Bye 2013, welocme 2014

I am very happy to say good bye to 2013 with no regrets…. much have happened but the beauty of 2013 is that I have survived it socially, financially and politically…

Socially I have met and made more new friends and mostly keep them. I have found more have bigger troubles than myself…thus easier to be grateful for what I have…. a very thrifty wife refusing a new car but instead take the cash instead…children progressing well in their lives too… seeing more supporters doing better as well has been a source of happiness whenever I visited them..

Financially, now I have cleared the critical part of the debt accumulated for believing in a friend in 2006…now only to start rebuilding and regaining what was lost since then…but only being grateful that the struggle to help more people happier can go on..Thank God i manage to survive my little crisis without invoking help from others… only the political struggle was slower because of the tight budget and its constraints…. but happy to note more opposition candidadtes win the seats in both the State Assembly as well as Parliament in the last general election …

It is also the year to see that STAR can win a State seat in Sabah despite the severe divisions within the Opposition .. STAR is still making progress in gaining more support from the constituents.

What is most encouraging is that we are making progress in the herbal industry… now only waiting for enough money to start making them into the market… it will be a new start for all poisoning cases, drug addiction and alcoholism…. it will be also an important contributions in other illnesses..just last night a guest came with a hangover from the previous night drinking, thanking me for making her feel much better after taking the “special tea” we made and enjoy… at least the tea kept me looked,felt, and stayed young…Thank you God,

And may one day all of you can be free illnesses which the herbal Tea, my special one can heal…poisoning, addiction, alcohlism, drug reactions etc……In 2013, the Intellectual Property for the tea was approved…...

One of the above herb is known to be useful as well… millions more are there to be discovered and used. I have have laready found one which has been very useful in healing contusions, sprains bruises and broken bones… i got whiplash injury which was healed in less than 24 hours without using any modern medicine or painkillers…sustained the injury on the 29th night, iwas all right next ady adn no thing to show for the injury now… a wonderful herb the Bidayuh learnt from a big brown bird… now i processed it into an oil form….very good for acute sport injury… instead of one or two weeks layoff, the injured player can go back and play in a few days… and broken bones, the most 3 weeks for our experience… the bone heals faster than ever noticed before in my years of medical parctice…

So 2014 can be a very good hope for humanity who wants to live a very healthy life and wants a faster recovery from any acute physiscal injury including broken bones.

So good bye to 2013, and i say welcome to a New year, 2014.

SARIN Gas Posoning- a possible Herbal answer

While we are holding our breath whether or not a new expanded war arising from Syria use of chemical weapons is on or not, a question should also be asked, whether or not God has already provided an answer to make chemical weapons non-effective? Man knows how to do destroy at the press of a button or one phone call to give an order for quick destruction but how many can help to create? Or rather want to create or for our restless youths even? President Obama says he wants to create job and give a wider coverage of Health care for instance, but how many in the US congress or Senate want them. Many will oppose based on potential political mileage to be the next American President. This is the norm of politics anyway. So even Assad is being accused by some to have used the chemical weapons but the British Parliament questioned who use it and the Russian and China openly opposed to Obama attempt to punish Assad for doing so even though we watch videos to innocents, young and old wriggling to death because someone used the chemical weapon called SARIN! Over one thousand is said to have died. What is pitiful is that who made it the hospital also died. But our current ignorance to the antidote to SARIN also allowed those who made it to the hospital to die – as we in Malaysia also still allow many to die unnecessarily from all types of poisons, be it from poisonous bites like snakes, wasps etc… while we do our political discrimination to stop me from telling the whole wide world that I have the answer to these and also drug addiction and alcoholism.

All who have drunk my herbal tea, which is totally harvested form the wild or  organically grown is not known to the UN and WHO, had survived on a 100% cure rate – even from the dealy weed killer called PARAQUAT CHLORIDE, commonly used form agricultural purposes….but unfortunately accidentally drunk or used by desperate people to commit suicide… so no matter what modern treatment is used it has % percent kill rate. But with my Herbal tea, so far it is one hundred percent cure rate. Latest case of a survivor was deemed to die by the people I knew but he lives while the one predicted to live from the Formic Acid burn died. The survivor lives because he took my herbal Tea while the other did not despite the survivor had a serious third degree burn coupled with drinking a weed killer too. He was treated in Intensive Care Unit while other was treated in an ordinary ward! Yet the serious is saved while the other died…why?

