Key note address at 10 Ann JNP

Posted by YB Golong on September 07, 2006 at 12:42:59:

Selamat abur kerom, selamat manug ka Red Dragon tepat adi yun bara ta re sambut semong sewa Jabbers.

Aku an ngien terima kasih yun bara komiti anu dingatur parti ta ati mai mbuh ngien puno pesaya di aku bada aku nyusun nga ngien dundan pasal jabbers. Aku mite maaf amai aku duh dapud tu’ui mai te aku an pari awal sebab te-pagi aku re awal di ke SMK Tebakang, re ngien ceramah motivasi di sikura anu.

Ladies and gentlemen

I know why I have been chosen to deliver this story at the 10th anniversary, my animal instinct as one jabber called, tells me, that I am being punished for have had missed at least four of the JNPs (which was held between 2004 and early 2006. Two of those JNPs which I missed was at Kpg Sudah followed by another JNP in Siburan this year which was held in conjunction with the Chinese New Year. During that period of time I was away living a life of a PETI (Pelajar Tanpa Isteri) in Kuala Lumpur.

Anyway, I wish to thanks the organizing committee members namely my buddies, Redline, Dorod Singai, Ang Pedia, Wonderboyz, Sining (Bigiam), Dhr MBSY and the rest for asking me to deliver Jabbers: The Inside Story Tonight.

What is JABBERS?
The word Jabbers actually comes from “Britong” which in Biatah dialect means discussing an issue within a group. Britongers is a self-coined word to categorize people (mostly Bidayuhs) who patronize Ja Ata Britong forum either serious discussions or on a more subtle discourse. “Ja Ata Britong” is an invitational statement or phrase extending to anyone to engage in the discourse process.
The phrase “Ja Ata Britong” (or JAB in short) is a Biatah dialect (Biatah is one of the main group of Bidayuh) which laterally means, “Let Us Discuss”.

JAB can also be an acronym for “Ja Ata Bidingan” which can be literally translated as “Let’s be Friends”. The letter ‘B’ features prominently in many of the other Bidayuh dialects, such words for example are, “Bitunang” (engaged), “Bisepug” (Bidayuh from Kpg Simpok), but “Bibuluh’ does not meant someone from Kpg Siburuh. The letter “B” also features prominently for those JABBERS who aimed to be Tiger Wood, the phrase “ja ata Bitauu” is not uncommon to their ears.

Now let me share a joke with you, not on the letter ‘B” but letter “J”. It is about one of the Rulers in Malaysia. To be precise, the Sultan of Kelantan. But the joke has to be told in Bahasa Melayu.

Sultan Kelantan ini dikatakan sebagai salah seorang Raja yang paling rendah pendidikannya di kalangan Raja-Raja di Malaysia. Pada suatu hari beliau ingin tunjuk kepandaiannya. Tuanku pun mengarah seluruh kakitangan Astana untuk mencari orang yang paling panndai di Malaysia. Malangnya hanya Tukang Kebun di Astana sahaja tahu siapa yang paling pandai di Malaysia iaitu Professor DiRaja Ungku Aziz, beliau telah dianugerahkan dengan 25 Ijazah Kedoktoran Kehormat (honorary doctorates). Tuanku Sultan pun mengarah Professor DiRaja Ungku Aziz untuk mengadap Tuanku di Astana Kelantan. Apabila Professor DiRaja Ungku Aziz tiba mengadap baginda, baginda pun beritahu Professor Ungku Aziz untuk membuat 30 perkataan dengan Huruf “J” dan diberi 30 hari untuk berbuat demikian.

Sebaik sahaja tamat 30 hari Professor DiRaja Ungku Aziz pun mengadap Tuanku. Minta maaf Tuanku, beta tidak dapat buat 30 perkataan dengan huruf “J”. Tuanku pun menjawab. Senang Sahaja Prof.

Tuanku kata. Jainab jumpa janda Jepun, Janda Jepun juga jumpa Jainab, Jainab jeling janda Jepun, Janda Jepun jeling Jainab, Jainab juluk jubur janda Jepun. Janda jepun juluk jubur Janib.

Professor DiRaja pun berkata, Tuanku ta cukup saya hitung 27 perkataan sahaja. Tuanku terus jawab, jeng jeng jeng… habis 30.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Jokes aside, the name JABBERS is also an acronym of JAB MemBERS. There is no condition imposed to be a JABBER except some may assume that you are of a Bidayuh origin, able to read and write, use the Internet and able to utilize the area that exists somewhere 5 inches between the ears. However this forum is NOT strictly for Bidayuhs and shall remain as such simply because it has a global appeal and attractions.

