Borneo

WE have only one tribe here: Bornean

Forged by Mount Kinabalu and Rajang River. Fed by rice grown under one sun and nourished by the same rains.

Gini bah: 

Our lingua franca flows. Multiple tongues. One family.

Our bloodlines fuse. Multiple ancestries. One pulse.

We carry the wisdom of our ancestors.

Kitak tauk sik?

Here, every system, every structure, is inclusive.

Do not label us as “lain-lain.”

Sini tiada “lain”, Bornean saja.

In this cherished photograph taken at Mukah Airport in 1957, a piece of aviation history is captured. It depicts the birth of Borneo Airways, a symbol of autonomy and progress for the region. Pictured are my late-grandma, father, uncles, and aunties, their faces alight with the excitement of a more connected and self-reliant Borneo.

The Dayak people in Borneo face a significant challenge. Their numerous languages and dialects exist on a spectrum of written representation. Some have their own writing systems, while others rely on adapted Arabic or Latin alphabets. But a significant portion of Dayak languages lack any formal writing system at all, relying solely on oral tradition passed down through generations. This lack of a unified written form hinders communication and creates a barrier to feeling connected across Dayak communities.