My guess is that the survivor drank herbal tea which appears to antidote properties to all type of poisons, all types of poisonous bites, alcohol and addictive drugs. It also is also effective against drug reactions. In snake bites, its anti-paralytic action is less than 15 minutes after an oral dose as observed in one patient  a few years back. Importantly is its rejuvenating effect as weed killers victims who were unable to eat or drink as in one case of a 15 year old girl in Sabah and two cases of pesticide victims in our Sarawak Genearl Hospital Intensive Unit with Cardiopulmonary collapse and were on cardiopulmonary machine were able lived after less than 24 hours. All three patients were alive and well after three days.

Thus the big question in my mine since the August 21 st has been, how many of those victims could be alive to-day had someone just called to bring and try the Herbal Tea … now by the way i have enough supply to cater to over ten thousand patients…within a few days… three thousand immediately. I believe that it can neutralize SARIN gas poisoning as well. My gut feeling says so!!!!

Whose Health any Government is protecting?

Man normally makes Laws to benefit vested interests – the interests of their supporters and constituents.

The enactment of Traditional and Complementary Medicine Act appears top fall into this category as i explore further into the Act where we had the briefing by officials of the Ministry Of health, Malaysia. Under the Acts eight bodies formed by the respective groups which had been lobbying for recognition by the Ministry for many years now. Eventually the Law constituted to regulate and recognize traditional Healers and complimentary medicine of Malaysia was passed by the Parliament. The Ministry of Health under this Law has decided to recognize only 8 bodies already instituted before the Law was even passed. An application by one body for Sarawak was turned down based on the concept of 1Malaysia and the need for all Traditional Healers and practitioners must register themselves under the 8 approved bodies. I walked out of that briefing telling them that the Law is GOOD FOR “MALAYA equals to Malaysia” but not Malaysia as it was formed. Furthermore those who briefed us that they are only implementers and was not ready to listen to suggestions as how make the Law more Malaysian. As usual, Malayan Civil Servants want to tell Sarawakians that only them are right so I walked out from the briefing as it would be a waste of my precious time on earth.

To-day we had a good discussion about the Act and one of us in the know confirmed that the Act was meant to meet the demands of those from the West and one Minister from MCA made the ruling for the Act to be done….Heaven helped us that after PRU13, Malaysian Chinese Association(MCA), a Chinese based political Party, a partner of the Natinoal Front, is no longer the Minister Of Health… No Malaysian should be made to resolve Malaya interests alone…. all Laws must incorporate the interests of Sabah and Sarawak as well.

Take this Act as a good example, 1Malaysia must not be the reason to ignore the diversity of Traditional Healing methods practiced in Sabah and Sarawak. The 8 bodies approved by the Ministry have no clue as to how Sarawakians and Sabahans have been able to survive using their Traditional knowledge of their Healers, their Priests and priestesses where none of three communities of the Malaya- the Malays, the Chinese and the Indians in Malaya could understand. And yet they want these Healers to register themselves under of the approved 8 bodies. Take the Bidayuh community which i am more familiar with right now, there is no way where any of the registered 8 bodies can give certificate to anyone at any price. Our Healers are recognized by the respective villagers themselves, but how can the Government say “yes” or “no ” to that community except a local body well equipped to know.

So whose health is the Malaysian Government going to protect by this Act? The consumers…they would know what they are paying for. Only the vested interests who want to control for reasons best known to themselves as Professor Dr. Wong did mentioned, “Why one of the Approved Body has the grandfather, the son and grandson in charge?’ but I stopped from saying more as the real issue here is a “political” decision made by an MCA Minister of Health for reasons best known to himself…. but will be good enough for Sarawak and Sabah Traditional Healers as a whole.

