Hari Raya and Teachers Day

Yesterday i took some pictures of the big event in School. Lots of entertainment and of course plentiful food served. Check out the photos below.

Getting ready for National Anthem.

Pose like a superstar.

Read this blog or else we'll make you read!

Free History info..Come and Get it!

A group photo with 7R.

Y in HISTORY means You!

Gimme a piece of history.

We are the Queens of History.

Dramatic Monologue

A few weeks ago i asked my history students to write a persona poem or also known as dramatic monologue. It’s a poem which the students have to write a historical character (in this case James Brooke) and they have to mask his identity and character in relation to what they have learned.They only have to write the poem and not required to utter it to the whole class.

It’s not a surprise that only a few have chose the TIER 3 free verse dramatic monologue. Mostly preferred to do the standard and basic tier with writing frame given. Anyway, here are some products of their terrific work:

Comments are welcomed.

Year 7 field trip to Brunei Museum

History department organised a field trip to Brunei Museum at Kota Batu not long ago on 14 March 2011. The students didn’t get much to see because the galleries on the first floor underwent renovation and repairs. I still remember the smell of the paint caused a bit of headache or nausea for others. Even though the trip didn’t go well to plan, students were really excited and most importantly gained experience of learning history outside school.

Year 7 BETRU – Ready…Say CHHEEEESSSEE!

Vote – The greatest Sultan of Brunei

The Sultans mentioned were considered to be well known as they are commonly found in textbooks and academic books for their own respective achievements at different period of time in Brunei. I let you decide – who was the greatest Sultan of Brunei ever lived?

 

Comments are always welcomed.

The Man behind the Attack of Brunei 1846

Over a short period of years particularly from 1846 to 1847, Sultan of Brunei was continually threatened and intimidated by the British to cede more of its territories and privileges (though in return the Sultan received annual payment) that ended with the unavoidable signing of treaties hugely favoured on the British side.

No doubt that James Brooke’s scheme and his personal motive was the main factor behind this successful feat of the British to take place but really would he be able to do it alone? Surely he needed help from someone else (a naval commander perhaps?) to make things run smoothly according to plan. So who was he? Who was this man that made such threats and attack so unbearable that the Sultan could not simply say NO? The answer to that is of course: SIR THOMAS JOHN COCHRANE.

He was responsible for the attack of Brunei in 1846 at the same time destroying the forts and also the cession of Labuan (though he just instructed Captain Rodney Mundy to take charge under his command). On top of that, he heavily involved in anti-piracy operations in Borneo.

For more information click this link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Thomas_John_Cochrane

The other Thomas Cochrane - same name but different person

Was Sir James Brooke a married person?

Hoping no student will ask me that quite ‘sensitive’ question but soon they noticed that he was that kind-of-a-person (if you know what i mean *smile*). I have difficulty to defend that he was not that kind-of-a-person (for moral sake) and apparently i found out that he was ‘believed to be’ married to the grand daughter of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien II. Click this link below to read more about his personal life.

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/James_Brooke

However, it could be true that he was officially “unmarried and without issue” passed down the title Raja to the son of his sister.

Sir James Brooke

Is Jackie Chan a History fan?

Who doesn’t know this man – JACKIE CHAN? A talented and hardworking actor yet humble. I read in his diary recently and found that he repeatedly said ‘History’ exactly 4 times (not in the same sentence of course) to describe his thoughts on his visit to the White House. Click here to read his diary: http://jackiechan.com/blog/1154189–My-Visit-to-the-White-House

He seems fond of History knowing that his latest film soon to be released is 1911 (a story of the founding of the Republic of China when Sun Yat-Sen’s forces overthrew the Qing Dynasty) and in fact in his interview the reason why he choose to produce the film as he quoted ‘Young people will be able to easily Forget history, many of them only know that Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, we take this historical theme is to remind young people to want to repeat history.’ Good words from a great man!

Comments welcome.

Pengiran Indera Mahkota

Before Pengiran Indera Mahkota was known by that title, his real name was Pengiran Mohd Salleh ibnu Pengiran Sharifuddin. He was born in Sambas. His father was a descendant of Sultan Abdul Hakkul Mubin.

Pengiran Md Salleh was a well-educated man during his time. He was educated at Batavia and later furthered his studies in Holland.

