Events Calendar
If you pass through the UNIMAS main entrance (Pintu Masuk Utama UNIMAS or known as PUMA), you will be greeted with flickering classic kerosene lamps and twinkling fairy lights.
The excitement of greeting the coming Hari Raya at UNIMAS is shared by our front liners, the members of the University’s Bahagian Keselamatan. Reminiscing the once festive streets of Kampung Meranek, Mr. Hamsin was happy to be involved in the bertuntong activity with his fellow auxiliary police comrades. He will be on duty until the second day of Hari Raya, whilst his colleague, Mr. Razak, will be on duty until Hari Raya.
Bertuntong is a traditional activity of decorating the main gates or pintu gerbang and pathways of villages with kerosene lamps, starting on Malam 7 Likur, highlighting the last ten nights of Ramadhan.
One story alleges that historically, bertuntong started around the Japanese colonial era. It was said that the British Empire fleet were on a mission to air raid the Japanese ships along the Sungai Sarawak dock. In the 1940’s, the nights were dark and solemn. This led to a tragedy that killed a family in Kampung Satok due to a pilot’s ill-timed bomb. Following the unfortunate event, the villagers around Sungai Sarawak started lighting oil lamps around their houses to alert the British army of their existence.
Another possible (and definitely less dramatic) beginning of bertuntong is that the lamps were simply used to light up the paths to houses near the end of Ramadhan during the days of no electricity, especially as the final nights leading to Hari Raya are moonless nights.
Regardless of how it started, bertuntong becomes a unique practice by the Sarawakian Malay community in celebrating Hari Raya. It is a sight closely and lovingly associated with the festive season.
Mr. Zulkarnaen Ali, Deputy Senior Registrar of UNIMAS Global said that this is the first ever bertuntong event in UNIMAS. “This should be repeated,” Inspector Ismail, the coordinator for the event, gladly commented. Indeed, their happiness were contagious.
If you want to catch a glimpse of these oil lamps at PUMA, they will shine on until the seventh day of Hari Raya.
"Bertuntong, bertuntong juak, SOP siboh dilupak" (Bertuntong goes on but the SOP should not be forgotten). Tuan Mohd. Melintang Abdullah, Director of Bahagian Keselamatan UNIMAS and Associate Prof. Dr. Sopian Bujang, Chairperson of the College Principal Committee welcomed Deputy Vice Chancellor Prof. Ir. Dr Wan Hashim Wan Ibrahim (Research and Innovation), Deputy Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Kamarudin Kana (Student Affairs and Alumni) and Ms. Azeemah Ahmad, Deputy Senior Registrar of Pusat Khidmat Pelajar at PUMA to officiate the glorious night.
Tuan Melintang, our Director of Bahagian Keselamatan UNIMAS. Check out the gorgeous upper structure of the UNIMAS entrance
Front liners on duty getting ready to show off their effort
Hi, Policat here. Have you seen me in @UNIMASOfficial_instagram? I’ll share another photo with you soon!
