By Lorena Binisol UNLIKE your average Kadazan family, Penampang’s Jikinon clan had been practising Chinese New Year celebration for years.
Most of them reside in Kampung Kuai, Kandazon, not far from Donggongon town.
Clan elder Inai Tulit Mojinggi, 83, said her mother was a Chinese from mainland China’s Hakka lineage.
She was known in the village as Lojuhin. However, no one in the family knew much about her past.
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According to some, the name “Lojuhin” could probably derive from its original name “Lo Ju Hin”, since she was originally from China. However, nobody could confirm this, not even Inai Tulit.
“When my mother was younger, she came to Borneo to find a better living.
Since married a local Kadazan and never returned to her hometown.
“She was the only child and talked very little about her family in China,” Inai Tulit said.
She has seven children who live nearby to each other in the village.
Inai Tulit recalled that her mother always prepared a lot of food and made sure to pray in front of the family shrine.
“My mother was a very devoted person. I used to see her praying especially during Chinese New Year for blessing, good luck and protection from relatives who had gone before her.
“I picked up all the usual things she did when I was still a child and practise it till today.”
She said her son, Wongjus, followed in her footstep by carrying on with the tradition.
“Although my children all converted to Christianity, Wongjus still helps me with burning the ‘hiong’ (joystick) for prayer.
“He is very obedient as he listens to my advice to continue praying for our ancestors,” she said.
On the eve of Chinese New Year, they would usually slaughter a pig, chickens and as offering to the ‘spirit’ of their descendants.
“On the eve, we started our ‘modsuung’ (offering) ceremony. We get some food ready to be offered to the spirit of our relatives who had gone before us.
“The offerings are usually a pig head, one whole chicken, some sweet stuff, fruits and drinks,” she disclosed.
She added that on the eve, they prayed two times, one in the afternoon (12pm) another in the evening.
Wongjus, who shared the same house with his mother, said he would do what his mother requested, which has nothing to do with religion but more of a culture.
“It had been practised long before I was born. My mother was the only surviving one who practised the ‘mondsuung’ ceremony. So I don’t see any reason why we should not continue with the tradition.
“After all, the intention was good – asking for good health, good luck, fortune and peace and harmony in the day to day living. Most importantly, we get to be together with relatives from far and near,” said Wongjus.
Inai Tulit said the most important thing is prayer service to their ancestors which she regards as the highlight of the event.
Her eldest son is Edward and the youngest is Kathrin.
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Edward, a pensioner formerly attached to the Chief Minister’s department, said come Chinese New Year, relatives from far and near never fail to visit them.
“We have families all the way from Beluran, Sandakan, driving here just to be with us on this festive season.
This is the only time I could actually meet all of them. Not even during Christmas,” Edward said.
Jeffrey Logiji and his family from Beluran drove to the Jikinon Clan’s gathering every year and said it is important to have the gathering as they hardly meet.
“It looks like only during this festive season like this that we are able to catch up with one another.
Other days seem to be not available by some family members due to their work commitment,” said Jeffrey.
Edward said it is the tradition that holds the family together. The importance of celebrating the festivity together and uphold the tradition was felt deeply by the family members.
“Some families celebrate only on first or second day of the festival, but for our family, we have it for almost a month. Regardless of which day (of the festival month), any relatives who come by, we will surely prepare food for them.”
Irene, the 6th child of Inai Tulit, said she prepared sweet delicacies like the ‘hinompuka’ and ‘kinalang’ every year for everyone to sample as well as for offering before the shrine.
‘Hinompuka’ is a sweet dessert wrapped in banana leaf and ‘kinalang’ is another sweet steamed cake in a huge tray usually made of burnt sugar with gluttonous rice flour, explained Irene.
“That’s my favourite part, making our traditional ‘hinompuka’, and ‘kinalang’.
But the ‘Kinalang’ is usually done by my mother.”
As for dishes, Irene said the usual food prepared are the traditional food such as bamboo shoot with pork bones in soup, fried dark sauce pork lean meat, curried chicken, mixed vegetables, roasted pig, fish, stuffed bean curd, among others.
“Our dishes are mostly the favourite food of our guests. I know because over the years, these would be fast gone when served. We don’t cater outside, as all of us cook our own favourite dishes.
“As for our Muslim family members and friends, we cater special Muslim dishes from the caterers,” said Irene.
Meanwhile, the youngest in the family, Kathrin, said she gave away red packet (ang pow) to visitors on the first day of the festive season, saying she enjoyed looking at the happiness and smile from the visitors after receiving angpow from her.
“Usually it is the children to receive the ang pow, but for me, I will give it to anyone visiting our gathering.
It is just for fun and it is a way to show our appreciation to our guests. I am just happy to see others being happy,” smiled Kathrin.
Kathrin’s husband Michael Liew, a businessman, said after marrying Kathrin, he suddenly had many relatives.
“It was overwhelming after knowing this family as everyone was so close to each other and they take time to be with one another during Chinese New Year.
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“Such a wonderful moment and priceless experience each time we have our family gathering,” Michael revealed.
Michael, who was originally from Sandakan but brought up in Tenom, disclosed that during his childhood, he never experienced such such grand Chinese New Year celebration.
“Although I am a pure Chinese, I have never celebrated Chinese New Year this the way my in-laws celebrate it.
“They really portray a 1Malaysia concept by including all races, relatives and friends from all creeds and different religion, and I am so proud of my extended family,” praised Michael. He said most of his siblings and family members live in Birmingham, England, making him even more attached to his extended family here.
“It is a precious family gathering indeed. Ina (his mother in law) has set a good example.
I hope the younger clans of this family follow her exemplary move by being hospitable and always receiving guests with happy heart,” he said.
Apart from the food and ang pow distribution, there was also lion dance group to the family house.
“It is a usual practice to have lion dance in any Chinese New Year open house. So, we do the same thing,” said Edward.
He said the expenses for the family to hold the yearly gathering is around RM5,000.
“We, the siblings chip in to pay for the expenses to buy foodstuff, drinks and others.
Lion dance fee is around RM1,000 but we are okay with it. After all, it is just once a year.
But seeing the smiling face especially the children being entertained with the lion dance performance is just priceless,” Edward said.
Meanwhile, Irene was hopeful that, the tradition would still be carried out regardless of time, so that the family could continue enjoying each other’s company, having the bonding with each other, and most importantly to continue the tradition handed by her grandmother who was originally from China.
“I just hope that, we, the younger ones will carry on with this tradition as long as we live.
Ina is the only surviving one and our source of inspiration when come to family tradition,” said Irene.
Today, Inai Tulit has 36 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren. She said no matter what happens, she would continue to pray for her ancestors who she regards as protector of her family.