This is a true ghost story happened to my friend. Since today is the start of hungry ghost month of Chinese, I guess a haunting story would serve as a great opening. Everything being said here is from the first-hand source. I didn’t make up anything. Let’s start by calling the three guys in this story as Robert, David and Yusof.
Agop Batu Tulug is about 40 metres high and houses about 125 log coffin of 600 to 900 years old. The highest caves look like the eyes of a skull.
In 2005 or 2006, Robert, David and Yusof were on a road trip to tour around East coast of Sabah. One of their stops is Agop Batu Tulug, which is located next to the highway between Sandakan and Lahad Datu. Agop Batu Tulug literally means Sleeping Rock Cave in local language. It’s a 40-metre-high limestone pinnacle with a few big caves that store about 125 wooden coffins from 600 to 900 years ago. Basically you can call it a coffin hill.
Information panel of Agop Batu Tulug. In local language, Agop = Cave, Batu = Rock, Tulug = Sleeping. Photo by CEphoto, Uwe Aranas / CC-BY-SA-3.0
As a burial site, Agop Batu Tulug doesn’t receive a lot of tourists. It’s under the care of Sabah State Museum and open to public. Anyway, it’s highly accessible and visible by the roadside, so these three guys decided to pay a visit. They bought the tickets, then walked up to the hill to explore the caves with old coffins.
At first they checked out the caves in lower level, which houses coffin of ordinary people. A staff on-duty told them that the human remains in the coffin were transferred to the museum, so they assumed all the coffins are empty, which is not true.
Agop Lintanga, the burial cave for ordinary people. Photo by CEphoto, Uwe Aranas / CC-BY-SA-3.0
Cave burial with log coffin was used to be a practice by Orang Sungai and Murut Tangara living in upstream of Kinabatangan plain. The reason why they did it still remains a mystery. Most wooden coffin are carved from one big chunk of Belian log (Borneo Ironwood). Belian wood is so dense and heavy that it sinks instead of floating on the water.
Later Robert reached the Agop Sawat, the highest cave that has the best collection of ancient coffins. The coffins in this cave belong to VIP such as village chief, upper-class and warriors. You can tell their status by looking at the buffalo head decoration and motif carving on the coffins.
Wooden Coffin in the Agop Sawat, the highest burial cave of Agop Batu Tulug for high status people. This was where Robert offended the deceased. Credit: Photo by Jacob Mojiwat (source)
David said, “The coffins seem heavy. I wonder why these people carried them all the way up to the hill for burial?” Being the strongest guy among them, Robert took it as a challenge. He walked to a short and wide coffin that laid on a raised platform at his waist level. He grabbed one end of the coffin with both hands, lifted it up and down a few times to weigh it. “Ok ba, I can lift it,” he said.
“How about the longer one next to it?” David said. Robert did the same again to that coffin, and smiled, “Can ba, not too heavy for me.” The guys were laughing and didn’t know that both coffins were not empty. Robert has disturbed something inside.
Burial in cave with log coffin was used to be the traditional practice of Orang Sungai and Murut Tangara in upstream area of Kinabatangan plain. Photo by CEphoto, Uwe Aranas / CC-BY-SA-3.0
After the visit, they continued their road trip and overnight in a hotel of Tawau. After taking shower, watching TV and chit chat, they went to bed around 11 PM. They all stayed in the same room with triple beds. Robert was sleeping in the middle, David at his right and Yusof at his left.
Feeling something, Robert waked up in midnight. Through his sleepy eyes, he saw two dark figures standing in front of his bed. The left one was a tall and thin figure, about 6 feet high, and the short one at the right was between 4 to 5 feet tall. Because of the bathroom light behind these figures, they appeared as silhouettes. Robert thought they were David and Yusof. He wondered why they were standing there in late night. He just ignored them and back to sleep.
The layout of the hotel room where Robert and his friends spent a night. Robert drew this diagram to tell his story.
Both figures came to his bed. The tall one went to the footboard and the short one to his right side. Then they shake the bed of Robert violently. Robert was annoyed and asked them to stop, but these two fellows didn’t quit. Robert turned his body to the right, and he saw David was sleeping on the bed. Shocked, he checked his left and saw a sleeping Yusof. Robert was terrified, “huh? Then who are these two guys shaking my bed?”
The ghosts stopped shaking and Robert could tell that they were giggling, as if they did something funny and naughty, though they made no sound. Before Robert could react, the tall ghost started crawling onto his bed and moving on top of him. The short ghost pressed his shoulder and waist, Robert couldn’t move and shout. He experienced sleep paralysis with open eyes. It’s not a dream!
The coffins with buffalo head and beautiful carving usually belong to people of high status such as aristocrat, village chief and warrior.
Soon the tall ghost was on top of his body and stared at the face of Robert. Robert only saw a translucent, smoke-like black humanoid shadow that had no face. The tall ghost pinned his hands to the bed and giggled again. Then it licked the face of Robert from chin to forehead. Robert remembers that it’s a huge tongue and he could even feel that wet and slimy tongue touching his face.
Finally Robert could sit up after struggling hard. Both ghosts leaped to the front of his bed and giggled again. Then they turned left and walked to the window and disappeared into the curtain. Robert was scared. He waked up his friends, but none of them had any idea what was happening. Robert decided not to talk about it until daytime. He only could pray and waited for the sunrise in fear.
Most log coffin are made of Belian wood (Borneo Ironwood). Photo by CEphoto, Uwe Aranas / CC-BY-SA-3.0
The next morning Robert told David and Yusof about his paranormal encounter. The size of the ghosts matched the coffins that they played with, so they realised that they may have done something disrespectful to the deceased at Agop Batu Tulug. The ghosts just reciprocated by shaking Robert’s bed, like what he did to their coffins.
This story ghost was featured in Mysterious Borneo (神秘的婆罗洲) series in Shuang Xing channel (双星) of Astro in April 2023. “Robert” was interviewed in the TV.
Therefore, before they returned to Kota Kinabalu City, they dropped by Agop Batu Tulug again. Robert parked the car at the roadside, opened the door and faced the coffin hill. He apologised sincerely to the ghosts and said they didn’t mean to offend them. He also requested the ghosts not to follow them. Fortunately, the haunting ended after his apology.
In fact, this is not the only case. In one incident, a girl in a student group was possessed after a visit at Agop Batu Tulug. She was made to tell the others that never disturb those living in coffin hill. Just be respectful when you enter their territory and you will be fine. To learn more taboos, you may check out my article about some Do and Don’t in Borneo forest.
Religion has been a source of inspiration for making of remarkable architectures and artworks, but the ideas need the devotion of followers to turn into a reality. Peak Nam Toong (Chinese name: 碧南堂), one of the most beautiful Chinese temples in Sabah, is a perfect example of such outcome.
Peak Nam Toong looks like a palace in the heaven.
Chinese people are highly adaptive and willing to adjust their lifestyle to blend into the local society, but their cultures and religion are the cores that always remain intact. Therefore, a visit to a Chinese temple is a good starting point to see the dragon in their hearts.
Peak Nam Toong (碧南堂) is surrounded by houses and situated 300 feet away from the highway, but its towering 9-tier pagoda can been seen from miles away.
Even if you are a non-believer or atheist, your world view and values are more or less influenced by religions. For example, the karma, you wish good people go to heaven and your ex goes to hell right.
Peak Nam Toong temple is really photogenic and you can find many excellent spots for taking pictures.
History of Peak Nam Toong
Visitors would be impressed by the magnificent golden temple and 9-tier pagoda of Peak Nam Toong, so it’s hard to believe that Peak Nam Toong was just a humble stilt house in the water village of Tanjung Aru Beach about half a century ago.
In 1972, Peak Nam Toong was a small wooden building in water village and located about 300 feet away from the shore.
