You stand before a cluster of houses, some traditional wooden, some modern brick. The air buzzes with the sounds of life: children laughing, roosters crowing, the occasional car engine. You are in Mata-Mata, a village nestled in the heart of the Brunei-Muara District. This place, with its intriguing name, holds a hidden story, whispered through generations like a secret.
Mata-Mata, meaning “eye-eye”, gets its unusual name from a folktale. Imagine, back in the early 1800s, when the first families settled here, they began to see something extraordinary: a large, chicken-sized eye in a tree or on the ground. These “eyes” were not just one or two, but were seen by many, and the villagers, baffled and a little frightened, decided to name their village after this unexplained phenomenon.
Mata-Mata is a place of history. In the early 1920s, this area was still a part of the vast, teeming jungle. Some villagers would even venture into the forest to grow tugal rice, moving from one place to another, searching for fertile land to sustain their families. Their traditional method of paddy farming, with its rhythms of planting, growing, and harvesting, was a vital part of life in Mata-Mata. They relied on the land to provide for them, storing their precious harvest in “durung”, a traditional rice storage container.
Today, Mata-Mata is a bustling suburb, a testament to the community’s growth and resilience. The original village, Perpindahan Mata-Mata, a relocation housing area, and a housing scheme for landless citizens, are its three main clusters, each with its own charm and character.
The mosque echoes the call to prayer, a reminder of the village’s Islamic faith, and of the rich cultural heritage that binds people together through shared traditions. The residents of Mata-Mata continue to live their lives, weaving together tradition and modernity, creating a warm welcoming community that retains the spirit of its fascinating past. You can see it in the way they gather at the worship center on Friday nights during Ramadan, continuing the tradition of shared sangkai, a community feast. You can feel it in the air, the spirit of togetherness that makes Mata-Mata a unique place.