On June 27, 1975, I signed the Federal Scholarship Agreement at the state’s Federal Office in Kuching, accompanied by Uncle Musa Giri (now Datuk), my surety and first guarantor.
He was then the Principal Assistant Secretary of the Welfare Department. Tun Jugah, who was the Minister of Sarawak Affairs in the Federal Cabinet at that time, signed as a witness but did not join us in the Federal Office.
Albert Dass (now deceased) was my second guarantor. He was an assistant to Musa in the Welfare Department.
After finalising the arrangements with the Federal Scholarship, it was agreed that my scholarship, amounting to RM1890 annually (to be reimbursed twice at RM945.00 per payment), was a blessing for me.
I was provided with one return ticket annually from Kuching via Subang to Penang. Additionally, other expenses would be covered, including any claims from me during my four-year studies pursuing Humanities With Education at the university.
On July 2, we flew from Kuching to Penang via Subang Airport in KL. Before the flight, we were taken to the Information Office for a photo session.
The group included three of us on federal scholarships: me, Zulwali Kipli Merawie and a Bidayuh named Babu Swen. We were then driven to the airport, although I cannot recall who our driver was. I believe we boarded the 11 am flight.
Upon our arrival at USM, it was already evening. We were escorted to Building 309, the hub of student activities, which also housed a canteen. The atmosphere was somewhat tense, with several seniors from the west, led by Alex Fernandez, seemingly eager to haze the new students.
Fortunately, some senior Sarawak students were present to offer us protection. They included Sylvester Sanargi Punchak (later Prof. Mohd Syafik Abdullah), Abang Nordin Abg Zainuddin (now Datuk), Selbi Seman and others.
In addition to the three Federal Scholarship holders, there were other freshmen, such as Thomas Chang Abang from Kapit, another Bidayuh named Joeng Mideh, Carter Ballang Kapung from the Kelabit community, a Melanau girl named Bibi and Saptuyah.
After dinner at the canteen, we were assigned rooms in Building 309, which were rather cramped. I distinctly remember a televised boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Bugner in KL on June 30, with a repeat showing scheduled for July 2.
This event marked a historic moment for Sarawak as it was the first TV broadcast in the state. A few of us gathered around a TV set in the canteen to watch the recorded fight between Ali and Bugner. Ali emerged victorious, though I cannot recall if it was by knockout.
The following day, we were relocated to a new hostel known as the Longhouse at Desa A Zulwali and I were assigned to Block 312 in the wooden building.
Our formal orientation began a day later, involving physical exercises led by Awang, a second-year student who seemed unfazed by our complaints about the rigorous activities. The second day of orientation focused on introducing new students to the library and Xerox machines.
Subsequently, we commenced our lectures. Approximately 400 students were registering for their First Year across various courses at the university. Among the Humanities students, about 70 freshmen were enrolled. I was assigned Matrix Number 2833, indicating that I was the 2833rd student to register at USM since its establishment in 1969.
During our First Year, we were required to complete 10 introductory subjects. In addition, I had to undertake Education subjects offered by the Education Faculty.
In our BM class, the three Sarawakian students — Carter, myself, and Bibi — received an extra tutorial under Dr Mohd Hassan. Another student from Sabah, Liew, also joined our class.
Midway through the year, we had to select our Major subjects. Carter chose History, Zulwali opted for Malay Literature, and I decided on Fine Arts. To qualify for a Fine Arts major, I had to submit a list of exhibitions and photographs of my artwork.
I successfully secured a place and was one of eight students selected for the Fine Arts major, thanks to my two art exhibitions in 1971 and 1974, along with images of my artwork. Our introductory lecturer for Fine Arts was Dr. TK Sabapathy from Singapore.
For the Education course in the First Year, we were taught by Prof. Paul Chang. On some occasions, a bus was provided for us to attend lectures at the nearby Maktab 4P (Maktab Perguruan Persekutuan Pulau Pinang) in Gelugor.
Other Education lecturers included Dr Koh Tsu Koon (later Penang CM and federal minister with the title Tan Sri), Prof. Dr Amir Awang — who taught us Counselling — and several others.
Attending Paul Chang’s lectures at MP4 was a refreshing experience, and I fondly recall the moments spent with fellow Education students, especially the girls, as we bonded well.
In mid-August, I received the first reimbursement of my Federal Scholarship, amounting to RM945, credited to my Bank Bumi account. On August 24, I visited Penang Road and purchased my first guitar, a Kapok, for RM32.
The following day, while playing the guitar in my room at Block 312, I received two VIP visitors from Sarawak: my third cousin Datuk Amar Dunstan Endawie Enchana and Leo Moggie (later Tan Sri Datuk Amar).
They were in Penang to attend a political function, as Endawie was the president of the Sarawak National Party (SNAP) and Moggie was the party’s secretary general.
They were in the Opposition at both state and national levels following favourable election results in the 1974 State Election. Endawie fulfilled a promise made to my father during June’s Gawai Dayak celebration at our Kedap longhouse in Saratok by giving me RM150, while Moggie contributed RM50. That day, my wealth increased by RM200.
On July 9, at the conclusion of Orientation Week, I made my debut on USM’s stage with an Elvis number, ‘And I Love You So.’ That evening, I was the runner-up in the Mr. Freshie competition for Orientation and was presented with a trophy. The performance was accompanied by a band of USM residents, who later became my friends.
One of the most memorable incidents during the week-long Orientation involved a student named Singh, who wore a turban, falling asleep atop an electric pole. He had been asked by Alex Fernandez and his peers to blow out a lightbulb, which he failed to do.
After 15 minutes, they discovered Singh asleep on the pole and, with the help of a ladder, safely brought him down. Singh was awarded the Mr Freshie title, triumphing over me and other top contenders.
Later that year, I had the opportunity to meet Dr Benedict Sandin through an American lecturer, Prof. Clifford Sather, who taught Social Science. Sandin, a former Curator of the Sarawak Museum and an ethnologist, was affiliated with the university’s Centre of Research Policy.
The title ‘Dr’ on his door indicated that all CRP fellows held PhDs. We quickly formed a bond, and he affectionately referred to me as ‘Anak’ (Son). In 1978, we collaborated on a book in English about Iban Augury and Omens.
On Christmas Eve of 1975, I was invited by Sather to his residence, where I met Prof Derek Freeman from the Australian National University (ANU), renowned for his works on the Iban people. He had mentored James Jemut Masing (later Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr, now deceased) during his doctoral studies at ANU.
That evening, we made history by enjoying durian, turkey, beer, and Hennessy (brandy) in that order for Christmas Eve at Sather’s place. It was a daring experience but Freeman and I managed to
survive it.
He encouraged me to consume the brandy after the durian by speaking to me in Iban: “Bakih anang takut, anak Iban sigi berani mati.” (My friend, please don’t be afraid, as the sons of Iban are brave to the death).
This concludes my recollection of our experiences during the First Year at the university.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the Sarawak Tribune.
