Ariel Chew

To Know Ba Kelalan is to Love Ba Kelalan

As the 19-seater MASwings Twin Otter plane landed smoothly on the short Ba Kelalan airstrip which was flanked by paddy fields on one side and houses on the other, I felt that I have come home. The friendly familiar Lun Bawang faces that greeted me with smiles of recognition and joy further warmed my heart.

I’ve stayed at this piece of paradise on earth a couple of nights last year during an exploration trip to the jungles of Kayan Mentarang National Park, Indonesia.

But it wasn’t enough. I felt there were still so many things about the land and the people that I have yet to learn about. So many more people to meet, greet and know. My soul yearns to once again traipse along the lovely paths cutting across paddy fields and buffaloes relaxing in their muddy Jacuzzi pools.

No One’s a Stranger for Long

This time around, I came to the village with a band of media folks to cover the annual Apple Fiesta event. The celebration of the harvest of apples at Ba Kelalan, Lawas (the only place in Malaysia where apples are successfully cultivated) is a very busy time for the Lun Bawangs (people who own the land). The diminutive apple trees thrive in Ba Kelalan partly due to its cool weather being 900-feet above sea level and also because of the tireless research, trial and error that took place over the years.

In support of the Apple Fiesta, MASwings increased their direct flights from Miri from once a week every Wednesday to three times a day, four days a week.

Suddenly the charming and sleepy village was transformed to a hub of activity with the womenfolk hard at work chopping, dicing and slaving over the stoves while the men immersed themselves in carrying heavy stuff and logistic matters.

Each time a plane load of visiting dignitaries and media arrived, the welcoming committee comprising 50-odd Bamboo Band musicians and community leaders would assemble themselves at the airstrip to greet the visitors with much warmth and aplomb.

The Bamboo Band

Every guest would receive an ethnic necklace and friendly handshakes all around. The welcome continues with loads of food prepared at the Apple Lodge – one of the homestay-styled accommodations in Bakelalan.

The whole village is suffused with such hospitality, generosity and warmth that no visitor can remain a stranger for long. Walk about the village and every soul you encounter along the way will greet you with a toothy (or toothless smile, depending on age!) and an enquiry as to where you were from and where you were heading.

What makes the Lun Bawangs so giving and unspoilt despite the growing amount of visitors to the place is their strong Christian faith. They give thanks before every meal and ask for journey mercies and God’s grace before venturing out for activities. Many years ago before Christianity came into the village, the tribe was languishing in disease and debauchery with wine. Now they are known for being thriving, hardworking, loving and well-mannered people producing a number of reputable national leaders and successful professionals over the years.

The Spirit of Gotong Royong

For the 1,200 Lun Bawangs who reside in the 13 villages of Ba Kelalan, their lifestyle is a simple and inter-dependent one. During our visit to the small village of Long Rusu in Ba Kelalan, a group of men and women were busy slashing and removing weeds at someone’s paddy field to prepare the field for paddy planting this August.

The group will move on from one field to another until everyone’s fields are taken care of. Then they will feast together on rice and meat cooked inside bamboos and quench their thirst with their unique rice coffee brewed from caramelised rice grains.

The community spirit is strong and the Lun Bawangs share their produce freely with each other and visitors alike. According to Jackson, one of the 7 interns from University Putra Malaysia (UPM) who are researching on the Ba Kelalan apples, the villagers were extremely generous in contributing rice to them and making the students feel at home. “Their generosity overwhelms me,” he said. “We are truly touched.”

Bountiful Rice

The Ba Kelalan rice is regarded as one of the world’s best with its elongated shape, wonderfully fragrant aroma, soft and yet nicely firm texture and superb taste. It is grown using traditional methods and natural fertilizers as can be attested by the hoards of buffaloes in the fields and frequent sightings of their droppings, and without the use of pesticides. Organic, that’s what it is.

Ladies cooking the rice coffee beans

Being a rice-rich community, it is little wonder that their local delicacies all revolve around the delicious rice. There’s the nuba laya which is steamed meshed and compressed rice wrapped in daun itip and utterly delicious when eaten with other dishes. The kelupis is pulut flour mixed with sugar and wrapped in banana leaves. There’s also the roti benak which is a deep-fried version of the kelupis. My personal favourite were the crunchy deep-fried rice crackers which come in two flavours – white (white rice) and dark brown (brown rice).

So forget about sticking to your zero-carb diet in Ba Kelalan. It’s impossible to resist the aromatic rice produce surrounding you. Just gulp in more fresh air and take long walks around the scenic village and your body shape will be fine.

Natural Salt Springs

The Lun Bawangs may be far from the sea but they have an ingenious way of getting salt.  Salt processing is one of the main activities at the Buduk Bui village. The salt is processed naturally and is high in iodine and a host of other trace minerals that our body needs to function. Three salt springs located near the salt processing shed provide a constant supply of fresh mountain salt water. Unlike sea water, the salt spring water is not overpoweringly salty and is refreshingly cool.

Trying my hand at stirring salt

The salt water is placed on metal containers and boiled for 4 days over wood fire. The wood is carried to the salt processing place by strong buffaloes. The villagers take turn in 6-8 hour shifts throughout the 4 days to man the boiling salt water and stir it constantly. Once the water content has evaporated, the salt is then scooped out from the container and allowed to cool before it is packed.

The 100-odd Year Old Man

This time around, I managed to have a chat with the oldest man in the village. Still relatively hale, hearty and lucid at the age of over <strike>100</strike> 80 years, Tua’ Labong is only too happy to share about his interesting life stories.

“I am not certain of my exact age as we did not have birth certificates issued back then,” he said. “But I fought in World War II against the Japanese. We chased them off our land and confiscated their weapons,” he added with relish and fire in his eyes.

It was truly exciting to talk to the man who could remember when the Australian missionaries first came to Ba Kelalan in the late 1920’s. He was there when his people gave up their addiction to rice wine and started thriving as a community of hope. He was there when positive development took place little by little to what the village is today.

And his secret to longevity? “I eat a lot of home cooked meals and Ba Kelalan rice,” was his candid reply.

The Apples

And finally, let me talk about the apples. Upon my return from Ba Kelalan, everyone was curious to know how the apples tasted. After all, it is quite a novelty being one of the privileged few to taste the unique Malaysian apples.

Pak Tagal Paran, 75 years, is the only apple grower in Ba Kelalan to date. His orchard of 600 trees 20-50 apples per tree per season. With 2 seasons a year (thanks to Malaysia’s perennially sunny weather), that translates to an average of 42,000 apples per annum – hardly enough to even cater to the state’s needs. Thus, these apples are only sold in Lawas, Miri and even Kota Kinabalu for RM10 per kg.

Ba Kelalan Apples

There are currently a few hybrids of apples in the orchard and I managed to taste the Anna and Ba Kelalan hybrids. Anna was sourish and sweet with a tough crunchy texture. People with weak teeth or dentures would be well advised to cut it into bite sizes before eating it.

And (drumrolls please), the Ba Kelalan hybrid has got to be the most delicious apple I ever tasted. The greenish yellow apple is sweet, juicy and crunchy. It was formerly called the Manalagi hybrid and there is a story attached to that name. Back in Indonesia where the first apple cuttings originated from, the apple eaters would ask after consuming one apple, “Mana lagi epal yang enak itu? (Where are the rest of the delicious apples)”. I don’t blame them. After I finished one, I wanted another.

It’s the same when it comes to Ba Kelalan. Even after two trips there, I am already looking forward to going back there again. In this second trip, I fell in love with the land and its people all over again. I have a feeling that it’s a second of many more trips to come.