Voices of Former Hansenites in Sarawak, Borneo: A Short Note

This book recounts the historical background of the only former leprosarium in Borneo, Rajah Charles Brooke Memorial Hospital (RCBMH) and a village settlement for those who have afflicted by Hansen’s disease, Kampung Sinar Baru, along with hidden voices of its residents. In the early 1900s, Hansen’s disease or leprosy was a stigmatised affliction around the Borneo Island. The policy of compulsory segregation into RCBMH was seen as the only practical way to protect members of society from the contagion of the affliction. Separation from the family has had the biggest impact on the lives of most Hansenites. Bringing together memoirs and narratives of these former Hansenites, this book hopes to end the stigma of Hansen’s disease.