Wrath of the Serpent

Kijang Mas Chalets sit on the banks of Lake Gumum, one of the 12 lakes that add to the water system of Tasik Chini. Where there are lakes, there are always stories to tell of strange creatures that make their home in the underwater caves, deep in the bowels of the black waters. The older Jakun folk that live in the area believe that Naga Seri Gumum; the old dragon still gurads the waters and has been there since the birth of the lake, a long, long time ago.

The story goes like this- once upon a time when the area was miles and days away from any civilised town, the Jakun people were left to their own ways.

One day whilst they were out cultivating land, an old woman appeared. She proclaimed that the piece of land was hers and that the men were trespassing. In claiming her rights to the land, the old woman planted her walking stick into the ground and warned the men never to remove it. Humbly, they apologised and the woman allowed them to continue their work there. Some time later, the dogs started to bark furiously at a decaying log not far away from the area. One of the men went off to investigate the commotion. He hurled his stick at the log and to his surprise, the log started to bleed. He called to his fellowmen and they too hurled their sticks at the log. The startled men stood rooted to the ground as bright red blood gushed out from the log. Shadows fell on them as they watched. The sky above darkened. Bolts of lightning stabbed the earth; thunders deafened the sounds of terrified screams of the men as they fled the area. In their confusion, one of the men knocked over the old woman's walking stick. In doing so a fountain of water shot high into the sky and quickly filled the area. The water gushed for many years, forming the lakes that we see now which has become the home of the mystical dragon called Naga Seri Gumum, the spirit of the log.

Alas, since the building of the dam, much has changed at Tasik Chini. In some areas around the lake, oil palm plantations have crept up almost to the edge. The leaching and flushing of pesticides and fertilisers into the lake from the plantations is likely to damage the fragile ecosystem of the lake. With proper management and use of organic fertilisers this would help retain the natural conditions of the lake.

But there is still so much hope for Chini. The ecosystem is trying desperately to adapt to the changes made and in some parts, it is actually reviving..the Eugenia spp. along some parts are pushing out new shoots. Saplings are springing up where their predecessors have fallen. The lotus that once spread across large areas of the lake are blooming once again; new growth is taking place. From June to September, the lake is speckled with white and pink lotus blooms. And sometimes in the early evening, tomans (a huge ferocious fresh water fish) can be seen leaping over the lotus leaves, eager to make a meal of an unsuspecting frog .

Chini creates a sense of being. A sense of nostalgia. The myths and legends shrouding the lake provide a feeling of preservation. The preservation of the lost city, its serpent and now, it is up to mankind to once again listen to the call of nature before she releases her wrath and then, there is no more.

Update on the place

Our trip back to Tasik Chini this time, found the place to be suffering a little bit more. Although the beauty and mystique of the lake continues to mesmerise visitors, there seems to be a certain feeling of sadness that has befallen on her. The orang Jakun (indigenous tribe who lives at the lake) believes that the lake is slowly suffocating and the spirits of the lake and the jungle fringing her are upset with the state of the lake. As it is, the lake people have been complaining of poor fish harvests recently and that the stagnant lake water is giving them much worry that soon the juvenile fish stock will die off and the river fishes will no longer return to the lake for spawning. There is only one way to resolve this and it is to do away with the dam.

The orang Jakun are still keeping their chins up on the matter in hope that the situation will be reversed. They believe that the problem is rectifiable and if things happen soon, the lake can be saved and their livelihood restored. With the restoration of the lake will also come the restoration of their folklore and their tales of the good old days where water was so clear and clean one could drink straight from the lake! That would be nice....

journal entry: 15th April 2002

 

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