Heritage Snippets of Sarawak
With the recent changes in our State leadership, this article serves to teach and remind us of the old, complex and interesting system of Traditional Titles that are a very strong part of our Sarawakian Heritage. (FoSM)
By JH Walker
MALAYSIA has a complex system of titles or gelar, with the Peninsular states, Sabah and Sarawak, and the Federation, each maintaining their own system of honours.
But beyond these formal systems, Sarawak also has a complex system of traditional titles: Abang, Awang, Dayang, Dayangku etc., the meanings of which can be confusing. Most of the hereditary titles in Sarawak derive from one of five sources—the sultans of Brunei and Sambas, Datu Merpati, Nakhoda Gudam and The Prophet Muhammad. Exploring the use of these titles can tell us much about power relations in Sarawak’s history, as Sarawak transitioned from Majapahit to control, variously, by Brunei or Sambas.
Awang, Awangku and Dayangku are used by male line descendants of the Sultans of Brunei and Sambas, the latter of whom descend from the former through the famed Rajah Tengah of Brunei, whose son, Raden Sulaiman, become the first Sultan of Sambas. These titles are the equivalent of Raja and Tunku (prince/princess), which are used by male line descendants of Sultans in Malaya. The use of Awangku in place of Awang by some, but not all, Awang-Awang has spread from Brunei, where it has been adopted progressively as non-titled Bruneian men began to use Awang as the equivalent of Encik or Mister.
Traditionally, children born with the title Dayangku or Awang could assume the more senior title, Pengiran, upon marriage or parenthood. The adoption of Pengiran later in life is now rare, with most Awang-Awang content to use Dayangku, Awang or Awangku throughout their life. The Deputy Premier of Sarawak, Awang Tengah (Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan), is presently the most prominent holder of this title in Sarawak.
In contrast to these titles, which derive from the royal courts of Brunei and Sambas, the use of Abang and Dayang developed in Sarawak (although they are also used as royal titles in some of the Malay ‘micro-states’ on the Kapuas River in West Kalimantan). These titles denote, with a few exceptions, the male line descendants of one of two famous ancestors. The first ancestor is Datu Merpati, who settled at Santubong from Java probably during the mid-fourteenth century. The Abang-Abang communities at Lundu and the Sarawak River basin descend from him. In contrast, the Abang-Abang communities of the Saribas and Skrang descend from Nakhoda Gudam, who arrived in Saribas from Sumatra in the seventeenth century, marrying the daughter of Pengiran Tumanggong Abdul Kadir, who had fled to Saribas from Brunei, having quarrelled with the Sultan. Both Datu Merpati and Nakhoda Gudam are the subject of traditional narratives and the oral histories of Santubong and Saribas, respectively.
In addition, the title, Abang, is used by some Melanaus, for example, Tun Salahuddin (Tun Pehin Sri Abang Muhammad Salahuddin Abang Barieng), the former Governor of Sarawak, was born Abang Louis, the son of Abang Barieng Abang Anyut, and Rajah Charles’s great friend (and father-in-law), Abang Ain bin Datu Laksamana Minudeen. I have not yet explored the origins of the Abang title among the Melanau, however.
Successive Sultans of Brunei or, sometimes, Sambas, ruled many of the river systems that now make up Sarawak by appointing Datus and other title-holders from among the Abang-Abang families local to each area. Lundu and the islands and coastal areas up to Santubong were, traditionally, administered on Brunei’s behalf by a Datu Tumanggong, while the Sarawak River itself was under the jurisdiction of a Datu Bandar and a Datu Patinggi. Brunei authorities governed Sadong through a Datu Bandar and, subsequently through Sherif Sahib—we’ll come to the title, Sherif, later.
Brunei’s interests in the various tributaries of the Saribas in the nineteenth century were also maintained by appointing members of the Saribas Abang-Abang as Datus. Datu Bandar Hamid and his brother, Datu Laksamana Omar were based on the Rimbas, while their brothers, Datu Laksamana Amir, Datu Imam Ayu, Datu Abang Ahmat and Datu Pen Hassim were settled on the Paku. Their very distant paternal cousin (third cousin, once removed), Datu Patinggi Udin, was entrusted by the Brunei authorities with the Layar district.