However, this first temple in the sea was so popular that it had to expand to accommodate more devotees. The temple was moved to Taman Fortuna less than 5 KM from Kota Kinabalu City and operated in 1984, this time it’s upgraded with bricks and cement structure. In the beginning, the new location was mostly empty ground. Now the temple is fully surrounded by residential housing.
Left: the 9-level pagoda of Peak Nam Toong; Right: The relief sculpture of five dragons
Wherever Chinese lives, there is a temple. In the bygone era of North British colonization, thousands of Chinese sailed across the South China Sea to work as labours and farmers in Sabah. Away from their hometown and working in a foreign country, religion gave these ancestor pioneers from China some hopes to protect themselves against insecurity.
Watch the video for a tour at Peak Nam Toong
Most of the Chinese immigrants are Hakka and Hokkien from Guangdong and Fujian provinces respectively, so naturally Guanyin (观音), Tua Pek Kong (大伯公) and Guang Ze Zun Wang (广泽尊王) are the three most common deities being worshiped in Sabah.
Lion decorations for the Chinese New Year. The place is clean and peaceful.
The Golden Temple
Taoism has a vivid vision of how a heaven looks like, so their temple is a mini replica of the palace. Peak Nam Toong fully incorporates the design of traditional Chinese architecture. The auspicious red and gold form the main theme colours. The area between the arch and temple are guarded by dozen of dragons and lions.
Day and night view of Peak Nam Toong (碧南堂)
The most prominent structure of Peak Nam Toong is the 9-tier pagoda, one of the tallest in Sabah. For Chinese, a 9-tier pagoda is a Feng Shui tower that can transfigure negative energy. Pagoda is a symbol of stability and wealth too because it was used to be a place for safekeeping of sacred relics, literature and treasures. This 200-feet-tall pagoda is a spectacular sight at night when its colourful LED light glows.
You can move the slider on photo to compare the day and night scenes of Peak Nam Toong
The front of Peak Nam Toong is facing at the direction of the sea. For people who’ve never been to a Chinese temple, there would be many things that pique their interest. Every elements in the sculptures, murals, motif, reliefs, statues, all have a story or meaning.
Sculptures of 12 Chinese Zodiac. They all look very rich.
Peak Nam Toong welcomes all visitors, even to non-followers who are respectful. The colourful statues of 12 Zodiac animals and Eight Immortals (八仙) at the compound are favourite spots of visitors for taking photos. For praying to the deities, the opening hours of the main prayer hall is from 6am to 6pm daily.
The Eight Immortals (八仙) in Chinese mythology. They represent eight main categories of people.
Under financial constraint, the construction of new Peak Nam Toong would be impossible without the support by the community through fund-raising, donation, and sponsorship. Just a trivia. When deciding the scale of the temple, the committees determined to go grand, as Taoism in Sabah needs a majestic landmark to project their faith and status.
Left: door of Peak Nam Toong; Right: booth for hanging wish banners
Main Prayer Hall
Taoism is a polytheistic religion, so there are about 16 deities housed in three altars and different areas of Peak Nam Toong. Sitting in the middle altar is Guang Ze Zun Wang (广泽尊王 / 圣王公), the main patron deity of Peak Nam Toong, together with his wife, Miao Yin Xian Fei (妙应仙妃) and 13 children, Thirteen Taibao (十三太保). You can find 24 drawing on the wall of the main prayer hall about the journey of Guang Ze Zun Wang to becoming a deity.
Altar of Guang Ze Zun Wang (广泽尊王) in the middle. He existed in Nan’an, Quanzhou, Fujian Province for over a thousand years.
The altar of Qing Shui Zu Shi (清水祖师) is at the right and Guanyin (观音菩萨) is at the left. They are accompanied by other deities such as Goddess Tian Hou (天后娘娘), Qi Xian Niang Niang (七仙娘娘), Lord Guan (关圣大帝), Tua Pek Kong (大伯公), Nezha (哪吒三太子), Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva (地藏王菩萨) and Daode Tianzun (太上老君).
Altar of Qing Shui (清水祖师)
Each deity acts like an officer in heaven and has different roles and ranks. Most of them can answer general prayers about wealth, health, relationships, and some can handle specific requests like academic achievement and getting a baby. (Tip: For money matters, ask Tua Pek Kong.)
The altar of Guanyin (观音菩萨)
Usually devotees pray to Guang Ze Zun Wang to wish for blessing and a peaceful life. Guang Ze Zun Wang also has the power to ward off the evil spirits, and able to travel between heaven and hell. There are 13 Guang Ze Zun Wang temples in Sabah.
Praying on the birthday of Qing Shui (清水祖师). Note the three altars in the hall.
Taoism believes that kind-hearted human can transform into a deity, if she / he practices Taoism and does a lot of charitable works to help the people. Many deities were used to be a Taoist or legendary figure who is deeply respected as a philanthropist or hero.
Events & Celebrations
Peak Nam Toong would organise special celebrations on important dates to pay homage to the deities. If you enjoy watching vibrant cultural events, you could check out the following grand events:
Chinese New Year celebration and stage performance at Peak Nam Toong
Pray to Tian Gong (拜天公)
Birthdays of Guang Ze Zun Wang (广泽尊王), Qing Sui Zhu Shi (清水祖师), Guanyi (观音)
Hungry Ghost Festival (孟兰节)
Devotees pray to King Guangze in the main prayer hall
Some events come with entertainment programmes including dragon, unicorn and lion dance, music and dance performances, grand parade, offering of various popular Chinese dishes to the deities, etc.
What’s your revenge travel plan for the new year? If you just want to relax and don’t want crowded destinations on a tight schedule, Tenom would fit your travel style. You can fully control your pace and live like a local there. And you won’t be short of interesting places and nice food to explore. If you don’t feel like doing anything, you can just sip a cup of Tenom coffee and read some books in this peaceful town.
Tenom town in mist. You can see Perkasa Hotel on the hill. The white building at the lower right is Tenom Market (Pasar Tenom).
About Tenom
Tenom is a small town with a main street that cuts through the town centre, and everything you need is within walking distance. The town is surrounded by rolling hills and sits on a plain nurtured by Padas and Pagalan Rivers.
You can see the Perkasa Hotel, sport field, train station and Al-Rahman mosque in this aerial shot.
Located about 185 Metres above sea level in Sabah’s interior, the temperature in Tenom is refreshing, the foggy hills in the morning and dusk are a common sight. Murut (52%), Kadazandusun (12%) and Chinese (8%) make up the majority of the population in Tenom.
3 Special Things about Tenom
Though seen as a low-profile destination and lacking personality, Tenom is very unique actually.
1. Coffee Town
Tenom has been planting coffee for over 100 years, and Tenom Coffee is one of most well-known products of Sabah. The big three local coffee makers are Yit Foh (益和), Fatt Choi (发财), and Tong Fah (东桦). Public can learn the coffee processing at the factories of Yit Foh and Fatt Choi.
Left: the coffee bean sculpture roundabout in Tenom town centre. Right: enjoy my Ice Jelly Latte at Fatt Choi Coffee Cabin
Or you can enjoy the coffee at their parks. Most coffee planted in Tenom is of Robusta breed, which has a distinctive earthy aroma, a taste that is strong and bold, with a lingering aftertaste, and more kick in caffeine.
2. Fruit Capital of Sabah
The name “Tenom” is probably coming from the Malay word Tanam (means planting) being mispronounced by the British, the ex-ruler of North Borneo (now Sabah). The soil of Tenom is fertile and turns this district into an orchard base.
Popular fruits of Tenom, Avocado and Pomelo
Every tropical fruit seems to grow well in Tenom. The most famous fruits of Tenom are Pomelo and Avocado. Many are sold out even before they reach the market in the city. During the fruiting months, tarap, durian, langsat, melon, pineapple and various seasonal fruits will spoil fruit lovers.
