Monday, February 18, 2008

Native of Borneo Equivalent, Jakun , 1894

Written by Arimi Sidek

Native of Borneo equivalent to Jakun (1894)

Frank A. Swettenham, senior colonial officer of Malaya (he was the British Resident General of Selangor) observes that there are similarities between Jakun people (he called them Jaccoons) in Selangor and Perak and natives of Borneo.

F.A. Swettenham


F.A. Swettenham

According to him, “In Selangor, but more especially in the Ulu Bernam and Ulu Slim, there are numbers of the "Orang Utan" or "Jungle People," known also to the Malays as "Sakai," "Semang," "Orang Bukit," and "Orang Raiat," and to Europeans as Jacoons.

"Like the natives of Borneo, the Jacoons cover their arms with the brass wire. A girl I saw, whose toilet had apparently cost her some trouble, had her arms covered with numberless brass rings."

He did not specifically mention which Borneo tribe, that perhaps include Kadayans in general. But the comment he made was only 114 years old by now and talking about tribal people covered their arms with the brass wire. Hence, I believe this does exclude kadayans as they don't practiced such custom as far as I know. Not to the extend that brass wire cost them trouble in toilet, to the very least. Kadayan have been practiced Islam for almost six centuries earlier, and had abandoned the custom for good.

Reference:

Swetteenham, F.A., 1894. Note on the Jacoons by F. A. Swettenham. The Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. 23. (1894), pp. 89-90.

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