WORK OF A GENIUS: The raw Iban or Dunging Alphabet.
KUCHING: The launch of the ‘The Iban Alphabet’, a reference book on the Dunging alphabet system authored by an Iban expert Assoc Prof Dr Bromeley Philip on Monday was timely as today (June 20) is the 27th anniversary of the death of the alphabet’s inventor, the late Dunging Gunggu.
Bromeley, who improvised the 59 characters of the Iban alphabet into computer fonts, is the grandson of Dunging who was born in 1904.
Dunging, considered a genius during his time, passed away after a long battle with a serious illness on the early morning of June 20, 1985 at Nanga Ulai, Rimbas, Debak in Betong.
A TOOL FOR COMMUNICATION: A letter handwritten in Iban or Dunging Alphabet.
He was survived by his adopted son Tuai Rumah Bagat Nunui.
Apart from Bromeley and Bagat, the other Dunging alphabet expert is a teacher at SMK Saribas, Ngabong Katoi, who is also Dunging’s grandson.
The book was launched by Senior Minister Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom at a ceremony to present certificates of completion to 15 students of Iban Alphabet Training Class at UiTM Sarawak campus in Kota Samarahan near here on Monday.
The event was witnessed by UiTM Sarawk deputy rector (Academic and Internationalisation) Assoc Prof Dr Rosita Suhaimi who represented Rector Prof Datuk Dr Jamil Hamali, Bromely and Forum Jaku Iban co-advisor Dato Sri Edmund Langgu Saga.