Harmonious Kunak Part 2: Cheng Ho's Delegation

Bahasa Melayu

The Idahans

The Madai Caves and its bird nests is probably the most well-known site in Kunak District today, though more often than not it is linked with Lahad Datu rather than Kunak.

It is somehow incomplete to talk about the Madai Caves without mentioning the Idahans, a native of Kunak. They are believed to be the discoverer of the valuable bird nests in those caves back in the 15^th century.

The Idahan clan is a Bumiputera ethnics who collectively claim themselves descendants of a legendary ancestor, Besai, who was said to have originated from Kinabatangan river.

Although the Idahan comprises of only a small percentage of the population of Kunak, it is fair to give more space on subjects pertaining to this community. Apart from being the founder of the bird nests in Madai they are also said to have played a major part in the introduction of Islam to North Borneo in 1408, particularly in the east coast.

It is related by the Idahans that in the old days their ancestors had traded with some powerful group of Chinese traders who came to the east coast of Sabah. It is presumed that the group mentioned was the delegation of the Muslim Chinese Admiral, Cheng Ho, who made his first voyage to Sulu region around 1405 A.D.

Admiral Cheng Ho and his fleet
(Image as seen at: Cheng Ho)

At first, bird’s nests have very little commercial value until the Idahan ancestors showed them to Chinese traders. The Cinese were already familiar with the product which they previously knew from elsewhere. They asked if more could be gathered and promised they would return regularly to trade for them with Chinese goods.

Upon realizing that the Chinese had a keen interest on the nests, the Idahan ancestors were quite cautious about disclosing the exact locations of the nesting caves, but assured them of a continuous supply if the Chinese agreed to wait at the coast.

A Village in Madai 1960
(More stories at: semuakunak.blogspot) 

Personally, I believe that the story of trade with Chinese traders in the old days is quite authentic, for in 1998 I came across an area in an oil palm plantation in Silabukan, literally littered with fragments of Chinese porcelain which (to me) had the distinctive features of that from the Ming Dynasty.  The site is only a few hundred meters from shore.

I was then the Assistant Manager of that plantation. The plantation workers also mentioned about some sort of spears and canons, apart from other relics, had also been discovered in that particular site and procured by authorities of Sabah Museum.  Stories also went around the plantation that on extreme low tide, structures that resemble the mast and hull of a ship could be seen not far from the shore.

The present day Idahan population are mainly in Lahad Datu District. Nevertheless, there are still several families who remained in Kunak, particularly in kampongs not far from Madai Hills. Also, there are some Idahans who built a second houses within the vicinity of the caves, which they only occupy during harvesting seasons.

Generally, the Idahan population in Kunak has blended well and inter-married with other ethnics and not easy to distinguish them from other bumiputeras.