V : Yes, Thank You Sir, Good Evening Too, My Name Is Valentina

Valentina

I : Ok, good evening, maam, let me introduce myself, I am Mr. Darius, from law faculty, University of Tanjungpura. We have a cooperation with a University.. a university in China, Xi’an Jiaotong Liverpool University. We come here to record, how is the life story of people in the transboundary. You are one of the people that we want to interview. Then, you can tell us about the life when you were little until now. Yes.. in.. what was it.. in Jagui Babang. May I know what is your name?

V : Yes, thank you sir, good evening too, my name is Valentina.

I : (Repeat) Valentina?

V : Yes, I come from Jagui Babang, originated from Jagui Babang.

I : Was born..? Grew up in..?

V : In Jagui Babang.

I : (Repeat) Jagui Babang.. ok.. can you tell us a little bit more, how... you were born here right, and you see and feel the life in Jagui Babang, from the past until now.

V : Yes.

I : The life experience from the past..

V : The experience childhood, sir?

I : From the past, yes..

V : The past moment, the childhood moment.. indeed when I was little.. errr... I grew up here, and then about the age of... errr... above 5 years old, almost 6 years old, yes.. my parents took me to the border region, the one that is directly facing Malaysia over there.. So we.. errr... for school, we always went by foot, back and forth everyday, we use... er... because at that moment there was no vehicle, the road was still very small...

I : (Interupt) where did you go to school?

V : I went to SD 1 Jagui Babang (SD = Elementary School)

I : Jagui Babang?

V : Yes, Jagui Babang

I : How far was it from your place?

V : From my place, it was about.. errr.. 5 kilometers, by foot, at that moment.. so after that.. well.. so.. well.. indeed because this area was so.. what is that.. not yet.. at that moment it wasn’t yet.. what does it call.. not yet touched by.. errrr.. what is the name.. the area of our own country, which means, our country, because it was close with the transboundary, so at that moment it was just opened, sir. So.. errr... our parents.. err... there were many people passing by foot and errr... even if we went home, there were many of us who got lost, because of the road was still.. what is the term of it..

I : Forest, right?

V : Yes. Not yet.. It was still forest. Still passed the forest back and forth, after that.. err..

I : What is the most memorable thing for you when you experience.. errr.. a situation like that?

V : Yes.. at that moment, because the border was, identic with people, for example we can say that in the past there were a lot of people were trading, sir. A lot of tradings in the border area. Then we.. well.. because of many goods were passing by, then it appeared the desire to make money. So, at that moment, we were still little as well, I was still in elementary, I remember.. I usually came with, err.. what is the name for it.. took things, using ambingan.. well, so we are ‘mengambing’ (carying things using ambingan, put on the top of our head – not sure, just guess from their gesture)

I : What kind of goods were brought there?

V : Err... At that time, for me, there were soaps, LUX soaps if I’m not mistaken..

I : From Malaysia?

V : The one from Indonesia, to the region of..

I : (Interupt) Malaysia..

V : Yes. There were batteries, ABC batteries or what else..

I : (Interupt) the one that were wanted to be sold over there?

V : Yes, in the past. After that we also had done that.. then..

I : When you sold those, in and out, was there any prohibition or what.. was there any obstacle? Or it was free(loose)?

V : Because we just got to Srikin, sir, so.. err... It seemed the prohibition didn’t exist.

I : No one guarded the border?

V : At that moment, not yet.

I : Not yet right?

V : Not yet.

I : Free(loose) right?

V : Yes, so we are free to.. err... trade at that time

I : Errr... so how was the people’s life around the border? Was... Where was the source of their income? Or.. errr... From where they sustained their daily life?

V : If at that time, sir.. most of us were.. errr.. farmer. Yes, that was the first, then the second, we seemed to expect from.. err.. mengojek (doing ojek / carry people using motorcycle), become a pengojek (the profession of mengojek), yes.. and then..

I : (Interupt) Mengojek and bearers?

V : Bearers..

I : Got paid, didn’t they?

