By Dr. Wong Sung Ging

The formation and development of unique cultural traditions and
characteristics of every ethnic group are influenced by the natural
environment and social conditions in their native land

As I recall my mission trip to the Penans in Ulu Belaga about two years ago, my most meaningful experience was feeding a Penan child. A team of 13 members from Bintulu Emmanuel Methodist Church and Limbang Methodist Church ministered to the communities in three Penan longhouses.

Besides medical services and health talks, we also reached out to them through children ministry, Jesus movie, prayer, haircut and motivation to grow vegetables. Our greatest joy was the opportunity to share our food with the Penan children.

You Have to Meet Them in Their Place
You must have heard about the plights of the Penans from the newspapers, reports from our missionaries and the testimonies from various mission group members. However, you may not perceive a good picture unless you meet or interact with them personally. Staying one or two nights with them would give you a chance to see with your own eyes how they live their lives one day at a time.

My first contact with the Penans was back in 1981-1983 when I was working as a medical officer in Kapit. I was in the Flying Doctor Service (FDS) team providing medical services to different longhouses every month. Some were Penan longhouses. A few elders recognised me when I visited them this time. They are a simple and gentle people, friendly too.

The road to Asap resettlement has been busy especially after the completion of Bakun Dam not long ago. The Kenyahs and Kayans took a few years to adapt themselves to the new way of life in the Asap resettlement. Their longhouses and lands were submerged in water which covers an area as big as the island of Singapore. 

As we drove further in from the Asap junction toward our destination, I was amazed. We saw huge fully-loaded logging trucks passing by us every few minutes for the next 2 hours. I lost count of the numbers. There are logging camps and a wood based industry. We also passed by long stretches of oil palm estates. You would be equally surprised to see the extent of their activities if you were with us.

If I were to look down from a helicopter the landscape would be very different from that some 30 years ago during my FDS flights. Now there are bustling activities in the jungle carried out by big companies. Another dam is going to be completed soon – the Murum Dam. This time seven Penan longhouses and 1,500 villagers will be affected and they have to be relocated soon.

Bringing Change to the Penans
One thing has not changed much. There has been very little improvement in the livelihood of the Penans. Except for some young people who are working in the logging companies, most are still living in poverty. They said that they did not know how to read when we handed them some Gideon bibles. Neither did their children receive any formal education. They still depend so much on the jungle for their food. They are yet to make good use of their land in terms of agriculture. The government helped them occasionally but the assistance is not sustained. Many have blamed the Penans for their resistance to change and development. I think it is unfair to make such a general statement without understanding their tradition, culture and mindset.

Our church is doing a noble task in sending missionaries to teach these underprivileged Penan children. I salute our missionaries for their sacrifice and hard work. I jumped for joy when I saw how their lives have been touched by the love of Jesus. One fact is obvious: We have to live among them if we want to bring significant positive changes in their lives.

Facing the Uncertain Future
Resettling the affected Penans is a big concern not only to the government but even more so to the Penans themselves. The Penans are quick to say that they are different from the Kenyahs or Kayans. Many are not keen to be settled in newly allocated areas. Even the younger adults are so determined that they would move deeper into the jungle. I understand this because the jungle is their way of life. They are not well prepared for such a drastic change of lifestyle when their longhouses and lands are submerged with the completion of the Murum Dam.

What I saw is more the concern of the present. It was during our last day of ministry when we were to stay overnight in Long Menapan, the most remote longhouse of the three. It was about 4 pm after I had finished my medical session that I chatted with Eken. He was in his late 20’s, married with two children. I was shocked to hear from him that he had not eaten any food for the whole day because there was no food to be found. My heart sank when I heard that even his children suffered the same fate! Eken had searched for two hours in the jungle that morning and came back empty handed. He told me that all the animals had gone deeper into the jungle. The fish had also gone because of river pollution. Prior to this so-called “development”, food was within easy reach and took less than half an hour to find. This is the heavy price to pay for the invading bustling activity.

I thought I was wise in advising Eken that he should have kept some stock ready at least for a day in advance. I felt such a fool when he responded that he could not even find food for today, what more to think about keeping some reserve for the next day! They live one day at a time. Eken anticipated that life would be more difficult and uncertain in the near future.

Feeding the Penan Children
As the sisters were preparing our dinner, we brothers were lingering at the back of the longhouse. Our seasoned driver who had made several trips to the Penan longhouses invited us to count the number of households that had firewood smoke coming out from the kitchen. Only one! That is right, only one family was cooking a hot meal. Others were not cooking, or had no food to cook.

I surveyed some of the connected kitchens and found out that indeed most had no food at all. We were told that sometimes they needed to tie a towel around their stomachs to relieve their hunger cramps.

As we were about to have our dinner, we were surrounded by many hungry children. One brother voiced out, “We must share our food with all these children.” His voice was choked with emotion. All the children ran to their respective homes and came back with their plates. It was with much pleasure that we scooped the food onto their plates. I personally invited Eken to join us. We only cooked our own share, but somehow it turned out to be enough for all. God is really good and wonderful. Everyone was full of joy.

The Farewell Celebration
That evening, we decided to cook a special breakfast for them the next morning before we left. The next day, our sisters put in all their love in preparing two big pots of instant noodles. Most of us had only a glass of hot milo and a piece of biscuit, just enough to sustain us for our trip back. It was a celebration for the Penan children. I spotted a toddler below the age of two sitting alone among the whole crowd of children, struggling to spoon the slippery noodles into her mouth. I walked over to feed her, just like a grandfather feeding his beloved grandchild. I cannot even begin to describe the satisfaction I saw on her face as she swallowed the last spoon.

We had to leave after the prayer of blessing. We bade an emotional farewell to these lovely children. I was thinking hard on the way back. I could not believe that there are still people in our land who are reachable by road yet still living in such hunger. Shouldn’t they be provided more assistance in the long term at least to meet their basic needs? Shouldn’t the Penans be better prepared in the coming resettling scheme? What about their children’s education and their future? What else can we do as a church?

I had no answers. But it had been a rewarding mission trip for me. At least I had a chance to feed a Penan child.

[Dr Wong Sung Ging is a member from Emmanuel Methodist Church, Bintulu]