Santubong re-visited

By Zora Chan

KUCHING: The Santubong peninsula has a colourful history steeped in legends and mystisms.Today, it’s a vibrant littoral enclave with a host of facilities that have become a mainstay for the tourism industry in the State capital.

The peninsula is famous for its legends of Puteri Santubong and Puteri Sejinjang, scenic beach resorts, exquisite seafoods, the living museum called Sarawak Cultural Village and of course, the annual outdoor party — Rainforest World Music Festival.

It has a colourful and interesting past — first as a colony of the Buddhist Sri Vijaya empire and then of the Hindu-Javanese Majapahit empire.

Santubong was Sarawak’s first capital in 1599, founded by the first and last Sultan of Sarawak, Sultan Pengiran Tengah. In the 1820’s, the capital was moved to Lidah Tanah in Bau and then in 1841, Kuching became the third capital … and remains so till today.

In 1941, a few hundred brave Sarawakians made their “Last Stand” at Santubong against the invading Japanese army. They fought bravely to defend their land but were eventually over-run by the occupying forces.

Mount Santubong, which makes up most of the peninsula, is also home to a few archaeological dug-outs … with at least eight sites there - Sungai Jaong, Bongkissam, Bukit Maras, Sungai Buah, Tanjung Kubor and Tanjung Tegok.

The 810-metre high mountain, some 30 km from the city, is also an important landmark for seafarers, particularly traders from China, Japan, India and Arab in the early exploration days between the 10th and 15th centuries.

The name Santubong has been given a few meanings by locals. In the Iban and Malay dialects, Santubong means “coffin” while in Chinese, it generally means “mountain visible a long way off.”

In Kheh dialect, it means “king of the jungle” while in Hokkien, “mountains of the wild pig.” However, the actual meaning and origin of Santubong remains unclear as its mysterious legends.

Santubong is also famously connected to the legend of Puteri (princess) Santubong and Puteri Sejinjang who descended from “kayangan” – a mystical place where people possessed special powers - to live with mankind.

Both princesses were equally beautiful and endowed with all feminine attributes but trouble between them started when both fell for the same man, Putera (prince) Serapi.

From then on, they started arguing and began comparing their beauty, subsequently leading to a fight.

Before descending to Earth, they vowed to be Good, failing which they would be punished.

As they broke their vows, they became petrified and were turned respectively into Mount Santubong and Mount Sejinjang, located across the Sarawak River to Kampung Santubong.

This may explain why Mount Santubong takes the shape of a woman’s face from the side.

It is also believed that Santubong and Sejinjang were daughters of Datu Merpati, a Malay nobleman and adventurer who said to be from “kayangan.”

Links between the royal families of Johor, Sambas and Brunei were established and reinforced by inter-marriages as mentioned in literary sources such as Salasilah Raja-Raja Brunei and Tarsilah Raja-Raja Sambas.

Ever wonder where the name Jalan Sultan Tengah came from? According to Legends and History of Sarawak by Chang Pat Foh (1999), when the Sultan of Brunei took over control of Sarawak, Sarawak Malays had already established their settlements in Santubong where Datu Merpati Jepang was the leader.

Based on the history of Brunei, there was a strong indication that Santubong was the first capital of Sarawak in the late 16th century when Pengiran Tengah Ibnu Sultan Muhamad Hassan, the second son of the third Sultan of Brunei, became the first and last Sultan of Sarawak.

In 1641, Sultan Pengiran Tengah passed away at Batu Buaya and was buried at Santubong. Today, his mausoleum is located at the junction of Jalan Sultan Tengah and Jalan Kampung Santubong. It was restored and declared as a historical monument in Sarawak on Nov 3, 1993.

At Sungai Jaong about 40 rock-carvings were discovered along the river which has dried out.

Of all rocks, the most prominent is that with a human figure wearing a curious head-dress carved on it in bas relief which was discovered in 1886. It is believed the carvings date from 970 AD and have a Hindu influence.

This rock is still around and today is known as “Batu Bergambar” or Pictorial Rock (translated literally).

It is presently under the Sarawak Museum’s care as are the other rocks, relics and archaeological sites found in the peninsula.

Some ancient stoneware pottery, glass beads and iron slag were also found at Sungai Jaong. Although the Batu Bergambar and other carved rocks are fenced up against vandalism, persistent visitors always find a way to get closer to these mysterious items.

In 1967, a stone monument of the Buddhist Tantric Shrine, built on a raised platform, was discovered at Bongkissam, an excavation site at the foot of the mountain by the roadside on the way to Kampung Santubong.

Today, sadly, there is not much left to see at this site overgrown with creepers. Certainly, Bongkissam and other sites need greater protection and conservation for posterity.Although not an archaeological site, a hill facing the sea at Kampung Santubong, was where the famous naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace stayed when he wrote the “Law of Sarawak” in 1855.

He lived at a cottage built by the White Rajah but the building no longer exists - long replaced by another, formerly serving as a government rest house but has also been abandoned. This place is known as Wallace Point.

So, the next time you drive around the peninsula, spare a thought to its bygone days and tour the archaeological sites.

Santubong indeed is a place worth visiting and getting to know.

Extracted from Borneo Post