Longhouse with a modern take
18-year-old Iban abode houses 225 residents in the community
SEBAUH ( Bintulu): Beautiful and inspirational come to mind when one steps into Rumah Jangu Ladong Tahir ( Rh Jangu Tahir) located at KM15, Jalan Ulu Sebauh, not far from the Bintulu-Sibu highway in Sarawak.
According to deputy headman Sidin Dian, the Iban longhouse was first built in 2000, after the former headman Tahir Kalau moved the community from their settlement on the banks of Sungai Tebas so that they would have access to amenities such as roads, electricity and water.
Sidin said the double-storey longhouse, which was built on a 3ha piece of land, was to replace their former rundown wooden home.
“There are 34 rooms in Rh Jangu Tahir to accommodate the 225 residents in the community,” he said yesterday.
Originally built to protect the people from enemies, the longhouse now protects its occupants from their biggest threat, fire, which occurs almost every year.
He added that as a preventive measure against fire, the kitchen area in the longhouse was built separately from the main living area.
“At the same time, the different parts of the longhouse are connected by semi-fireproof material such as metal,” said Sidin, who works as an assistant construction superintendent with an oil-and-gas company in Egypt.
He added that a unique feature of the longhouse was that it fulfilled the safety requirements and each room could be separately insured.
“If the longhouse is equipped with fire breakers, and electrical wiring done by licensed contractors, the residents could insure their homes,” he said. — Bernama