Around 1820 the reigning Sultan at that time Sultan Muhammad Kanzul Alam summoned Pg Md Salleh to return to Brunei. His Highness then conferred on him the title Pengiran Indera Mahkota. Since then he was better knownby the title Pengiran Indera Mahkota. Seven years later Pengiran Indera Mahkota was given the task to act as the head of Government or Governor of Sarawak representing the Sultan of Brunei. It was Pengiran Indera Mahkota who first founded Kuching at a site named Lidah Tanah.

Around 1834 while Pengiran Indera Mahkota was ruling Sarawak Pengiran Muda Hashim arrived there to try to collect revenue. The reigning Sultan at that time was Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien II the nephew of Pengiran Muda Hashim.

Pengiran Muda Hashim’s arrival was not personally recieved by Pengiran Indera Mahkota. He only sent his officers to recieve him while he himself waited in his court. This act hurt Pengiran Muda Hashim’s feelings  and he accused Pengiran Indera Mahkota of not respecting him, an uncle of the Sultan. Pengiran Indera Mahkota’s justification was that since he was appointed by the Sultan surely he had the right to do what he thought was right. Since that day the conflict between the two started and it became worse with the arrival of James Brooke.

With Pengiran Muda Hashim in Sarawak, the Government of Sarawak was split into two. This gave rise to an uneasy situation in Sarawak. Besides this, there were constant quarrels among the Dayaks.

Pengiran Indera Mahkota was an intelligent man who was bold enough to face any problems. This contradicted the view held by some western historians who said that he was a tyrant. James Brooke himself acknowledged Pengiran Indera Mahkota’s shrewdness, as he had so recorded in his diary. It was because of his shrewdness that he was not influenced by James Brooke. Rather James Brooke regarded him as a threat to his plan of taking over Sarawak.

Pengiran Indera Mahkota knew the promise made between James Brooke and Pengiran Muda Hashim and saw it as a threat that could see Brunei became smaller and weaker. He devised several ways to get rid of James Brooke from Sarawak. Possibly this attitude of his led some historians to regard him as tyrannical. Pengiran Indera Mahkota’s actions had caused James Brooke to threaten to kill Pengiran Indera Mahkota’s followers should Pengiran Muda Hashim fail to fulfil his promise immediately. The threat was made on 24th September 1841. On that very day he was forced to proclaim James Brooke as the ruler of Sarawak. He did this in order to avoid bloodshed in the country.

It was only on 1st August 1842 that James Brooke was officially appointed as Raja Sarawak by the Sultan of Brunei. The appointment hurt Pengiran Indera Mahkota’s feelings because his post as Governor of Sarawak had not been abolished yet. In view of this Pengiran Indera Mahkota withdrew from Sarawak. He went to Batang Lupar and from there he travelled along the coast of Sarawak, finally settling down in Mukah.

Pengiran Indera Mahkota stayed for some time in Mukah. It was only in 1845 that Pengiran Indera Mahkota returned to Brunei when he was recalled by Pengiran Anak Abdul Momin, the son-in-law and assistant of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II. It was during his voyage to Brunei that he started composing Syair Rakis and after several months in Brunei he completed his works. One copy of his book was presented to Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien II and another to Pengiran Anak Abdul Momin.

Because Syair Rakis contained various kinds of advice, guidance and lessons, many copies of the original were made. These copies were given to the chiefs to read.

In 1852 Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien II passed away and Pengiran Anak Abdul Momin was crowned the twenty-fourth Sultan of Brunei. Sultan Abdul Momin conferred the title of Pengiran Shahbandar on Pengiran Indera Mahkota, one of the highest honours in Brunei in Brunei at that time.

James Brooke always kept up with the development of Brunei. He was rather concerned about the presence of Pengiran Shahbandar in Brunei. James Brooke made use of other people to eliminate Pengiran Shahbandar. It was said that there was a revolt in Limbang. On James Brooke’s instigation, the family of Pengiran Muda Hashim suggested that Pengiran Shahbandar lead an army to Limbang to settle the revolt which was said to have broken out there.

On the way to Limbang at a place called Lubai, Pengiran Shahbandar who could not swim was made to drown by capsizing his boat. He was buried at Kianggeh on 1858.