Ba'kelalan is a group of nine villages at Maligan Highlands of
Limbang Division,
Sarawak
Sarawak ( , ) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia. It is the largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia. Sarawak is located in East Malaysia in northwest Borneo, and is ...
,
Malaysia
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
about above sea level and 4 km from the border with Indonesian
Kalimantan
Kalimantan (; ) is the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo. It constitutes 73% of the island's area, and consists of the provinces of Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, and West Kalimantan. The non-Ind ...
and 150 km from the nearest town of
Lawas. There are nine villages in Ba'kelalan. The villagers here belong to the
Lun Bawang
The Lun Bawang (formerly known as Trusan Murut and Mengalong Murut or Southern Murut) is an ethnic group found in Central Northern Borneo. They are indigenous to the southwest of Sabah (Interior Division including Labuan) and the northern reg ...
tribe.
The name Ba’Kelalan is derived from the Kelalan River and Ba’ which means ''wet lands'' in the
Lun Bawang language
Lun Bawang or is the language spoken by the Lun Bawangs in northern Borneo. It belongs to the Malayo-Polynesian family.
is an alternate name in North Kalimantan.
History
Lun Bawang is mainly an oral language. There is very little printed writ ...
. Its population was about 1030 in 2003. In the cool mountain climate, temperate fruits such as
apples
An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...
,
mandarin oranges and
vanilla
Vanilla is a spice derived from orchids of the genus ''Vanilla (genus), Vanilla'', primarily obtained from pods of the flat-leaved vanilla (''Vanilla planifolia, V. planifolia'').
''Vanilla'' is not Autogamy, autogamous, so pollination ...
are grown. The area also produces rice, and mountain salt is obtained from the nearby hills. The people in Ba'Kelalan are Christian, members of the
Sidang Injil Borneo.
Tourism has increased in recent years: Ba'kelalan now has a 9-hole natural golf course, and the settlement is also the easiest point of access for visits to
Kayan Mentarang National Park in
Krayan,
Kalimantan
Kalimantan (; ) is the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo. It constitutes 73% of the island's area, and consists of the provinces of Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, and West Kalimantan. The non-Ind ...
.
Etymology
The name Ba’Kelalan is derived from the Kelalan River and Ba’ which means ''wet lands'' in the
Lun Bawang language
Lun Bawang or is the language spoken by the Lun Bawangs in northern Borneo. It belongs to the Malayo-Polynesian family.
is an alternate name in North Kalimantan.
History
Lun Bawang is mainly an oral language. There is very little printed writ ...
.
History
According to
Tom Harrisson
Major Tom Harnett Harrisson, DSO, OBE (26 September 1911 – 16 January 1976) was a British polymath. In the course of his life he was an ornithologist, explorer, journalist, broadcaster, soldier, guerrilla, ethnologist, museum curator, archae ...
, the Lun Bawang people began to move into Baram and Limbang districts in the 17th century. Despite coming under the Brooke administration when Trusan district became part of Sarawak in 1885, the colonial influence was minimal. There was significant border contacts with the
Krayan people in Kalimantan, Indonesia. However, majority of trades with border communities in Indonesia happened at coastal towns in Sarawak. The extent of trades happening around the border is unknown. Among the common items used during trades are: rice, buffaloes, and clothes. The Krayan people from Long Bawan, Indonesia also provided a source of human labour for farming communities in Ba'kelalan.
In 1928, Christianity was introduced by
Borneo Evangelical Mission (BEM) when Carey Tolley and Hudson Southwell arrived here. Later Frank and Enid Davidson evangelised new Lun Bawang believers. By 1933, most of the Lun Bawangs were Christians. The Lun Bawangs also had become preachers themselves and brought Gospel to the
Kelabits in
Bario
Bario is a community of 13 to 16 villages located on the Kelabit Highlands in Miri Division, Sarawak, Malaysia, lying at an altitude of 1000 m (3280 ft) above sea level. It is located close to the Sarawak-Kalimantan border, 178 k ...
and other tribes. The Lun Bawangs started to divide up their longhouses into individual family homes. They also gave up their addiction on rice wine and practised better hygiene. They also abandoned their practise on seeking guidance from spirits and omens. Frank was given a Lun Bawang name ''Pendita Lisin''. Frank Davidson later was captured and died in
Batu Lintang camp during Japanese occupation. His wife Enid, also known as the Lun Bawang name ''Pendita Litad Mawa'' was spared from the Japanese because she decided to give birth to her child in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. After the war, Enid returned to Sarawak to continue to nurture the Lun Bawangs. By the 1970s, the Lun Bawangs were able to read bibles in their own language. Later, BEM was evolved into
Sidang Injil Borneo (SIB) church.