3. Swiftlet City
Swiftlet City (燕城) is another nickname of Tenom. Go for cover when dusk approaches Tenom town. Around 6:30pm, flock after flock of birds, most of them are glossy swiftlet, Asian glossy starling and barn swallow (migrant from North Asia), will swarm Tenom town. The only thing you can hear is their chirping echoed loudly.
Thousands of Glossy Swiflet look for perching point to overnight in Tenom
The birds congregate and spend a night on the trees and electrical wires. Whoever parks their cars under the tree or wire will find their cars covered in bird droppings the next day.
Padas River of Tenom and the iron bridge that connects to Keningau town
Places to Go and Things to Do
The following is a summary of activities and attractions to experience in Tenom. Please note most of them charge an entry or ticket fee, or require booking.
Train Ride
Tenom is the last terminal station of Sabah train service, the only railway in Borneo. The popular Malaysian movie Ola Bola featured the train ride to Tenom in the opening scene, with mesmerising views of the majestic Padas River and gorges along the journey.
Sabah State Railway, the only train service in Borneo
However, if you plan to travel around Tenom district, I strongly advise you to bring your own car. Besides, the train service from Kota Kinabalu to Tenom is disrupted occasionally. You can follow the Facebook of Sabah State Railway for update and latest schedule.
White Water Rafting
Personally I rate the 9-Kilometre Grade IV white water rafting in Padas River as the most exciting activity for adrenaline junkies. Your challenge is to paddle through rapids with nasty nicknames such as Cobra and Washing Machine. In the rainy season, the waves are so rough that the raft is like fighting against the Tsunami. This tour package would include a train ride.
White water rafting on Padas River is thrilling and challenging
Sabah Agriculture Park (Taman Pertanian Sabah)
Want to see over 20 collections of flowers, fruits, and crops from Borneo and tropical zones of America, Asia and Africa? This mega garden is a suitable outdoor classroom for family and school groups to learn about plants. Read more…
The tram-train and lake gardens of Sabah Agriculture Park (Taman Pertanian Sabah)
Murut Cultural Centre (Pusat Kebudayaan Sabah)
Tenom is the unofficial HQ of Murut people, the headhunters of Borneo in the past. Murut Cultural Centre, which is also the largest ironwood building of Borneo, is where the Murut heritage and artifacts are exhibited, for example, the burial jar and headhunter sword.
Murut Cultural Centre (Pusat Kebudayaan Sabah) is only 13 Kilometres away from Tenom town
Shopping in Local Markets
The quickest way to learn the culture and lifestyle of the locals is by looking at their markets.
1. Tenom Central Market
You can buy almost everything at Tenom Central Market (Pasar Tenom), to list a few, fruits & vegetables, snacks, seafood, meats, coffee powder, clothing. On the top floor is a food court divided into halal and non-halal sections. I always go there for my favourite meatball & spring roll breakfast.
Tenom Market (Pasar Tenom) in town centre
2. Tamu Market
Tamu is an open-air native market that opens weekly or biweekly in the countryside. It was started as a barter trading site for farmers, fishermen, hunters and traders in the old days, so they could exchange goods. After hundreds of years, tamu is still around but more modern merchandise such as homemade bakery, electric appliances and clothing are available. The tamu of Tenom is open in the morning (6am to 12pm) every Wednesday and Sunday. By the way, cash only please.
Tamu Market of Tenom. Besides fresh agriculture products, you also can find other items such as shoes, phone accessories, snacks, dried seafood, flowers, wild honey and homemade bakery.
Trees
Tenom always has a nostalgic vibe because of the old trees around. Local folks like to sit in the shade of big raintrees in the field next to the train station. The trees were planted about 100 years ago by the British.
Left: old raintrees at the field. Right: the hollow tree in Binai Village
Another cool tree is a 40-feet hollow tree (Holo Binai Tree) in Kampung Binai, about 2 KM away from Tenom town. The tree survived a lightning bolt but its core is emptied by burning. Watch out for hornet nests in the tree hole.
Coffee Tours
You can visit Yit Foh Coffee Park or Fatt Choi Coffee Cabin to sample some coffee and learn about coffee making. Both operators offer accommodation at their sites too. Fatt Choi Coffee Cabin is on a hill and provides a panoramic view of Tenom, wonderful as a sunrise and sunset viewpoint.
Padas Farmstay employs a variety of environmental-friendly methods to make farming more sustainable and organic. They show you how crops and livestocks thrive better under green practices.
Left: Padas Farmstay. Right: Antanom Museum
Yong Farmstay (杨家村)
An old farm site with a mini museum that shows the traditional lifestyle of Chinese Hakka farmers in the past. Riding an ATV is also another fun activity at Yong Farmstay.
Other Places of Interest
You also can explore the following places in Tenom district.
Antanom Museum: exhibition on the history of the greatest Murut warrior, Ontoros Antanom
Rundum Highlands: homestay at the original and historical site of Tenom town
Marais Centre: homestay to experience village life and Murut culture
Lumuyu Rock Carving: a 1,000-year-old rock carving by 6 brothers for their deceased youngest brother
Tenom coffee and spring rolls & meatball, the typical breakfast of Tenom
Food Hunting
Most Chinese in Tenom are Hakka, the descendants of immigrants from Guangdong, China. Besides opening up new farmland, they also introduced some traditional food to Sabah. Some recommended dishes to try in Tenom are:
Corn-fed Chicken: one of the most yummy chicken in Sabah
Meatballs & Spring Roll: made of fresh pork, go well with any food
Tenom Fried Noodle: aromatic wok-fried noodle rich in gravy
Steamed Pork Belly with Taro: fulfilling and rich in flavors
Some decent accommodations are available in Tenom. I stayed in Sakot Hotel, which is affordable and can be booked via AirBnB. Yit Foh Coffee Park and Fatt Choi Coffee Cabin also offer rooms or chalets to guests. For a family trip at a scenic location, Naluyan Jungle Lodge and Tenom Valley are nice choices.
Accommodation is available at Yit Foh Coffee Park and Fatt Choi Coffee Cabin
Need more travel advice from the locals when you are in Tenom town? You can drop by the Tourism Information Centre (Phone: +60 87-733508, +60 11- 51109687) in Tenom Coffee Valley, which is near the train station. The Go Tenom website has a lot of useful information too.
Tenom Coffee Valley and its Tourism Information Centre (right)
Though headhunting practice is a thing of the past, Murut people are always branded as the fearsome headhunters, so Sabah can market our cultural tours to tourists who love such stories. Was Murut really a savage and simple-minded tribe? A visit to Murut Cultural Centre (Local name: Pusat Kebudayaan Murut) in Tenom will change your views completely, when you are impressed by the rich heritage of Murut.
The front entrance to the main building of Murut Cultural Centre
About Murut People
Murut means “Men of the Hill”, they migrated from Asia mainland to Borneo about 20,000 years ago and majority of them settle in the interior of Sabah (e.g. Tenom, Keningau) as farmers, fishermen and hunters. Murut women are skillful in weaving and bead-work too. Murut people are famous for their beautiful traditional costumes and energetic bamboo dance.
Sub-ethnics of Murut. Their traditional costumes can be very different.
With a population of over 90,000, Murut is the third largest indigenous group of Sabah. Murut has over 10 sub-ethnics, eight of them are main groups, namely, Murut Tahol / Tagol, Murut Timugon, Murut Paluan, Murut Nabai, Murut Kolor, Murut Serudung (Murut Tawau or Serudong), Murut Baukan, and Murut Tenggala. Traditionally, Murut stays in longhouse.
Largest Ironwood Building in Borneo
Operating since 1998 and managed by Sabah Cultural Board, Murut Cultural Centre covers an area of 33 hectares and costs RM10.4 millions to construct. And the main building, which takes up 13.3 hectares of space, is an art and longhouse by itself, and it’s the largest ironwood building in Borneo.
