LONGHOUSES across Sarawak have their own ways dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic and helping break the spread of the virus, said residents.

They told The Malaysian Insight that in rural communities where traditional belief is still widely practised, the lockdown enforced to tackle the Covid-19 is not based on medical science.

The Iban longhouse of Rumah Jubang, Sebangki Panjai in Lubok Antu, is just one such example.

The tuai rumah (headman) ordered a lockdown because of a bad dream he had.

“The lockdown was not out of a fear that the longhouse is close to Betong town where some seven tabligh (Islamic missionaries) who attended the gathering in Petaling Jaya had brought the virus to the community there,” a resident, Doris Melia, told The Malaysian Insight.

The headman, Jubang Bin, told residents of the 50-door longhouse, with a population of around 100 “permanent” residents, some 180km from Kuching, that he dreamt the Gods protecting the longhouse from “all kind of evil spirits and sickness” were angry and were threatening to leave.

“The evil spirits included those that bring sickness, like the contagious Covid-19 virus,” Melia said.

After a council with the longhouse elders, Jubang last Tuesday ordered a two-day and one-night lockdown the next day to appease the gods in a ceremony called “ngampun” (seeking forgiveness).

“With news on the pandemic saturating the TV and daily statistics on deaths and numbers of infected people disclosed every day, everyone in the longhouse is aware of the dangers of Covid-19.

“Still the elders believe ngampun is one way to stop the Covid-19 from coming to the longhouse,” Melia said.

“They (longhouse elders) don’t need 14 days,” another resident, who wished to remain anonymous said, alluding to the 14-day quarantine period to coincide with the incubation period of the virus that has infected 156 and killed eight in the state, as of yesterday.

“They just need three days. They believe the gods are powerful enough to ward off the coronavirus.”

Central to the ngampun ceremony is the hour-long “miring” (offerings) where three “piring” (offering baskets) are offered to appease the angry Gods so they could continue looking after the wellbeing of the residents.

The offerings are then placed at the three main entrances to the longhouse.

A key part of the offering are three sets of “pentiks”, or wooden figurines, representing a couple which are carved out of softwood.

The belief is that the powers of the Gods are transferred to the pentiks who stand guard at the three entrances.

“If appeased, the Gods will send all the sickness back to original place where it started,” said Melia.

In the three days, beginning on the night of March 25 and immediately after the ngampun ceremony, no resident could leave and neither were visitors welcomed to the longhouse.

A barricade was erected at the entrance with a crudely written notice warning people of the lockdown and to stay away.

Those who flout the lockdown rule – residents and visitors alike – would be fined a hefty RM1,000 – on the spot, in cash by the village headman.

“No one can go out, not to fish, hunt or to their farms. No one can come into the longhouse.

“That lockdown ended on Friday,” Melia said, adding that hopefully the virus will not infect anyone in the longhouse.

The longhouse lockdown is an addition to the movement-control order (MCO) that has been extended until April 14.

For Sebangki Panjai, or the dozen or so longhouses in Lubok Antu, every day is like an MCO.

During the day, residents tend their padi farms, hunt or fish. During the night, they spend their time in front of the TV.

There are no pubs, cinemas or mall, not even in Lubok Antu town 15km away.

Even if there is a pub, a trip to one could probably be only once a month and it a treat from a wage-earning friend.

On any normal day, Lubok Antu town is dead by 6pm.

The nearest place with supermarkets, but still no cinemas, is Betong – a 30-minute drive away.

It’s, however, unheard of for anyone to drive to Betong to shop at a supermarket or have a drink.

Many longhouses in Lubok Antu have performed the ngampun ceremony with each dishing out different penalties even though the Lubok Antu district is designated a “green area” with no cases reported – not even a person-under-investigation (PUI) case.

A longhouse in Bara, a few kilometres away and near to the Salcra palm oil mill, has set its fine at RM5,000.

As an added measure to ward off the Covid-19, some Sebangki Panjai residents have tied red thread on their wrists, a traditional belief that it will ward off all evil spirits and sickness. – April 1, 2020.