All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.
– Walt Disney, American entrepreneur
Last week I lost another dear friend Henry Lian Aran, the first Kelabit graduate, who passed away suddenly at 78.
I’ve known Henry since my days as a reporter in Kuala Lumpur and through golf when the single handicapper was golf captain of the Subang National Golf Club (KGNS) in the 1970s.
As I was a member of the club I helped contribute to their newsletter until I moved on to Kuching to become NST’s correspondent in 1981.
After Henry suffered a stroke several years ago, we continued to play golf at the old Prisons Golf Club.
As he weakened, we decided to call it quits and parted ways and no thanks to the coronavirus pandemic I did not get in touch with him until I heard the sad news.
Henry’s story is that of a man born with great humility.
An inhabitant of Long Lellang across the Tamabu Range, his ancestors were the first Kelabit to guide Brooke officer R. S. Douglas across the 5,000-foot high Tamabu Range to the Bario Highlands in 1908.
Datuk Seri Gathorne, Earl of Cranbrooke in his preface to my 564-page book “Journey into the Central Highlands of Borneo” said Henry’s ancestors were part of Brooke’s peace-making party between the warring tribes in the central highlands.
Bario remained Borneo’s best kept secret until eight commandoes parachuted into the plains to liberate Sarawak on March 25, 1945.
In February 1946, the Kelabits built their first school at Pa Main in Bario and began to produce an educated community.
Tan Sri Pehin Sri Adenan Satem in his preface said: “The Kelabit people who used to be animists…embraced the new cultural and changes in pursuit of education.
“It is also worthwhile to note that the Kelabits have fought gallantly alongside the Allied Forces in resisting the Japanese during World War II as the Kelabit Highlands became the staging ground for the counteroffensive.”
Henry was two years old when the Pa Main primary school was established and had to wait until he was eight before he attended school.
“Even though I was eight when I joined, I had a double promotion and at the age of 12, I completed my standard Four exams,” he said proudly.
But passing his exams was just the beginning of his journey. He had to travel downriver to further his education – a difficult but necessary task.
“It was a two-week trip with four others Sina Raja Ngatan, Peter Lu’ui, Batang Aran and Daud Ribuh paddling down the Baram river – to get to my new school at Tanjong Lobang in Miri.”
Sporting the Beatles-style ‘Ugo Tauh’ native haircut, complete with pig tail, and with extended ear lobes, Henry rose to become the school’s head boy, sports and soccer captain and at the age of 18 represented Miri Division in soccer.
After his form five examinations, he was awarded a scholarship to study economics at Ohio State University in Columbus, USA.
He excelled in English and Chemistry and wanted to join science stream in Upper Six, but the school headmaster thought otherwise.
“I was also interested in becoming a pilot because there was much glamour attached to the job. Besides, the salary of $3,000 a month, in those days the job was a great attraction apart from the fact that pilots wore an impressive uniform,” said Henry.
So, he applied to the Asia Foundation for a scholarship but they sent me to study economics instead of pilot training.
However, he secured a Bachelor of Economics degree from Ohio State University in 1968 before returning to Sarawak.
Not satisfied, Henry went on to take up private lessons, earning a commercial flying licence (on a Piper Cherokee) in Ohio USA in 1967.
On his return to Malaysia in 1968, he joined Shell as an executive labour officer.
Serving Shell for 22 years (from 1972 till 1994), he worked in Miri, Seria, Stanlow Refinery in London and in Kuala Lumpur.
During his tenure, Shell was voted by its peers as having the best management practices in Malaysia and in 1992 won the Management Excellence award.
After rising to the post of executive director and human resources director for Shell in Malaysia, he served as human resources advisor to the Sarawak Civil Service and was attached to the Chief Minister’s Office from 1994.
Henry said that if there was any single person he could thank, it was his first teacher Henry Jalla, the father of former federal minister Datuk Seri Idris Jala.
“He was strict but he encouraged us to study hard if we wanted to move ahead. Henry advised us native students to work hard if we hoped to make something of our lives.”
Henry, who retired in 1997, believed the most important qualities in life were honesty and integrity.
“As rural natives we have to work extra hard to prove ourselves. There is no short cut to success,” he said.
Goodbye for now dear Henry, my friend. Till we meet again.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
