Some of Iban nowaday trying so hard to not to be one, at least from the outside. But deep inside, no matter how hard you hide, the fact of that you're Iban can never be change. It's like the photo uploaded above, ripped of the skin, there are "Bungai Terung" inside.
In conjunction with the development in the world today, Iban has lost their identity.
Name:
The original name of Iban like Laja, Sumang, Tindit, Menjang, Unga etc can hardly being found these day in every name list of the new students registered in primary school.
Language:
Speak to any young generation of Iban today, you'll found out among 10 words they speaks, maybe half of it if not all was, Bahasa Melayu or Bahasa Melayu Sarawak.
Attire:
Among 10 selected Iban men, half of them if not all know not how to use traditional "Sirat" or lioncloth in a correct way.
Traditional attire of Iban these day has dimped into "Rojak", where you may found small part of every ethnics attire mixed into one and they called it by then, so-called Iban's attire. But for those who knew, its not. Look at the recent Miss Fair and Lovely attire, non of them were original.
Music:
How many Iban knows that their traditional music was "Tabuh"? Instruments, some even thought it was Sape and some don't even know what is "engkerunung".
Culture:
Pick 10 random Iban men, see how many of them has "Bungai Terung" on their shoulder? Don't be surprise if you found dragon.
Conclusion:
If things like this keep on growing and never change, one day, its not impossible if you found:
An Iban with name like Fernando Torres who can't speak Iban, add-up songkok for traditional attire, playing electric guitar for "ngajat", and a Yakuza tattoed full Body.
It is not IMPOSSIBLE.
