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Lingga - The 'Origin' Of Malay Civilisation
By Fadzli Ramli
This is the second of two features on this writer's experience during the 'Jejak Jawi III' expedition conducted to explore Malay history and heritage in Indonesia's Riau-Lingga archipelago.
RIAU (Indonesia), June 7 (Bernama) -- The Malay society is very familiar with 'Gunung Daik' (Mount Daik), as the mountain is mentioned in the evergreen 'pantun' (Malay poem) that begins with the words:
'Pulau Pandan jauh ketengah,
Gunung Daik bercabang tiga...'
Almost all of the Malays in Malaysia have grown up hearing this pantun.
However, many believe that 'Pulau Pandan' and 'Gunung Daik' are merely words that have been made up in this poem.
In fact, both places exist, as the third expedition to trace the Jawi scripts, 'Jejak Warisan Jawi III' (JWJ III), found out.
Gunung Daik stands majestically in Lingga, dubbed the 'origin of Malay civilization,' while the uninhabited Pulau Pandan, rich in herbs and plants such as pandan leaves, lies in the middle of the sea.
THREE PEAKS OF GUNUNG DAIK
There are several sea routes to Daik, the provincial capital of Lingga. This writer and the other expedition members chose to take a 'perahu pompon,' a fast boat that can accommodate up to 10 people.
During the sea journey to Daik, this writer had the opportunity to view Gunung Daik, which rises 1,165 metres above sea level, against a beautiful backdrop of the blue sky and crystal-clear sea.
Indeed, the mountain has three peaks.
"Can you see the three peaks?" the boat's navigator, Wandy, 28, asked this writer.
According to Wandy, the three peaks can only be seen from a certain angle, as they are not in line. From above, the three peaks form a triangle.
"The three peaks are known as Daik, Pejantan and Cindai Menangis. Until today, nobody has been able to climb to the top of these three peaks, as they are too steep to scale," he remarked.
The boat reached the mangrove swamp of Daik after nightfall.
DAIK AND ASAM PEDAS
During the day, the town of Daik looks like Parit Raja in Batu Pahat, Johor, which is this writer's hometown.
The tallest building in Daik is the four-storey hotel where the expedition members were accommodated. It is also used by locals who are pursuing tertiary education.
Located in the centre of this town is a field where various events and ceremonies are held, dating back to the days of the Riau-Lingga sultanate.
The town has a mosque, 'Masjid Sultan Lingga,' which was built in 1801. Double-storied shop-houses line either side of the 2-km stretch of road that cuts across Daik. Most of these shops sell food and clothing.
This writer had the opportunity to taste beef asam pedas at a shop, where the writer tried to inquire about the dish in the Indonesian language.
The shop owner, Embong Fatimah, 52, responded with a smile.
"Why use the Indonesian language? Are we not Malays? Then it is all right to speak Malay, as I understand."
The Malay language is regularly spoken in Daik. In fact, from what this writer observed and heard, the Malay spoken here is far purer than the Malay used back home, and is 'untainted' with words borrowed from other languages.
Their conversation was even spiced with the 'pantun.'
According to Embong Fatimah, the asam pedas recipe is similar to that in Malaysia, and has been inherited over the generations.
Almost all the ingredients used are the same, except for black pepper, which is commonly used in Daik but not in Melaka.
DABO SINGKEP
From Daik, the expedition proceeded to another town, Dabo Singkep, which is located on another island but still within Lingga district.
According Ahmad Salleh, 48, a taxi driver in Dabo Singkep, the town gained its fame due to the tin mining activities started by the Dutch colonialists in 1812.
"The tin mining stopped in 1996, as the remaining tin available now is of low quality.
"However, the locals are still carrying out tin mining, but on a smaller scale," he remarked.
Ahmad said that tin mining had catalysed development in Dabo Singkep. In fact, this town appears more modern than the capital of Lingga, Daik.
Dabo Singkep has a good port and a systematic road network. It also receives a more reliable and plentiful supply of water and electricity than the other areas, which suffer frequent disruptions.
However, progress has entailed that the goods sold at Dabo Singkep are more expensive than those in other areas of Lingga, like petrol - which costs as much as RP15,000 (about RM5) a litre, as compared to the normal price of RP10,000 (about RM3.33).
"It is good in Malaysia, where the petrol price is controlled by the government - and, in fact, subsidies are given. In Indonesia there is control, but the islands are located far away and there is no control here.
"There is one supplier on this island, and he can do as he wishes.
"Petrol is the main item; when its price goes up, the prices of other services and goods also go up," Ahmad added.
CANNON
While at Pantai Batu Berdaun near Dabo Singkep, this writer came across a cannon that was vertically planted in the ground.
Not much is known about this 'Meriam Tegak' (vertical cannon), but an employee at Lingga's Cultural and Tourism Agency, Lazuardy, shared a story about the cannon.
"There once was a man and his wife who each claimed to be stronger than the other. This prompted the wife to grab hold of a cannon and plunge it vertically into the ground.
"After that, she challenged her husband to take the cannon out, but till today, the cannon remains stuck vertically in the ground," he said.
The myth about the vertical cannon and other folklores kept buzzing in this writer's mind as the expedition made its return to Malaysia.
-- BERNAMA
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Post time 7-6-2012 01:51 PM
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