V : Yes, so every morning the people passed by for mengojek at the border, now indeed the people..

I : (Interupt) Who? Who were the people?

V : The people of Jagui Babang.

I : Jagui Babang..

V : Yes, the people of Jagui.

I : And getting paid from bearing goods?

V : Yes. Yes.. so we only used that because it was.. at that moment the forests were also wide. So there were people who.. errr.. farming beside that.

I : But to get in and out was free(loose), wasn’t it?

V : Free(loose).

I : An then.. Usually, what did they bring back to Indonesia? To Jagui?

V : From.. Usually it was empty(we usually didn’t bring anything).

I : Empty? Didn’t bring any goods?

V : But there were also if.. err.. traders, who were really trade, entered directly to Malaysia. Errr.. got into Indonesia, they were.. what did they carry..

I : Basic commodities?

V : Ah.. like.. Onion, if I’m not mistaken, then.. what was it..?

I : Sembako (Indonesian term of 9 basic commodities) perhaps?

V : Yes.. there was also sembako, and then..

I : That.. until what time was that? Going through that kind of things? About..?

V : The year of 9... what was..

I : Let’s say about 90?

V : Let’s say 90, about 90.

I : The year of 90s still experienced the events like that?

V : Yes, about 90s.

I : Well.. at that time, err.. did you ever realize if the road to Srikin was passing the border? At that moment? Did you know that “We were passing the border”? Did you realized at that time?

V : Ok.. If I may say.. We indeed went through the border, but basically, because myself personally might not understand very well, sir..

I : Not yet understand right?

V : Yes, I was not understand yet

I : Your parents didn’t tell you “here, we passed the border of Indonesia and Malaysia”, no?

V : No.. They ever told us that this was the border, that was all. But we didn’t know, the meaning under that statement, we didn’t know.

I : But in your own feeling.. did you feel that, “Oh, I went to Srikin, passed the country border” did you feel that?

V : There was a sense of pride, sir. There was a sense of pride that we.. ah... people.. what is the name of it.. Indonesian country (I think she meant Indonesian people) can enter the neighbor country. Eh.. without using any document or anything else, there was really a sense of pride. But after we know.. well.. We cannot pass through this country just like that, but there were a lot of things that we must.. ah.. what is that.. noticed over that, and it was not that easy if we see what happen now, it was not that easy, right? For us to enter the region over there.

I : Nah... and then.. errr.. When was the beginning of the regulation that if we want to go there, we need to use documents, since when was that?

V : ..year..

I : What year approximately?

V : (murmur) SMP.. SMA.. (SMP = junior high, SMA = senior high).. year.. maybe about 2000 sir.

I : Oh.. it was just about the 2000s?

V : 2000s, maybe.. I think..

I : Have just used the PLB (Pos Lintas Batas – a required document to pass the border)?

V : Yes..

I : It was never before?

V : Well.. That time was when I had finished elementary, I directly went to Seluas, at that time, I finished junior high, junior high I was in Seluas, I directly went to Singkawang. Singkawang directly to Pontianak. So I really..

I : (Interupt) Didn’t experience it, did you?

V : Yes, I didn’t experience it.

I : So.. feel right here.. now if we want to go, we need passport right?

V : Yes, for us it’s PLB.

I : Oh PLB..

V : PLB.

I : What..

V : Pos Lintas Batas

I : (Repeat) Pos Lintas Batas.. well.. errr.. that might be conducted 20 years ago right? If now, it is easier or harder than before? To get there?

V : Harder, sir.

I : Harder? In which way?

V : Well.. for example when we travel, indeed we need letters(permits). Well.. if only we..

I : (Interupt) The license right?

V : Yes, if we don’t use... errr.. letter(permits), or...

I : (Interupt) Document, right?

V : Document, yes. Maybe we can be deported back, and then certain goods that we carry, need to go through inspection.

I : So, was it good in the past or now, approximately? For that matter?

V : Err.. if we say good.. in the past.. how was it sir.. well it was good, it was good too.. like that.. but we go back to the.. what is that.. because each year the regualation will always exist, it will change more.. like that..