Gawea Sopid/Gawea Olan, Kampong Grogo

In the old days, a village has to survive in a very hostile environment and many were barely manage to do so. So since the days of Ayang, our Bidayuh prophet, was told what to do in order to bring all the present rituals to pray for the community and the individuals in response to to what is wanted by TOPA to get the blessings need for the people and the community to survive in the days with any medical knowledge but was left the various experts in the various field to help thee Bidayuh community to survive to this day.. ravages of epidemics of malaria, cholera, smallpox, diphtheria, whooping cough etc has resulted in the current low population compared to the Chinese etc who has knowledge to survive to this day. They do not suffer from the epidemics of cholera for instance for they prefer to drink boiled water and tea while the Bidayuh normally direct from the streams or river…

In spite of the health challenges, rituals are develop to do communal and individual healings…some ceremonies like Gawea Sopid and Gawea Olan are done to seek further blessings for abundant life so that the community would be free from wants. For instance, an offering will be made so that the jungles, rivers and streams will be blessed for more fishes, wild boars etc…. another offering will be made so that the community will be blessed with more fruits, especially the durians… and naturally for the Paddy….Gawea Olan is for these things. But this year, the Gawea Olan is in its fourth year cycle which is Gawea Olan/PINJA, thus attaching a healing component to the ceremony.

PINJA ceremony is the highest healing ceremony for the community as well as for a family or individual.

Thus this year, the ceremony is to seek for all the blessings the villagers need as well as a healing ceremony to appease those “unseen” who may have been offended one way or the other… thus it is also the time for reparation and diplomacy with those who share this earth with us…those unseen no matter who they are.

LOVE instead of HATE

When going through my Facebook home page this morning, i saw a comment by someone who put up a comment on ” I ….. hate…..”. There must be a very good reason why it was put up.
As it is a Sunday morning, I immediately react, “hey, what there is no reason to express such words.” Yet I acknowledge the most common  and normal reaction to any unwarranted provocation or disappointment is hatred. Look at the hatred expressed in Egypt first against Mubarak and next onto Morsi… But will hatred resolve the Egyptian problem of multi ethnic and religious competition for a better life. Yet Egypt has a long history of great civilizations.. but while other western countries like Canada enjoy their life, Egypt is left at where it to-day…. Their way to change now is a coup after .. They either kill or deposed their President thinking a new President immediately bring their salvation from hard times. It is wished that life is that easy….. but not so. Life is always a struggle to live no matter where you live. I call it as God’s Law that man must work to get something. One must an effort and sweat to get what you need to have a better future. There is no thing as a free for the poor and ordinary citizen. One must put an honest work and effort to be rewarded or given what you want or need. No employer wants a smart talker with very “soft” bones. In my own dialect, “Doras atau ponai Sina pakeh lomah tulang”. It is our expression for “a talker who is lazy…..”.

In our outlook in life, a hatred will not bring anything good except hurting yourself. It has been observed that that laughter alone had cured cancer patients. Loving instead of hatred is not a new philosophy. It should be a way of life as expounded by Jesus himself.. Besides teaching the Christians how to pray, the only thing he adds to the Old Testament is “Love thy neighbor”. If Love is the foundation of his teachings then it must be a very good thing instead of ” I… HATE…” Since to-day is Sunday, the 7th of July 2013 but a new moon for the Chinese Calender, meaning Bulan Jinggu in Bidayuh let us cultivate the spread of love amongst our neighbors but also in our own heart to be happy at all times. Muslimsm will fasting to reflect and possibly to repent to open a new year 30 days later, so why we should reflect as to how we could better ourselves. What could be better if we brainwash oursleves out of the HATRED mode and be on Jesus LOVE mode…. Just love your job, love your current status in life, love your family, and etc so that as in my case my days are shorter now compared to the days when i wished Friday would come, your TGF – or “Thanks God it is Friday” thing! Now a month is over before I now it… rather remember 2013 has less than six months left… July will be over before I know it. My trick is simple. I take my life as it is… wish I can only do more as the people need it. But many politicians tell people that I was and am wrong… so my reaction is… ” I wait till they know that I am wrong” though so far it takes many people twenty years later before they realized that they have been told what i was supposed to be in the eyes of my political opponents….not who or what I really am. However I am a Traditional Bidayuh so I should or ought not to tell anyone who I am.

