Borneo Sarawak Research Articles

Out of New Guinea? Two new species of Zygogynum (Winteraceae) extend the genus west of Lydekker’s and Wallace’s Lines

SummaryThe Winteraceae comprise 100 – 130 species in five to nine genera. The genus Zygogynum is currently thought to have a Papuasian-Pacific distribution and is only known from the western Pacific islands (New Caledonia, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands), Australia and New Guinea, including the far western Bird’s Head Peninsula, but is not yet recorded from islands to the west of the Sahul Plate and the biogeographic boundary of Lydekker’s Line. Here, two new species of Zygogynum are described from west of both Wallace’s and Lydekker’s Lines. Zygogynum moluccanum is described from the Moluccan islands of Indonesia, and Z. sundaicum, a new species and generic record for the Sunda shelf, is described from the northern part of the Malaysian State of Sarawak in Borneo. In addition to descriptions and illustrations of the new species, the generic delimitation, fossil record and potential dispersal agents of Zygogynum are discussed.

On two new species of arboreal crabs from phytotelms in Sarawak, Borneo (Crustacea: Brachyura: Gecarcinucidae: Arachnothelphusa).

Two new species of the gecarcinucid freshwater crab genus Arachnothelphusa are described from the Malaysian state of Sarawak in Borneo; one from Lanjak-Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary and another from Bako National Park. Arachnothelphusa rimba n. sp. is distinctive in possessing very long legs and a male first gonopod which has a cylindrical proximal part of the terminal segment, with the distal part sharply tapering to an acute tip. Arachnothelphusa bako n. sp. is superficially closest to A. kadamaiana from Sabah, but differs markedly by its narrower epistome, and proportionately shorter third maxillipeds and ambulatory legs.

Type Locality of Paragymnopleurus singularis (Waterhouse, 1875) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

The type locality (Korea) of the dung beetle Paragymnopleurus singularis (Waterhouse, 1890) (Gymnopleurini, Scarabaeidae, Coleoptera) has been questioned. For example, Génier (2003) synonymized P. singularis with P. maurus (Sharp, 1875) and considered P. maurus to be endemic to Borneo. Accordingly, the aim of the present study was to investigate the occurrence of P. singularis in Korea and to infer its actual type locality by reviewing available literature. Several faunistic studies have documented P. singularis in Korea, albeit without specimen confirmation. However, the species has not been collected in Korea since its original description. The voyage log of E. Belcher, who captained the H.M.S. Samarang from 1843 to 1846, suggests that the P. singularis type specimens were collected from Sarawak, Borneo, and mislabeled as specimens from Korea. Therefore, the actual type locality of P. singularis is likely Sarawak in Borneo, and Gymnopleurus mopsus (Pallas, 1781) is the only member of the tribe Gymnopleurini that actually occurs in Korea.

Sarawak Pua Kumbu: Aesthetics Lies in The Eye Of The Beholder

The beauty of Pua Kumbu is not merely a cultural expression but it also represents the wealth of information to pass from one generation to another. The art of creating Pua Kumbu design motifs is based on the body of knowledge gathered through collective memory, and the conservation of Pua Kumbu's knowledge and history. The aesthetic perception stimuli from the audiences are complicated cognitive processes. Hence, this study aims to measure the aesthetic perception of 400 participants on design motifs applied on the cloth according to their gender and background using ARS-Revised questionnaire. The findings revealed that female participants exhibited a greater knowledge of Pua Kumbu compared to their male counterparts. Participants from Sarawak perceived higher in cognitive stimulation, knowledge, and self-reference which indicated that they were more likely to be knowledgeable about Pua Kumbu. Participants from Sabah demonstrated the lowest in both cognitive stimulation and expertise despite Sabah being situated in the same region as Sarawak in Borneo. Gender and background of the participants are concluded to exert significant influence on the knowledge in Pua Kumbu design motifs. Knowledge of Pua Kumbu is crucial for the appreciation of aesthetics in preserving the culture and heritage of Sarawak, Malaysia at its best. The findings of this study may interest scholars and researchers in the unique Malaysian heritage.
 Keywords: Aesthetic Perception, ARS instrument, Culture, Iban, Pua Kumbu. Survey

Tana’ Bawang (homeland): cultural safety and the Kelabit land struggle in Borneo

This article explores the significance of cultural safety in view of the struggle over ancestral domain and modernity for Kelabit youth and elders in the state of Sarawak in Borneo, Malaysia. Our participatory case study points to the challenges to cultural safety caused by the external pressures of modernization and competing knowledge systems from downriver that are breaking down the leadership and decision-making processes to protect the land. We found that intergenerational community mapping and language revitalization provide a means for supporting cultural safety. Our applied research suggests that cultural safety benefits from being defined locally. Empowering youth and elders to harness, renew, and defend the potential of Kelabit identity and unity is part of recognizing that cultural safety needs to be constantly affirmed by its proponents. It is a process that demands to be actively grappled with and defined by community members at the individual and collective levels.

The Ethnic Identity of Sino-Iban in Saribas River and Marup Sino-Iban, Borneo Sarawak

When the Chinese immigrants left mainland China to strive for a better life, they finally settled in Borneo Sarawak in the 18th century. They learned the local customs and culture by adapting and assimilating their culture, religion, and lifestyle into the Iban community, the biggest ethnic population through interracial marriage and eventually a new identity is born. The generations from this interracial marriage is known as Sino-Iban. This paper attempts to explore the interaction and integration of sociocultural activities that established this new identity of Sino-Iban that represents who they are in one of the most remote areas in Sarawak, the Saribas River and Tiang Laju Mountains territory that is hardly known and rarely heard of. Information gatherings are based on government documents, journals, scholarly books and articles, and writer’s self-experience as Sino-Iban. It also addresses the language and culture gap of the young generation, who are shying away from using the Iban language and abstain them from practicing the rituals and customs which have been diluted by the dominant practice of Christianity and the influx of modern lifestyle are witnessing the eroding of Sino-Iban cultural traits of this young generation, who have lost interest in preserving their own cultural identity.

A New Species of Kostermanthus (Chrysobalanaceae) from Sarawak, Malaysia

Kostermanthus robustus is described from the Malaysian state of Sarawak in Borneo. This is only the third species in this genus, which is distinguished from other Malesian genera of Chrysobalanaceae by the stamens, which are united into a ligule as in the Neotropical genus Acioa and the African genus Dactyladenia.

Notice of the Discovery at Sarawak in Borneo of the Fossilized Teeth of Rhinoceros and of a Cervine Ruminant

Notice of the Discovery at Sarawak in Borneo of the Fossilized Teeth of Rhinoceros and of a Cervine Ruminant