HUSBAND-WIFE TEAM: Seluma and her Kelabit husband Stewart Beraok.
A LEGEND in her time, 38-year-old Seluma Jalong is an unsung heroine of the Penans.
She has dedicated her life to helping her community and expecting nothing in return.
Her desire is genuine, her enthusiasm deeply rooted.
She wants to see her people progress and have a bright future, not sidelined or left out of the mainstream of development.
“Who can do that better than I,” said the gutsy Penan lady, alluding to her ethnicity.
“I can relate to and understand them, their culture, their thinking and way of life.”
Seluma started out in life early — at the tender age of 13 — and she knows only too well how her people would fare in the modern world.
Eager to bring progress to her community, she realises education is the key to a better future for them and as such, has started impromptu classes for Penan kids in the Bario highlands.
Seluma observed that Penan youngsters followed their parents almost everywhere.
Most of them would play aimlessly among themselves while waiting for their mothers to finish their work at the village centre.
This made her realise that the children could spend their time better by learning to read and write. And she was determined to teach them.
Using bits of paper and some pencils and erasers she could lay hands on, she held classes for the children in her handicraft shop, the only Penan business setup in Bario.
Although, the children spent most of the time scribbling, at least, she got them going.
HOW IT’s DONE: Seluma explains to Tariq from Unimas howa Penan bracelet is made.
Not easy
“It wasn’t easy at first. Their attention span is short – after a few minutes, they’d start to fidget. They are not used to sitting still – always moving around since the day they learned to walk,” she noted.
But as time went by, they improved. Now, they can say “how are you” and “good morning” in English and Bahasa Malaysia. The progress is slow but well worth the while.
Seluma said more improvement could be made with regular lessons. But as it is, she has to put up with impromptu timing, knowing there is no chance for her to conduct a normal class.
“It’s almost impossible to tie the children down to regular classes since they are used to following their parents around.”
Seluma knew from experience, it was also futile going to their homes or a designated place to conduct lessons. They would not be around despite the prior appointment. But still, she is happy she managed to give the children their first taste of education.
No outside help
Seluma started her kindy class with no outside help. She did it single-handedly but as word of her effort got around, contributions started pouring in.
Children books, drawing and colouring books and stationery were donated by the Christian Fellowship of which Seluma is a member. She also received donations of used clothes and shoes for the Penans.
Seluma’s path was not strewn with rose petals even though she meant well. The Penans in Bario were wary of her. To them, she was an outsider even though she is a Penan – but not from Bario. They rejected her good intentions.
“I persevered because I had been there before. I knew how they felt,” she explained.
Finally, after months of trying, she made the breakthrough. Now, they are less leery of her.
It’s not only the pre-schoolers who are her priority — the Penan youths have also caught her attention. And she wants to bring education to them as well.
A devout Christian, Seluma hopes to inculcate Christian morals and values in young impressionable Penans. And as a first step, she has organised a youth fellowship for teenager and young adult Penans.
Labour of love
In helping her people, Seluma is on her own — and she does it out of the love.
“I don’t want the Penans in the highlands to be viewed negatively. Many of them are being made use of by other communities or groups,” she said.
She should know because she used to be one of the victims. And she is what she is today because of her courage to break out of the vicious circle of ignorance.
It was not easy for her, as a 13-year-old in her teen days, to forge a future on her own. But she went on to do just that.
Hailing from Long Main, Seluma dropped out while in Form One. Her mother could not afford to send her to school. Knowing the future would be bleak if she stayed in the village, the spunky teenager left for Marudi where she found work.
She joined Sarawakcraft and was later sent to Kuching to promote Penan handicrafts.
She was also a staff of the Penan Volunteer programme where she taught her people basic hygiene and healthcare. She also had a short teaching stint in a pre-school.
As part of her work, Seluma travelled extensively throughout the state, covering many remote Penan villages, including her own in the interior, and her adopted village in Bario.
“I went to many Penan villages when I was a volunteer. Even as one of them, I experienced rejection by them,” she recalled.
According to her, the Penans are not readily receptive to change, even for the better, and it takes a tremendous amount of patience dealing with them.
She said they would change but at their own pace and in their own time.
Seluma stopped being a volunteer after settling down. Her past working experience stood her in good stead when she started her own business.
“It was getting difficult for me to travel when I was starting my own family, so I decided to stop.”
However, stopping doesn’t mean severing ties with her people as she is continuing to help them.
“I have nothing to gain. I just want to help and I believe my patience and perseverance with the young and the youths will pay off eventually.”
While collecting handicrafts from various Penan villages in Bario, she also makes her own.
From rattan anklets to handbags, her small shop is filled with exquisite treasures of her people.
In the meantime, she continues to wait patiently for the children to turn up for class in her shop.
Seluma may be pint-sized but her commitment to helping her people shows she has a heart that is larger than life.