Embrace your heritage, young Kedayans told

The Kedayans from Brunei and Miri gather for a group photo.

MIRI: The young Kedayans of today must uphold their tradition such as the rituals in ‘Makan Tahun’ (annual grand feast) in that it marks their identity as one of many ethnic groups in Borneo.
In this regard, local Kedayan leader Penghulu Salim Ibrahim discloses that many young Kedayans do not even know what a ‘junjung’ looks like.
A ‘junjung’ is a traditional Kedayan farm hut, usually built at paddy fields or along the coastline near their villages.

This ‘junjung’ by the group from
Kampung Pintasan in Tiris
is elaborately decorated.

Even today, the majority of the Kedayans here and in Bekenu, Sibuti are farmers and fishermen.
“We must continue to preserve our customs and culture of the Kedayans, who are scattered across Borneo – there are even some who are living in Peninsular Malaysia.

Much to be done to keep Tusan beach clean

Beach cleaning conducted by Rotary Club of Miri Oil Town recently.

View of Tusan Beach.

MIRI: Tusan beach may have been identified as the latest place of interest in Miri, thanks to the ‘Blue Tears’ that had helped Tusan to gain popularity through social media.
However, visitors to the beach strongly feel that more should be done to make the beach attractive. A local, who wanted to be identified as Wilson, recently told The Borneo Post that his foreign friends whom he brought to Tusan beach were unhappy with the filthy condition of the tourist spot.
“They told me they were very upset that instead of a beautiful beach which they expected, they were greeted by rubbish scattered everywhere along the beach,” he said.

City apiculture — a thriving hobby-business

Cikgu Michael Sabang opens
a hive to show the honey pots
(left) inside.

MIRIAN Aki Bujang remembers when he was still young, his grandparents could easily spot a kelulut (stingless bee) hive on the way to their padi field.

He would happily shout: “That’s the sweets for the little ones! Soon, we would be extracting honey from the tree trunk. Yes, those were the good old jungle days.”

Aki told thesundaypost many stories about ulu life — how they looked for honey by watching the tapang trees and how they waited for the kelulut (stingless) bees or meliponines to come home.