Felicia (seated third right) and Gilbert (standing second left) with several second generation members of the Sambat and Jamuti at St Faith Church.
A CHANCE meeting between two first cousins-in-law at a supermarket in Kuching last year led to the reunion of missing relatives from the lineage of the late Sambat and Jamuti of Kuala Penyu in Sabah.
Many would say such a meeting was coincidental but clan members believe it was by the grace of God.
Felicia (Sia) Diana Senada of Tabuan Dayak, Kuching, was shopping at the supermarket at King Centre when she overheard a woman, Inazi (Felicia’s first cousin-in-law) talking to a store assistant about the purchase of some dresses.
Felicia was curious because the slangs Inazi was using sounded Dusun. She approached Inazi to ask where was she from and Inazi replied from Kuala Penyu, Sabah.
Felicia then asked Inazi whether she had ever heard of Sambat and Jamuti since she is from Kuala Penyu.
To Felicia’s surprise, Inazi replied ‘yes’ and revealed Jamuti and Sambat were her grandparents.
A more lively conversation followed as both were eager to find out more about their immediate relatives both in Sabah and Sarawak.
The two elderly women hugged and tears of joy flowed — Inazi’s knowledge would have given Felicia’s hope of finding her long lost first cousins in Sabah.
Felicia told Inazi she (Felicia) is the daughter of Kipnui alias Lily Law — and Kipnui was a permanent resident of Sarawak after she and her younger sister Laminui came to the state in 1920. This explains the long separation between the two sisters in Sarawak and their six siblings in Sabah.
However, the excitement of their meeting was fleeting as the two women could not talk for long because Inazi and her husband Kimsin had to rush to the airport.
The couple was in town to spend some time with their 19-year-old son Gorin who is attending a technical college in Kuching.
Fourth generation members of the Sambat and Jamuti clan after the Reunion and Thanksgiving Prayer Service at St Faith Church.
Felicia and Inazi exchanged addresses and telephone numbers, promising to keep in touch. Inazi asssured she would pass the good news to Felicia’s relatives in Sabah.
Felicia also promised to hold reunion gatherings soonest as time is of the essence since many of the first cousins in the clan are getting old, especially Felicia’s five siblings in Kuching.
True to her word, Felicia led a group, comprising several sisters, children and grandchildren, to visit their long lost cousins in Kuala Penyu in June 2013.
Sabahan cousins, nieces and nephews held a grand reunion to welcome them.
At the house of one of the relatives, the group was given a grand reception, complete with a traditional welcoming troupe, cultural performances and local hospitality.
Back in Kuching, Felicia informed the children of the late Laminui of their memorable reunion with their kin in Sabah.
Consequently, Gilbert Nathan, one of Laminui’s sons, led another group of close family members to visit their Sabahan cousins in November last year.
On May 2, this year, their Sabah kith and kin — 46 relatives and a few friends — reciprocated Felicia and Gilbert’s visits by coming to Kuching for a reunion with their Sarawakian cousins, nieces and nephews. The group was led by Sambat and Jamuti’s great grandson Andrew Alex Katrie Eming.
Katrie is the grandson of Anim, the eldest child (daughter) of Sambat and Jamuti.
In Kuching the Sabah group were treated to a thanksgiving feast at Felicia’s house in Tabuan Dayak.
They also attended a dinner at a hotel to mark the 10th anniversary of the demise of Gilbert’s mother, Laminui, and the 45th anniversary of the demise of his father, Nathan Alang, alias Martin.
On the morning of May 3, the visitors attended a special Thanksgiving Service at St Faith Church at Kenyalang Park before visiting the grave of Timothy Senada near St Thomas’ Cathedral, Jalan McDougall, and that of Kipnui at the Batu Kitang Anglican cemetery.
On May 4, they toured Kuching and the popular border town of Serikin in Bau before calling at the home of Dora Senada, Felicia’s younger sister, in the evening for another reunion-cum-barbeque party.
According to Felicia, her late mother Kipnui was adopted by her aunty who is married to person surnamed Law, hence Kipnui’s alias Lily Law. She spent her teens in Beaufort, Sabah.
In 1920, Kipnui followed her Iban husband (Timothy Senada) to Sarawak and she also brought along her sister Laminui.
Since that time, the two sisters were separated from their sixth other siblings in Sabah as they were living in Kuching, raising their children.
Kipnui and Timothy had 12 children. Laminui married Nathan, an Iban, and they had seven children.
Apart from Kipnui, Laminui and Anim, the other children of Sambat and Jamuti children were Tanin, Nawanin, Kilui, Niwin and Tanoi.
Anim and Kipnui were the first and second siblings while Laminui, the sixth.
Sambat, born in 1883, passed away at 50 while Jamuti, born in 1885, passed away at 80 in Kuala Penyu. Their graves are said to be on top of a hill named Bundu Tapir. They were of Dusun-Tatana ethnicity.
Katrie, a teacher and songwriter, charted a family tree of the Sambat-Jamuti clan.
He said: “This (family tree chart) has to be done as the reunion of the Sambat and Jamuti clan members — after the separation among their grandchildren and great grandchildren in Sabah and Sarawak for more than 50 years — is historic.”
Felicia added: “We will be holding many more reunion gatherings. As for me, greeting, meeting and hugging our long lost first cousins is something we will cherish for as long as we live.
“It is God’s will that I met Inazi in Kuching last year. I thank God for that chance meeting. I can’t ask for more. The surprise meeting at the supermarket in King Centre led to us (clan members) to find each other.”
Gilbert said the reunion made them feel blessed, adding that there is nothing more important than having a large extended family.
Felicia’s siblings (Timothy Senada’s children) are Victoria Faith or fondly called Nyon; Henry Bennet (Dudoi); David Alexander (Apoi); Roseline Wilhelmina (Minah); Alistair Vincent; Harold Daly; Daniel Sylvester; Eric Walter; Dora (Dara); Maria alias Mary (Capong) and Dorothy (Mit).
Felicia is the fourth sibling. Nyon, Dudoi, Apoi, Daly, Alistair and Daniel are now deceased.
Gilbert’s siblings (Nathan’s children) are Medah; Albert (Lebot); Edah; Rebacca; Siera and Monica (Moni). Gilbert (Gil) is the fourth sibling of the family.
To her grandchildren, the late Kipnui was fondly known Nenek Ellis Road as she lived with several of her children and grandchildren in a big wooden house with a rambutan garden at the then No. 48 Ellis Road in Kuching.
Laminui was fondly called Inik Inai by her grandchildren and also known as Aunty Menoi by her nieces and nephews.
Both sisters had very strong and loving character, having lost their husbands at young age.
At the May 3 function, the clan members in Sarawak said they would be planning another visit to Sabah probably during the thanksgiving ceremony in conjuction with improvements to the gravesites of Sambat and Jamuti as requested by Katrie.