I : Do you have any family over there? In Malaysia? Have a family as well?

V : I have.

I : Existed?

V : Family..blood related or..

I : Well.. any family

V : Yes I have

I : You have? The one that is still a close family?

V : Yes, still

I : Still often pay a visit there?

V : Yes

I : Nah.. for visiting, you also need to use document right?

V : (Interupt) Use.. use..

I : For example from singkawang or else..

V : We must use PLB, we must.

I : Oh, so it’s still a must?

V : For now it’s still.

I : Still, right? Then.. Is there any.. have something.. because already live there.. land or house over there?

V : No

I : There is not?

V : There is not.

I : Why? Not interested or.. not allowed or why?

V : How is it sir.. because we think it is other people’s country, so we don’t have any thought to buy land or vehicle or anything else there, sir. There is no thought for something like that..

I : Ok.. Ah... then.. if you see 5-10 years from now, approximately, the image of this later, like the different of the border, with a good road now, there is the transboundary post.. and you think, The border here will be like what?

V : Yes.. if I see.. 5 years from now, 10 years from now, perhaps this border area will be more advanced, will be more developed, and will be more development that are exsisted in this area. Then the vision of the people, the knowledge of the people as well, towards.. aa.. what is the name for it.. errr.. education sir. Especially in the field of education. Well.. because indeed in the pass, people’s thought about education.. for example if we see right here, it is really very far sir.

I : Is there any influence from education, to see Malaysia, become more advanced, then feel moved to education?

V : Indeed, indeed.. well, what is called as a country, for the term of a country which wwants to be developed, how can we.. err.. the term.. our area also have to be able to compete with other areas, that is for sure.

I : Ah.. another question, perhaps you see, listen.. err... there are young people here who might get married with young Malaysian people, are there any? At..at.. that.. then they choose to be what? The citizen of Malaysia or the wife come here or one still be Indonesian citizen, one still be Malaysia n citizen? The one that you know.

V : Errr.. if like.. if the one that I know, indeed, because what we call as people’s right sir, we also cannot force it. But there was also people who get married here, then err.. get married with people from Malaysia, there are also couple who live here, perhaps because they face difficulties to procceed.. ah.. what is the name for it.. the letters. Yes.. and there are also couple who get married here and stay there, there are also couple like that.

I : So... (not sure what did he say, it was not clear and there was an interuption)

V : (Interupt) So, there are also.. for example, the wife come from here, the husband come from there, there are also.. what is the term.. they are still, if the wife still stay here, he stay there, but they sometimes stay here and sometimes go there, but still the citizen of our country.

I : If there that influence.. because.. you come from the Bidayuh (name of a tribe) right? That is still Bidayuh or..

V : Still.

I : Because Bidayuh, equally Bidayuh they think, oh well, we don’t have to think about the citizenship, as long as we are the same Bidayuh. Is there any thought like that? The one that, just now, said that “Well, we don’t need to change our citizenship” for example. Is it a factor which ease the marriage?

V : Up until now, I never hear something like that sir.

I : No?

V : Yes. So we.. because indeed.. for something that I know, I think there is no one who change their citizen. Not yet.

I : Eventhough already married?

V : Eventhough we are close to the area of Malaysia overthere.

I : The one just now, is it because of the same Bidayuh factor, eventhough with Malaysia, also the same Bidayuh, is it like that? Right? Maybe yes? Well, you are teaching right? Teach PPKn (the Pancasila and citizen education)?

V : Yes.

I : Are you also teach a little bit, mention the problem of.. errr.. the relation between countries, explain our surroundings ike this, with Malaysia, what district.. is there any?

V : Yes.

I : There is any, right? Is it being taught as a local curiculum?

V : Hmm.. no. It is the part of.. errr.. what.. of PPKn as well. It is in.. the part.. what is that....?

I : So, invite them to realize that we are Indonesian citizen?

V : Yes.. yes of course

I : Go a little bit to that, Malaysian citizen and embeding that awareness...