In 1978, my headmaster, the late Belfour Dundang with his friend from Batang Ai, Donnie ak Sutiong paid me a visit during Chinese New Year.
According to Donnie ak Sutiong, his great grandfather, Gumba ak Jalak, had this story:
A long long time ago, somewhere along the bank of Batang Lupar, th...ere lived in, a atap-leaf house, a Chinese and his family . They farmed at the interior land and did some trading as well to support his living.
By the river-side at the same location, there was another Chinese who traded in his boat. Due to some miss-understanding, these two Chinese were not in a good turn.
One day, an Iban came to the place, went up the bank and found the Chinese and all members of his family were not in the house. He turned and asked the Chinese in the boat about it.“
"Si magang! Si magang!” the Chinese in the boat shouted. “
"Si magang!” means “"All are dead!” in Chinese and Iban.
The Iban went home, and diapponted because he did not know what the Chinese in the boat meant. But from there on, when the local people along the river wanted to go to the place-mentioned, they told their friend,” Aku deka ngagai Simanggang!”
(Picture: Simanggang Town in the fifties--- Sungei Simanggang, that is !"
(Article by Lim Bak Seng, posted to Soon Heng Simanggang's Facebook wall)
According to Donnie ak Sutiong, his great grandfather, Gumba ak Jalak, had this story:
A long long time ago, somewhere along the bank of Batang Lupar, th...ere lived in, a atap-leaf house, a Chinese and his family . They farmed at the interior land and did some trading as well to support his living.
By the river-side at the same location, there was another Chinese who traded in his boat. Due to some miss-understanding, these two Chinese were not in a good turn.
One day, an Iban came to the place, went up the bank and found the Chinese and all members of his family were not in the house. He turned and asked the Chinese in the boat about it.“
"Si magang! Si magang!” the Chinese in the boat shouted. “
"Si magang!” means “"All are dead!” in Chinese and Iban.
The Iban went home, and diapponted because he did not know what the Chinese in the boat meant. But from there on, when the local people along the river wanted to go to the place-mentioned, they told their friend,” Aku deka ngagai Simanggang!”
(Picture: Simanggang Town in the fifties--- Sungei Simanggang, that is !"
(Article by Lim Bak Seng, posted to Soon Heng Simanggang's Facebook wall)