In fact when asked by one of my peers who is addicted to Alcohol and was drunk for three solid days before I met him at his own house… His drinking binge has not only aged him dramatically but made separated from his loving wife because they quarelled when he was drunk. Anyway it took me a hard time to wake him up then but when he awoke and saw me he quickly looked for his remaining bottle or rice wine and staggered into his house looking two glasses after which he poured the rice wine into the glass and offered me.

I politely refused but also needled him a bit by saying, “..You go ahead since you are now married to the bottle.. and i have still plenty of work to do..”

Then he asked me, “Patau, BIJAK KEH doh ke mu’u?” (meaning “Patau, are you wise or not?”

So I answered my friend, it is purely to you “to say whether I am wise or stupid. If you say that I am Stupid be it, But even if you say I am wise also so be it….” Even in his drunkenness he had no further say on the topic of wisdom. In fact we were good childhood friends and if only he could have gone to schools he would be very wise too like his grandfather who was our Community leader but alcohol has got the better of him and his father!.

Had he love his wife and live better than what he had done he would be drinking his own car now, instead of “waddling” for his meals at his daughter house about half a kilometer away…. Instead of being a healthy sixty old friend, i have a friend who look and behave as if he is years older than me…living alone in his big house as none of the children or grand children could stand him … thus this what awaits everyone of who has only self love and hate for the others including your own family.

So since we have only a short passage of time on Earth, why not, we all learn how to open up and “love our neighbors”.

Gawea Sowa Raso 2 2013.

Kampong Raso 2 in Lundu district, Kuching, Sarawak will be having their Paddy Festival, called Gawea Sowa starting at around nine in the evening today the 13th June 2013. It is actually a Thanksgiving for normally a good harvest or a good year.

History had it, that it was first done to welcome the first Bidayuh Priestess, a very sick Bidayuh woman, in a semi-comatose condition, who was taken up there somewhere to be initiated by Sinok Bowang. In this village women were dying of a mytersious disease which made the women died at any age until those in the other world pity the people reasoning if let unattended the race would become extinct. Thus it was decided that this woman when left by her husband outside the house one blue day, that she would be taken and became the first lady to be initiated up above. Next morning her husband found out that she was nowhere to be found till a year after when he was planting his Paddy field.

Meanwhile Sino Saya was taken up above and was given the initiation rituals where she was married to her spiritual husband in the ceremony. During her prohibition period she was confined to the house and was told by Sumuk Bowang, not to look down a jar, while some say the toilet. Anyway curiosity finally got the better of her one day, so she looked down against the instruction. Then she saw her husband planting Paddy field alone.

Planting the Paddy in a hill Paddy cultivation is a process where the men normally poke a hole into the ground in front in a specific distance, while the women normally following behind placed the Paddy seeds into the hole. It is called. NULUK, in Bidayuh. Normally it is a joyous one day affair when the villagers would be doing a communal work based on a system called PINGIRIS, where a day work will be paid in a day work on the next farm until all the farms in the area is done. Sex or age does not matter as long one day is [paid by a day doing the work they can do, which either poking the hole, NULUK, or placing the seeds into the hole, MINIEK.

But Samak Saya was doing his all alone at that time. He was doing both jobs, NULUK and MINIEK. Thus he poked the holes and after that is done then he would go back and placed the seeds into all the holes he had made all by himself. His wife pitied him and cried all day till evening. When Sumuk Bowang came home from her farm she saw Sinok Saya in distress and her eyes were swollen with tears. Then she knew that she had looked down but asked her away. She admitted that she did looked down and saw her husband planting Paddy all alone in the farm.

So she was told that she can go down to help him next day. In sending her down all types ropes and materials were used but all could not hold….always broken. Eventually the bamboo skin which was used to cook the glutinuous rice for the the initiation ceremony was used … it held and Sinok Saya was sent down using that as the string…. this is why till to-day this bamboo is used for the small offering plate called TAYA.

Anyway the story goes that on that day, while the man poke the holes she was putting the Paddy seeds into the holes just poked. Thus when the time came for the man to put in the seeds he saw that all the holes were seeded.He must have scratched his head and wondered. Despite that there was no one around the seeds were placed in the holes all morning. Then lunch time he wondered and asked himself who was doing the job…..

