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(17-09-2008) Life by Sarawak's Rivers
(17-09-2008) Life by Sarawak's Rivers Print E-mail
The beautiful, tree-lined banks of Sungai Mujuk in Julau. Penan children in a resettlement camp. Sarawak is one of Malaysia's most culturally diverse states. There are 27 distinct indigenous ethnic groups that speak 45 different languages. Here, a group of women are going home after collecting engkabang, a type of nut which is used for cooking oil. Jessica giving her father a hand on the longboat which takes tourists up Sungai Lemanak. Communal living is perhaps the most defining characteristic of traditional Sarawak culture. Communities share a singular housing structure called a longhouse with common living spaces. Women are often in charge of cooking and men entertaining guests and serving tuak or rice wine. Here an Iban woman prepares dishes welcoming ceremony for guests. A young Iban boy helps with dinner preparation at Rumah Gare. Meat is smoked over a low fire in bamboo husks, lending a subtle flavour. Unlike the food of the Malays or Indians, ethnic Sarawakian cooking does not use heavy doses of chilly or garlic. In the absence of any refrigeration, locals use fermentation as a means to preserve food. Where as in the past, tattoos and elongated ear lobes were considered symbols of beauty, today, many of the younger generation no longer practice this tradition. Boats are made of wood and painted in bright colours to distinguish one from another. People use these boats to navigate smaller rivers and channels, but there is currently no mechanism to license community boats or enforce compliance with security standards, such as the use of life jackets. Play time along Sungai Kemena, Bintulu. Left Behind - As young people leave, only the very young or the very old are left behind. Migration has left many communities, such as this one in Batang Tatu, empty. “Whose River is it Anyway?†- A municipal worker undertakes the daily task of clearing the Sarawak River of trash and vegetation.
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Ms. Jamie Menon
Communications Associate
United Nations Development Programme
Wisma UN, Kompleks Pejabat Damansara,
Jalan Dungun, Damansara Heights
50490 Kuala Lumpur

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Tel: +603 20959122 ext 3356
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