170-550: Bintulu is a coastal town on the island of Borneo in the central region of Sarawak , Malaysia . Bintulu is located 610 kilometres (380 miles) northeast of Kuching , 216 kilometres (134 miles) northeast of Sibu , and 200 kilometres (120 miles) southwest of Miri . With a population of 114,058 as of 2010, Bintulu is the capital of the Bintulu District of the Bintulu Division of Sarawak , Malaysia . The name of Bintulu
340-769: A Malaysia LNG plant, a Shell Middle Distillate Synthesis plant, and a Bintulu combined cycle power plant . The economy has also expanded into oil palm and forest plantations, palm oil processing, wood-waste processing, and cement manufacturing. The port of Bintulu is the busiest in Sarawak. The town is also a gateway to Samalajau Industrial Park. Among the tourist attractions in Bintulu are Similajau National Park , Tumbina Park, Tanjung Batu beach, Jepak village, Kuan Yin Tong temple, Assyakirin mosque, Council Negri monument, Tamu Bintulu, and Pasar Utama markets. The Borneo International Kite Festival
510-576: A Neogene basin which is currently exposed in large areas of eastern and southern Sabah . In southeast Sabah, the Miocene to recent island arc terranes of the Sulu Archipelago extend onshore into Borneo with the older volcanic arc was the result of southeast dipping subduction while the younger volcanics are likely resulted from northwest dipping subduction the Celebes Sea . Before sea levels rose at
680-509: A Paleozoic continental core. At the beginning of the Cenozoic Borneo formed a promontory of Sundaland which partly separated from Asian mainland by the proto-South China Sea . The oceanic part of the proto-South China Sea was subducted during the Paleogene period and a large accretionary complex formed along the northwestern of the island of Borneo. In the early Miocene uplift of
850-460: A karst areas contains thousands of smaller caves. The Borneo rainforest is estimated to be around 140 million years old, making it one of the oldest rainforests in the world. The current dominant tree group, the dipterocarps , has dominated the Borneo lowland rain forests for millions of years. It is the centre of the evolution and distribution of many endemic species of plants and animals, and
1020-569: A 20% price increase from 2011 to 2013. Bintulu is represented by Bintulu (P. 217), Hulu Rajang (P. 216) and the Selangau (P. 214) parliamentary seats in the Parliament of Malaysia . The town is also represented by a few state assembly seats namely – Jepak , Kakus , Belaga , Kidurong (later it was split into two separate seats namely Tanjong Batu and Samalaju since 2016), Murum and Kemena – in
1190-425: A Planted Forests Zone (PFZ) by the Sarawak state government since 1998. As of 30 June 2011, a total of 124,618 hectares (1,246.18 km (481 sq mi)) has been planted with acacia trees. Other trees that are planned for plantations are kelampayan , engkabang, durian, batai, eucalyptus , and rubber trees. Sarawak Planted Forest Sdn Bhd, a company wholly owned by the Sarawak state government, has been granted
1360-666: A colony named "Ellena" in the Kimanis area. The colony failed and was abandoned, due to denials of financial backing, especially by the US government, and to diseases and riots among the workers. Before Torrey left, he managed to sell the land to the German businessman, Overbeck. Meanwhile, the Germans under William Frederick Schuck were awarded a parcel of land in northeastern Borneo of the Sandakan Bay from
1530-628: A combined production capacity of 2.75 million MT (million tonnes). The Bintulu combined cycle power plant was started in early 2010 with a capacity of 317 megawatts . The power plant is registered under the United Nations Clean Development Management (CDM) scheme as of 18 September 2010. The plant is built to ensure efficient use of energy and reduce green house gas emissions. It is the first CDM power plant in Malaysia, currently operated by Sarawak Power Generation Sdn Bhd (SPG),
1700-616: A correctional centre. Bintulu Hospital started operation in 1968. It is located at Nyabau Road, 12 km (7.5 mi) from the town centre. Following renovations completed on 21 May 2000, the hospital is now equipped with 200 beds. As of 2011, the hospital provides speciality services in seven medical disciplines. Bintulu also has one polyclinic, Polyclinic Bintulu. There are two private hospitals in Bintulu: Columbia Asia Hospital and Bintulu Medical Centre. There are about 50 primary and eight secondary schools in Bintulu. All
