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’.

Tombstone Of Historical Value

Kingfisher Residential Houses From Temberas

Ancestorial Tombstone At Temberas

The Landmark Called Temberas

The Bajau Darau community has a landmark called Temberas. It is a hill by the river side and can be very windy on a good shiny day. We used to to to Temberas by boat from the village but you can reach it by road but on a muddy road and it can be very slipery on a rainy day.Temberas came from a tree called Pokok Teras.The Bajau Darau community has history associated with Temberas and this is the place of the tombs of ancestors.Visitors from as far away as Negara Brunei DS had visited this place to gather information on its history to find out the relationship with Negara Brunei.The Bajau Darau community remains reserved on the identities of their ancestors as it is local custom not to disclose their identities to outsiders.They prefer to call them the 'respected ones'. Even their tombs were not named for easy identification.The place is now surrounded by development especially housing,shops and offices.It is tradition against development that you see happening here. Nonetheless the place needs to be preserved no matter what for their historical value and artifacts as there are not much to show on the history of the Bajau Darau other than the Beduk Sang Gendang.

Bajau Darau Is Bajau Darat

The word for land is 'Dararo' in the Sama or Bajau language. Therefore Bajau Darau is the meaning for the land Bajau as against the sea Bajau or Bajau Laut.

Dungun Also At Kg Darau

When you say Dungun people always associate it with a town in Terengganu, but Kg Darau also has a place called Dungun and it is the place where the old mosque used to be located. The mosque was no more there to make way for the widening of the Darau River. Could there have been some connection between Darau and Terengganu? Perhaps, could the Arab community that came to Darau had stayed or stopped by in Terengganu? You must remember that Terengganu had a history of its own in Batu Bersurat or the Stone of Arabic Writing. As we search deeper the mystery deepens about Kg Darau and the Bajau Darau community.