During
Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation, restriction was applied on Sarawak-Kalimantan border crossings but this directive was generally ignored. Following the end of confrontation in 1966, Cross Border agreement was signed on 26 May 1967 between Malaysia and Indonesia which allows border communities from both sides to trade and move freely around the border.
Governance
There are nine villages in Ba'kelalan, located on the Maligan highlands.
The villages are Buduk Nur, Long Langai, Long Lemumut, Long Ritan, Long Rusu, Pa Tawing, Buduk Bui, Buduk Aru and Long Rangat.
A village comprises a cluster of detached houses. Each village has its own headman. The post of headman is created by government appointment who commanded the respect of the villages and paid a minimal monthly salary. A headman should deal with the general affairs of the village such as disputes and development affairs and chairs a village development committee. A regional chief or ''penghulu'' is created to oversee the affairs of all the nine villages. He would come twice a year to discuss matters pertaining to development of the villagers and handling cases of the native chiefs court.
In terms of electoral boundaries, Ba'kelalan is included in the
Lawas parliamentary constituency and
Ba'kelalan state constituency.
Geography and climate
Ba'Kelalan also serves as a transit point to the nearby
Pulong Tau National Park where
Mount Murud
Mount Murud or Muru () is a sandstone mountain located in Limbang Division, Sarawak, Malaysia At 2,424 m (7,946 ft), it is the highest mountain in Sarawak.
Geography
Mount Murud at the elevation of 2,424 m, is the highest mountain in Saraw ...
and
Bukit Batu Lawi
Batu Lawi is a twin-peaked mountain in the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo) that has played important roles in both ancient mythology and modern history. The taller 'male' peak is 2046 metres above sea level, while the female summi ...
are located.
Kayan Mentarang National Park located in Indonesia is also at the vicinity.
Infrastructure
Ba'kelalan Airport has flights to
Bario
Bario is a community of 13 to 16 villages located on the Kelabit Highlands in Miri Division, Sarawak, Malaysia, lying at an altitude of 1000 m (3280 ft) above sea level. It is located close to the Sarawak-Kalimantan border, 178 k ...
and to
Lawas using 19-seater DHT aircraft. Road access is possible via a 125 km former
logging trail from
Lawas using four-wheel-drive vehicles, but the road conditions can be particularly bad in the rainy season and the journey takes at least six hours. However, in September 2009 the federal government of Malaysia approved RM50 million for the first construction phase of a road from Lawas to Ba’Kelalan to facilitate access.
The upgraded road has cut the travel time by half. A 34 km road connecting Ba'kelalan to Bario is being built and is expected to complete in 2018. The villages are powered by solar panels and diesel generators.
There are six government agencies in Ba Kelalan: the Upriver Agency, a primary school, a health sub-center, an agriculture sub-office, a civil aviation office, and an auxiliary police station.
The Malaysian Road Transport Department started to station several of its officers at the Ba'kelalan-Indonesian checkpoint since 2019.
In 2017, total entries into Ba'kelalan checkpoint was 16,970 vehicles, while those leaving the checkpoint to Indonesian side was 17,427 vehicles. In 2019, these numbers increased to 19,613 and 19,466 respectively.
As of 2022, there was no proper Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex across the checkpoint because the construction of the complex was abandoned back in 2019.
Economy
There are several homestays available at Ba'kelalan.
Farming
With water supply from the Kelalan river, the community have created well-irrigated
padi fields in Buduk Bui and Long Langai, and grow the prized, small-grained “Highland Adan Rice” with fine, sweet grains. This is unusual in the mountainous interior of Sarawak, where most communities can only grow
upland rice
Upland or Uplands may refer to:
Geography
*Hill, an area of higher land, generally
*Highland, an area of higher land divided into low and high points
*Upland and lowland, conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level
*I ...
known as ''hill padi''. Planting takes place each year in August and September, and harvesting starts in January. Delicacies related to rice such as ''bee pang'' (rice crackers) and ''bera kopi'' (rice coffee, produced by frying rice with sprinkling of sugar) are also produced by Lun Bawang people.
The town is the first in Malaysia to grow apples successfully on a commercial scale.
