A Song of "3 in 1" Water

We hear a track “Lg Lutin ngan Selungo” written and performed by Jeffrey Bujuang and collaborator Rossa, singing with nostalgia of the pristine waterways that snake through the forest. But the words sung don’t match the images on screen. 

In Malaysia coffee is a common drink, and often purchased in a little “3 in 1” sachet. Coffee, sugar and powdered milk, three ingredients stirred into a favourite drink. In Penan villages, communities often joke and refer to the rivers as “3 in 1” or “Milo” to describe the murky, milky brown complexions.

Sarawak’s story of water is a story of three in one — logging, filtration and health. Though we can quickly ascertain the troubles of the land post-logging, the ecological entanglements of the environment and species flows from the land into the water. With ever increasing monsoon rains exacerbated by a changing climate, the soil on the land runs off as siltation into the rivers. At logging and mining sites, this runoff also includes saw dust, chemicals and industrial pollution. At monoculture palm oil and rubber plantations, this runoff also includes pesticides. The result is a highly polluted and contaminated water way. However, without choice of an alternate source, villagers often rely on this water for bathing, washing and use for preparing and cooking meals. This often equates skin infections, upset tummies and an undisclosed host of health issues. 

Ironically, what looks like and is described as coffee, is the water that makes us sick. Nothing is ever as clear as it seems. And as we look into the depths of the murky waterways of Sarawak, we realise we can never look at aspects in isolation, instead there are many components that make up the “one”.