THE ORIGIN OF LOM TRIBE OF AIR ABIK & MAPUR REGION – in connection with the origin of Lom Tribe as follows. The spread of Malays occurred about 1,500 years BC from South Asia to Southeast Asia. They arrived and settled in Nusantara islands. In the study by Prof. Kong Yanzhi : Cross-Cultural China Indonesia (2005 ), the spread consists of two waves. First, the Old Malays (Proto-Malays), Negrito and Wedda had made the original races in the island pushed to the periphery by the Old Malay. Second, what called with Young Malay (Deutro-Malays) around 200-300 BC. The Young Malasy mingle with the Old Malay and pushed a part of them to the suburbs. The descendants of both groups that blend become a major part of the Indonesian today. According to book of Bangka Belitung Archipelago:
Semangat & Pesona Timah dan lada (2003), the Proto Malays are pushed out and run to the edge of the sea and the islands, today known as Laut Tribe. Those who run to the forest are known as Talang Mamak people, Sakai and Semang in Malaysia. Meanwhile, the Deutro-Malays are origin of Malay tribe, known as Malay people inhabit Riau Islands, including Linga, Singkep Island, Natuna Island, Anambas, Bengkalis , Rupat , Selat Panjang , Indragiri and Bangka Belitung. Especially in Bangka Island, possibly, was first landed in Tanjung Tuing in Gunung Muda region, precisely in Air Abik of currently Belinyu district. No historical records about the existence of another tribe before Lom Tribe of Air Abik & Mapur Region on Bangka Island.
Semangat & Pesona Timah dan lada (2003), the Proto Malays are pushed out and run to the edge of the sea and the islands, today known as Laut Tribe. Those who run to the forest are known as Talang Mamak people, Sakai and Semang in Malaysia. Meanwhile, the Deutro-Malays are origin of Malay tribe, known as Malay people inhabit Riau Islands, including Linga, Singkep Island, Natuna Island, Anambas, Bengkalis , Rupat , Selat Panjang , Indragiri and Bangka Belitung. Especially in Bangka Island, possibly, was first landed in Tanjung Tuing in Gunung Muda region, precisely in Air Abik of currently Belinyu district. No historical records about the existence of another tribe before Lom Tribe of Air Abik & Mapur Region on Bangka Island.
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MAGICAL MYSTERY OF LOM TRIBE – Lom people has belief until now, that should not be telling and unlocks the secrets of the magical and supernatural powers contained in hundreds of acres of Air Abik forest. This is an oath of the ancestors; whoever violated the oath would die young. Thus, the Air Abik stories have never completed. Secret and belief is in the middle of the forest, one time appeared Rumah Bubung Tujuh, Pare Akik, Batu Kakap, Batu Gendang and Batu Sabak. If they see or disruption of one among such five objects, then a catastrophe will come. For instance, forest environment destruction of Maras Mount and Palawan Belinyu Mount, which resulted in the disruption of the Batu Kakap(as a regulator of the water source). Lom people believe that Bangka Island will disappear. For them, those five objects have magical and supernatural powers, so they keep maintaining and preserving the forest. Another belief is to not cut down any trees in Air Abik forest, especially, the type of Pohon Pulih which is useful for medicine and Pohon Balik Angin which is believed as a hurricane arrester.
TODAY’S LOM TRIBE CULTURAL SOCIAL & RELIGIOUS ASPECTS – As time and era go, there was a cultural shift of traditional to modern. Lom Tribe was currently experiencing it, although their custom and culture are still attached to the image as an isolated person or tribe. An example that currently, most Lom people have settled in permanent settlements in the form of Air Abik village, though a small part still choose to live nomadically inland of Air Abik forest with natural clothing and housing. Originally, Lom Tribe lives nomadically in groups amid the forest and move as the opening of new fields. The government found difficulties for collecting the data for the native communities of Bangka Island. In 1973, the ORBA government intensified the Isolated Community Village Project (PMKT) to build 75 semi-permanent houses with tile roofs, walls and boards in Air Abik hamlet. The houses newly occupied in 1977 and now have become a small village with 200 families.
The communities then called as the Lom Luar tribe because of the modernization has settled and we can easily encounter. In the Air Abik hamlet occupied by Lom Luar tribe, government had built a mosque and not far from it also build a church but both of them seems to not work and managed properly. Outside the village, there are approximately 40 families who still choose to live primitively and nomadically in the forest rely on nature cultivation and they are called as Lom Dalam tribe. They consist of small groups which choose to live far apart in leather wood and thatched palm leaves of houses. They can move any time into the middle of the forest when outsiders come to be closer with them. The groups tend to be hiding perhaps the escape character is still attached to them. The unique thing from them that their clothes made of leaves and just covers certain parts.
They rarely use technology such as short due to their assumption that something outside the groups is not good. Both of Lom Luar or Lom Dalam tribe have elders who are considered having supernatural powers called Dukon Beseak (Dukun Besar = Indonesian), which still exist today include: Mang Sikat, Mang Saki etc. The Lom tribe also known occupied in Mapur Village which currently belong to administration area of Riau Silip district only about 8 km from the hamlet Air Abik in district Belinyu. In Mapur village is now registered ± 800 souls with the composition: Lom tribe, Tiong Hwa people and migrants from Java, Sumatra and Flores. Mosque and Musholla are available in Mapur Village and they are used as it should and the elementary schools which are in demand by the people. Those are a glimpse about Lom Tribe of Air Abik & Mapur Region.