Murut Cultural Centre is the largest ironwood building in Borneo. It’s not too much to say that it’s a Murut palace.
You can start your cultural journey after you beat the gong three times at the entrance, to show respect to the Murut’s custom Tuka-Tuka, a way to announce your friendly visit to a longhouse. The Sininpung motif on the main pillar means unity, peace and harmony, to encourage goodwill in visitors.
Beat the gong to announce your friendly presence, or the headhunters will take care of you. Just kidding
Ironwood Building
The pillars of Murut Cultural Centre are made from 207 logs of Borneo Ironwood (locally known as Belian). Belian (scientific name: Eusideroxylon zwageri) is one of the most precious and hardest timber in Southeast Asia. This rainforest hardwood is resistant to insects, termites, bacteria, fungi and marine borers, so building, ports and bridges built with Belian wood can last hundred of years.
Murut Cultural Centre can accommodate about 1,000 people so it’s suitable as an event site. Conference room and performance stage are available for different types of activities.
Furthermore, with a rate of mean radial growth of 0.058 cm per year, this slow-growing tree needs about 120 years to reach a diameter of 30 cm, like the size of ironwood pillars found in Murut Cultural Centre. Belian is so dense that it doesn’t float on water. However, ironwood is getting rare due to over-logging and loss of habitat.
Art Gallery
There are a few sections for you to explore in the main building. The first thing visitors will see is the exhibition of Sabah theme paintings and modern sculptures in main hall. Most, if not all, of the art pieces are inspired by different subjects related to Sabah.
The exhibition and art gallery in main hall of Murut Cultural Centre
Sabah artists tend to use bright colours, so looking at the paintings is like seeing the world of Sabah through a kaleidoscope. Art gallery isn’t very common in Sabah, so I would say these interesting artworks of local talents are bonus to visitors.
Sabah theme paintings and metal sculpture in Murut Cultural Centre (Pusat Kebudayaan Murut)
At both sides of the main hall are two long corridors that display items about the tools, musical instrument, wedding culture, history and lifestyle of Murut people. For example, gong, headhunter seats, wedding dais.
Left: Exhibition of common items found in Murut longhouse. Right: A dais used by the Murut Tagol community for wedding ceremony (Tinauh)
The important items are labeled with description in Malay and English. However, the information board that introduce the sub-ethnics and history of Murut is mostly in Malay language. There used to be a few mannequins dressed in traditional costumes of different Murut sub-ethnics, but I didn’t see them in my last visit in Dec 2021. Anyway, you can look at their photographs.
Jars Museum
On top floor of the main building is an exhibition of 10 ceramic jars (Tajau) from the Murut community. Most of them are antique, and the finest ones are from China merchants who traded with the locals in old days. Photo-taking in this section is forbidden, so I’m afraid I can’t show you more.
Left: there is an exhibition on Murut’s history at the end of this hallway. Right: The hundred-year-old burial jar in Murut Cultural Center
Jar is very important to Murut in the past. The jar was treated as wealth that could be exchanged for goods, passed on as heirloom, and a valuable gift in dowry. Murut uses jars for many purposes, for example, food storage, fermenting tapai (wine), burial. Burial? Yes, a 100-year-old burial jar (Bangkalan) is the highlight in the Jars Museum.
You may watch this video for a walk-through tour at Murut Cultural Centre
Traditional Motifs of Murut
Attentive visitors would notice the use of authentic Murut elements in the design and architecture of this Centre, especially the motif on the chiseled carvings on the pillars and interior panels. Murut didn’t have any written language, so they communicated their emotion or event by motif, which is carved or woven on wood, stone, or fabric materials.
Traditional motifs of Murut on the pillars and interior panels of the Centre. Most motifs of Murut carry a meaning or message.
The following are the names and meaning of six interesting patterns (refer to the picture below for the illustration). Some have positive meaning, some are eerie:
Motif of Murut, each has a name and meaning.
Nahulalan (Headhunting Competition): Competition between two men to claim the warrior title. Whoever harvested the most heads is the winner.
Pinandayun (Craft Battle): To announce publicly a craft-making competition between two girls in argument. The girl produces the most crafts will win. Loser will be punished by native law (sagit).
Sininpung (We are United): This carving is placed in the living room of the longhouse, to remind the communities to live together in peace and harmony.
Nansingap (Do Not Enter): Stop. Dangerous animal traps inside this forest / area.
Nangkawo / Nandikar (Heart-broken): Carved by man to inform the community that he is sad to break up with a girl he loves. Murut even has a Nilikar motif that announces a divorce.
Nambuyunan (Causing Madness): Because this pattern is so difficult to create that it turned a weaver insane.
Other Attrations
Outside the main building are two places where you can explore.
1. Exhibition Hall
It’s a small building with exhibition hall that displays about 20 traditional weapons, farming & fishing tools, baskets, beads, and musical instrument used by the Murut. The must-see items are the hundred-year-old headhunting machete (real one!), tortoise shell idiophones and blowpipe (Sumpit).
Left: Exhibition hall. Right: Tortoise shell idiophone used by Murut Paluan
Can you guess what the items below do? (Answers are in the captions)
1) Bakul Bujur: a basket for storing girl’s accessories such as bracelet and necklace; 2) Kakaung: a fishing equipment; 3) Banso: a backpack to carry appliances, food or hunter products; 4) Silaung: a hat for lady farmers who work on the fields; 5) Remok: a bamboo container for storing the darts of blowpipe
2. Murut Longhouse
For some fun, you can try the Lansaran in the longhouse. Lansaran is a native trampoline powered by bouncing force of elastic log (Kayu bulat) stacked under the platform. To generate enough spring force to jump high, a few people need to work together to push the platform downward with their feet rapidly and repeatedly in rhythm.
A typical Murut longhouse has a Lansaran trampoline in the middle of the building.
Then the player in the centre uses the momentum to reach the Kinkilat (or singkowoton, a decorative object) about 10 feet above. Without good coordination, this will be a mission impossible. I would not recommend this activity to small kids, as they would lose balance and injure themselves.
An antique headhunting machete (parang) of Murut
I wish the Centre adds a new gallery that showcases the history of headhunting and the spiritual beliefs behind it, as one of the dark tourism products.
Kalimaran Festival
In normal days, Murut Cultural Centre isn’t an exciting place to visit, and guided tour is not available. Therefore, the best time to visit is during Kalimaran Festival, which is celebrated in March or April every year, and the biggest cultural event of Sabah Murut.
Kalimaran Festival offers the best opportunity to photograph Murut people in their costumes with vibrant colors.
During the festival, hundreds of Murut people from all over Sabah will put on their most gorgeous traditional customes for this annual party. You will be amazed by the dance performance, beauty pageant, tapai sipping, and mock wedding lined up for tourists.
Dance performance and beauty pageant in Kalimaran Festival
Getting there
Murut Cultural Centre is located in Kampung Inalisan Pulong of Tenom, which is about 138 kilometres away from Kota Kinabalu City, the capital of Sabah, and 13 Km from Tenom town (see Location Map), highly accessible by highway and paved road. The signage and entrance are on the roadside and easy to spot.
Entrance to Murut Cultural Centre (Pusat Kebudayaan Murut). It’s at the roadside and hard to miss.
Entrance Fee
Visitor needs to purchase a ticket to enter the Murut Cultural Centre.
Visitor
Adult
Student
Malaysian
RM5
RM3
Non-Malaysian
RM10
RM5
Price of Ticket
*20% discount on ticket prices for disabled students (Handicapped or OKU)
Opening Hours
Note: The actual opening hours could be changed (and different to their official announcement online) due to travel restrictions. Please call them to confirm. Monday – Friday: 8.30am – 4.30pm Saturday: 9.00am – 4.00pm Sunday: 9.00am – 2.00pm
Rice is the staple food of Sabah people. And Tapai, the most iconic Sabah wine, is brewed from rice too. Tapai is more than just an alcoholic drink. It’s a glue that connects Sabahans from different ethnicity, and Rice is for our stomach and Tapai is for our soul.
