Sidi Munan has vivid memories of walking through Simpang Tiga, a rubber plantation in the 1950s, from his village Kampung Tabuan Dayak to his school St. Thomas’. The journey, which covered five to six miles, took him about an hour on foot. During these walks, he held onto his ‘bandong’ plant, which he used as a stick to protect himself from stray dogs. Sidi also remembered that there were no street lamps back then, which made the long, dark walks at night particularly challenging.
Sidi was born in Kampung Stunggang, Lundu, and when asked about his birth year, he chuckled and explained that no one registered for birth back then. However, he presumed that he was born in 1936. According to Sidi, James Brooke visited his village in the late 1800s and brought missionaries with him who built schools in the area. After the war in 1947, Sidi attended the village school, where he learned the alphabet, writing and arithmetic. The school was attended by children from his village, as well as Malay children from downriver.
After two years, Sidi moved to Lundu town with his brother, who was appointed into the police force. Attending school in town allowed Sidi to learn Jawi, which was taught back then. He became proficient in speaking and writing in Jawi, a skill that he still possesses today.
In 1951, Sidi and his brother moved to Kuching, Sarawak, and stayed at the Police Barrack. Sidi did not attend school for a year until he made friends with the District Officer in 1952. When the officer asked why he wasn’t in school, Sidi explained that he had no money. The officer offered to help by giving him a letter to use for registration at St. Thomas’ school instead of money.
Getting a proper education
As a teenager, Sidi lived a simple life in St Thomas and didn’t think much about the future. He stayed with his aunt in Kampung Tabuan Dayak and started school at the primary five level, even though he was older than the other students. However, Sidi was double-promoted and reached form one the following year. When he was in form three, he thought of leaving school to work at the hospital. He visited the matron, who told him to come in the following week to start working. However, Sidi had passed his form three exams and was able to continue his upper secondary studies. When he informed the matron, he was scolded for wasting her time.
The same thing happened when Sidi was in form five and thought of getting a job as an administrative officer. The officer at the secretariat told him that he was to be posted to Song, Kapit, but Sidi declined the offer since he wanted to continue his studies. The officer scolded him for wasting his time and asked him to leave.
In 1958, Sidi found out that he was qualified to continue his studies after passing his Cambridge exams. If he hadn’t continued his studies at university in New Zealand, he wouldn’t have met his future wife, Heidi Munan. While in New Zealand, Sidi worked as an assistant land registrar for the Maori land tenure and land registration in the Magistrate Court of Auckland.
Climbing the ladder
After studying in New Zealand, Sidi returned home and landed his first job as an editor for the Council Negeri, where he edited the Hansard in 1965. He also had a radio program with Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) called ‘Calling All Youth,’ where he talked and played records. Additionally, Sidi wrote for the Sarawak Tribune and St. Thomas School magazine, and later became an Iban columnist for the Vanguard newspaper. His Iban column was the first time the language had been used in the newspaper, which was an honor for him. In 1966, Sidi was appointed assistant editor of the Sarawak Gazette.
A few months later, Sidi received word that the Sarawak’s Internal Affairs Minister, Tun Temenggong Jugah Barieng, was looking to recruit him as his personal assistant. Sidi’s proficiency in the English language and his charisma in speaking made him a valuable asset to Jugah. Sidi recalled signing his position in front of the first Malaysian Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, where Jugah had told Tunku that any conversation in English could go through Sidi. Although Sidi had numerous good experiences as Jugah’s political aide, the communist insurgency era in Sarawak gave him some daunting moments.
Never been scared
The octogenarian worked for the Temenggong for three years from 1966 and vividly remembered feeling fearful during that time. They were worried about the possibility of a war with the communists, confrontations from Indonesia, and the Brunei revolt. They had to attend numerous Top Secret meetings, and each time they had to swear to keep the information confidential.
When Sidi learned of Penghulu Jimbai’s murder in Sarikei, he had to meet with the resident, but they were warned not to travel by road. If they had gone by road that night, they would have been killed. Instead, they took a speedboat to Sarikei.
Another terrifying experience he recalled was during a helicopter ride from Sibu after the assassination of Penghulu Imban by the communists in Sekuau. During the flight, Sidi had to avoid being shot, and he felt that anything could happen, and he thought he might die then.
Opportunities for the people
When Tun Abdul Rahman Ya’kub became the third Chief Minister of Sarawak, he placed great emphasis on developing the region by bringing together field professionals, many of whom were living abroad. Sidi, who served as the chief minister’s political secretary in 1970, proposed the idea of developing native lands to help the Dayaks.
To achieve this, Sidi helped draft the regulations for the Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority Ordinance 1976, which enabled him to receive funding from the state government to develop lands in Sarawak. He began his mission in Lubok Antu by surveying the socio-economic conditions in the area. During the survey, the Ibans who lived there expressed their desire to move away as the soil was exhausted and each harvest was a failure. The survey revealed that the average income per family per month was only five dollars.
Under the law, Sidi developed the land while providing employment to the villagers, which ensured they had a stable income. The villagers were also given titles to their land. Sidi even employed children, as their mothers insisted on bringing them to the plantation grounds. The children were paid to collect palm oil seeds into polybags.
After a year, Sidi conducted another survey and the results were remarkable. The families had managed to earn an average total of RM 600 per month, indicating that the development of the area had been a success.
Preservation of the Iban culture
Sidi is a social activist and the current president of the Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (SADIA). He is passionate about protecting the Iban race, culture, and language. In 1966, he was part of the committee that declared “Dayak Day” as a day to celebrate the Ibans. He organizes Iban singing competitions and other events to promote the language and culture. Sidi also leads a poverty eradication project under SADIA, which gathers funds from various groups to help underprivileged families in the town area. For example, they provide computers to students who need them and teach baking skills to sell cakes.
Despite being 87 years old, Sidi remains committed to his people and was recently elected the chairman of The Sarawak Initiative (TSI), which aims to build a better Sarawak. He also writes columns for a local daily in his leisure time. Although he retired from government work in 1987, Sidi continues to fight for the restoration of native land rights and jungle resources. He observes the state’s progress from his favorite coffee shop, knowing that it has come a long way from the past.