In 1975 the first apple
cuttings were brought from the highlands of
East Java
East Java (, , ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia located in the easternmost third of Java island. It has a land border only with the province of Central Java to the west; the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean border its northern ...
by a local boy, Andrew Balang Paran. Early planting faced problems and it was not until 1988 that the turning point was brought about, when help from two apple growers from Batu Malang in
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
brought the 300 dying apple trees back to health using
pruning
Pruning is the selective removal of certain parts of a plant, such as branches, buds, or roots.
It is practiced in horticulture (especially fruit tree pruning), arboriculture, and silviculture.
The practice entails the targeted removal of di ...
,
fertiliser
A fertilizer or fertiliser is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrition, plant nutrients. Fertilizers may be distinct from Liming (soil), liming materials or other non- ...
s and chemicals. During the next two years 1000 more apple trees were grown. In 1991 the first harvest was produced after an artificial "wintering" process in December 1990, when the leaves of the trees were removed.
Now seven varieties of apple are grown, of which the first three have produced fruit:'Ba Kelalan Apple' or Manalagi (a Washington hybrid first produced in Indonesia, light green but turning yellow when ripe),
Rome Beauty
The Rome apple (also known as Red Rome, Rome Beauty, Gillett's Seedling) is a cooking apple originating near Rome Township, Lawrence County, Ohio, Rome Township, Ohio, in the early 19th century. This apple remains popular for its glossy red color ...
(crunchy, sweet, sour tasting apple normally used for cooking), Tropical Beauty (a brilliant red oval apple, sweet but not as crunchy as Rome Beauty), Lady Williams, Epal Anna, Kwanglin, and
Jonathan
The 3-hectare orchard has 2,000 apple trees and is run by 75-year-old former pastor Tagal Paran, the elder brother of Andrew Balang Paran who brought the first cuttings to the village, and his 50-year-old son Mutang Tagal. The trees bear fruit twice a year, normally in the middle and the end of the year.
Following the initial success, they plan to plant 4000 apple trees.
Since 2015, Ba'kelalan started to produce strawberries on a commercial scale.
Salt processing
Ba'kelalan salt springs were discovered more than a hundred years ago when hunters noticed that animals like to drink water there. The villagers then began using the salt water for cooking and learn how to make salt from it. There are two main sources of salt in Ba'kelalan: salt lick (mineral deposit of salt) and salt spring (salt water). Salt springs at Ba'kelalan can be found at three areas: Buduk Bui, Pa Komap and Punang Kelalan. The villagers have been using firewood to boil the salt water for four to five days before getting the salt. The villagers usually make salt as a side income business. Ba'kelalan salt is sold at the city of Miri, and the neighbouring states of Brunei, and Sabah. In 2015, Sarawak Forest Department upgraded the salt processing facilities at Buduk Bui for more efficient salt processing.
The mountain salts at Ba'kelalan is known as "tuchuk" in local language.
Salt water wells enable the community to produce an average of 40 kg of salt per week. About twenty four families are currently involved in salt production alongside their other farming activities. The salt well (or brine well) is used to mine salt from caverns or deposits by the use of water as a solution to dissolve the salt or halite deposits so that they can be extracted by pipe to an evaporation process that results in a brine or dry product for sale or use.
Demographics
The villagers here are mostly from the
Lun Bawang
The Lun Bawang (formerly known as Trusan Murut and Mengalong Murut or Southern Murut) is an ethnic group found in Central Northern Borneo. They are indigenous to the southwest of Sabah (Interior Division including Labuan) and the northern reg ...
tribe.
As of 2003, there were 1,030 villagers staying in Ba'kelalan.
The Lun Bawang tribes are Christians that belongs to BEM denomination or
Sidang Injil Borneo. The church is the most important institution in a village and each village has its own church. Church services and prayer meetings are frequently held here.
Rice production has doubled since the prohibition of alcohol.
Culture
Several notable foods at Ba'kelalan are: ' (rice wrapped in leaf), ' (vegetable porridge), and ' and ' (smoked fish and meat)
The Lun Bawang people play bamboo flutes known as "". They are also known for their "" culture, where they work together in every aspect of life such as rice cultivation, clearing lands, or organising events.
The first Apple Fiesta in Malaysia was held in Ba'Kelalan from 29 to 31 March 2007.
Ba'kelalan has been the host for since 2015.
Notable Lun Bawangs
1.
Baru Bian – MLA for Ba'kelalan, former
Minister of Works & former
Member of Parliament (MP) for
Selangau
Selangau, Sarawak, ( Malay: ''Pekan Selangau'') is a small town located by the Pan Borneo Highway (Sibu-Bintulu Road). It is also located by Batang Mukah, a river which flows to the South China Sea. It is located approximately from Sibu city, ...
