My La Kiput Village at Kuala Tutoh,Baram

One hour by express from Marudi is a remarkable Kiput Village called Kuala Tutoh. It is just called Kuala Tutoh because it is situated at the confluence of the Tutoh River and the Baram. Not too far away, the meanders of the Tutoh has resulted in a ox-cow lake called Logan Punggok.

This Logan Punggok is a rich fishing paradise and the waters are always full of huge fish like the tapah, the ikan mata merah which is a prized fish for the Chinese,ikan baong, ikan biawan and ikan keli. The Kiputs are wise enough to allow only Kiputs fish in this logan. No outsiders are encouraged to harvest any fish here,although they are welcome to stay for a feast, and spend a night in the village.

Fish is a staple to our village people. We could have barbeque almost any time. But my favourite dish is Ikan Keli cooked in soy sauce. Ikan Keli is always freshly caught here and is in season the whole year round. Ikan Baong is actually a very sweet tasting fish and lots of people like it. When the harvest is good, my people would send their catch to Marudi. The income from the fish is often very good. Thus we have good timber and good building materials for our longhouse. Besides, our people also benefit from good education and medical services from the government.

The village is in fact a longhouse of 69 doors or units. There is a large secondary school nearby called SMK Kuala Tutoh and a small primary school.

This area is also famous as a hunting ground for the Kiputs for generations. Many stories have been told by hunters who have come home with huge game. Stories of ghosts, eerie experiences and encounters of special kinds are common amongst the Kiput hunters. One could never have enough of them. And as a child, I was always very entertained by these brave hunters.

The Kiputs are very musical people. In the evenings many men and women could be found singing. When a band could be grouped, the singing would become even better.
This is why Christmas is often a very good time for all the family members to come home for a good reunion and feasting. Friends from far would come too every few years to enjoy Kiput hospitality.

There is a legend surrounding our village. A white crocodile is known to have inhabited the Logan for many years. Once in a while, a tree could be floating in the middle of the lake. Below this tree is the white crocodile. Many people have come to my village just to try their luck in catching sight of this crocodile. Perhaps you might just be the lucky one!



Bernerdstein Wilson Sakan,Hotel Artist, Dynasty Hotel, 2007.