Background
In the early days of the Bidayuhs community when our forefathers (peace be upon them) were living in longhouses, discussions were conducted either inside the headhouse or “Panggah in Biatah dialect, baruk in Bau or Bale in Bukar Sadong ” or on varendahs (tenju, awah).

Depending on the topics discussed, the sessions would last until wee-hours and the subjects discussed may range from when is our next hunting trips, where will be our new farming lands or simply family-related issues. Such engaging past-times were aimed to create solidarity, comradeship and spirit of “pingiris’ amongst the villagers.

In some instances in the past family feuds, nayungs, land disputes or clash of claims over fruit trees were often amicably settled through ‘britong’ sessions.

Now, due to rapid changes to the lifestyle and modernization, the spirit of ‘britong’ could not be carried out as much as it should as more Bidayuhs have either abandoned old ways or are being displaced by development and geographical boundaries.

With the modernization and sometimes demised of the pangah or baruk and closed-knitted longhouses, the avenue for “britong” the traditional way were difficult to sustain and few bothered to re-ignite such spirit.

However, while many things have changed, something has to remain…communications.

World Wide Web
The advent of the Internet had brought about popularity the way people communicate.

The World Wide Web (WWW) promotes the use of HyperText Markup Language (HTML) - the authoring language used in the creation of documents for the World Wide Web. This language promoted online forum, discussions and bulletin board and anyone with computer that has Internet connection and appropriate software can communicate with each other.

It meant more people from different places can communicate and pool their knowledge in a web of documents or bulletin board, which meant everyone had access to everyone else's ideas.

In 1991 the World Wide Web as we know it today was born.

Intrigued by the potential of WWW, a Bidayuh realised that it could be the missing link to save the art of ‘britong’!

In 1997, a Bidayuh Forum Site was established to give ‘britong’ a new lease of life. Since then the art of ‘britong’ was never the same again.

Today the Britong Forum is our ‘Panggah or baruk’, ‘Tenju’ or ‘Varendah’ for us to continue our communications regardless of our geographical boundaries.

For all intents and purposes, Britong Forum five main functions:
1. A public meeting place for open discussion;
2. A medium of open discussion or voicing of ideas, such as a newspaper or;
3. a radio (FM101.35!) or television program;
4. A public meeting or assembly for open discussion;
5. A public facility for virtual meeting for open discussion.

In the context of this discourse, the word Public could also mean Bidayuhs. It is perfectly true that as an open public forum, there are no enforcement features and regulatory procedure to block out non-Bidayuhs from patronizing this forum.

JABBERS is global
JABBERS is global and it can also be considered as a community within a community that exists in cyberspace.
Other forum sites bloomed and flourished much the same way the Dot Com era and new forums came and gone.

First there was the SARAWAK TALK, an errant Uncle of Britong Forum Site, then the RUAI RANDAU and the SANGKANCIL…the BLOGS list goes on. Forum sites inherit many dangerous dark sides that could contribute to its downfall.

Borrowed time
JABBERS is existing in a borrowed time and server and has its fair share of perilous days but somehow survived, thanks to its members who are able to harness its usefulness and brighten it darkness.

JABBERS need to redress their mindsets and the faithful must strive to suppress all common negativity associated with it.

This year 2006, JABBERS is celebrating its ten-year existence in cyberspace and it is a long time for a vulnerable forum site that is subjected to constant abuse, bully and exploitation.

JABBERS has a human side too
For years many JABBERS claimed that they stumbled upon long lost friend through the Britong forum. Others have claimed that he had stumbled upon his niece that he had never met for years and that is a heart-touching testimonies worthy to remember.

JABBERS has the tendency to spew out the unexpected and through its universal appeal and intriguing nature, it is able to converge Bidayuhs from other part of the world such as Australia, Britain, Canada, United States or Klang Valley to britong.

JABBERS stay faceless by posting messages with nicknames and the nickname changes from time to time making it extremely difficult to track down the writer(s) outright. But some could be traced when they continue to post and commits grave grammatical mistakes in their posting.

Nicknames found in JABBERS can be thought-provocative, mind-boggling and out-right distasteful. However an artful nicknames such as Pape Gabuk, Night Rider, Babai Seratau, Bak Peyu, YB Golong, Redline, MBSY, Ketty, Aang Pidea, Bidayuh Before Brooke (B3), Kutieng or Datuk K, Hermes (The Pemegan Emperor), Wonderboyz, Jackaroo, Mindow, DS, Batang Kayan, Babai Biatah, Babai Bidayuh, Madih KL, Fat Cat, Night Owl, Tin Kosong, Ayung Kiyad, Observer, Bukok Tikok, Gretak Sumur…Of late Babai Kupuo Tugag,..Teo Boon Seng, in spite of being a Chinese continues to post…opps he is from the Federal Territory of Labuan. Thanks for your red-red wine.

