Kampung Names

When two or three people frequently share the use of a meaningful word, a term or a catch-word and or a phrase, an established name of a tree, a name of an animal or a bird or a sound made by each kind, to name a specific place, a river, a tree or even an invented thing, then that frequently used word, term, catch-word or phrase becomes a naturally agreed name for the specific place, river, vegetation and man-made thing.

People of long ago called Kampung Babagon as Kampung Babagon because of the need to commonly refer to the same specific place and to avoid a misunderstanding or a miscommunication in the course of a conversation or an information giving. The Kampung is bigger than a specific spot or a place, for example,. The name “Babagon” was used to call the river that passed through the kampung. Since the early inhabitants of the kampung needed water as their source of life then they stayed closeby the river. They called their Kampung after the name of the river or they called the river after their frequently repeated, agreed and shared knowledge. This naming process is thus argued as established as such especially when the name-word functioned as an action, inter-confusing itself as an adverbial word.

Let us try to follow the following assumed-set scenario. It had been the practice of the uphill people, the Liwan, the Tagahas, and other tribal fellow men and women from the uphill jungle places in between Penampang and Tambunan, to come down to Penampang in search for salt and other subsistence needs. They have, through the course of time, even established and left their rutted trails, the now-made-famous Salt Trail, which cut through the now-established Kampung Babagon.

Gosou: Saira’ katuu yati’ mibok?

When are we leaving?

Lingkid: Sumarapi kosuabon suab.

Early tomorrow morning.

Gosou: Id nonggoo yolo mindad ka?

Where are they waiting?

Lingkid: Hilood bababagon toriirimo, tisan di bawang o babagon kati.

At the usual rest-place, we louse at the river bank.

Gosou: Poiloon ngawi’ toinsanan, yo kosumandakan ngawi’, mimang tokou babag hilod tisan bawang

bababagon toriirimo do sodop suab.

Tell the others, the women too, that we would casually louse around at the usual river-bank rest place

tomorrow evening.

To “babag” oneself is to simply throw oneself down in such disorderly manner so as to rest. To “babag” ones’ own bags could literally mean to simply throw ones’ own bag on the couch or at a corner of a room. The word has now been turned into a Proper Noun to name the river where the travellers used to “babag” themselves. The river, now called Babagon river, got its name in such manner. When the travellers no longer spent the night by the river but in the houses of the original inhabitants staying closeby the river, the name “Babagon” was then used to call the kampung as Kampung Babagon.

They thought that they were right.

Some of the inhabitants in Kampung Timpango and Tintap had occasions of losing rubber sheets in the third quarter of 2008. They suspected outsiders to be the culprits. When I asked them as to how many times they had made police reports pertaining to their lost, then they said that they were never reported. They further said that the thieves seemed to know the exact spots where their rubber sheets sheds were located. On hearing their own comments I purposely provoked them a bit by saying, “No wonder you all did not want to make any police reports because for fear of becoming a target of investigations”. Some smart individuals among the kampong inhabitants cooked up an idea to padlock the Government road leading to their kampungs. A kampong meeting was convened but not all the kampong people who would be affected by the padlocking were invited. If ever I was invited, I thought, I would certainly have offered them my piece of mind. They had suspected my objection for I was not secretive about my feelings. I had purposely expressed my objections to anyone I met. I was informed that the Ketua Kampung, the Chairman of the JKKK and the CDO, a political figure, of the area attended the meeting. These people must not have objected to the Kampung peoples’ demand. They were prompted therefore to think that what they were doing was right and in consonance with the law. The padlocking of the main road, Babagon-Timpango Road, took effect at the start of September, 2008. Many people who had family ties with people further-up the padlocked areas were taken by surprise. All the people in the affected areas were given a key each for the padlock. I was not given a key. In fact I was told that should I want a key then I had to see the Vice Chairman of the JKKK to get a key for RM20.00 and to be given a talking to before a key was given. This was purportedly so because I was known to oppose the padlocking idea. If and when I had to get through the padlock anytime I needed to, I would dismantle the whole locking system and wait to be brought to the courts of law. The processes of law would enlighten everyone as to the misguided purported smart idea of padlocking a Government built road. Ever since the padlocking, there hasn’t been heard of any stolen sheets! Could it be that the smart inhabitants who initiated the padlocking did so as a cover-up of some smart involvements in the whole affairs?