.
2. Judson Sakai Tagal – former
State Assistant Minister of Communications of Sarawak & former Member of the
Sarawak State Legislative Assembly
The Sarawak State Legislative Assembly is the legislative chamber of the unicameral legislature of the Malaysian state of Sarawak; the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak forms the other part of the legislature. The Assembly is modelled after th ...
(MLA) for
Ba'kelalan.
3.
Mutang Tagal
Datuk Mutang Tagal (5 October 1954 – 10 May 2024) was a Malaysian lawyer, businessman, and politician. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Bukit Mas in the state of Sarawak, Malaysia from April 1982 to October 1990. He left active politi ...
– former
President of the Dewan Negara
The president of the Senate (; Jawi: ) is the presiding officer or speaker of the Dewan Negara, the upper house of the Parliament of Malaysia.
The president of the Senate is created under Article 56 of the Constitution of Malaysia. The office ...
,
Senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...
& former Member of Parliament for
Bukit Mas.
4.
Nelson Balang Rining – Deputy President of the
Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) & former MLA for Ba'kelalan .
Cross-border relation with Long Bawan, Indonesia
The Lun Bawang people in Ba'kelalan are considered ethnically the same as
Krayan people in Long Bawan, Indonesia, as they share similar language, culture, and religion. The cross-border relationship has been comfortable although villagers from both sides need an official pass from either Indonesian or Malaysian authorities to cross the border. Cross-border disputes are rare and are mostly settled at the village level. Cross-border marriages are also common.
However, there one case which happened in 1978 involving the Buduk Nur village in Ba'kelalan and Long Midang village in Long Bawan. A hunter of Ba'kelalan was chasing a wild boar with his dogs. However, the wild boar ran to the Indonesian side and was killed by another hunter living at the Long Bawan. The hunter from Long Bawan claimed the wild boar while the hunter from Ba'kelalan went back to his own village disappointed. A month later, the same hunter from Long Bawan gave a chase to a wild boar with his dogs. The wild boar ran to the Malaysian side and was killed by the same hunter from Ba'kelalan. The Ba'kelalan hunter claimed the wild boar as his own. This caused the Long Bawan hunter to report this matter to his own headman. The case was elevated to area chief at Long Bawan. However, after a meeting with Lawas District officer, both sides agreed that the case should be resolved by the two hunters with the presence of their own headman. Subsequently, both the hunters did not meet each other and they both reminded their own villagers that to practice the custom of sharing. People in both villagers were ashamed and wanted it to be forgotten. Any similar incident has not happen since.
Ba'kelalan and Long Bawan are connected via a dirt road. Buffaloes, motorcycles, and four-wheel drives are frequently used to transport goods across the border. Although Long Bawan has daily flights to coastal towns of Indonesian Borneo such as
Nunukan and
Tarakan
Tarakan is an island and co-extensively the sole city within the Indonesian province of North Kalimantan. The island city is the largest urban area in North Kalimantan population-wise and is located in northern Borneo, midway along the coast of ...
, the air fare is expensive and each passenger taking flight can only bring 10 kg of goods. This has caused Ba'kelalan to become a major supplier of goods to Long Bawan because of cheaper transportation costs. In May 2003, there are 70 to 80 people crossing into Ba'kelalan daily. Since 2004, four-wheel drive especially
Toyota Hilux
The , stylised as HiLux and historically as Hi-Lux, is a series of pickup trucks produced and marketed by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. The majority of these vehicles are sold as a pickup truck or cab chassis, although they coul ...
trucks are being used to transport goods across the border directly from
Lawas into Long Bawan, bypassing Ba'kelalan. This has caused Ba'kelalan traders to suffer a loss of business.
Smuggling of grocery goods, drugs, fuel oil, and stolen cars are major problems here.
This situation also rendered the Cross Border agreement toothless because the agreement stated that border communities are allowed to trade freely, but not for the communities from other places. The advent of four-wheel drive also caused increase availability of alcoholic drinks across the border, much to the dismay of the Christian border communities. Tollgates have been erected by the Ba'kelalan traders to claim land ownership across the border and prevent buffaloes from grazing in the rice fields. However, fees levied at the tollgates have caused the resentment of the Long Bawan people as they have always been depending upon Ba'kelalan for daily supplies. However, both Malaysian and Indonesia authorities refused to interfere with the matter and advised the matter to be resolved locally.
References
State constituency
See also
*
Ba'kelalan by-election, 2004
{{Sarawak
Lawas District
Towns in Sarawak