Sabah rice wine
A Spiritual Drink
When North Borneo (now Sabah) was ruled by British, some westerners lost their heads for not respecting the local drinking culture. In 1913, British imposed Tapai tax on Murut people, on top of forced labour and various other taxes. The Murut people were fuming. First time ever in Sabah history, Murut from Keningau, Tenom dan Pensiangan united to form a Murut Nation led by Ontoros Antanom, who crushed the British forces with his nearly 1,000 headhunting warriors until 1915.
Murut (means People of the Hill) is the third largest indigenous group of Sabah. They are fearsome headhunters in the past. Murut warriors are skillful in using blowpipe (with poison dart), spears and machete.
A research paper from The National University of Malaysia (UKM) explains the causes well. Here is an excerpt from the paper:
“What the British failed to realise was the social significance of drinking. It was essential in all types of ceremonies such as birth, death, the harvest festival, weddings, house building, settling feuds, honouring guest etc. For this reason, the native liquor tax can be seen as an infringement of Murut social life… their (Murut) main grievances were the taxes on tapai and the ladang tax for felling of jungle.”
— Callistus Fernandez, “Contesting Colonial Discourse: Rewriting Murut History of Resistance in British North Borneo from 1881 to 1915”
Kadazandusun people, the largest indigenous group of Sabah, believe that there is a spirit named Bambarayon, who dwells in paddy and its well-being is critical for a bountiful harvest. The making and drinking of Tapai comes with many ritualistic practices, to show respect to Bambarayon.
Tourist and native girl enjoy tapai in a bamboo cup (suki). No more war.
When a Sabahan looks at you, touches his throat lightly with finger tips, as if he is having a sore throat, and says Haus (Thirsty), he is signaling for a drink in a playful way. You can respond by saying Aramaiti, a verb or noun which means drink happily together or to drink until our faces are red. The “drink” can be beer, tapai, and other alcoholic drink.
Types and Taste of Tapai
Tapai is a collective term for many wines in Sabah. Though Tapai is commonly translated as rice wine, other food materials such as tapioca and pineapple are used in place of rice too. Every Sabah ethnic groups and districts may have their own version of Tapai because of different ingredients. For example, a bit of tobacco shreds or cinnamon powder would be added to give Tapai a special flavour.
Aramaiti brings us closer together. At the left is the wine jar. Sabahans store Tapai in jars instead of barrels.
Rice wine has many names such as tapai, talak, lihing, linutau, kinopasa and kinupi. The wines brewed from tubers of cassava (tapioca) are called montoku (potent!) or kinomulok. The coconut flower stems can produce pinkish sap that is famous for making tuak, toddy or bahar.
Lihing (left) and Tapai (right) are the most well-known rice wine of Sabah.
Tapai varies in tastes such as bitter sweet, sour, sour sweet and plain. Tapai with bitter sweet taste is considered the best quality, and plain taste is the worst. Tapai is rich in carbohydrates, polysaccharides and alcohol. Generally Tapai is quite potent, with alcoholic contents ranges from 0.05 to 50%, sometimes even up to 70%, so it can knock out a lightweight drinker fairly quick. In my experience, never mix Tapai with beer, unless you have a bed to fall onto, right after a swift black out.
Tumpung, another type of rice wine, which uses regular cooked white rice and simpler to make. To drink, just add water and sip the liquid with a straw.
Traditionally, Tapai is brewed and stored in ceramic jars, the highly priced assets that are treated as symbol of wealth and valuable bride price in history.
Lihing Vs Tapai
Lihing is the most popular type of Tapai. Both Tapai and Lihing are brewed with the similar methods. Glutinous rice (sticky rice) is used in brewing Lihing, and Tapai uses normal and brown rice. The key difference between Tapai and Lihing is – Lihing has the sediments (rice and yeast particles) segregated from Tapai, so Lihing is more refined and appears as a translucent and beautiful amber liquid (it turns dark when aged, even better). In contrast, Tapai is cloudy due to its residues. Lihing is also fermented for long time (two or more months).
“Living is a Blessing when Lihing is the Answer.”
Therefore, Tapai is a raw wine stored and served in jar, mainly for self-consumption, while Lihing is more marketable and better for preservation. Same as Tapai, Lihing can be made from rice, tapioca or pineapple. In fact, Lihing is also widely used in cooking of some delicious dishes such as Lihing Chicken and Drunken Crabs. Adding Lihing to Tuaran Fried Noodle also enhances its aroma. You can even make Lihing Ice-Cream.
Lihing noodle soup (黄酒面线), only available in a few Chinese coffee shops such as Seng Hing Coffee Shop in Sinsuran of Kota Kinabalu City
There are a few Sabah entrepreneurs who are really passionate about making top quality Lihing, and they want Lihing to evolve and walk out of “kampung” (village) to become a household brand. Look at the line-up of Lihing below. You will be impressed to see how creative the Lihing products can be! (This is not a sponsored post)
1. Lihing Nilyn
Lihing Nilyn is a homemade rice wine brand originated from Penampang. Ms. Honilin Pudin, the founder of Lihing Nilyn, has been making Lihing for over 50 years, using the traditional methods inherited from her grandparents. I like the classy bottling and Sumazau dancers label of Lihing Nilyn, which make it a very presentable souvenir or gift.
Eve June, from Papar, initiated HOL in Kuala Lumpur then slowly branching to Sabah in July 2020. And now she is looking forward to set up a production centre in Phuket, Thailand. The Lihing of HOL is pure rice wine without added sugar and water.
Classic and herb Lihing by Haus of Lihing
Besides classic Lihing, HOL also creates Lihing that contains herb such as ginger, cinnamon, ginseng, komburongoh, tongkat ali or kacip fatimah to boost its health value.
Premium Lihing by Haus of Lihing. Vagas means Rice in Dusun language. They say it can improve your dance moves.
HOL also invests in R&D on production of premium Lihing by standardizing the quality factors such as fermentation time, type of yeasts, stringent hygiene, controlled temperature and quality measurement, under the guide of champion Lihing guru. HOL is also in the midst of building an education center to promote Sabah rice wines in Kuala Lumpur. This centre will be the only research centre where visitors can learn about Sabah rice wine, and have a taste of the 7 wonders of Lihing at the end of the tour.
“Kasarahan” is a Dusun word which means reminiscing or thinking back to the old days. You know red wine goes well with certain meat. Many years ago, I discovered that chilled Lihing and fruits make a yummy combo. Therefore, I’m so delighted to find that fruity Lihing does exist. I tried the mango Lihing from Kasarahan and really like it.
Lihing in different fruit flavours
The available fruit flavours are rambutan, mango, banana, grapes, pineapple, apple, and soursop. These Lihing are fermented from real fruits, which requires different brewing techniques.
Tapai is also known as the “Happifying Brew”. It’s an integral part of Kadazandusun and Murut cultures, which view Tapai as the spiritual energy or the life force of the rice spirit, Bambarayon. To sip the Tapai when offered is honouring the Bambarayon and the host. Bonding and friendship are strengthen when everyone come together to socialize and sip tapai during rituals, celebrations and festivals.
In Murut traditions, Tapai is sipped from a jar
Tapai Sipping Party of Murut (tiiman)
The tapai sipping party is an intangible cultural heritage of Borneo because it is such a unique social gathering, which would remind you of the Japanese tea ceremony (茶道, sadō or chadō). Unfortunately, due to hygiene concerns, tiiman culture would change. Now drinking from a personal jar (tumpung), bamboo cup (suki) or plastic bottle is more preferred.
