The process of writing family history in Sarawak has its pressures especially as not much of it were documented. Most of what were written are on the Brookes, his European officers and a small group of upper-class locals that made up judges, mayors, and religious leaders. For the rest of us, it is oral history told by our grandparents, parents and other relatives.
Abang Yusuf Puteh, author of the Malay Politics and Perabangan on the genealogy of the aristocratic Abangs of Sarawak, noted that where documents
do not exist, or are scanty at best, it is difficult to separate myths from
history.
On the other hand the benefits more than make up for the frustrations.
For example, the process of writing family history has encouraged me to spend
more time and share things with family. My grandparents, were only too eager to go through the family album with me – visual
anthropology?
Listening to my father talk about his relationship
with his grandfather is also special to me. He had always been a private man and it made me feel a closer to him as he recollect stories like how his
grandfather always made him to eat half boiled eggs with soy sauce
before going to school.
The hours spent at the Special Section at the State Library was a joy. It may have only two rows shelves on Sarawak history, but for a newbie like myself they are more than enough.
One history that fascinate me was the Ming Court Affair of 1987. It was the incident where an attempt was made to overthrow the Chief Minister, Taib Mahmud by none other than his own uncle, mentor and previous Chief Minister, Abdul Rahman Yakub. Yu Loon
Ching had usefully compiled newspaper clippings of the events from March 10
to April 17 April 1987 (Ching 1987). It also made me ask about the role my grandfather played since he was the secretary to Abdul Rahman at the time.
The most significant pleasure for me from writing family
history is how it has created this new layer of appreciation for
things that are already so close to me.
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