Sarawak ethnic folktales published in picture books collection

KUCHING: Five folktales from Sarawak’s various ethnic groups have been published in a collection of picture books for children to be distributed to primary schools and libraries statewide.

State Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the “Sarawak Folktales for All” compilation featured stories from the Iban, Bidayuh, Malay, Chinese and Punan communities.

The publication was supported by the ministry’s heritage, arts and culture facilitation fund last year.

“Sarawak, home to 34 ethnic groups, stands as a testament to the beauty of diversity. The sharing of folktales allows us to explore each other’s cultural roots, fostering mutual understanding and appreciation.

“The five folktales presented in this collection are treasures compiled from these communities. Each narrative offers a unique perspective, encapsulating the essence of cultural traditions and beliefs,” he said at the handover ceremony of the books here on Friday (Jan 19).

Abdul Karim said each set of five picture books would be presented to 1,254 primary schools and 211 libraries in Sarawak.

“We want our children to understand these stories as part of our cultural heritage.

“We may also distribute the collection to some libraries in Peninsular Malaysia so that other Malaysians will also know our folktales,” he said.

Abdul Karim also said the ministry would support efforts to publish more folktales and to turn them into other formats such as performing arts, animation and video games.

In line with this, he said the state government was allocating an annual budget of RM10mil for the ministry’s heritage facilitation fund.

“The fund is not only intended to support associations and organisations involved in arts, culture and heritage in organising activities and programmes, it will also play a pivotal role in fostering the growth of Sarawak’s creative industry,” he said.

The collection features the Iban folktale of “Kumang and the Ungrateful Python”, which gives rise to the Iban saying “Baka kumang nupi sawa” to describe an ungrateful person.

The Bidayuh folktale “The Widow and the Colourful Clothed Frog” emphasises the importance of helping one another and respecting animals.

The Malay folktale “Udin and the Transformed Patin Fish” reveals the mystical beliefs surrounding the consumption of patin fish among the Sarawak Malay, while the Punan tale of “Modi and the Magic Stones” instills a deep respect for the natural world and the value of keeping promises.

The Chinese folktale, “Three Good Friends and a Hungry Dog”, is set in Pulau Datuk Kong in Bintulu and reinforces the importance of respecting all living creatures.

The ministry’s principal assistant secretary Dr Elena Chai said a local storytelling group of young people compiled and illustrated the folktales for publication.

She said she contributed four of the stories to the group while the Iban folktale came from another source.

“It’s through fieldwork that we collected these stories. Through this project we want to build up the capacity of the group to produce the books,” she said, adding that it took a year to finish all five folktales.

The stories are told in English with Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese translations.