The Iban from Batang Ai and Batang Lupar migrated into the Rejang and Baleh areas while it was still under the rule of the Brunei Sultanate. In 1853, in an agreement with the Sultan of Brunei, Rajah James Brooke took the land under control of Sarawak.
The Kayan and Kenyah originally came from Kayan River valley in the eastern part of Borneo. They followed the Kayan River, crossed the Border Range from the Indonesian side to Sarawak and settled along the Batang Balui, the northern tributary of the Rejang River.
Chinese Hokkien settlers first arrived in Rejang and Baleh Basin in the 1870s followed by the Hakkas in 1906 and the Foochows in 1919.
When Fort Sylvia was built in 1880, many Chinese traders from the Baleh and other nearby regions migrated to Kapit. It was also during this time that the Malays came to Kapit.
The Methodist Church selected Kapit as its centre for missionary work among the Iban in the 1950s and 1960s. Kapit was also a centre for the Roman Catholic mission in 1882 but later came under the administration of the church in Kanowit.
On 16 November 1924, Kapit Fort (now known as Fort Sylvia) witnessed a historical peacekeeping ceremony between the infighting tribes i.e. the Iban and the Orang Ulu (Kayan, Kenyah and Kajang) in the presence of Rajah Charles Vyner Brooke.
According to the elders, there are two folktales related to the name of Kapit. In the old times, many longhouses were built of bamboo (‘kepit’ in local dialect at that time) along the riverbanks. When there were guests coming to the longhouses, they would said, "kami ngagai rumah panjai kepit" in Iban language (which means we are going to 'kepit' longhouse). Eventually, the word 'kepit' was pronounced as 'kapit' and it was then used to refer the place of Kapit now.
In another story, one of Brooke’s officers came to Kapit in 1861. Upon arrival, he ordered a local to buy him some food. The officer was happy with the service and asked the man to keep the change by saying, “keep it”. Since then, the phrase 'keep it' became popular among the locals and eventually it was pronounced as ‘kapit’.
** Info courtesy of Kapit Net
About Me
- Yossi Candice Huth
- 平凡又带点普通的男孩。
When I was 5 years old, my mom always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down “happy.” They told me I didn’t understand the assignment and I told them they didn’t understand life.
by I’Eco di Bru