughout the whole of Borneo Island.

Sarawak, sometimes nicknamed the State of the Hornbills by the Malaysian tourist board, is definitely one of the must-see places of Malaysia, being a hotchpotch of intriguing peoples and exotic cultures. It lies in North-Western Borneo and has a large area used to be covered mainly by tropical rain forests and thick jungle and some river systems. But the march of civilization and the demands of trade and commerce have transformed a sizable part of this beautiful and unspoiled land into agriculture land comprising chiefly of oil palm estates in line with the huge demand for palm oil throughout the world.

All countries are a legacy of their historical past and Sarawak is no exception. Having been ruled by early Hindu and Muslim kingdoms and more recently by the British ( with the unique ‘White Rajah’ - a small dynasty started by James Brooke - as the absolute ruler of Sarawak until quite recently ), plus the tides of immigration of Chinese and other nearby peoples, Sarawak now boasts no less than 20 or so ethnicities with the Dayaks ( Ibans )and the Chinese forming more than half of its population. Besides these, there are many other minorities e.g. the Bidayuhs, the Melanaus, the Penans, etc. who are probably related anthropologically.

The Chinese, who came to Sarawak as early as early 19th Century ( probably even earlier, but systematic migration of the Chinese occurred in mid-19th Century ), were initially attracted by the prospects of sufficient food and shelter here as compared to the want and desolation in mainland China. Another mass migration occurred when gold was found in parts of Sarawak and the need for coolies and other skilled miners and artisans caused this later wave of migration. Today, one finds many Chinese in the state capital Kuching, the seat of government and central administration as well as the centre of business and commerce, located at the river mouth. Kuching is a beautiful and well-planned city with modern and accessible road system and clean streets unlike the mess and bustle one sees in the Malaysian capital city of Kuala Lumpur. To savour Chinese cuisine, all one has to do is to go to Kuching and visit the Chinese market with its famous hawker food e.g. Bak-kut-te ( loosely translated as ‘Tea of Pork-bones’ ), Chinese noodles and other cookies; and if food is not on your mind yet, you can go visit the several big Chinese temples in Kuching.

Of course most tourists come to Sarawak not just to experience Chinese culture; the indigenous cultures of the Sarawak peoples are more attractive not just because they are exotic and aboriginal. The best way to explore this cultural diversity, especially if you are short of time, is to visit the Cultural Village at the foothills of Mt Santubong near Kuching. At the Cultural Village, you will be able to view the lives of the main ‘tribes’ ( this term is not used derogatorily )- the Ibans, the Bidayuhs, the Melanaus and the Penans etc. You will have an opportunity to explore the long houses of the Ibans and Bidayuhs, the Tall Houses of the Melanaus and the Penan Huts. The Penans are ( still ) a nomadic tribe living in their native land although they have found that modern development has brought about some encroachment into their traditional places of abode, agriculture and hunting. The Village also provides performances of traditional dances of the various ethnic communities; there are dances for all occasions, notably for harvests and the appeasement of the spirits. One will be instantly drawn to the beautiful garb ( the feathered head-gear, the shields, spears, etc ) worn by the dancers, as will one be enthralled by the highly stylized dances of these gentle peoples. However, the gentleness of the people belies the fact that, about 120 years or less ago, some of their forebears were engaged in head-hunting during inter-tribal wars and some of the skulls could still be found hanging in some remote long houses. A visit to these long houses will be instructive if one could find the time and opportunity to do so.

Perhaps other than patronizing the various cultural shows performed under official sanctions at the Cultural Village, it is more ‘natural’ for the Sarawak visitor to just walk to the streets of Kuching or some remote villages; go for an interesting river ride in the River Rejang to search for long houses and other traditional abodes; to witness first hand how the Ibans or Bidayuhs go about in their daily lives; how the Penans go hunting in the thick jungle of the interior. In this way the visitor will not just be able to obtain a glimpse or an overview of Sarawak culture, he or she will be able to experience for himself/herself how peoples in this part of the world learn to live in harmony with nature and with one another in this diverse land.