1870-662: A document purported to be based on written and oral sources of which no copy has survived in the Philippines, tells the History of Panay from the first inhabitants and the Bornean immigrants. It tells about the migration of ten datus from Borneo to Panay due to the strangling and oppressive rule of Datu Makatunao. Haven, they found in Madiaas which were inhabited by the Negritos in whom Datu Puti bought
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#17328439695592040-546: A feasibility study was done in 1975, and Tanjung Kidurong was found to be a suitable site for a deep-water port. On 14 June 1978, Malaysia LNG Sdn Bhd (MLNG Satu) was established by Petronas , a Malaysian national oil and gas company for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) processing at Bintulu. On 8 July 1978, the Bintulu Development Authority (BDA) was established by the Sarawak state government for infrastructure development and to promote industrial investment in
2210-601: A fee to the sultanate. He established a monarchy, and the Brooke dynasty (through his nephew and great-nephew) ruled Sarawak for 100 years; the leaders were known as the White Rajahs . Brooke also acquired the island of Labuan for Great Britain in 1846 through the Treaty of Labuan with the sultan of Brunei, Omar Ali Saifuddin II on 18 December 1846. The region of northern Borneo came under
2380-563: A festival tracing back its historical footprint to these 10 datus. Malano was also, one of the vassal states under Majapahit kingdom as described by Mpu Prapanca in Kakawin Negarakertagama (pupuh 14) in 1365; "Kadandangan, Landa Samadang dan Tirem tak terlupakan, Sedu, Barune (ng), Kalka, Saludung, Solot dan juga Pasir, Barito, Sawaku, Tabalung, ikut juga Tanjung Kutei, Malano tetap yang terpenting di pulau Tanjungpura." Following Hayam Wuruk's death in 1389, Majapahit power entered
2550-461: A gunboat named "Heartsease", which was to send $ 6,000 to Brunei for concessions being made to James Brooke in the Mukah and Bintulu regions. He went to Labuan before coming back to Bintulu. He dropped off at Kemena River on 13 August 1867. His observations of the village were recorded as follows: The fort of Bintulu which was built entirely of wood, was in somewhat ruinous condition. It stood nearly on
2720-644: A kingdom. Their territorial expansion begins with conquering the Melanau areas which were under the power of Tugau and his allies covering from Sambas to Hulu Sungai Brunei. A Dutch report by Blommart in 1609 mentioned that the kingdoms that changed hands under the Johor empire which was previously under the Brunei empire: “Teyen on the river Lauwe, Sadong in Borneo Proper (the eastern boundary of Sarawak,) Mampawa and Borneo were
2890-734: A length of 1,143 km (710 mi). Other major rivers include the Mahakam in East Kalimantan (980 km (610 mi) long), the Barito , Kahayan , and Mendawai in South Kalimantan (1,090 km (680 mi), 658 km (409 mi), and 616 km (383 mi) long respectively), Rajang in Sarawak (565 km (351 mi) long) and Kinabatangan in Sabah (560 km (350 mi) long). Borneo has significant cave systems. In Sarawak,
3060-452: A license to replant forests for 60 years. However, the company has been suffering financial losses from 2009 to 2011. There are three mills in Bintulu that process wood-waste products. Two are Medium-density fibreboard (MDF) plants and the third is a charcoal briquette plant, with a total installed capacity of 246,000 cubic metres (8,700,000 cu ft) per year. MDF plants utilise wood waste purchased from sawmills and plywood mills in
3230-464: A ninth one currently under construction. The complex was built by the Malaysian national oil and gas company, Petronas. The manufacturing complex has a production capacity of 25.7 million tonnes per annum. Petronas is also planning to open Floating LNG (FLNG) offshore Bintulu, which is used specifically to harvest natural gas from small and isolated gas fields. Transportation of natural gas from Kimanis in
3400-465: A period of decline with conflict over succession. This window of opportunity gives local kingdoms to flourish. Syair Awang Semaun which tells the establishment of the Brunei Kingdom is an epic poem passed down from generations. There are many versions of the manuscripts of at least 6 believed to be written into a manuscript in the 19th century. The poem mentions the conquest of 14 brothers establishing
