SARIKEI: “It is impossible to forget and I will remember forever”, said an auxiliary police veteran, Zanudin Rambli, 78, as he recalled the tragedy of the MV Pulau Kidjang shipwreck at Muara Rajang.
According to Zainudin, the name of MV Pulau Kidjang is not unfamiliar to his contemporary generations, especially for those who often board the ship to commute from Sarikei to Kuching.
In fact, he said, he also had experienced boarding Pulau Kidjang several times before the ship sank.
“There is no difference between Pulau Kidjang and other passenger ships. As usual, there were cabins and cargo space. Aside from relaxing in the cabin, passengers can sit on the ship’s deck if they wanted to enjoy the scenery.
“For as long that I’ve boarded the ship, there was nothing to worry about because the ship was quite comfortable and stable. In fact, even if the weather is bad and even high waves, Pulau Kidjang can still be handled well,” he told Suara Sarawak.
Zainudin added that using Pulau Kidjang was a very nostalgic experience and left an impression that may not be felt by today’s generation.
Even though he is old, the grandfather of 17 grandchildren is still able to remember the story of his voyage with the passenger ship that will be a memory for the rest of his life.
At that time, he said, he would often travel to Kuching to visit relatives as well as to spend time off with his family.
“Pulau Kidjang anchored at the Jalan Nyelong jetty before sailing at 5pm. If we do not want to miss the ship, we must arrive at the port early.
“As the long voyage period of around 11 to 12 hours, some passengers brought their own food supply — however, food was also provided by the ship’s crew.
“The presence of many passengers made the atmosphere quite lively and it eliminates our boredom during the voyage,” he added.
Recalling the moment during the incident, Zainudin said, he found out about the tragedy after performing Subuh prayer.
He recalled that a few days before the disaster, the weather was unpredictable — apart from strong winds and heavy rain that seemed to be a sign that something bad was about to happen.
“During this incident, I was in Kampung Selalang. Still vivid in memory, the entire village went chaotic when residents got the news of this shipwreck. The atmosphere at that time was a bit gloomy and dark, and some refused to believe the news they just received,” he continued.
During the tragedy, Zainudin took on the trust as the deputy chairman of the Sarawak United Youth Organisation (Saberkas) of Kampung Selalang.
As soon as he heard the news, he and three other Saberkas members of Kampung Selalang rushed to get a boat to the scene, with hopes of finding survivors.
“Using a boat with a 30-horsepower engine, we left the jetty of Kampung Selalang as early as 7am. However, as soon as we arrived at Muara Selalang, we had to turned back due to the rough sea conditions.
“During the round trip, we did not find any victims but, on the same day, the residents found the body of a woman. She was temporarily placed on the base before being sent to Sarikei Hospital,” he explained.
Zainudin also stated that even though the dark event had been 47 years ago, it still left an impression — in fact, every second that happened during the incident will be remembered until the end of his life.
“Maybe many young people today do not know about Pulau Kidjang but for generations of our age, the name will continue to remain forever.
“I just hope there is an effort to include this event in the Malaysian history syllabus to ensure that it is learned and a lesson to future generations,” he concluded.