People interested in the details of how Brunei governed the coastal areas of what is now Sarawak prior to the nineteenth century should read E. Parnell, “The Tributes Paid in Former Days to the Sultan of Brunei by the Dependent Provinces of Sarawak”, (Sarawak Museum Journal, 1, 1911. pp. 125-130) which sets out a complex system of annual revenues and special tributes owed. The areas mentioned by name included Kalakka (or Kalaka), Saribas, Sadong, Sarawak, Sebuyau, Batang Lupar, Melanau and Skrang. The provincial officials identified as being responsible for raising the revenues were the Datu Patinggi and Orang Kaya Bandar of Kalakka; the Datu Patinggi and Datu Bandar of Saribas; and the Mentris (ministers) of Saribas, Kalakka, Melanau and Sadong. A position of Shahbandar is listed, but without a territorial designation. Although Sarawak Proper is listed as owing revenues, Parnell’s document does not provide the titles of those collecting it.
The important point is that, in all the cases listed above, the Datu, Orang Kaya, Mentri and Shahbandar were acting as the agents of a Sultan. In Sulu, other areas in the southern Philippines and in Sabah, a Datu title could indicate royal status and, even, kingship. For example, the former Governor and Chief Minister of Sabah, Tun Datu Mustapha bin Datu Harun, derived Datu titles from his membership of the Sulu Royal family. This was never the case in Sarawak where a Datu always derived his title and rank from a Sultan, whose agent he remained.
Among the Sarawak River Abang-Abang, there are also a small number of families, however, who descend from Datu Merpati only in the female line, their male line descending from distinguished outsiders. The most important such family is that descended from Bilal Abdul Latif, a religious leader who came to Sarawak from Brunei (Bilal is a title that denotes religious authority) in the very early nineteenth century. Bilal Abdul Latif’s son married a Dayang named Truan, whose grandfather was Datu Patinggi Mir. Dayang Truan’s son, Abang Abdul Gapur, was later to become the famous Datu Patinggi Abdul Gapur, an able and talented administrator who was exiled by the first Brooke Rajah, James, not once, but twice, convicted, quite unjustly, of derhaka or treason. The Premier of Sarawak, Abang Johari (Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg), descends directly from Datu Patinggi Abdul Gapur in the male line.
Other ‘outsider’ families that have been integrated into the Abang-Abang descend from Minangkabau administrators and intellectuals recruited to his administration by Rajah James. The most famous of these men was Encik Shawal, who produced the “Hikayat Panglima Nikosa”, taught Ranee Margaret jawi and became an important educator in Kuching in the latter nineteenth century under the patronage of Datu Bandar Kassim, he who built the beautiful mansion, Rumah Batu, beside the old State mosque.
I mentioned earlier that during the early nineteenth century, the Brunei Government began to change its policy of appointing Datus from among the local Abang-Abang communities and, instead, at Sadong, Lingga, Skrang and Igan, appointed descendants of The Prophet Muhammed to represent its interest in those areas—Sherif Sahib to Sadong, his brother, Sherif Mullah, to Skrang, Sherif Japar to Lingga and Sherif Masahor to Igan.
Although, in the nineteenth century, these descendants of The Prophet Muhammad used the title, Sherif, they were, being members of the extensive Hadhrami clan, Ba ‘Alawi, and descended from The Prophet’s grandson, Hussein, more properly entitled, Syed—Sherif being usually used by the descendants of The Prophet’s other grandson, Hassan.
It is unclear why the Sadah (the plural of Syed) Ba ‘Alawi assumed the title of Sherif in northwest Borneo in the nineteenth century. It was probably to emphasise their kinship with the royal families of Brunei and Sambas, whose descent from The Prophet is through Hassan and, therefore, is sherifian. In the twentieth century, however, the Sadah Ba ‘Alawi in Sarawak abandoned their use of Sherif in favour of Wan and Syed.