Then after lunch he has to sharpened the end on his poking Stick,called TULUK, but fortunately or unfortunately he did it as usual on the stump of the tree that he had felled during the felling season. As soon as he was about to sharpen the end of his TULUK, the sound of “RENGRENG……” similar to the bells and coins attached to the present uniform used by all the priestesses. He scratched his head and wondered and crying in despair. Up appeared his wife who immediately consoled and told him what had happened.

She then told his husband that at the end of her prohibition period of a year she can come down to him but he must get ready all the things he needed for the welcome ceremony …. the Gawea Sowa.

Thus Gawea Sowa could be more than just a celebration of thanksgiving but it is also the time when the blessings from above could be obtained….on the third night you can observed what would be send down from above during the NGUGOH ceremony which will be held at Kampong Raso 2 at around 3-4 am of the 16th June, Sunday.

I will see you there if you can come… i will be the Assistant Priest this time around… next celebration next year onwards, i will be the Priesthood level already. Happy days ahead for of you.

The stream of Life

This is an upper reaches of a stream which is currently dead because of logging in its catchment area. Before the sandy patch we were having our picnic and the shallow water the boy is playing in, was a very deep pool of about 8 foot deep teeming with fish. Then there was no fish swimming around us and not even a knee depth of water left.

But as nature always does, it struggles to be alive again. But do we, as human, wants live again when we are down with an illness… to a few pathetic one, they even resign to die as death is our ultimate destination. Some of us age fast because of the environment and status we are in. I remember that in the fifties in my village when an age of fifty were regarded as old, especially for those who had married young, some at the age of their puberty. Now many at fifty are still young. I am still young at the age of nearly seventy but many i met during this annual festivals appeared older than me even though they are just in their fifties.

Thus the stream of life is there but the environment exact their marks on human beings.What are the factors useful youthfulness or longevity?

The Bible has recorded the life of many figures to be over one hundred and fifty. Sarah gave birth to her only son at the age of over ninety…..But what has happened since. In the old days, human survived on organic foods … now mainly on processed foods and instant cooked meals full of unnecessary additives and preservative to suit our taste.

As for taste, i remember my experience of eating fresh river fish amongst a population where salt was non existent in the area in the early 70’s. But two days later then i appreciated the natural sweetness of the same fish i tasted fishy earlier when my salt taste buds were still active. I naturally ate more of the fish then.

So if we consider food alone besides many other factors which affect longevity, do we really have enough food that we need? Frankly I use food pharmacology to stay “young” at almost seventy. If I feel “heavy” or tired, I change my diet to suit my body. I even use the herbs around my garden to control my blood sugar and blood pressure. Experience has shown many useful herbs for these purpose.

Just make sure that you do not feel sleepy after a meal… for if you do,  it could mean hyper insulin-ism to control the blood sugar which goes up by the meal you have taken or you are diabetic or about to have one.

What should be our stream of life? Only individually, we should be able to know what keeps us healthy and well. The environment we can create for ourselves is important. Our reaction to the environment we are in is even more important. A quick adaptation to what we have is very, very important as …. Happiness with what we have is the way to enjoy life.

NYOBANG PADANG PAN 2013

NYOBANG is a ceremony to feed the guardian of the defense of a village against seen and unseen enemy. It also can be used to mitigate the local weather of the area to meet the need of the people. It is done in an established Head House when ancestral heads obtained before the Brooke era. During the Brooke Regime till to-day, head hunting in Sarawak was banned and enforced. Prior to this hunting maybe carried out by a village if a calamity occurred such famine or an epidemic if it is foretold that only the ceremony of a new head to be introduced to the Head House is needed. That ceremony called MUKAH in Bidayuh is the highest of this nature. NYOBANG is the second.

MUKAH was done in the original village, Gumbang, in 1974 to stop a strange epidemic which killed over thirty young children. However the people went to a village across the village to “seek” for an old head which was in the Head House. Death stopped according to the Village Elder as soon as that evening when they asked for the Head to be introduced into the Gumbang Head House.

