Dato Sami Ibunok
| Dato Sami anak Ibunok | |
|---|---|
| |
| Ibunok in 1971 | |
1 July 1969 - 3 August 1974 | |
| Predecessor | Position established |
| Successor | Bintang anak Sani |
1 July 1969 - 3 August 1974 | |
| Predecessor | Position established |
| Successor | Arya Suan |
4 May 1964 - 1 August 1967 | |
| Predecessor | Position established |
| Successor | Office abolished |
| Born | 23 July 1907 Kapit, Kingdom of Sarawak |
| Died | 3 August 1974 (aged 67) Belawai Beach, Tanjung Manis , Ibania |
| Resting place | Sarikei, Ibania |
| Citizenship | Ibanian |
| Political party | Democratic Party of Ibania (1963-1974) Independent Ibans Party(1963) |
Dato Sami anak Ibunok was a politician and the founder of the Republic of Ibania. He was the first President of Ibania from 1969 until his death in 1974.
Early life
Ibunok was born in Kapit , Kingdom of Sarawak. His father was killed in World War 1 so he lived with his mother (born 1888) and his sister (born 1921) until 1940 when he joined the army. In the 1940s Japan invaded Malaysia and Sarawak. His sister was raped and his mother was killed by the Japanese. after the Japanese invaded their village, He lost his guns and he fled to New York City before the Japanese finds them. In 1958 he returned to Sarawak and went to Sarikei. He built an house (also known as Goverment Office) there with an workshop and an few offices. He built an swimming pool in his backyard. He was an politician at the time. In 1963 Sarawak joined Malaya forming Malaysia, This angered Ibunok and his colleagues. So he protested at Kuala Lumpur and got thrown into prison for 2 years for rioting. He was not trying to riot at all. In 1965 when Ibunok got out of Prison, he decided that he had enough of Malaysia so he decide to form an Iban State. He designed the flag based off the Dayak Besar Flag and the national anthem was composed by the Ibania Band. In 1969 He announced declaring independence from Malaysia and forming the nation of Ibania. An border gate was built at Sibu.
Ibania
The flag of Ibania was raised at Independence Monument in July 1 1969 , In 1970 the goverment of Malaysia noticed an border gate at Sibu, They noticed the nation of Ibania. The Malaysian goverment asked Ibania to join Malaysia or they're destroying the state. Ibunok said no and later that day the Malaysian Army invaded Ibania. Ibania has no tanks so they used Jeeps (Willy's Jeep CJ5 Model). They sent jeeps to the border to fight off the Malaysian Army.
Death
 | This section's factual accuracy is disputed. |
In August 3 1974 Ibunok drove to Tanjung Manis for vacation at Belawai beach. The Malaysian Army was about 15 meters from the area, a Malaysian solider was going for a bathroom break near the area until he saw a man a few meters away in a swimming suit that he recognized. He grabbed a gun in his pocket and went to his bag, He saw that it was Ibunok. When Ibunok got back from swimming he went to the beach chair and the solider shot him in the head 3 times. The people on the beach panicked as the president die. The news was announced to Sarikei which his wife Bintang Sani became the President. Bintang ordered troops to go to the beach to find the corspe, The Malaysian army plane was about to pick up the corpse until the troops arrived and shot the plane and the troops. Ibunok's corpse was unwrapped and was sent to the hospital and analyzed that he was dead. Later a funeral ceremony was held.[citation needed]