Iban children are taught not to tell lies. Parents would start telling them since childhood that lying is a sin.
“Do not tell lies; it is bad for you and your development,” dad used to tell me during meals – dinner was always the best time for longhouse Iban parents of old to lecture their kids – despite my protesting stomach.
This lecture was repeated many times since I was five or six. In the end it became the number one rule for me and my brother Jon, turning into “thou shalt tell no lies” that was planted in our young minds.
Later after we embraced Christianity and studied the Old and New Testaments (Iban and English versions) dad’s “lecture” was reinforced by the Christian teachings. The old law said you shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie.
Lying without repentance and forgiveness leads to “the second death” described in Revelation, which says, “all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8).
Be faithful to the Bible’s teachings and if you have lied, seek forgiveness from those whom you have lied to, and obey the Gospel, for “He is faithful and forgiving us our sins to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9; Matthew 5:23-25).
Law number five in the Ten Commandment reads: “Honour thy father and mother.” Herein father’s words are more weighty than mom’s. So his “lectures” during meals must not be taken lightly.
Adding to this, I dared not look into his eyes when he was fuming over non-adherence to one or two of his fatherly decrees. This was because his eyes seemed – probably in my imagination – to turn blue or green when he was furious.
It was years later that the fictional Marvel Comics character of Dr David Banner (played in TV series by Bill Bixby) who turned green into “Incredible Hulk” reminded me of dad when he was angry.
Obedience to dad’s “do not tell lies” ruling was similar to compliance with the Ten Commandments’ rules number six, seven and eight respectively, namely “Thou shalt not murder”; “Thou shalt not commit adultery” and “Thou shalt not steal” as well as other depressing deeds.
There are many instances of lies that have resulted in negative impact on people and society as a whole. For example lies or unfounded rumours about death, about visits by VVIPs as well as about big events involving society members and dignitaries’ presence could result in panic and trepidation, even fear.
One of such examples occurred in 1984 when the then Kanowit district information officer issued a letter using the department’s letterhead that the wife of the TYT was coming to one of the town’s primary school on an official visit in a week’s time.
This certainly caused panic among the teachers and school staff. The school’s headmaster then checked with the district officer (DO) who said there was no such visit notice received.
Upon further checking, it was found that the letter to the school was an April Fool’s joke. He was reprimanded severely by the DO, my dear friend, now deceased.
There have been cases whereby rumours of a husband or wife committing adultery with other people’s spouse in a number of longhouses.
Though some of these were proven to be true and the culprits given due punishments, others were baseless accusations. These unwarranted rumours resulted in so much anxiety and fury and had caused quarrels among the couples concerned, leading to splits and marriage or family breakdowns.
A few originators of the rumours were brought to court. Though he or she was punished accordingly by the court, the harm done to the couples concerned was almost beyond repair. No matter what punishment given to the culprit, it is still difficult to save the marriage.
“Don’t associate yourself with these lies or unfounded rumours. They are analogous to committing murder,” dad stressed over meals as his usual concluding statement.
During the warring days between Iban and other tribes, including the Kantu from Kalimantan Borneo, any lies about plans to launch attacks were condemned and the perpetrators punished accordingly.
In my immediate vicinity, people were sceptical when one Entingi, who suffered from a serious skin ailment (ringworms), told his longhouse mates about a rumour circulating around of an impending attack on their longhouse headed by Temenggong Tanduk, in Melupa, Krian, Saratok, well-known for his wealth and arrogance.
“You are lying; there’s no way we could be attacked. We are like the yellow yolk of an egg,” Tanduk told Entingi, adding he should just worry about his skin ailment.
Prior to this it was rumoured an attack was coming but it never came, though the rumour was from another source, not from Entingi.
Their longhouse was located at the estuary of a stream called Sungai Entili, the present site of Saratok Palm Oil Mill, just below our Kedap longhouse down the Melupa River, a Krian tributary.
The site was later known as “Senuan Alah” (Graves of the defeated) – just a week after Entingi’s warning, a group of attackers did come after all and many of the longhouse residents including Tanduk himself were killed after a long fight. Tanduk’s wife and daughter, however, managed to escape with Entingi’s help to a site many miles away from the longhouse.
This story is about not believing the truth because the originator of the rumours was suffering from skin ringworm. Entingi was a true believer of the “do not tell lies” edict.
Because they refused to believe Entingi, Tanduk and his men were ill-prepared to resist their attackers.
As such “Senuan Alah” came into being. The late Saratok MP Datuk Seri Peter Tinggom Kemarau in the 80s tried to develop the site of the attack (that occurred circa 1850) leading to no fewer than five units of chalets (meant for homestay) constructed and completed there.
I went inside one of these in 1998. Sadly the project was abandoned.
Paranoia over the proximity to an attack site where many lives were taken could be the main reason why the project was abandoned. If we trace the history of the site, it could have been saved from any attack if not for the first lie or baseless rumour that led Tanduk and others not to believe Entingi who was actually telling the truth about what he heard.
The Iban society of old considers lying as an act of deceitfulness akin to disrespect of human beings and their properties in committing thefts. Lying could be considered a greater sin than theft, especially when the consequences of a lie involve the loss of lives, calamities and destructions.
It was for this reason that a frequent liar was looked down upon and condemned. Up to the early 20th century, Iban folk in community dwellings such as the longhouses still observed “tugung bula” (mound of lies) practice.
This mound of lies consists of any items thrown or placed on a heap as tribute to a regular liar. People passing by the heap are free to place or throw any item to add to the existing ones – usually of durable types.
One heap is attributed to one particular liar. For example, if the heap is meant as a social punishment for a liar by the name of Saya, folk would call the heap “tugung bula Saya” (Saya’s mound of lies). This will lead to shame on Saya and his/her family as well as generations of descendants to come.
Thanks dad (now residing in the afterlife) for your unfailing lectures over meals as one lie could mean a lifetime of shame. And generation after generation of your family line will suffer too.