In Murut traditions, Tapai is not drunk from a cup or container but sipped through a tube straw, straight from the wine jar. First, guests are invited to a longhouse, where the host has one or more jars filled with Tapai ready for sipping. The lid is lifted off and the opening is covered with shallow cup of banana or tarap leaves. Clean water is then poured into the jar until it is full. After a few minutes, the water will dilute with Tapai and fit for drinking.
When Tapai is dry up, more water is added and drink until it has no taste.
Before drinking, the host or lead-drinker (mommuun) recites a short pre-drinking prayer called mongirnbolit to seek blessing and protection from Bambarayon so everyone is free from sickness, poisoning and misbehavior associated with the drinking session.
Guests taking their turn to sip Tapai
Next the long straw or siphon (tusuk) pierces through the leave cover and insert inside the jar. Now the guests can take turn to sip the Tapai from the jar. When Tapai is dry up after some rounds, more water is added and the sipping continues until the wine becomes tasteless, then new jar would be open for more drinking. The drinkers can eat some salted meat, fish, vegetables and other thirst-provoking tidbits nearby the jar during drinking intervals. The drinking session is accompanied by the gong beating, or singing of folk songs or drinking chants. However, such merry making actions are forbidden in funeral ceremony and certain rituals.
The brewing and storage jars are commonly known as tajau, tampayan, bunduon or kakanan. In the photo are antique Tapai jars from different districts. From top to bottom, left to right: kologiau from Ranau, sampa from Keningau, rangkang from Kota Belud, sisikan from Ranau
It is a common custom that the tapai in the jars must be finished. At the end, most guests would be so drunk and lay around the floor.
Drinking Etiquette
You must be respectful to the host and other guests. To avoid leaving a bad impression, the following is a list of “Don’t”:
Tapai sipping is meant to be a friendly event. Fighting and quarreling won’t be tolerated.
It’s impolite to refuse the offer to drink. Even if you don’t drink, just sip a bit to wet your lip to give face.
Don’t complain to the host if the Tapai doesn’t taste good. You would insult the host.
Don’t blow the straw while sipping. Don’t pull it out of the jar. Don’t touch the straw while someone is sipping.
Don’t sneeze, spit or vomit while you sip.
Don’t overtake other drinkers in queue.
Be mindful of your manner when you are drunk. The elders will observe your personality. A disaster if you act like a party pooper in front of your crush and her parents.
Don’t just take the tapai snacks without drinking.
Though you are high on alcohol, don’t get “overly friendly” with the wives and daughters of others.
Don’t move the jar without permission from the host.
Don’t step over the jar or the food.
Please don’t drive after drinking. You can sleepover, or have a designated driver or taxi to send you home safely.
You can sing or have some food during the drinking session
How to Make Lihing
Many households can make their own Tapai or Lihing. They are quite simple to make. But if you want the best Lihing, you need to master the skill in managing the water, rice, temperature, yeast and timing. Taboos in brewing Lihing include no swearing and fighting during the rice cooking, or the wine will turn sour or spoiled. In the past, the leavening or fermenting ritual (moginomulok) must be performed by a bobohizan (Native High Priest) first to ensure a successful brewing.
Left: The magic of the fermentation happens when rice starch being converted to sugars, then to alcohol by enzymes from microbes. Right: Yeast balls or saad (sasad) is a mixture of cinnamon barks, lengkuas (a type of ginger) and pounded rice being made into paste, sun-dried and formed into dough, then strung together.
Ingredients
1 gantang (2.419 Kilograms) of glutinous rice (pulut)
20 balls of yeast (sasad)
4 table spoon of red rice
For hygiene reasons, you can drink Tapai from personal bamboo cup (suki) or container.
Process
Wash the glutinous rice and boil it with right proportion of clean water. Don’t overcook the rice.
Spread the cooked rice on a mat or banana leaves to let it cool down.
Pound the yeast (fermenting agent) into powder and mixed it thoroughly with the rice.
Scrub a ceramic jar clean with daing or gosing leaves, and dry the jar completely under the sun.
Store the rice mixture in the jar and seal the opening airtight (it’ll turn into vinegar if exposed to air).
For flavouring, additives such as tobacco, cinnamon and other herbs may be added.
Place the fermenting jar in a dark, cool and dry place for a month or two.
When mature, sieve the fermented mash to collect the clear brownish liquor (wine).
References
“Tapai, Traditional Drinks of the Natives of Borneo” by Rayner F. Udong
“The Beliefs and Practices of the Kadazandusun-Murut” by John Seet
Special thanks to Ms Eve June, Ms Bernardine and Mr. Simon for sharing their knowledge on Sabah rice wines
No Tapai? No problem. You can sip some beer. LOL
Thank you for reading until this point. I hope this article helps you to learn about Sabah wines in a fun way. I have no intention of promoting binge drinking, as having too much of anything is always harmful. So, drink moderately, and stay happy and intoxicated healthy! Aramaiti!
Rice is the staple food of Malaysians, who may see rice as something ordinary. However, rice holds a special place in Borneo. Kadazandusun people, the largest indigenous group of Sabah, believe that rice has soul because the presence of paddy spirits, Bambarayon. Linopot is rice being packed and wrapped nicely in a big leaf, a traditional takeaway of Sabah natives. The word “Linopot” means packing in Dusun language.
Left: Bobolians (High Priest) of Kadazandusun appease the paddy spirits to pray for a bountiful harvest. Right: Linopot (Black hill paddy) and its dishes (Tuhau, Bambangan, Salted fish, Sayur Losun and Kantan, Sayur bunga betik and pucuk ubi)
In old days, before plastic food containers are common, farmers and villagers, who left home for long hours to work in farm or forest, would bring Linopot with them as lunch pack. Rice packed in Linopot can last for days without going rancid. After unwrapping, the leaf is used as an eco-friendly plate and need no washing.
Linopot is the traditional take-out of Sabah people, the wrapping leaf can be used as a plate.
Rice of Linopot
In traditional preparation, hill paddy was mostly used in Linopot, and the rice can be mixed with other starchy crops such as yam, to create different types of rice like the following (Note: Nasi means Rice in Malay language):
Nasi Gu’ol (rice mixed with yam)
Nasi Tawadak (rice mixed with pumpkin)
Nasi Mundok (rice mixed with cassava)
Nasi Kasou (rice mixed with sweet potato)
Nasi Tadong (Black Hill Paddy)
Takano (rice in Dusun language)
Different types (colours) of hill paddy in Sabah
Nowadays paddy sold in supermarket is mainly processed white paddy. Though processed white race has longer shelf life and more pleasing to the eyes, its best nutrients are gone due to the removal of bran and germ, which contain fiber, protein, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. That’s why health-conscious consumers opt for brown rice, which retains these nutrients. The coloured hill rice of Linopot shares the similar health benefits. Moreover, the addition of root and tuber vegetables supplements complex carbohydrates that enhances the taste and nutrition too.
Left: pretty purple rice Linopot by Ropuhan di Fifie. Right: Linopot (red Bario rice) with traditional side dishes (Hinava, Tuhau, Bambangan, Losun vege, Ikan Basung)
If the rice is boiled with yams or sweet potato, the colours of these vegetables would add a natural purplish or brown hue to the rice. You could add pandan leaf for extra fragrant. Once the rice is cooked, it will be pounded and stirred by a wooden pestle so the starchy ingredients are mashed to mix evenly with the rice.
Wrapping Leaves of Linopot
When the rice is prepared, next step is to pack it into Linopot with the fresh leaf of doringin, kobu, tarap, tintap, longkobung, toropoi, wonihan, or banana because their leaves are big and readily available.