NYOBANG was almost become a thing of the past until we were inspired by the healing story of the Gumbang community in 1974 during my interview with the Elders of the area during the Community Based Eco-tourism Project sponsored by UNDP where my duty was to do the Traditional knowledge survey. While they have special knowledge of healing certain illnesses  which are not effectively dealt with modern medicine on individuals, it was also found that a communal problem of mysterious deaths as occurred at Gumbang village in 1974 could be done inspired to revive the custom of feeding and taking care of the Head House. Nyobang was done both at Kampong Gumbang and Kampong Tringgus under the new funding from Demmark Embassy DANIDA as a follow-up study into the Traditional Knowledge of the respective areas under Krokong Central Committee for Health, Development and Security also known as JKKK Pusat.

Now we are happy to note that Padang Pan has joined Gumbang as the fourth village in our area to carry out the ceremony. It was a joyous occasion for the people who also hosted 23 “official” visitors from Kampong Sebujit(Bulun) led by their ceremony Chief Priest, a warrior Pak Amin. This cross border joint ceremony is now biennial event for Kampong Gumbang, Sebujit (Bulun) and now Padang Pan. Next year the Padang Pan people will be invited to attend the same ceremony at Kampong Sebujit. As of to-night, they will officially become “sister” village status as existed between Kampong Sebujit(Bulun) and Gumbang now. Being ‘sister” villages meant now they are brothers and sisters in spirit and manner where in either village they would protect and help each other when other needed. It is the Bidayuh diplomacy without any paid diplomats. It would not be possible to witness to-day event without UNDP CBET program.

If you are curious to know which are the second and third village which have carried out the Nyobang ceremony since we began the UNDP and DANIDA Eco-tourism projects under their respective Tropical Forests funding, it is as follows.

Kampong Tringgus was the first done by a Priest and his assistants from Kampong Bulung, Botok, doing the ceremony to bring out Tringgus ancestral heads which were left in dilapidated hut just behind one house into their empty Head House built earlier. It was successfully done until one drunk interrupted the ceremony during their consultation period. Till to-day, they have not been able to work together to do another one.

The other third village which carried the NYOBANG ceremony is Kampong Blimbin as a mitigation ceremony to halt four series of bunches of mysterious deaths up to eight in a series. It was an emergency ceremony where a new Head House was to be done within eight days and the ceremony before the Paddy ripened or else more would die according to one Elder whom we consulted. The last of the eight that died on the fourth series was the morning we started the NYOBANG. The guardians told us through our medium that they are now happy at the present “clean site”. Now death occurs as a normal event but not in bunches as when the seven heads were now to an ‘apartment like structure near the old and new graveyard.

The guardian Angels of war must be treated with respect or else they can also bring harm to area. NYOBANG is the time where due respect and feasting with them is done.

Happy Gawea season. Gawea by the way is a Bidayuh word as opposed to Gawai which is Bahasa Malaysia.

Gawea SOWA – Grogo

This morning the last act, BILAMAK, of 2013 of the yearly festival for the village is over at about 5.30 this morning. During we were linked hands to hands and we moved around the main Altar to the rhythm and beat of the gongs eight times and as well around the group of older Priestesses who could not moved due to old age. In this act anyone who like to enjoy themselves linking hands and move around the Altar is welcome to do so. It is a goodbye act for the celebrants and guests saying that we will are going home and see you next year. We finished just about 5.45 . Then i rest and slept only to wake up ready to empty our baskets of offering to shared amongst all the eight families involved in the Gawea and eight helpers for the event including one High Priest, Asen Pa Segut, from Kampong Duyoh, two Assistant Priests,one from Kampong Serikin and the other from Kampong Raso 2 in Lundu District, One Priestess, Sino Boiek, from Duyoh one Assistant Priestess from Serikin and two helpers from Serikin. With the eight volunteering to help, the event was completed in the spirit of love and joy amongst the celebrants. Thus the event was done with only good omens in sight for the future.

The youngest Priestess of Kampong Duyuh and Sino Globat of Grogo on the right. Both were not well enough to do the Gawea this time.