These nicknames go on and on. (a thousand apologies for not able to write all the nicknames from yesteryears!) This is typical of all cyberspace explorers.

JABBERS has a heart too
Sometimes JABBERS do charity works and the generousity of each of us and to
borrow Takeda’s famous transformation can take in the form of fund-raising although it must be stressed here that this is strictly personal, sincere and genuine. If Queen Anne is here please pass the hat around for Jabbers contribution to St Ann Church.

The small collections form part of emergency money be donated to a worthy cause such as for needy students wanting to pursue higher education or even for the sickly such as Jeremy Sikat.

A blind date
How do we know each other and who’s who?

During its first year, JABBERS decided to meet up and to reveal and to discover who’s behind the nick to concoct an opportunity to ‘Kiss and Makeup’. They started to send calling message and organize what they term as “Jabbers’ Night Party” or JNP. Others may call it ‘A Blind Date’. The first JNP was so well received that it triggered the 2nd and the 3rd and now it has became a yearly event.

The first JNP party was held at Hornbill Corner. If I am not mistaken in July 1998, barely a year after its inception. The reason for chosen Hornbill corner was simple. There was a Jabber based in KL who would to by borrowing her own word ‘timirib for one corner to another nook of the world. Her nick name, which is very profound to another hard core jabber, is Hornbill.

Past JNP were held in different Bidayuh Kampongs such as Padawan or Bau. The venue for the JNP tended to be just to be just around the neighbourhood with the aims of experiencing different Bidayuh’s cuisine from different areas.

Like any other great night out, JNP’s version of merry-making is a spectacle by itself. A typical JNP commence with a self-introduction. JNP is the time to declare your nickname, confessions if you like and seek for forgiveness for foul languages used in the forum. The nickname declaration time never failed to bring out the ‘uhhh…ahh…wow…hehehe...’ laughter and ….so you are so and so…plus the heavy hug and handshakes. Last but not least, bring your own karaoke VCD!

10th JNP
JNP 10th is the most significant ever as it is able to converge most of the hardcore JABBERS. Who are they? They are us who come for tonight’s do.
While some choose to view JNP as a show of force, others prefer to judge the JNP as the ultimate testing ground to separate the pretenders from the loyalist. This is not the case. JNP is an opportunity to knit each other into a network of JABBERS. For example Kuntang with his stick exchange forecasts, of course don’t forget the “Bitauu” jabbers and the “Sheltering” jabbers.

Many JABBERS will not be able to make it but they have pledged to be supportive of each other through other means such as purchase of specially designed T-Shirts and other form of sponsorships to ensure the continuity of JNP or any JABBERS’ sponsored events.

With or without JNP10, there are those amongst JABBERS who are truly best of friends for life. They would either email, sms or call each other if the needs arise. I was called for a few session of “Shelterings”, “ja ata Bitauu” and going about to schools either Secondary or primary schools in the Bidayuh belt to deliver the much needed motivations for our fellow brothers and sisters in schools. This is vital for the survival of a small community like the Bidayuhs to survive in this complex and challenging world

Ladies and gentlemen,
Before I end this speech I wish to share another joke with you. The joke is about a group of armies who attended a rehearsal for the just concluded merdeka parade.

But again the joke must be told in Bahasa Melayu.

Kejadian ini belaku dua hari sebelum sambutan hari merdeka ketika satu platun tentera sedang membuat raptai untuk menyambut hari merdeka.

Dalam raptai tersebut tiba-tiba SENJATA terjatuh. Kmonandan perbarisan teriak “SENJATA SIAPA JATUH”. Sambil disambut oleh seorang anggota dalam perbarisan ”KERAJAAN’ tuan. Tidak puas hati dengan jawapan yang didengar dari platun nya dia teriak lagi ”SENJATA SIAPA JATUH.” KERAJAAN TUAN, juga jawapan dari orang yang sama menjawap. Lalu Tuan teriak lagi, JANGAN MAIN-MAIN, SAYA TAHU ITU SENJATA KERAJAAN, CAKAP BETUL-BETUL, dan beliau teriak lagi, ”SENJATA SIAPA JATUH” ”KERAJAAN TUAN’ nada yang sama menjawab. Tidak puas hati, tuan pun pergi periksa. Keraguan nya terjawap kerana nyata bahawa senjata yang jatuh itu dimiliki oleh seorang anggota beliau sendiri yang bernama ”KERAJAAN”

Have a wonderful party and goyang sampai pagi!

Thank you Sining for speech out line