Big leaves of Longkobung (left) and Doringin (right). Doringin is preferred in packing Linopot because of its pleasing scent. Credit: photo of Doringin by Jnzl
Local Name
Common Name
Scientific Name
Doringin / Rungin
Simpoh Ayer
Dillenia suffruticosa
Wonihan / Wongian
Common mahang
Macaranga bancana
Timadang
Tarap
Artocarpus odoratissimus
Tintap
–
Neonauclea Gigantea
Longkobung
Parasol Leaf Tree
Macaranga tanarius
Kobu / Nyirik
Lerek / Kelupis
Phacelophrynium maximum
Lemba / Remba
Palm grass
Molineria latifolia
Ketapang
Indian almond
Terminalia catappa
Pisang / Punti
Banana
Genus: Musa
A list of common and scientific names of big leaf plants typically used in making Linopot
Linopot wrapped in the big leaf of Doringin (left), Banana (middle) and Wonihan (right)
The aromatic leaf makes Linopot more palatable. The leaf also absorbs the excessive moisture in the rice so the food can last longer. The leaves are washed and dried before use. Some leaves need to have their hard midrib trimmed, so they can be bent and folded easily.
Making a Linopot
The wrapping is carried out while the rice is still hot, because the heated leaves are softer and easier to fold. The rice is first poured on the smooth surface of the leaf, then being pressed from all sides by both hands behind the leaf, until the rice is compressed and hold well together like a brick. Without this step, the rice will break apart and fall everywhere when we open the Linopot.
The rice for Linopot shouldn’t be too dry or overcooked. Photos by Camy @CamyLinopot.
You can watch the video below to learn how a Linopot is made (spoken in Malaysia language, but you still can see how they do it):
Side Dishes for Linopot
The rice of Linopot is the main course, and to be eaten with condiments and side dishes. Basically they are makanan kampung (village food), and many are food that outsiders unheard of, for example, ferns, torch ginger flower, core of banana trunk, petiole of papaya. The villagers just harvest the food materials from their backyard, river or nearby forest.
Some common food materials of Sabah kampung food (village food)
Below are some popular traditional food that go with Linopot (in English translation and description):
Hinava: raw fish salad made of king mackerel (ikan tenggiri), mixed with calamansi juice, sliced shallots and grated ginger
Bambangan (mangifera pajang): fermented wild mango, a mouth-watering appetizer
Tuhau (etlingera coccinea): pickled wild ginger minces with distinct smell, also served in dried floss (Serunding)
Losun: leaves of local wild shallots, eaten as salad or mixed veges
Ikan basung: Mackerel scad (Decapterus macarellus), yummy when fried or cooked in sour soup (pinarasakan)
Ikan masin: salted fish
Bosou: raw fish / meat fermented in jar with brown rice, salt and pangium seeds for week(s)
Highly Recommended: Ikan Basung Goreng is Mackerel scad being deep-fried until it’s very crispy. The meat is tasty and the best part is the super crispy fish head.
The locals’ favourites are bambangan, tuhau, losun, and salty fishes. You can add anything, even hotdog and chicken wing as you pleased, but a balance diet is always encouraged. For tourists, the “safe” choices are hinava, ikan basung and vegetables. If you are on a gastronomic adventure, try tuhau, bambangan, and bosou for acquired tastes. Tip: these food are more delicious if you eat them with your hands.
Enjoying Linopot without spoon and fork
Where to Eat
Though Linopot and the food mentioned above are true Sabah dishes, most tourists haven’t tried them. Most travel agents bring tourists to fancy restaurants for seafood and other food that tastes like chicken, and reluctant to challenge the taste buds of their customers with overly exotic food.
1. Sabah Homestay
The best place to try Linopot is a vacation in homestay, especially in West Coast and Interior Districts of Sabah. You will eat the same village food with the host family. Linopot is also commonly served in local wedding of Kadazandusun people.
Linopot is gaining popularity among tourists who want to try real Sabah food
You also can order from the following Linopot set sellers (Delivery and Halal option available):
2. Aurora Anabella Lovelia (Tuaran and Kota Kinabalu)
Facebook: mynative.sabah Instagram:@mynative.sabah Opening Hours: 11:30am-8:30pm (Mon-Fri), 11:30am-6:00pm (Sat), Closed on Sunday Phone (Whatsapp): +60 16-8332381 Location: 1st Floor, Plaza 333, Penampang, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia (Note: they also have another outlet “Native Cafe” at Hotel N5)
The longest Nuba Tingaa (packed rice) line (308.95 Metres) in Malaysia Book of Records, made by Lundayeh people in a longhouse in Sipitang of Sabah. Linopot is also called “ludtak” in some places.
The blue-coloured Nasi Kerabu is a well-known Malaysian dish. Linopot deserves to have the same reputation, consider it’s such a remarkable cultural heritage. Just look at the video channel of Li Ziqi (李子柒), one of the most famous social influencers who features traditional culinary skills that attract tens of millions of fans. This proves that many foodies do appreciate classic cuisines. What Linopot needs is just more exposure to national and international audiences.
Creative Linopot with green tea rice by Sabah Tea. Photo courtesy of Martin Kong @ Sabah Tea Resort
Magunatip, which is also known as “Bamboo Dance”, is one of the most popular traditional dances of Sabah. This energetic dance is performed by Murut people, who mainly reside in the interior districts of Sabah, and they are the headhunters of Borneo in the past. During the dance, the dancers put their feet in and out between clapping bamboo poles without being trapped.
Ending pose of Magunatip bamboo dance
A Dance of Bravery
The name “Magunatip” is derived from the word apit, which means “to press between two surfaces.” This dance is hundreds of years old and always the highlight of many cultural shows in Sabah.
The origin of Magunatip is closely related to a folk game that was once played during paddy pounding sessions
Under the loud music by gong, tagunggak (bamboo idiophones) and a tambor (drum), Magunatip starts with graceful dance by group of dancers in beautiful traditional costumes. The most eye-catching part are the Murut warriors who wear bark vest, loincloth and showy feather headgears. They would wield their weapon and act in an intimidating manner to give off wild men vibes like the scary headhunters.
Three pairs of long bamboo poles will be laid horizontally on the ground, each pair held by two bamboo strikers at opposite ends to form three rows of clapping bamboo poles. The bamboo poles are slightly separated and lifted, and slam downward to the base with thumps, then beat against each other to close the gap. These actions will create a loud rhythmical tun-tun-pak! smacking sounds (almost similar to the hypnotizing pounding sounds in the song We Will Rock You).
Magunatip performance on USA aircraft carrier (USS John C. Stennis) when it docked in Kota Kinabalu in 2012
Then the dancers line up at one side of the poles to cross lines of clapping bamboo poles, by jumping between the smacking poles without getting their feet or ankles clipped. To tease the audiences, the dancers also playfully dip their feet into the gaps and get out in precise timing. The males would make triumphant cries (pangkis) while in action. Despite the challenges, every moves are done orderly and elegantly, with a big smile and relaxing upper body.
Dancer mimic hornbill in Magunatip. Note the girls are dancing with tortoise shells in their hands.
Cross style bamboo dance by Murut from Tenom
Lansaran dance of Murut performed before Magunatip
The original purpose of Magunatip was to ward off evil spirits with the smacking sound of bamboo poles
Bamboo dance performance by kids in Sabah Fest
Children rehearse Magunatip before filming in national TV
Magunatip was performed to celebrate the return of warriors from a successful battle or raid
Anggalang dance by group of Murut girls before Magunatip
Tourists have a taste of Magunatip bamboo dance
Magunatip performance by students in Sipitang
Magunatip dancers must have good timing and be agile in their movements
The best time to see Magunatip show is during Kaamatan (Sabah Harvest Festival) in May
1 / 12
The dance starts with slow and steady rhythmic claps at first. Toward the end, like a fast forward button being pressed, the music tempo will speed up, the bamboo striking gets intense and enters turbo mode. The audiences hold their breathe and their eyes are totally drawn to the dancers who skillfully skip in and out at frenzy agility and speed. The splendid dresses, strong music, and remarkable stunt just blow everyone away and never fail to give me goosebumps.
