PERCEPTION is what we need to change about how people think about the Iban community. As far as I know eversince my university days, the Iban students were always known for their notorious drinking habit (but not all of them and we were the smarter and the hardworking ones too).
Iban is more than just "tuak". Iban is a beautiful community, be it from its culture, way of life and costume. As I have mentioned in my previous post on my wedding reception wearing the traditional Iban costume or "ngepan", one of the local Sarawak newspaper (Utusan Borneo) made a coverage on our historical event.
As for the writer, Mr. Christopher Bishop, it was his first time covering an Iban wedding where the couple wears full Iban costume but in the "old way". He said, it is so difficult to find Iban couples who are interested to wear traditional costume. So it was a pleasure for him to be able to cover our wedding.
 | |||
| The one page coverage in the "Panggau Rama" section of Utusan Borneo dated 27 May 2012 (Sunday) |
Well then for the benefit of reading the article, I present to you Mr. Christopher Bishop's article (in Iban).
PANGGAU RAMA 27 MAY 2012 – CHRIS BISHOP
"Dikelala bungai ari kayu, dikelala buah ari langgu, dikelala bansa
ari jaku, dikelala adat ari penyiru, dikelala kaban ari ngepan."
Aram Ngena Ngepan Iban Lebuh Ngerami Pengawa Melah Pinang
Panggau rama kitai minggu tu ngenang senentang pengawa Melah Pinang bansa
Iban ti diatur ba mengeri tauka ba rumah panjai.
Bedau lama tu tadi pengarang Panggau Rama bisi ngulu sebengkah pengerami
Melah Pinang ti diatur ba sebengkah hotel tebilang ditu.
Enggau pengaga ati, Berita Iban Utusan Borneo (Panggau Rama) mantaika
pengawa tu ngambika ditemu mensia mayuh pengawa sepasang pengantin ti kerami
malam nya bela ngena ngepan Iban lalu dipeda genap pupu bansa di serata menua
nyengkaum sekeda temuai ari menua Jepun.
Ditikah di Gerija St. Thomas Cathedral, Kuching pagi sehari nya, seduai ti angkun
ke adat enggau main asal bansa netapka ati ngena ngepan Iban maya nyambut
temuai ngagai pengawa Melah Pinang.
Lebuh dikerandau, Kumang
malam nya Veeky-Leonora madahka diri sigi rinduka ngepan bansa Iban baik nya kepan
lelaki tauka indu.
“Ketegal penyiru enggau pengangkun ke adat bansa Iban, kami duai bela
setuju deka ngena ngepan Iban lebuh bebanding maya pengawa melah pinang ti
diatur ba sebengkah Hotel tebilang ditu. Temegah ati kami duai nyadi "Raja
Sehari","Ku Veeky, bini Johnney Sylvester Pungga.
Penama seduai ke dalam Rainforest Ballroom ba pengerami malam nya disempulang
tabuh “Gendang Pampat” ari raban penebah Rh Panjai Selepong, Sri Aman.
Ku Veeky ti peranak Saribas, “Temuai ti datai gaga ati meda pengerami Melah
Pinang seduai laban jarang orang ba mengeri ka ngena ngepan Iban maya pengawa ngelaluka
temuai kelebih agi ti diatur ba hotel besai.
“Kami enda malu ngena ngepan Iban taja pan bisi persepsi orang melabaka
ngepan Iban tu fesyen lama.
‘Taja pan enda lama ngena ngepan tang kami chukup gaga laban ulih mantaika
pemanah ngepan Iban ngagai temuai kelebih agi sida ke ari Semenanjung enggau temuai
Jipun ke terubah ngelala ngepan Iban ,”Ku iya.
Berindik ari nya, aku ngarika anak Iban rebak baru ngansak semua peranak
bansa Iban ngena ngepan Iban lebuh ngatur pengerami melah pinang. Anang takut
enti orang nyebut kitai enda ngelala ubah baru laban bekenaka ngepan Iban, tu meh
patut nyadi kemegah kitai Iban,
tandu iya.
“Suah aku meransang diri ngena leka jaku "Dikelala bungai ari kayu,
dikelala buah ari langgu, dikelala bansa ari jaku, dikelala adat ari penyiru,
dikelala kaban ari ngepan."Veeky Leonora.
Pengangkun sereta penyiru seduai ngangkatka adat sereta main asal kitai Iban
ti semina sebengkah bansa ti bisi ba dunya tu patut dichunto raban nembiak
rebak baru ngambika enda punas dibai pemansang ba dunya tu.
Bela bisi ngulu pengerami nya Menteri Kanan Tan Sri James Masing, Sapit
Menteri Perengka Pengangkut Jelaing Mersat, Menteri Muda Pengawa Berumah Datuk
Hollis Harden, Adun Batang Ai Malcom Mussen, Dato Seri Edmund Langgu sereta
pemesai bukai.
Endang ari peda mata diri empu, pengerami belaki bebini ngena adat Melah
Pinang kemaya hari tu nyau mupok berubah ari kelia, laban nitihka pemansang
dunya.
Iya ke nyengala agi ba mata kitai, baka pengerami ngajat enggau pencha
endang main kitai ari kelia, tang kemaya hari tu suah diganti enggau betanda,
nunda main Melayu.
Ukai kitai ngumbai nya salah, lalu enda mega kitai ulih nagang, laban nya
nitihka trend kemaya hari tu.
Tang laban bansa kitai endang bisi adat lama, main asal ari aki ini kitai kelia,
manah ga kitai agi ngingat, lalu nemu sekeda adat nya. Nambahka nya, diatu nyau mayuh bansa kitai udah masuk pengarap bukai, lalu
adat enggau pengerami melah pinang ti kelia enda dikena, lalu diganti enggau
pengerami baru.
Nya alai, nadai pulai ke penyalah tauka penyai enti kitai belajarka adat
lama bansa diri laban nya endang pesaka asal, pesaka bansa kitai.
Bagi Iban, Utusan Borneo meri tabi enggau basa sereta Selamat ngintu Hari
Gawai ngagai semua, Gayu Guru Gerai Nyamai.
“BEJALAI BETUNGKATKA ADAT, TINDUK BEPANGGALKA
PENGINGAT”
Abis.
I hope I have done justice to my culture, so now, let's work together to change this PERCEPTION? You know your value as an Iban and it is our own responsibility to show to the world that we are more than just rounds of tuak.
We are a beautiful sect in the Borneo island and be proud of it. I know I am.....
<!-- nuffnang -->
<script type="text/javascript">
nuffnang_bid = "0fc4f37f868aed3ab3efa761915cc306";
document.write( "<div id='nuffnang_lr'></div>" );
(function() {
var nn = document.createElement('script'); nn.type = 'text/javascript';
nn.src = 'http://synad2.nuffnang.com.my/lr.js';
var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(nn, s.nextSibling);
})();
</script>
<!-- nuffnang-->
