INTRODUCTION
Japan looks to Malaysia for its uniqueness and multiculturalism. Japan wants to learn how Malaysians from different ethnic backgrounds and cultures are able to live together harmoniously. As mentioned by Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia Masahiko Horie, “Japan should have a “Look West Policy”, in reference to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s “Look East Policy”. He said a “Look West Policy” did not mean Japan would look to the Western nations but to Malaysia for its uniqueness and strengths in promoting racial harmony.
This is the reason that encourages me to learn this cross-cultural counseling and complete this task to interview the person who came from different culture, language and heritage. There are varieties of cultures, races, ethnics, and lifestyle in Malaysia. This uniqueness encourages me to deeply understand this subject and complete this task as my assignment.
A special thank you and appreciated to Prof Madya Datin Dr Hajah Sapora Sipon for her teaching and sharing for this Cross-Cultural Subject (ABA 4033) for this semester. For me, this is an interesting subject and gives me a great impact to get to know our Malaysian culture and also western culture, custom, language and belief.
I had done an interview with fifth generation of Indonesian Native that had migraine to Malaysia with their family at Bagan Serai, Perak. He is, Mr Ahmad Shukri Bin Hj Othman who is the fifth generation of Banjar decent. He was born on 1st of January 1965 at Bagan Serai, Perak. Bagan Serai was located at the end of Perak near to Parit Buntar.
HISTORY OF BANJAR PEOPLE
Malaysian society is known with varieties of citizen such as varieties of ethnics, races, culture, custom, beliefs and also interest. Then, talking about ethnics, one of those ethnics groups that exist in Malaysia is Banjar people. Like other ethnic groups, Banjar people had their uniqueness and their own history in this country.
Banjar people is one of Malay ethnics as same as Jawa people who were migration from Indonesia. They also live near to each other, such as Balik Papan (Johor), regional Sabak Bernam and Tanjung Karang (Selangor) and Bagan moreDatoh at Perak district However, Jawa people more well-known in Malaysia compared to Banjar people.Their contribution in the field of social, economic, political and especially the Malay race in this country were also important for the development of this country.
1. Origin of Banjar people
Banjar people who came to Malaya were from Kalimantan, Indonesia, in the southern Basin Barito, especially from the Salt Banjar district, the downtown area. This area is located in the southeastern Borneo. Banjar people came from different part of Kalimantan State of Indonesia such as Amed areas, AmuntaiI, Alai, Hamandit, Margasari and Bantul. Some of them also come from Central Sumatra in Bukit Tinggi and Sepat. Their lives resources are are the cultivation of rice.
Thus, those who migrated to Malaya had a skilled as a farmer in paddy cultivation. In addition, they were also expert in specific jobs such as painting, jewels art and business. Their jobs differentiate them from other nation’s tribes in the area of the Dayak people who live further to the north west of the Salt Banjar. This community was also known as people who had the ability to make tools of iron, such as agricultural tools and weapons. Most of them prefer to stay in the valley of several rivers such as along the Banjar valley of Salt Rantep to Asuntai and the Cape in the north.
According to the history experts, there was no exactly date of their migration to the Malay community.however, according to a researcher Hudson Bacon Afred, this migration began in the mid-19th century. The earliest settlements were detected in Balikpapan, Johor. At that time, they often commute and trade copra through the Siak, Bentan, Inderagiri directly to Balikpapan and Singapore. Apart from Bagan Datoh in Perak is also said to be early place for this community in Malaya. In Balikpapan, they were split into other areas.
Here, they were practice the same skills that they got from Indonesia, such as, farming activities, gardening, rubber tapper and others. At present, Banjar society can be found in several parts of the west coast, especially in rice growing areas (paddy field areas) in the district, River Beads and Bagan Datoh in Perak, Sabak Bernam and Tanjong Karang in Selangor and Johor Balikpapan. In Sabah, the Banjar in Sandakan, Tenom, Keningau and Tawau. This Banjar people are divided into several tribes and among the largest in the Cape and Kalua of the Amed area, Amuntai from district Amuntai, Barabai of Alai district, Nagara and Kandangan from Hamandit district, region of Margasari and Bantul district of Bantul district. Society is often identifying themselves by regions of origin in this land.
