KUCHING: Happiness filled the air at the Hari Raya event cum family reunion for over 200 Pengiran clan members at Rajah Court Hotel here last Sunday.
The reunion was the first to be held following the recent founding of Persatuan Keturunan dan Waris Pengiran Sarawak (PKWPS), the organiser of the event.
Its chairman Dayangku Sa’adiah Datuk Sri Awang Hipni said the event was an important milestone for PKWPS which had just been successfully registered and approved by the state’s Registrar of Society.
“We are now a registered association starting from the middle of May this year, aiming to forge closer ties between our members,” she explained in her speech at the event.
The guests, who came from all over the state, including Miri, Bintulu and Kota Samarahan, were treated to a variety of traditional dishes like umai, cencaluk, ayam merah, gulai daging, laksa, apom lenggang, fried koay teow and ais kacang.
Three elderly ladies were also there to entertain the crowd with a “bermukun” (Sarawak pantun or poetry) performance. There was also a silat (Malay martial art) performance.
Muhd Faiz Rusydi, 26, said he was excited to attend the Raya cum reunion event.
“I am very happy and excited to have the opportunity to meet Pengiran descendants. Many of them drove more than eight hours just to attend the event,” said the secretary of PKWP Kuching branch.
A mother, Dayang Noramissiah Awang Othman from Samarahan, who attended the event with family, was also pleased to meet many new people who shared the same family tree.
“It was splendid because throughout my life, I have never thought that my name with the title of Dayang had historical significance,” the 31-year-old lady told New Sarawak Tribune.
Before the Brooke rule, the Pengirans, who came from Brunei’s royal family, ruled Sarawak.