Gawea Sowa is done to complete the season of Paddy Planting for the village. Since Malaysia was formed, Kampong Grogo makes it a tradition not to miss the Gawea Sowa. It is also a fixed event for 30th May to 1st June each year. Yet it goes on unnoticed by many people including the village population itself. No one seems to care to know that without the warriors, who are called to come back and celebrate with their great, great grandchildren, there will be no Sarawak or Malaysia as it is to-day.

After the burning of the Bung Baratak in the Eighteen century, the survivors of the massacre and pillage of Bung Bratak by the combined forces of the Sultan of Brunei then regrouped at various safer places. Bung Orad was a place of choice of Babai KULOW, the only warrior of Bidayuh origin recognized by the Third Rajah of Sarawak, Charles Vyner Brooke. Unfortunately even his name on the memorial of Vyner Brooke at the Kuching old High Court Building, has being erased by irresponsible Government directive? Kuching is the Capital of Sarawak since the First Rajah, Sir James Brooke, was installed. on the 23rdSeptember 1841. Their reign continued till they ceded Sarawak to the British Colonial Office in 1st July 1946. Of course, Malaysia was formed later in September 16th 1963.

Gawea Sowa at Grogo began as a tradition some time after 1963, mostly in 1964. This year they almost could not continue for number of reasons. However they did and it was more joyful as many of the new generation came out and not only enjoyed themselves but donated money and drinks. They even volunteered to beat the gongs at ode hours such as three in the morning. It is the first time more come out to support. They make the remaining Priests and Priestesses happier – a treasure many from the village do not realize yet.

Gawea Sowa should NOT be imitated as a new culture unless the Christians who want it to be performed at their village want calamity to befall themselves and the community. It is forbidden to call upon your ancestors to come without proper code and rituals. Two villages which tried it had eight and seventeen people died after the event because not only the ancestors but also the devils who came were unhappy. The first village made all the rituals including the offering Altar, BAWAL, but not offerings done. So their “unseen guests” went home hungry and of course angry…..eight of the village resident died one after the other until “they were satisfied”. The other village a proper ceremony was done by their remaining Elders of Priests and Priestesses of the area but it was just for show to welcome one VIP and the platform upon which the “show” was performed was demolished before the prohibition period was over, 17 people died under mysterious reasons. The eleven or twelfth victim was the wife of a friend of mine who died near the place their ancestors did their Head Ceremony when a sago tree her husband was cutting fell in a “wrong” direction to n apparently safe place where she stood. Without any wind or creeper pulling the sago tree to her direction, it fell in that direction anyway and it killed her.

But we did complete our ceremony at Kampong Grogo this year and if proper rituals are observed in the village, only good tidings and blessings would be enjoyed by all the residents of Kampong Grogo.

Happy Gawea Season. I will be helping Raso 2 village to celebrate their Gawea Sowa starting the 13 June and will finish on the morning of the 16th. See you all there.

The vanishing breed

Bidayuh Priestesses:

Once upon a time in one village the female population is said to be dying one by one until the above decided to help or else the people there will be “extinct”.

Thus one day when one husband was very frustrated with the illness of his wife left her outside the house in an open space called “Awah” or verandah telling TOPA to take her and do whatever He likes, one female Guardian Angel was asked to take her up and initiate her to be a Priestess to save her life. She became the FIRST BIDAYUH priestess.

Ever since anyone who is sickly over a period of time failing to response to all type of treatment but more or less in semi comatose status will be determine whether an initiation process to become a Priestess or as in the case of my mother she was initiated by her parents at the age of two months plus because her two older female siblings died by the age of three months while all her older brothers survived. It was determined that the only way for any female child to survive is for her to undergo the initiation process before the age of three months.

It is sad to-day that parents allow them to die instead as they believe Christianity is closer to God design. So many have been allowed to die in a number of place.

Let us hope that the day will come when the community leaders will come to their senses not to be that cruel and will be prepared to shoulder the Bidayuh way of life as envisaged under what I term as TOPAISM. TOPA has shown us the way, why do we have to abandon it just because we do not really understand what our forefathers were doing?

Happy GAWEA season everyone. Remember to think about the tradition we are about to abandon.