Hanxin College Invites Dr. Ong Tee Chuan to Share His Views on Iban Society and Culture
Oneworld Hanxin College's July "Hanxin Lecture Series" invited Dr. Ong Tee Chuan to deliver a course titled "After Interracial Marriage: Re-understanding the Iban People," guiding the public to rediscover the Iban people, Sarawak's largest indigenous group, through personal experience and historical context.In the minds of many Peninsular Malaysians, the Iban people live in Borneo, separated from their daily lives by the South China Sea, seemingly distant from our daily routines. However, when a Peninsular Chinese person enters an Iban family, transcending cultural and ethnic boundaries, what they see is a much richer, more authentic, and more historically significant Iban society than stereotypes suggest.
Dr. Ong graduated from the University of Malaya's Faculty of Medicine and is currently a specialist in clinical hematology at Ampang Hospital in Selangor. During his early service in Sarawak, he met his life partner in Kuching and formed a family with his Iban wife. Over the years, he has deeply engaged with Iban society as a family member, gaining unique and profound observations on local culture and ethnic changes.
This sharing session will begin with the historical background of Borneo, Sarawak, and the Iban people, and will explore how traditional societies undergo transformation and change in the wave of modernization, drawing on the transformation of Iban communities in the 1960s documented in *The Land of the Hornbills*.
The speaker will also share observations from their many years as an Iban family member, discussing the changes in values, education, lifestyles, and cultural identity among three generations of Iban people, as well as the cultural understanding and reflection brought about by interracial marriage.
The course will be held on July 15th, 22nd, 28th, and August 5th, from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM at Oneworld Hanxin College. The registration fee is RM80 per person, with a minimum of 15 participants.
In Malaysia's diverse society, cross-cultural understanding not only helps promote understanding between ethnic groups but also allows us to rethink our own cultural position and identity. This course aims to provide the public with a new perspective on Iban society through a combination of historical, social observation, and personal experience.
We cordially invite members of the public interested in Borneo culture, indigenous studies, and intercultural communication to register. Interested individuals can click here (https://tinyurl.com/HanxinIban2026) to fill out the registration form. For any inquiries, please contact the Hanxin College via WhatsApp at 018-9670599 or email [email protected].
