Agus Wahyuni
Borneo Tribune
When a big flood hit Sambas in December 2008, hundreds of houses built on land were inundated and their owners evacuated, while the traditional rumah lanting or floating-platform houses and their occupants came out of this disaster unscathed.
Designed by the city’s forefathers, rumah lanting are almost a relic of the past these days, with Sambas slowly losing its reputation as West Kalimantan’s waterfront city.
Sambas is situated at the junction of two rivers, Teberau and Sambas, 250 kilometers from Pontianak, the capital of West Kalimantan.
Standing magnificently downstream of both rivers is Alwatzikhoebillah Palace, the center of a former Islamic kingdom founded by Sultan Muhammad Tsafiuddin, who used rivers for trading purposes.
One can still find rumah lanting along the Sambas River. However, there numbers have dwindled. While over 400 units were properly maintained in the past, data from the Sambas Culture and Tourism Office shows there are only about 50 left.
One of the owners of a rumah lanting who has held on to his traditional house despite the rapid pace of urban civilization is Hatta (58), who built his floating home in 1983.
He chose temau for his house’s foundation as this type of wood can withstand dozens of tons.
Fun and games: Children play with water on a platform built on a river in West Kalimantan. JP/NurhayatiHe used 8-meter-long temau logs that have a circumference of about 150 centimeters. Today, according to Hatta, logs of temau wood with these kinds of measurements are difficult to find because of deforestation.
A rumah lanting normally measures 6 by 4 meters, with foundations made up of 10-20 temau logs neatly arranged on the surface of river water and bundled together with the help of steel rods. It took five to six workers to complete his house, which cost about Rp 2 million and required no land except some riverside space.
Hatta obtained the temau wood from hardwood loggers at Rp 30,000-50,000 per block.
“The wood didn’t cost much at the time [I built my house],” said Hatta. The wood was then transported on a raft along Kumba, Seluas and Jagoi Babang rivers in the border area between Sambas and Bengkayang, for three days and nights.
When the government gave more autonomy to regions, the regional administrations in Kalimantan prioritized the development of land infrastructure to facilitate access by motor vehicles. Owners of rumah lanting then purchased land, built houses on it with permanent foundations, and moved out of their rumah lanting.
One rumah lanting owner who did so is Bulyan (62), a resident of Tumok Manggis village, Sambas district, Sambas regency.
In 2004, he sold his rumah lanting for Rp 2.5 million and spent the money on building a house on land. Once a logger, he now runs a rubber estate in Sejangkung district.
Nowadays, it only takes him 2 to 3 hours to transport the rubber from his plantations to the main point of export, compared to 7 to 8 hours by motorboat.
Besides, his house built on land is more spacious. But some owners of houses built on land complain about the limited access to water for washing clothes and for sanitary purposes during the dry season.
The owners of houses built on land must rely on rainfall for well water during the dry season, since they no longer live on the river.
lanting dwellers don’t need to bother about water as they live above river streams. Sadiah (32), who lives in a rumah lanting in the same village, only needs to go to her porch to wash or go to the bathroom. She doesn’t need fans or air conditioning as her house is always cool.
Her relatives from Pontianak who stayed with her once commented on the cool temperatures in her house. They also praised Sadiah’s residence for being mosquito free.
“Maybe it’s because there is water flowing below my house, so mosquitoes can’t lay eggs there,” she said.
However, when motorboats pass along or strong winds blow, rumah lanting settlements rock, which prompts their occupants to put their furniture and other appliances in higher places.
“They may fall into the river [otherwise],” added Sadiah.
They also have to keep an eye on their children to make sure they don’t fall in the water. But those above the age of four can generally swim as their parents will have taught them by that age.
Yet Sadiah worries about some of the rotting foundations at the back of her house, which are causing the building to tilt. As temau wood is hard to find, her husband has used drums to support the floating structure, which have to be replaced every three years because of rust.
She would like to have a house built on land, but her spouse’s income from fishing is barely enough to make ends meet, let alone purchase land to build a house.
In 1990, when 40 to 50 rumah lanting units were demolished for a provincial event in Sambas, Sadiah was on of the few who kept her rumah lanting, while the other rumah lanting owners followed the regency administration’s instruction and moved to land dwellings.
Her relatives from Pontianak who stayed with her once commented on the cool temperatures in her house. They also praised Sadiah’s residence for being mosquito free.
“Maybe it’s because there is water flowing below my house, so mosquitoes can’t lay eggs there,” she said.
However, when motorboats pass along or strong winds blow, rumah lanting settlements rock, which prompts their occupants to put their furniture and other appliances in higher places.
“They may fall into the river [otherwise],” added Sadiah.
They also have to keep an eye on their children to make sure they don’t fall in the water. But those above the age of four can generally swim as their parents will have taught them by that age.
Yet Sadiah worries about some of the rotting foundations at the back of her house, which are causing the building to tilt. As temau wood is hard to find, her husband has used drums to support the floating structure, which have to be replaced every three years because of rust.
She would like to have a house built on land, but her spouse’s income from fishing is barely enough to make ends meet, let alone purchase land to build a house.
In 1990, when 40 to 50 rumah lanting units were demolished for a provincial event in Sambas, Sadiah was on of the few who kept her rumah lanting, while the other rumah lanting owners followed the regency administration’s instruction and moved to land dwellings.
A lesson in history
An imposing concrete building decorated with Malay carvings stands out on Jl. Raya Sambas. This repository for all things cultural and historical about Sambas is also home to Yayasan Pesisir (Coastal Foundation), an institution that was set up by Sambas cultural experts.
In the grand building are hundreds of historical objects, left behind by the Sambas Sultanate, the Dutch colonial government and the Mongolian kingdom. The collection includes cannons, firearms, swords, shields and old manuscripts.
The owner of the collection and chairman of Yayasan Pesisir Sambas, Mulam Kushaeri, is a fountain of knowledge when it comes to rumah lanting.
In the Sambas Sultanate and during Dutch colonial times, rumah lanting settlements were transit homes for Dayaks, while Malays lived in the downtown area. The upstream region used to be a forest area.
When the Dayaks went to Sambas to sell estate and farm produce, they would typically stay in rumah lanting they had built because it would take days to return upstream to their homes on foot. The entrance and porches of their homes were built facing the river to facilitate their sale of commodities to passing vessels.
Former monarchs also made rumah lanting weekend getaways. Regional officials would often stay in rumah lanting on weekends, to relax and enjoy the natural atmosphere of river surroundings.
Sambas River was once a thriving commercial lane, as can be seen by the two-story building on Jl. Kapung Lorong Sambas, some two kilometers from the city hub. Once a customs and port master’s office, the building, which is currently falling apart, is now devoid of activity.
It is believed the Dutch government’s decision to develop roads and bridges led to river commerce activity to dwindle in the Sambas kingdom, as large vessels could not berth in the river.
In Sebawai district, for instance, a Dutch colonial vessel sank in the middle of the river. Shortly after the incident, the people of Sambas created a song entitled “Kapal Delonnal”, highlighting the ship had been sunk on purpose to prevent other foreign vessels from passing the lane.
The Sambas kingdom’s economy worsened as a result, as it used to rely on commodities sold on the local market.
Nowadays, river transportation is no longer a priority for the Sambas regency administration, which has prioritized the development of land infrastructure instead. A significant portion of the regional budget is poured into roads, rather than river transportation.
Some residents are upset with the regional administration of Sambas’ policy of leveling rumah lanting settlements along the Sambas River, arguing it disregards the history of lanting homes.
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