Bajau Darau and Bajau Laut Could Be Twin Brothers

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BAJAU DARAT AND BAJAULAUT AND ARAB HERITAGE

As we go deeper into the history, the connection becomes clearer as to the Bajaulaut and Bajaudarau or Bajaudarat relationship and connection. There seem to be a linkeage of some sort happening here. So the linkeage is between the words and origin of the word Mandau, Bandau, Marudu and Mundu.

As stated in earlier posting, people in the past go more by the sound of the word than the meaning of the word as they did not have formal education then.
What we have been trying to establish is the connection between the Bajaulaut and Bajaudarat and their history. Both communities might have originated from the Arab communities that had first came to this part of the world called BORNEO and Negara Brunei especially when Sultan Shariff Ali became the third Sultan Of Brunei in the years 1424-1432.

BAJAU DARAU COMMUNITY

The Bajau in Darau could have settled down first in Marudu and then later Darau as their boats had capsized around Mantanani Island, an island off Kota Belud.

A source from Kota Belud claimed that the infamous Paduka Mat Salleh had drifted from Pulau Gaya to an island off Ambong in Kota Belud. Pulau Mantanani and Pulau Gaya are both islands in Sabah’s west coast and not very far away. There was some truth in the story of the boat capsizing in Mantanani, but some source claimed the boat from Brunei capsized in the place that is now called Karambunai where the Karambunai Resort and Golf & Country Club is now located.

So the inhabitants of Kg Darau could have first settled down in Karambunai before finally settling down in Darau, a remote place in the upstream of the river after they had settled down at Suang Parai, a kampung at the river mouth of the river, where now stands the magnificant UMS Mosque.

These are stories of history of the past and the stories are sometimes sketchy and distorted as they are told by word of mouth and such stories may change from person to person and community to community.

THEY PREFER TO DIE AS MARTYR OR SABIL

Whatever it is, we must not forget the struggle and grit of the people in the past that had tried to defend the state, no matter what. They were high spirited to the extent of dying as a marytr or ‘sabil’.

Where Did It All Begin?

Kg Darau started as a Dusun village where the community planted paddy and when the Arab traders and missionaries arrived the Dusun was already there planting paddy.

Darau came from the Dusun dialect "merarau" which means slowly. The Bajau claimed it came from the word Darul after Darul Salam.

Those Arab traders and missionaries used to settle down at the river mouth of Inanam River in a place called Suong Parai or the River of Rice. as it was a place where they planted hill paddy.

Now a University Campus sits on that place and the place is no more there but what remains are memories and stories told by forefathers to their children and grand children.

Oirign Of Bajau Darau

Bajau Community At Kampong Darau Laut

It is interesting to note that there are many Bajau ethnic groups in Sabah, but one catches my attention, that of the Bajau Community at Kg Darau Laut, Inanam, Kota Kinabalu.

The village is now divided into two; one is the old village and the other the new settlement. It is most heartening to note that the river had been widened and strengthened with concrete.

This community came to the area now known as Kg Darau about some 300 years ago from Johor, southern tip of Peninsular Malaysia. When they first arrived they saw some Dusun rice farmers. The Dusun farmers soon moved fruther inland to the foot of the mountain which is now known as Mandau, in Menggatal, a town closeby to Inanam.

Darau got its name from the Dusun language which means 'slowly' or 'pelan pelan' in Bahasa Malaysia. Some people also said that Darau comes from the word Darul which is similar to Darul Salam which is the neighboring State of Negara Brunei Darul Salam.

The community which originally came from Saudi Arabia could have come to this part of the world to spread the religion of Islam at that time. There were 6 of them including the father which included 3 men and 2 ladies and the one that stayed in Sabah was the lady. This means that the Bajau Community in Darau is of the Arab decent or heritage. They still keep some of the things left by their forefathers including some old religious document, dress and of course an old drum which we call 'beduk'.