SISTEM POLITIK TRADISIONAL KESULTANAN BRUNEI DI TUARAN SEMASA PEMERINTAHAN SULTAN ABDUL MOMIN (1877-1885): SUATU GENEOLOGI SEJARAH

ABSTRACT    The location of Tuaran River is on the coastal river area on the west coast of North Borneo. The emergence of the Tuaran River area has long existed since the era of Sultan Abdul Momin’s rule as stated in the agreement letter with Maharajah Overbeck on 29 December 1877. However, the administration system of Tuaran was taken over and implemented by Brunei dignitaries such as Pengiran Abdul Rauf, Pengiran Siti Anak Khatijah, Pengiran Muda Muhammad, and Pengiran Muda Muhammad Hassan. These leaders however have their own people, especially the Bajau ethnic group who resided mainly in the coastal area of the Tuaran River. Furthermore, in Brunei’s traditional territorial ownership system on the west coast of North Borneo, Tuaran is designated as the sole area with a Kuripan River status. This means that the river itself has been fully administered by Brunei dignitaries. Additionally, there are sources of western records implying that the Tuaran River is a centre for meeting and commerce among the communities on land and sea such as Bajau and Dusun. Hence, it is not surprising that the Tuaran River is an important river as both communities need each other to meet their daily requirements. By majority, the area is occupied by the Bajau community as they were the original native occupants of the Tuaran River coastal area. More interestingly, during the rule of Sultan Abdul Momin, the Tuaran area was handed over to the British North Borneo Company on April 5, 1884. This study used a literature research method with the archive as the main source for this research. This article will explain the importance of the Bajau community and the administration system at Tuaran River during the rule of Sultan Abdul Momin from 1877 to 1885. ABSTRAK   Kedudukan Sungai Tuaran adalah di kawasan persisiran Sungai di sebelah pantai barat Borneo Utara. Kemunculan di kawasan Sungai Tuaran sudah lama wujud sejak dari zaman pemerintahan Sultan Abdul Momin yang dinyatakan dalam surat perjanjian dengan Maharajah Overbeck pada 29 Disember tahun 1877. Namun, sistem pentadbiran di Tuaran telah diambil alih dan dilaksanakan oleh golongan pembesar Brunei seperti Pengiran Abdul Rauf, Pengiran Siti Anak Khatijah, Pengiran Muda Muhammad dan Pengiran Muda Muhammad Hassan. Pimpinan  tersebut mempunyai rakyat tersendiri, khususnya etnik Bajau yang kebanyakannya menetap di kawasan persisiran Sungai Tuaran. Tambahan pula, dalam sistem pemilikan wilayah tradisional Brunei di pantai barat Borneo Utara, Tuaran merupakan satu-satunya kawasan yang berstatus Sungai Kuripan. Ini bermaksud bahawa Sungai tersebut telah ditadbir urus sepenuhnya oleh golongan pembesar Brunei. Di samping itu, terdapat sumber catatan barat bahawa Sungai Tuaran ini merupakan pusat pertemuan dan perdagangan di antara masyarakat yang berada di daratan mahupun lautan seperti Bajau dan Dusun. Tidak hairanlah bahawa Sungai Tuaran merupakan sungai terpenting  bagi  kedua-dua masyarakat tersebut yang saling memerlukan untuk memenuhi keperluan harian mereka. Secara majoritinya, kawasan tersebut telah didiami oleh masyarakat Bajau kerana  mereka merupakan penghuni tetap asal di persisiran Sungai Tuaran. Lebih menarik lagi, kawasan Tuaran telah diserahkan kepada British North Borneo Company pada 5 April 1884 semasa pemerintahan Sultan Abdul Momin. Kaedah penyelidikan ini menggunakan kaedah kajian kepustakaan dengan arkib sebagai sumber rujukan kajian. Makalah ini akan menjelaskan tentang kepentingan masyarakat Bajau dan sistem pentadbiran di Sungai Tuaran semasa pemerintahan Sultan Abdul Momin dari tahun 1877 sehingga 1885.