A government office building in Matu.
Houses built on stilt along Dalat River.
Monkeys roaming the ferry crossing at Batang Igan.
The icon of Dalat – the ‘Jurenei’ standing tall beside the riverfront.
DALAT, BAT 5’s ninth destination, is a small but mysterious town where rumours have it that an old Bayan tree in the centre of the new township holds spine-chilling tales.
Along the way to Dalat, we stopped by at Matu which is a really small town located some 30km or half an hour’s drive from Daro in Mukah Division.
The two rows of old wooden shophouses are the historic landmark of Matu where 17 shops dealing in various kinds of businesses like grocery, food, fabric and furniture serve a population of a few hundred people.
The wooden shophouses overlooking the Matu River that still retained their traditional Chinese designs have a history of more than 70 years.
The little businesses in this quiet town are trying to survive as best as they can day by day just like the many elderly locals who spend their time sitting in coffee shops sipping coffee and puffing away while waiting for the day to pass by.
To get to Dalat, located about 45km from Matu, we took the ferry to cross Batang Igan.
At the ferry point, we were greeted by a group of monkeys roaming at the bridge and waiting to be treated to fruits.
The drive to Dalat was slow as the road was bumpy, giving us the opportunity to rest our eyes and let them soak in the green lush forest where many swiftlet houses could be seen.
Upon reaching Dalat, the empty streets made the town’s two iconic structures – the massive Bayan tree and the ‘Jurenei’ (a large carved belian post at the waterfront) – stand out even more.
The riverbank across the waterfront was populated with Melanau-Muslim villages where speed boats could be seen speeding up and down the Oya River.
The Bayan tree is enormous in size and is believed to be haunted.
According to 76-year-old Lo Sia Chian, who has been staying in Dalat for almost all his life, the Bayan tree has been around for 70 years or longer.
“Locals think that it is haunted because they heard rumours that a contractor who wanted to cut down the tree met with a gruelling death,” Lo shared with BAT members when met at his ‘cendul’ stall yesterday.
Lo also revealed that there used to be a cemetery for stillborn babies right beside the Bayan tree.
A shopkeeper whose shop is just beside the Bayan tree related her share of spooky experiences regarding the tree when approached yesterday.
The lady, who did not want to be named, said a ‘bomoh’ who went to see the ‘fengshui’ of her shop claimed to feel uneasy when stepping out of her shop.
The bomoh had a good feeling in the shop but immediately had goose bumps when she walked out of the shop.
The bomoh who turned back and saw the Bayan tree, claimed to see two longhouses in the area – one completed while another still under construction.
As such, the friendly lady said she too felt eerie after she was told the story and was advised not to disturb the unseen presence in the area.
The ‘Jurenei’ or ‘Kelidieng’ post that was erected in the waterfront also has a mysterious story behind it.
According to legend, when a king dies, he is buried in a shelter near the jurenei and after his flesh has rot away, his bones are gathered and placed inside an urn which is then stored inside the jurenei.
During the burial ceremony, the king’s family will bring along a female slave’s daughter.
The girl will be hanged on top of the jurenei and left alone to starve until she dies.
The girl will serve the king in his afterlife.
A male slave will then be trapped inside the jurenei to accompany the king during his journey to the world of the dead.
We are not sure if these stories are real but we will inform our loyal readers if the BAT team encounters any supernatural event as we spend the night in this eerie town.