Asia Times: Old water village drowning in modern problems



	March 26, 1999	atimes.com

Southeast Asia

Old water village drowning in modern problems
By Kalinga Seneviratne

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN - The sight of its unique housesthat seem to be floating above the water is enough to put it in aclass of its own. But Kampong Ayer is also replete with history,having been part of this small but oil-rich sultanate for morethan a thousand years.

Indeed, the historic water village at the center of the capitalgoes to the very heart of Brunei's seafaring cultural roots. Butthere are fears that Kampong Ayer and the traditions it representsmay soon disappear as the country hurtles toward a more modernlifestyle.

Consisting of more than 3,000 houses built on stilts over thewater, Kampong Ayer is home to 10 percent of Brunei's 300,000-strong population and forms a significant part of its capitalcity. It has 36 kilometers of walkways mainly supported by concretecolumns decked with meter-wide timber piles.

Alongside the houses, there are also retail shops, eating houses,mosques and schools. It is more than a mere village and couldbecome a great tourist attraction - if and when Brunei decides topromote tourism as a major industry.

At the moment, however, the government is too preoccupied overhow to control the population movement to and from the villagewithout jeopardizing its historic character, while at the sametime maintaining modern standards of dwelling and sanitation.

This saddens Bruneians such as Abdul Aziz of the GeographyDepartment of the Universiti Brunei Darussalam. ''Kampong Ayer isculturally and historically the most famous, as well as thelargest, water settlement in the Southeast Asian region,'' henotes. ''It was historically the very core of Brunei and one ofthe most important centres of trade in Borneo."

Kampong Ayer's recorded history goes back to at least 1,300years. It formed a formidable network of commercial and maritimesettlements along with Melaka, Sri Vijaya, Johor and Pasai.

Raised above the water level, the houses at Kampong Ayer remainuniquely Bruneian in architecture and style. Much of the houses'distinct character is due to use of rattan and leaves, combinedwith timber.

But major fires in recent years have discouraged residents fromrebuilding damaged houses with the same materials. After abig blaze a few years ago, in fact, the government built anentirely new community on the water using paved concrete slabpathways and fiber-houses on concrete bases.

The houses have also been provided with amenities such as pipedwater, gas supplies and sewage and waste disposal systems.

''When our houses were burnt down, the government built theseones for us,'' says Kampong Ayer resident Latifa. ''We pay 162dollars a month . . . maybe for another 30 years. But, we own thehouses already."

Latifah says her family has not considered moving to a house onland because, used to the water village's lifestyle, they enjoy it. ''If we are happy,'' she says, ''and the government iswilling to help us, why should we move?"

Besides, Kampong Ayer, which is adjacent to the cityadministrative and employment centre, happens to have a veryconvenient location. Urban planner Idris Haj Belaman also says thelower cost of living, including virtually free land tenure, is a factor that helps attract people to live in the water village.

Still, a study done recently by Aziz has found that although thesettlement holds a nostalgic place in the hearts of the Malays ofBrunei, the population at Kampong Ayer has declined dramaticallyduring this decade.

He names pollution and fire hazards as two of the mainreasons for the population drift away from the water village.

Other modern-day realities have also seeped into the village. Thesettlement traditionally housed the country's best craftsmen andartisans, but today, according to Aziz's study, it has becomethe home for mainly unskilled laborers. There are also manymigrant workers from India, Bangladesh and Thailand living inKampong Ayer today.

And while in many cities the biggest danger facing those who arereturning home after dark may be that of getting mugged in astreet corner, residents of the water village say their worries atnight are no less dangerous.

There is almost no lighting in public areas so it is risky totravel at night as high-speed taxi boats criss-cross the water.

A few months ago, four people died within a span of just twoweeks because of accidents involving the water taxis after dark.Police patrols on the water have since been increased after apublic outcry.

Recently, residents in some of the old timber houses complainedthat during high tides and thunderstorms, they feel as if they aresinking into the river. They may be right. Many of the old housesrest on shallow muddy foundations, which are settling so fast thatthe river water almost reach their floor levels at high tide.

''We dare not go to bed,'' says Awang bin Sunggoh, who lives in awooden house that is believed to be more than a century old.''High tide coupled with the downpour may spell disaster."

He adds, ''The recently built houses fare better, especiallythose on raised concrete piles are safe from invading river."

While all the villagers of Kampong Ayer own their houses, they donot have ownership of the space over which their residences float.

But Idris argues that Kampong Ayer must be preserved and isagainst offering government money to coerce residents there tomove out and build houses on land. Instead, he says, what shouldbe done is improve housing standards in the village.

''Kampong Ayer is a national heritage,'' he says. ''Whatever itmay be, there should be a balance between conserving our nationalheritage that is Kampong Ayer and the need for a more dynamic andsophisticated development."

To make it a modern urban development model, Idris even advocatesexploiting Kampong Ayer's potential to become a touristdestination, by providing chalet accommodation and restaurants onthe water for tourists.

(Inter Press Service)

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