Residents’ resilience makes the difference

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SIBU: On the BAT’s last day in Song, we received a very unexpected but heart-warming surprise very early in the morning.

HAVE PEN WILL TRAVEL: Senior reporter Peter Sibon plotting the next phase of the BAT’s journey.

POINT OF ENTRY: A view of Song Public Wharf, where a queue is forming to board the express boats.

Sister Siena – one of the nuns from St Herbert’s Church whom we had lunch with the previous day –  walked the 2km to our hotel to deliver us  a large apple and fruit pie freshly baked from the oven – all before 7am.

Needless to say, her generosity melted our hearts. The pie itself was absolutely delicious and the team unanimously agrees that it was one of the best apple and fruit pie we have ever tasted. Thank you, Sr Siena.

Out of all the places we have visited so far, Song is one that has quietly defied our expectations.

Simply put, the town is bursting with life despite the many challenges it faces in terms of development and infrastructure and especially in providing employment opportunities.

Take for example the scene along the waterfront at night. The team was surprised to find that even though most of the shops closed around 6pm, there was quite a lot of activities taking place away from the waterfront. There is a night market that sells all kinds of foods and tidbits. In the distance, we could hear the sounds of a lion dance.

At SMK Song, the teachers’ and students’ quarters are alight with activities. A lone policeman in uniform dutifully patrols around the town on his small scooter.

But then again, maybe we should not have been so surprised as the existence of the town is testament to the locals’ resilience throughout its history.

According to the Song Chinese Chamber of Commerce, there are two versions of local history that may have given Song its name.

The first version goes like this: the first settlers in the district were the Kayan people who called the area ‘long’ meaning ‘river’. Later, they were driven from the area by migrating Iban tribes who changes the name to ‘Song’ after one of the Iban warriors who defeated the Kayan.

The second version tells of a widow named Song from Kg Nangka Sibu who was of Tanjung descent, a sub-tribe of the Melanau. She was said to have lived at the mouth of the Song River where she was visited frequently by many of her friends and relatives.

Every time visitors were asked where they were going, they would reply that they were going to visit Song. Since then, the name of ‘Song’ was used to identify this area.

During the Japanese occupation in 1944, the town of Song was completely demolished by Japanese troops as well bombing and air strikes from British forces. All the shops were annihilated by fire and many of the properties destroyed as a result of these attacks.

The year 1945 marked the official relocation of the town to its present location where the town thrives as a central point for commerce, education and dealings with various government agencies that have offices at Song.

There are two secondary schools, 17 primary schools as well as a number of pre-schools here. We learned that the number of students here is increasing annually.

Major economic activities in the area include farming, logging, agriculture (oil palm) and rubber tapping – areas that have much potential to be developed further.

And yet, many of their young people are forced to leave Song to further their studies as well as to find employment in other places including Bintulu, Sibu, Miri, KL and Johor.

The locals we spoke to have no intentions to move elsewhere as they consider Song their home. Many of them own property here as well.

They have high hopes that the BN government will fulfill its promises of connecting the town to Kanowit and Kapit through roads and also of helping to create education and job opportunities here so that people will not have to look elsewhere to make a decent living and raise their families.

Even though our team was only at Song for a short time, members of our team are already planning to come back in the future – not only to experience their warm and generous hospitality but also so that we can be inspired by the people here.