Well into the twentieth century, the Sadah Ba ‘Alawi in Sarawak maintained a complex, three-part system of titles. At birth, a baby’s title was either Wan (boy) or Sharifah (girl). Although the titles of girls remained unchanged, those of boys changed as their lives progressed. Upon marriage or parenthood, a Wan could assume the more senior title, Syed, whilst on becoming a grandfather or achieving some other distinction a Syed might assume the even grander title of Tuanku. In the nineteenth century, Charles Grant, for example, referred to the famous Sherif Masahor as Tuanku Masahor, while Grant’s contemporary, Edward Belcher, referred to Masahor’s father as “Tuanku Schriff Sa karran”.
Since the formation of Malaysia, Sarawak’s Syed families have progressively ceased using Tuanku, which is now reserved for West Malaysian royalty. The most important among the last generation to use Tuanku was Tuanku Bujang (Tun Datuk Patinggi Tuanku Bujang Tuanku Othman), the second Governor of Sarawak after independence, whose daughter, Juma’ani Tuanku Bujang, is married to Abang Johari. In addition, families seem no longer necessarily to progress from Wan to Syed, with both titles being treated as equal and interchangeable. The most senior of the Ba ‘Alawi in Sarawak presently is the Governor, Wan Junaidi bin Tuanku Ja’afar.
The Sarawak title, Wan, should not be confused with the unrelated title, Wan, from Terengganu. Since Federation, increased mobility within Malaysia has brought some Terengganu Wans to live in Sarawak. The distinguished scholar and intellectual, Wan Zawawi Ibrahim, for example, was a member of this clan. Nor should it be confused with the given name, Wan. Another name not to be confused with a title is Amir, which means Commander or Prince in Arabic but which is also a popular name among Malays—remember Datu Laksamana Amir from Paku? Similarly, although Malek, the name of the late eighteenth century Datu who administered Banting on behalf of the Brunei Government, means King in Arabic, in the case of Datu Malek Borhan it was simply a name, a point which seems to have been misunderstood in the TVS series, “Negeri Hilang Dari Sarawak”.
A less common gelar that can be encountered in Sarawak is the Bugis royal title, Daeng. There is a small population of Malays based in the Sadong descended from Bugis princes from South Sulawesi, who have, historically, used this title. Some years ago, one of these Daeng from Sadong was a Federal Member of Parliament.
Greater mobility following Federation has brought other holders of hereditary West Malaysian titles to Sarawak. For example, a Tunku from the Kedah royal family is a well-known and popular resident of Kuching and, doubtless, there are other Tunkus and Rajas to be found in the State.
Another important group of people who used Malay titles during the pre-Brooke, Brooke and Colonial eras were Dayaks, particularly, Iban and Bidayuh. Rajah James rewarded an early Bidayuh supporter, Bibit, with the title, Setia Rajah (loyal to the Rajah), after whom Jalan Setia Raja in Kuching was named. The leader of the Iban at Lundu during the time of the first Rajah, Si Jugah, bore the title Orang Kaya Tumanggong, while the main Iban leader on the Saribas at that time was the Orang Kaya Pemancha Dana, from whom the former Director of the Sarawak Museum, Dr Peter Mulok Kedit, and the human rights activist, Peter John Jaban, both descend.
During the reign of the third Rajah, the preeminent Iban leader was Temenggong Koh, who was succeeded as Temenggong by the much loved Tun Jugah (more properly, Tun Datuk Patinggi Temenggong Jugah anak Barieng)—YB Datuk Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi is his grandson.
The allocation of Malay titles to Dayak leaders represented the very close relations between Malays and Dayaks in many of the river systems in Sarawak. With Ibans and Malays settled together for centuries on the Saribas, Skrang, and Kalakka Rivers, Iban-Malay relations were typified by cooperation, collaboration, friendship and alliance, including extensive intermarriage and adoption.
This essay has only touched the surface of the complexity of gelar usage in Sarawak, which reflects deeply held and widely shared values pertaining to identity, rank and situation. Most importantly, the traditional systems of titles in Sarawak also evoke the State’s rich and multi-cultural history and the complexity of the communal relations which characterised it.
Dr JH Walker is a retired academic whose main research interest is in the nature and sources of Brooke rule in Sarawak, on which he has published extensively.
“Heritage Snippets of Sarawak” is a fortnightly column.
— DayakDaily