In addition for the commercial factors, the poverty that gripped the lives of the Banjar people at Indonesia also drove the migration to Malaya. Their condition in Banjar land is difficult because they often face the threat of wild animals. They also impressed with the prosperity of life in Malaya at that time proclaimed by the traders who commute to Malaya.
Instead of that, the misery faced under Dutch colonial rule is too oppressive for local community with a variety of taxes and unreasonable regulation. The British colonial government in Malaya was very encouraging the migration of people from Indonesia to open and work the new agricultural areas for the community is famous for its strong and persistent nature of the challenges of life.
2. Origin of Mr.Ahmad Shukri family
According to the interview session, Mr Ahmad Shukri was the fifth generation in his family from his ancestors who came from Indonesia. His father told him that his grandfather of his father comes to a open a place and area that was called as Bagan Serai. Most of the people who were staying at Bagan Serai, Perak now were Banjar descent. They were all mostly were relatives and have blood ties because they come from a group of family who came to get their safety and peaceful place to stay. His father’s name was Hj.Othman and his mother’s name is Siti Aisyah.
Hj. Othman had five siblings and they were all stayed at Masjid Tinggi, a name of one place in Bagan Serai . In a while, Hajah Aisyah, his mother had nine siblings that also stayed at Bagan Serai. This spouse was given 14 children and one of them is Mr Ahmad Shukri who was the ninth in his siblings.
Although he is the fifth generation from the first generation who step their foot in Malaysia, he still practicing the language and apply the Banjar’s tradition and culture. For instance, ada kenduri ( ada aroh ), sedapnya (nyaman), tidur (guring) and many more words. He also practices the language with his primary schools’ friends and his relatives. He also told me that, there were many Banjarian people who stayed in Malaysia in different part and state in this country. So, if they met each other, they will be close using their same language. They will call those people who were Banjarian as “Kulaan”.
I had ask Mr Ahmad Shukri either he felt shame using those language in front of other people, but he just smiling. He said, they will talk in common language if they were with citizen and will only use the language if they were in family, friends or other person who used those languages. “Nowadays, it is hard to find the people who able to speak Banjar and it would be happy if we can speak it in front of many people or our descent”, he added.
Moreover, there was some culture that would be a must for them if they attend a wedding ceremony. Each of the villagers who come and attend the ceremony would bring one “mangkuk tingkat” that filled with some “beras” and sugar to give it to the “tuan rumah”. They call the “mangkuk tingkat” as “rantang”. Banjarian showed their cooperation in doing the ceremony when they were helping each other to cook the dishes and prepared the bridge or bridegroom together. After the ceremony end, everybody will bring back their “rantang” as it was filled in with the dishes from the wedding ceremony. Their children were waiting at home for their parent to bring back the “rantang” to them.
I had ask him on how the wedding had been held and is there any custom different compared to Malay custom. However, he just said that, there were no difference between Malay and Banjar people wedding culture. It was the same if it is about “berinai”, “ bersanding” and “makan beradab” ceremony.
Most of the villagers at Bagan Serai were farmer. They had their own paddy field as their life resources. Their lives depend on rice as a source of food and income sources. They were working on rice fields on a large scale and sell the rice in a factory nearby. So, since in the early years, he had been ordered to pick up the paddy Those Banjarian people were all muslim and they will pray at mosque that called masjid Tinggi Bagan Serai.
The most interesting story that Mr Ahmad Shukri was the time he was child, he had been punished by his father not get in home if he did not want to recite Al-Quran. Hj Othman is one Quran teacher in the village. So, to shed by his father he climbs a tree at the back of his house. His father is very strict if it was about education and Islamic learning. Therefore, all of his 14 siblings were succeed in their life. Some were working as a lecturer at UKM, Education district, Teacher, and also businessman.
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