The essence of the beautiful is unity in variety.
― W. Somerset Maugham, English playwright and novelist
The popular word ngabang (Iban for goodwill visit to festivals and open houses of religious and cultural celebrations) is on the lips of everyone during this time of the festive Chinese New Year (CNY).
Ngabang is meant to further strengthen unity in a plural society like Malaysia. Hopefully this is not a superficial unity but truly an item that could help to maintain everlasting peace in our nation, Sarawak being the lead model of this phenomenon.
This festive season I was actually very reluctant to go ngabang to my Chinese friends as on CNY eve my very close friend Sarawak’s most senior scouter Mohd Said Bolhassan, 77, passed on suddenly – I met him just a few days earlier. (I will write about my friendship of 41 years with the late Mohd Said, fondly known as Pak Said in my next column.)
So one the first day of CNY I gathered all my courage and despite still mourning for my dear friend, I went around for my social obligation with the living; after all I flew from Sibu to Kuching just for this. We visited residences of few friends but I kept to myself about my total sense of loss as a result of my dear friend’s demise.
I was aware that Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Chong Chieng Jen was holding a CNY open house at the Association of Churches Sarawak, Jalan Stampin in Kuching on Jan 25, namely the first day of the celebration but we did not go for his open house.
In Sibu it seemed the festive scene was going full gear. My elder brother and his friends were planning for a ngabang to some friends in Sibu Jaya, Salim and Kanowit. If I didn’t go to Kuching I might drop by to pay goodwill visit to old friends in Julau.
It was in Sibu that I was involved in many ngabang calls with my elder brother Edward and others in the early 80s when I was still lecturing in Rajang Teachers College in Bintangor (1979-83). I also joined ngabang calls during my student days in Methodist Secondary School (1973-74).
Among individuals that we made CNY goodwill visits were Datuk Ling Beng Siong (Ramin Way), Datuk Wong Tung Kwang (of the WTK fame) also at Ramin Wang and Tan Sri Ling Beng Siew at Upper Lanang Road. In all these three residences I was given the red packet angpow.
At WTK’s I received it from the man himself whom I knew from his regular cycling rounds at the Methodist School compound which was just about 60 metres from his house. He spoke words of encouragement to me in Iban.
In the 80s too we used to ngabang to our Muslim friends in Sibu during Hari Raya Aidilfitri as well as to Christian friends during Christmas, not to mention ngabang for Gawai Dayak to fellow Dayaks. In fact in Kuching a few years ago I made a ngabang call to close friend Penghulu Lucy Lingam during Diwali.
I can recall in Sibu in the early 80s, during Gawai Dayak, visitors to Edward’s residence in Rajang Park started calling from outside his gate as early as 7.30am in anticipation of free flow of the Iban rice wine ‘tuak’. Those coming for the Gawai Dayak ngabang were those we used to visit during CNY, Hari Raya Aidifitri and other festive occasions.
In 1993 my spouse and I held a Gawai Dayak open house in Kuching and found out we really enjoyed entertaining guests from all walks of life. My close friend, a Foochow elder staying in Batu Kawa together with his wife were enjoying fully two bottles of Martell with me and my spouse and finally left at around 6pm. On that day they made a record for being at our house for about six hours.
For the Iban community, ngabang in the traditional sense is not confined to only Gawai Dayak but to all cultural and religious celebrations in the longhouse. Ngabang is the time when both Iban men and womenfolk put on their special attires, both traditional and modern.
Festivals are items they really look forward to. They are times to renew friendships and to further strengthen harmony and unity. As such the modern ngabang during festive periods is also meant to strengthen racial unity and harmony which are items vital in maintaining peace.
As such I do hope this ngabang is not a picture of artificial unity where friends look forward to free meals and drinks as well as mandarin oranges in the case of CNY.
I honestly feel that this goodwill calls during festivals could really enhance the existing harmony and unity in our Malaysian plural society and that Sarawak is the leading model of unity in the nation, as ngabang is unique to our beloved Land of the Hornbills.
One could see that open houses are starting to sprout like mushrooms not only in Sarawak but in Peninsular Malaysia too, especially in Kuala Lumpur. This is a good sign and hopefully the spirit of unity they inculcate is not an artificial one but truly an everlasting unity.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the New Sarawak Tribune.
