The untold story of the Kliriengs of Lulau Belak

Heritage Snippets of Sarawak by FoSM

Heritage Snippets of Sarawak

By Calvin Agau Jemarang

After a recent very interesting and informative talk at the Borneo Cultures Museum under the “Sarawak Snapshots—Museum Talks” series where Jayl Langub talked about Taman Tipong Tuloi’s Klirieng (Burial Pole), here is another account of the power, mystique and importance of Kliriengs in Sarawakian heritage and culture.

Kliriengs in the forest. One has collapsed. They are located across the river from the Skepan Piit Longhouse, Belaga. ©Jayl Langub

ON the outskirts of Tatau town lies a concealed treasure, Lulau Belak, also known as Rantau Belak. It rests in quiet isolation, deep within the remote wilderness, adorned with klirieng structures and a kludan, remnants of a bygone era when the Punan people left their mark on this precolonial sanctuary. A thirty-minute speedboat journey from Tatau is required to reach this mesmerizing locale.

Lulau Belak is no ordinary place; it guards a secret within its core—four hidden Kliriengs, each with a unique tale. Two of these are intertwined with the valiant sons of the soil, Tigeang Selawik and Lidom Tigeang, also known as Siki and Banun.

Tigeang, often wrongly credited as Tatau’s first Punan leader, arrived in the 18th century based on his genealogies or around 1820 according to Ida Nicolaisen. His final resting place graces the banks of the Senganya River in the Upper Kakus. Siki, erroneously considered Tigeang’s wife, found her abode in Lulau Belak but was actually his granddaughter. Tigeang’s true wife was Jingade Sega. Similarly, Banun or Banun Sega, believed to be Lidom’s wife, was his grandaunt. Banun was married to Brunei royalty named Pangeran Dipa.

Years ago, a Sarawak Museum delegation visited Lulau Belak to assess the condition of these protected kliriengs. Unforeseen, a lady from Kuala Lumpur, part of the delegation, fell gravely ill after the visit. Seeking recovery through traditional healing, she believed in an offering—a ‘menapok’ (performing ritual and making offerings) to the kliriengs’ guardian. Unable to make the journey herself, she implored Tr Jalong for aid.

Without hesitation, Tr Jalong and a longhouse group performed the solemn ‘menapok’ ritual, offering a black-feathered chicken (Indonesian Cemani chicken) as a symbol of unwavering devotion and forgiveness. They sought absolution in case their earlier visit disrupted the guardian’s tranquility. The ritual, however, incurred expenses, including wages.

After the rites, Tr Jalong revealed that the lady experienced a remarkable recovery. Regrettably, to date, neither she nor the involved individuals received compensation for the elaborate ceremony, as tradition might prescribe. Nevertheless, Tr Jalong solemnly concluded, “what genuinely matters is the restoration of her health.” Thus, this peculiar tale stands as a testament to the enigmas and time-honored traditions weaving their enchantment in these timeless lands.

Klirieng across the river from the Skepan Piit Longhouse, Belaga. ©Jayl Langub

It is worth mentioning that across the river from the four mausoleums, there are additional kliriengs. Along the Tatau River, these structures extend to Jelai and further downstream, reaching the Selitut River. The Punan people commenced their migration upriver from Tatau in the late 19th century. In 1894, Penghulu Nyipa Lidom, the inaugural Punan community leader appointed by the Brooke Rajah, abandoned his longhouse situated at Jatan River near Tatau town, close to Tua Pek Kong (Chinese temple). His community later moved to Kakus River.

Taman Tipong Tuloi’s Klirieng at the Borneo Cultures Museum grounds. ©Mary Margaret

Calvin Agau Jemarang is a blogger, journalist, and avid reader of the history of Sarawak’s minorities.

“Heritage Snippets of Sarawak” is a fortnightly column.