Would you accept the dance invitation from a warrior?
After the performance, the dancers would invite the crowd to try the bamboo dance, at a slower pace of course. First-timers would move like a hopping chicken, and have their feet being caught in the bamboo and the performance ends perfectly in laughter.
What I mention is the standard setting of Magunatip. There are nearly 20 sub-ethnic groups of Murut living in Tenom, Keningau and Nabawan, so you could expect they have different styles and choreography. Sometimes the bamboo poles are in a cross layout (like #). A full set of traditional orchestra for Magunatip involves six large gongs, 25 tagunggak and a tambor. To create more dramatic impact in big performance, a group of warriors would do war dance in the opening.
Origin of Magunatip: It’s a Prank
According to the oral history passed down to the elders of Murut, Magunatip was started as a prank. After the pounding the paddy, the Murut farmers would place the poles on the floor and rest. Then somebody used the poles to clip the foot of whoever passed by. To avoid being trapped, the victims would quickly lift up his or her foot. This mischievous act turned out to be a fun game for participants to step in and out of the clapping poles in rhythm. Then this activity evolved into Magunatip and accompanied by music.
War dance by Murut warriors. Murut people are headhunters in the past. Enemy’s head was their trophy.
Nowadays, Magunatip is mainly performed during celebrations and social occasions such as bride wealth exchange ceremonies (tinauh), weddings, and harvest festivals. However, Magunatip was performed in rituals (e.g. healing, appeasing spirits) to ward off evil spirits in the olden days. The dance was also performed during the Mansayau ritual that celebrates the return of headhunters from raids and battles. Though it’s also a type of entertainment that time, it was a taboo to perform Magunatip on ordinary days.
Anggalang dancers of Tenom with beautiful Murut costumes.
Besides human and animals, Murut believes that spirits also dwell in other things in this world, for example, mountains, caves, jungles and underground. Every misfortune, disaster and illness are associated with evil spirits. Murut people think the loud sounds from the rhythmic beating of the alu (wooden pole made from belian (ironwood), used to pound paddy) in Magunatip can chase them away. Therefore, the rituals were carried in conjunction with Magunatip to assist the ritual specialists to ward off bad spirits.
Actually Anggalang and Magunatip are two different dances that combined into one performance. Anggalang Magunatip begins with Anggalang dance by a group of ladies adorned in elaborately beaded and embroidered Murut costumes known as limpur.
An elegant move of Anggalang dance
In some cases, these women flank or back one or more Murut warriors, who perform the mahihialang (move around the stage and wield a blowpipe or a machete known as gayang). The graceful and feminine Anggalang dance contrasts but complements well with the masculine and rugged warriors, forming an enchanting presentation.
Murut girls in Anggalang dance
In 2016, a lion dance group named Persatuan Muda Mudi Penampang did a Sumazau and Magunatip performance with lion dance. The video of this creative lion dance went viral and reported in national news.
Due to modernisation and influences from other religions, Magunatip is no longer related to any ritualistic practices. Magunatip becomes a tourism or cultural show more than a community function. Nevertheless, I hope the originality of this traditional dance can be preserved as a cultural heritage. It’s encouraging to see many Sabahans take pride in this fascinating dance and even promote it in international media.
Magunatip is a popular cultural show to entertain the tourists.
Sabahans are Malaysians too, but we always feel that West Malaysians don’t understand us. Only Sabahans can understand all the differences below. This is meant to be funny, so please don’t feel offended.
Majority of our highways only connect major cities, towns and urban areas, some places, especially small villages, only have paved or gravel roads. Part of the city roads still can be bumpy, and you must be vigilant to avoid hitting the potholes.
Because of the bad roads, Sabahans who needs to enter villages regularly would prefer a 4-wheel-drive over a fancy saloon car. When West Malaysians see so many 4WD in Sabah, they think Sabahans are rich. Well, without a 4WD, you can’t access many places in Sabah.
Toll
Huh?! No Thanks!
Credit: (left) Slleong, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Rojak
The typical rojak of Malaysia consists of cucumber, bean sprouts, and various kinds of chopped fruits. If you order rojak in Sabah, what you get are sliced beef, yellow noodle, bean curd puff and cucumber mixed with sweet peanut sauce, which are something meaty rather than fruity.
Nasi lemak is our national dish originating in Malay cuisine. It’s wrapped and served nicely in banana leaves. In Sabah, we wrap cooked rice and dishes in the big leaves of doringin or tarap.
Satay vs Sinalau Bakas
In Peninsular Malaysia, sometimes pork is a problem, while in Sabah, we enjoy pork so much and really fond of Sinalau Bakas (smoked wild boar meat). You could find Sinalau Bakas stalls next to the busy rural roads between towns.
Durians
Besides the ordinary durians, Sabah has durians with red or orange flesh (Sukang and Dalit). These small durians have stronger aroma and exotic flavors, so they are also used in cooking.
Seafood
Everything is expensive in Sabah except seafood. If you invite Sabahans for a seafood dinner in your state, don’t be upset if they complain about the small but expensive seafood.
2Malaysia Prices
Many businesses in West Malaysia don’t feel guilty to charge Sabahans more. Sabahans usually end up paying 20% or more but we are already numb to such price differences. It’s not a great feeling, as Sabahans have lower income but burdened by higher living cost.
Free Shipping?
So many times I got tricked by some online Malaysian shops that said they offered FREE shipping in Malaysia. The excitement became disappointment the moment I keyed in my Sabah address in check-out page. Sometimes the shipping fee can cost more than the product itself.
When I was living in KL, it confused me that the sky was still bright at 7pm. In fact, before 1982, Malaysia had two time zones. The time in Sabah was 30 minutes faster than West Malaysia so it gets dark sooner.
Sabahans don’t feel much emotions when they see the historical footage of Tunku Abdul Rahman shouting “Merdeka” for the independence of Malaya in 1957, because that year Malaysia hasn’t existed yet. We care more about the Malaysia Day on 16 Sep, which becomes a National Holiday since year 2010.
Public Holidays
Sabah has a lot of Catholics and Christians, so we have extra day off for Good Friday and Christmas Eve. Kaamatan is the harvest festival of Kadazandusun and Murut communities.
Beer vs Tapai
Did anyone tell you that Sabahans are good drinkers? We do like beer but it’s more like an orang putih thing, so true Sabahans would go for the more potent rice wines such as Tapai and Lihing.
Boh vs Sabah Tea
I don’t care about the taste, any brand with the word “Sabah” is my favourite lol.
Mango vs Bambangan
Bambangan is a wild mango of Sabah. It’s very sour and is commonly eaten as pickle and appetizer. Bambangan to Sabahans is like Kimchi to Koreans.
Traditional Wear
Sabah has shirts and daily wear with native styles and motifs inspired by our traditional costumes.
Sabahans dance Sumazau whenever they are happy or partying.
Beauties
To Sabahans, Unduk Ngadau (Miss Harvest Festival) means more than a gorgeous woman, she is also a figure who represents the sacred and motherly Huminodun, a maiden sacrificed to save her starving people.
Gadis vs Sumandak
Sumandak is a Dusun word for girl. Chinese (Hakka) terms such as Ah Moi and Liang Moi are also widely understood.
The Malayan tiger is strong and charismatic. Orangutan is intelligent and cute.
Warriors
Hang Tuah is a silat master and the most well-known hero of Malaysia. Murut people are fearsome warriors in the past, and they harvested your head to make house decoration. You don’t want to be their enemies.
Disclaimer: Remember, Malaysia is a multicultural country, and this is the most beautiful part of Malaysia. Diversity doesn’t impair Unity, as long as we respect one another. This post is purely for entertainment purpose, the differences are exaggerated but have no intention to mock anyone or any group, nor does it represent all Malaysians and Sabahans. Any other difference you can think of? Please share it in comment section below.
