Bajau boat builder keeps lepa tradition alive

At 74 years old, Biskal Mastal is preserving a Bajau boat-building tradition that he learned from his father at the age of 12. The Semporna villager has constructed approximately 30 lepa boats, each taking about a year to complete and measuring around 11 meters in length. The elaborate design of the boats carries cultural significance, and skilled artisans can carve them by hand. The boats are crafted from red seraya wood, known for its durability even when used at sea.

Once used by the Bajau community for fishing and sea travel, the lepa boats have since been replaced by modern speedboats. Biskal now builds the boats mainly for his personal use and for the annual Regatta Lepa, a celebration of Bajau culture and tradition. During cultural events and important community occasions, such as khatam Quran ceremonies, the boats are adorned with multi-layered flags and sail decorations known as sambulayang, with the red color symbolizing courage and yellow representing dignity or status. Lanterns serve as essential lighting on the boats.

Biskal's boat-making skills have earned him lucrative income of up to RM100,000 per boat. He also creates custom miniature versions of the boats as souvenirs, with five full-sized boats located in Putrajaya. Despite the demand and the annual Regatta Lepa celebration, Biskal expresses concern that the boat-making tradition may disappear as fewer people are interested in learning the craft.

There used to be four skilled artisans, but Biskal is now the only one alive. His youngest child is learning the craft, and Biskal hopes the government will encourage more people to take up the tradition.