I prefer a real villain to a false hero.
– Michael Santiago Render, American rapper and activist
After the fall of Sadok, Rentap and his band of warriors fled to various parts of the vast Julau hinterland.
After several years on the run, Rentap, his younger brother Ringgit, and his son-in-law Layang — the slayer of Alan Lee — ended up at Ulu Wuak in Julau.
A spent force, one of his most powerful charms — the Batu Jerenang stone which he received in a dream from Keliang, the God of War — was beginning to lose its effect.
Spending the life of a fugitive, accompanied by a small loyal band of bodyguards, they hid in the isolated headwaters of Katibas, Kanowit and Skrang rivers.
Historian Benedict Sandin said that Rentap, who was constantly on the run, first hid at Bukit Lanjak in the Ulu Skrang area and then moved to Entabai in Upper Julau.
His relatives feared that Rajah’s army would go after them as Brooke would also persecute those who joined the old chief.
Ringgit, who together with Layang, had taken many heads of pro-Brooke Balau warriors, fled together with Rentap because they could not even trust his closest friends.
According to some of his descendants in Ulu Wak, Rentap was said to have brought with him several Bukitan ‘ulun’ (slaves) whom he treated like his family.
But by then, Rajah James Brooke had a change of heart and was prepared to pardon him.
In a letter to Brooke’s staunch English supporter Baroness Burdett Coutts dated Jan 16, 1862, James Brooke said: “I received the welcome intelligence of the success of the operations against Sadok as I was starting yesterday morning for Totnes, and despatched the news hastily to you.
“The complete pacification of the Dayaks will follow the capture of their stronghold, and I am only now desirous of reaping the full advantages of success.
“Rentap should be pardoned and cared for — he committed one atrocious act of cruelty, but with this exception, has been a fair foe and I hope he will be well treated for he is sure to come in (surrender).”
But surrender was the last thing on Rentap’s mind.
Two years after the fall of Sadok, a group of Brooke soldiers led by Malay Native Officer Abang Sarkawi — visited Karangan Panggil at Wak in the Julau district to meet Rentap.
Datuk Seri Edmund Langgu Saga, co-author of ‘Rentap — Warrior, Legend and Enigma’ said Rentap first spotted Abang Sarkawi having a bath at Karangan Panggil at the narrow rocky stretch leading to the longhouse.
Before Abang Sarkawi communicated with Rentap, the Raja Ulu sent his most senior ‘manok sabong’ (leading warrior) to the Malay chief to warn him that “if you value your heads, you better return immediately from where you came.”
I learnt that despite the scores of heads the Skrang warriors had taken some of the special prized trophies were in the possession of a great-granddaughter residing in Sibu.
The Sarawak Museum Journal said the practice at that time was for each warrior to offer the first head taken in battle to the war leader. (SMJ Vol XVI, 1968:143).
To look for Rentap’s head trophies, I travelled to Sungei Aup in Sibu to meet an elderly great-granddaughter Puyang anak Belusok.
Puyang said: “From what I was told, Aki Rentap personally acquired only five heads out of numerous heads which were distributed all over Sarawak.”
She showed me 17 skulls which she had in her possession together with several porcelain jars such as ‘Gusi’, ‘Rusa’, ‘Puak’ and ‘Naga’ jars belonging to Rentap.
Among the 17 heads which I saw that were kept in a special room in her home at Sungei Aup, I asked whether she knew if Alan Lee’s head was in her possession.
I suggested that one unique skull which was larger than the others could be Lee’s skull, who was killed by Layang in April 1853.
I said that if a DNA test was taken, it could confirm the skull was that of a Caucasian or European.
Puyang said that it was ‘mali’ (forbidden) to remove Rentap’s possessions unless a special ‘miring’ (offering) is carried out to appease the spirits.
She said 10 of Rentap’s jars which were in her possession, were inhabited by spirits.
Puyang’s husband Antas anak Ambon said dozens of the Rentap’s prized skulls had been distributed among family members.
I wrote in New Straits Times: “Of course, his (Rentap’s) group of men had more than a hundred heads of which many were given to him by followers as a mark of respect. (New Straits Times, December 21, 1992).
Among Rentap’s charms, amulets and talisman, the most powerful was the ‘Batu Jerenang’ stone which he had in his possession since he was a young man.
He received it from the God of War Keliang in a dream as a teenager.
Rentap’s new wife Berinjan was childless and the old chief sent her back to her family.
Tambong had married Layang, her father’s trusted lieutenant, who killed Lee and they had a daughter Subang.
But Rentap’s fate was to change after Subang eloped and married a prominent Brooke warrior Penghulu Dalam Munan Anak Penghulu Minggat of Awik.
Furious with his granddaughter, Rentap adopted Ensimai, one of Ringgit’s daughters, and gave her part of his inheritance.
A loyal Iban-Dayak, the chief led several punitive expeditions on behalf of the Sarawak government.
However, the curse of the Jerenang stone — a red coloured stone also known as ‘Dragons Blood’ that was obtained from the dye of the fruit of a rattan cane — was broken after Subang and Munan adopted two daughters from different tribes.
Munan was promoted to the rank of ‘Penghulu Dalam’ chief of the inner circle of Rajah Charles Brooke in 1900.
Later he became a member of the ‘Council Negri’ (legislative assembly) and a native magistrate.
Today, Munan’s descendants are found not only in Sibu but all over Sarawak. Ensimai’s descendants still dominate the Ulu Wak region in Julau as well as the rest of the state.
Sandin says Rentap was the “only Dayak leader of his time who swore after his defeat in wars against the white rule, that he would never see the face of any white man.” (Sarawak Gazette, February 28, 1966).
After his death, Rentap’s skeletal remains was placed in a ‘belian’ (semi-ironwood) coffin and taken to a special hill named Bukit Sibau in Ulu Wak in the remote Julau district.
Descendants of the chief then decided to build a ‘lumbong’ — a customary coffin for Iban royalty which is placed on a raised platform — and under a thatched hut to accord him a king’s burial.
“After three or four days, Rentap’s relatives brought the coffin to Bukit Sadok, about two days’ journey from Karangan Panggil, to hide it in the jungle and away from the Rajah.
About 10 years ago, Sarawak Museum director Dr Peter Kedit and a team of museum staff conducted a traditional funeral for Rentap.
Langgu said Rentap and his warriors did not surrender, but retreated to Bukit Lanjak Entimau at the headwaters of Batang Skrang, Lemanak and Engkari.
He then moved down to Ulu Entabai, the branch of Kanowit and Julau, and built another fortress at Bukit Stulak.
When he retired from fighting, he moved to Karangan Panggil in Ulu Wak, Pakan, and died of old age in the year 1870.
He was not buried, but his remains were kept according to the symbol of the Iban-Dayak warrior who was honourably laid down to rest in peace in a mortuary known by the Iban Dayak as ‘lumbong’.
Later, his remains were installed inside a jar in a traditional ceremony known as ‘ngerapoh’.
His tomb, the ‘lumbong’, is intact. It is located at the summit of Sibau Hill (Bukit Sibau) at the headwaters of Budu-Kabo River of Saratok and Wak River of Pakan.
His remains were placed inside a strong wooden coffin under a shrine after the reburial of his remains in October 1989.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
