Along the way to Lawas, we stopped by Trusan. It is a small town, and the durian lovers in us had a sampling of the famous Trusan durians, courtesy of community leaders.As we were ahead of schedule, we decided to detour to Sundar and Kampung Awat-Awat. At Sundar, we were introduced to the famous smoked ‘ikan tahai’.
‘Ikan tahai’, a unique product of Lawas waters, is popular among the people of Lawas, Limbang and Brunei. It is a must-have for visitors to Sundar and Kampung Awat-Awat to bring home.
Drug abuse is said to be rampant in Lawas, but when you hear ‘makan dadah’ in Lawas, it could mean savouring the delicious local delicacy of smoked ‘ikan tahai’.
Locals swore ‘dadah soup’ is nutritious and can cure cold and fever. It is also addictive, they claimed, because many who had tasted it yearned to return for more.
‘Ikan Tahai’ is synonymous with Kampung Awat-Awat. There, the selected fish is smoked for two days using coal fire in a special smokehouse. Once smoked, the fish can last for about a month. Preserved with sea salt, it can be eaten on its own or cooked with other dishes.
At Kampung Awat-Awat, we drove to SK Awat-Awat and had a chat with headmistress Masnah Othman.
We were told the school has 220 pupils, 19 teachers, and four staff. Although it was built in 1956, well before Malaysia came into being, its structure looked decent and well maintained.
Masnah beamed with joy when she disclosed that the government had approved a new site at Kampung Awat-Awat for a new school building.
“On behalf of the school, I wish to thank the government for the proposed new school building. It will help the students, teachers and staff to develop in their respective areas.”
Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2016/06/30/basking-in-the-warm-charm-of-northernmost-towns/#ixzz4D3cqcRLJ
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