A happy and relaxed Haji Surin.
CENTENARIAN Haji Suni Bijak is a traditional Malay medicine man who specialises in curing broken bones, eye ailments (jaundice), snake bites, heart problems and even budak nakal (hyperactive children).
And he does all these with a brew, made from a special tree bark, obtained from the jungles, and concocted with traditional medicinal knowledge passed down the generations.
Haji Suni said while he learned the ropes from his ancestors, they, in turn, learned their “healing skills” by watching a mother bird tending to an injured chick.
The mother bird brought twigs and leaves to the nest and pecked on the twigs. It then mixed the pulp of the twig with its saliva and dressed the chick’s wound.
He said his ancestors kept a close watch on the chick and found it was able to hop about after a few days.
With this kind of handed-down ethnobotanical knowledge and a keen mind to research on healing plants over the past 80 years, Haji Suni has amassed a great wealth of knowledge on traditional medicine.
He pointed out that many jungle plants in Sarawak are known to his ancestors as “healing plants.”
At over 100 years old, Haji Surin still has very good eyesight.
“These plants can be used to cure many ailments. They can be plucked in the jungles right behind our kampungs,” the venerable medicine man added.
At 100 years and four months old, Haji Suni still runs a small stall, selling traditional Malay medicine at Tamu Kedaya in Lambir, Miri.
A Malay traditional medicine practitioner since the Brooke days, he had trodden down many paths to Lutong, Miri and even Brunei during his younger days to help the sick.
And along the way, this true barefoot doctor from Sarawak was always welcomed in the kampungs — and many of his patients awaited his return.
Back then, Haji Suni was young and energetic and often went into the jungles to collect “medicinal” plants.
His help was especially sought after during the Japanese Occupation. Those were times when people were scared to go to Miri. And to avoid the Japanese occupiers, Haji Suni had to venture deep into the jungles to prepare his medicine.
A sample packet of his medicine.
On several occasions, he and his wife had saved people who were at death’s door. Men and women — already given up for dead — were given some bark medicine and they recovered.
Haji Suni himself went through the same experience. Once, he fainted and remained unconscious for sometime.
The kampung people had started mourning for him but his wife remembered the special bark and immediately used it to prepare the medicine for him. Haji Suni came to after more than six hours later.
This story is often heard and told by people who have come to know him.
During the colonial days, the name of this self-taught traditional Malay medicine practitioner was well known to folks in Marudi, Bintulu and even Trusan.
His home in Lambir was often full of patients. But he had to send them home after 11pm because in those bygone days, he had to give treatment under the flickers of kerosene lamps.
He treated mostly broken limbs from accidents in the jungles and farms, and also snake bites which were quite common during those days.
Haji Suni said life was fraught with dangers for the kampung folks who were mainly farmers, wood cutters and general workers.
A group of youths coming to Haji Suni’s stall to seek advice.
When they broke their legs or arms, they did not go to government clinics — which might take a day if they travelled, say, from Bekenu to Miri. They would rather look for Haji Suni who prescribed “the best traditional cure” for broken bones.
One of the most popular cures he has been selling over the last 30 years is the bark for jaundice or yellow problem.
Haji Suni demonstrated his cure by soaking a special leaf in water for several days. And the resultant liquid is his eye lotion.
Although over 100 years old now, he doesn’t need glasses — his eyesight is still very good and he has no problems reading.
He said in this modern time, the government had brought a lot of progress to the people. And he is happy to see that with better transportation and greater wealth now, his patients are able to drive to his house in Lambir.
Today, many parents also come to him to seek cures for budak nakal (hyperactive children) who do not listen to their parents or teachers. He claims to have a cure for that!
Grandmothers buy the bark from him — and keep it even before their grandchildren are born.
“They buy the bark in packets as a standby,” he said.
Haji Suni also has a bark to treat heart problems. By taking the medication — prepared by soaking the bark in boiled water in a bottle — four times a day, the condition can be alleviated.
Many have come all the way from Sabah to use the bark for this particular problem. Some of his patients found they needn’t have to go for surgery.
A friend in Miri, looking for a cure her gastric problems, was brought by an elderly aunt to see Haji Suni.
As the Haji promised, her gastric problem was cleared in two weeks after using a solution, mixed with a special bark.
At first, the patient drank the water four times a day and to her amazement, she already felt better after the first three days.
Mindang (not her real name) is an Iban woman selling jungle vegetables next to Haji Suni’s stall at the Tamu Kedaya.
And she is keen to promote the Haji.
“Haji Suni is a very kind man. If he charges people more than RM100, they are likely to pay because his cures are really good. People come from Sabah and Brunei. A few politicians have come to his house too. In fact, our Haji can become a millionaire if he wants to. But he is very humble and sincere. He only wants to cure people, not make money,” she said.
Haji Suni does not charge much — RM10 for a small packet of bark for two days’ consumption or RM30 for heart ailments.
“It’s all right. I’m happy when people come back to thank me. My children and I have many acres of hilly land along the road — from Lambir to Marudi,” he said.
“Each truck of soil sold is already a lot of money for me and my family. And every month, we receive a large sum of money from the soil business. Money is there and I don’t really want more. What I’m selling here is just for my wife and I as pocket money. I just want to help people.”
Haji Suni kept a Chinese newspaper cutting in his pocket which showed him signing a memorandum of understanding with the government and a private company for a joint venture on herbal research.
He said the land had been given to the company for research on medicinal plants — and he is looking for more barks, leaves and herbs to promote Malay herbal medicine.
His local knowledge of plants, herbs and cures will be a big help to the research company.
A few YBs whom he has helped are backing the joint venture.
Haji Suni said there is plenty of land where indigenous plants and herbs could be found.
He will be at the Tamu Kedayan from 7.30am to 11.30am everyday. In the evenings, he will be at home in Lambir to receive his patients.
“Anyone — from any race — is welcome,” he said.