3570-541: A population density of 30.8 inhabitants per square kilometre (80 inhabitants per square mile). Most of the population lives in coastal cities, although the hinterland has small towns and villages along the rivers. May includes the offshore islands and its populations Due to its size, Brunei is further subdivided into 4 districts ( mukim ), which is similar to the size of smaller administrative units in Indonesia ( kecamatan ) and Malaysia ( daerah ) Data based on
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#17328439695593740-740: A production capacity of 14,770 barrels per day with a total investment of over US$ 1 billion as of the year 2010. The plant is staffed with 380 people, of whom 93% are Malaysians, with 80% of the staff coming from Sarawak. Since the opening up of the Bintulu–Miri road in the 1970s, large-scale plantations of oil palm and cocoa has been developed in rural areas of Bintulu Division. Currently, there are 57,740 hectares (577.4 km (223 sq mi)) of oil palm, 2,000 hectares (200 km (77 sq mi)) of Rattan , and 815 hectares (8.15 km (3 sq mi)) of pepper plantations. The first Bintulu palm oil refinery, Bintulu Edible Oil Sdn Bhd,
3910-515: A small community. The majority of the Bintulu population are adherents of Christian denominations due to Christian missionaries operating during the Brooke dynasty; followed by Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. Among the notable places of worship in Bintulu are the Bintulu Mosque (Masjid Assyakirin), Masjid Jepak, Tua Pek Kong Temple, Eng Kwang Methodist Church, and St. Thomas Church. The respective religious groups are free to hold processions in
4080-465: A total revenue of RM 552.3 million per year. Bintulu Port is the busiest port in Sarawak. The ASEAN Bintulu Fertiliser plant is the anhydrous ammonia and granular plant operated by ASEAN Bintulu Fertiliser Sdn Bhd (ABF), which is partly owned by Petronas. The company was formed on 6 December 1980. The plant started operation on 1 October 1985. It is also one of the largest granular urea plants in Asia. It
4250-488: A viable origin of the name since the name Malano has been used to refer to the region in historical records of writings and maps of Western, Chinese, and Javanese sources even before the establishment of Brunei Kingdom and the arrival of Malays to Borneo from Sumatra. Eda Green, writing in 1909, referred to "... the Milanes, whose girls are as fair as any Europeans and the belles of Borneo." Throughout history, places where
4420-591: A wholly owned subsidiary of Sarawak Energy . All roads in Bintulu are maintained by the Bintulu Development Authority (BDA). Bintulu is connected to Miri and Sibu by the Pan Borneo Highway . Bintulu is also connected to Mukah and Samalaju Industrial Park. Kemena Bridge crosses the Kemena River. It is the second bridge in Malaysia built using the incremental launch method . Keppel Road in Bintulu
4590-419: Is a joint venture by five ASEAN countries: Malaysia (63.5% shares), Thailand (13%), Indonesia (13%), Vietnam (9.5%), and Singapore (1%). Cahya Mata Sarawak Berhad (CMSB), one of the largest publicly traded companies in Sarawak, set up a cement plant in Bintulu at Kidurong Industrial Estate. The plant, staffed by 40 people, produces ordinary Portland cement and Portland blast furnace cement . It currently has
4760-802: Is a part of the North Bornean branch of Malayo-Polynesian languages . In the 19th century, the Melanaus settled in scattered communities along the main tributaries of the Rajang River in Central Sarawak. They prefer to be known as Melanau or A-Likou. For most Melanau, the word 'Dayak' is inappropriate for them as it was a word used by the Westerners for the inhabitant of Borneo, while the Melanau people already had their own identity and culture as A-Likou (Melanau). Melanau or problematic Kajang-speaking tribes such as
4930-665: Is a proof of the historical origin of the Melanau people. Not only that, the linguistic fondness to these tribes also is another clue of the bigger ethnic lost family link. The culture of Jerunei is found in areas of Melanaus such as Mukah, Dalat etc. and in Punan areas of Tatau, Belaga etc. and as far as East Kalimantan and South Kalimantan. Evidence of ancient Melanau burial site are known to the archeological society in Niah, Sekaloh This group of ancient people (split and broken today to smaller groups of Melanau, Kejaman, Sekapan, Punan Bah etc.) are one of
5100-513: Is a statistic of combined indicators that takes into account life expectancy , health , education and per-capita income. Melanau people Melanau ( Malay : Orang Melanau , Melanau : Tenawan Melanau ) or A-Likou (meaning River people in Mukah dialect) is an ethnic group indigenous to Sarawak , Malaysia. They are among the earliest settlers of Sarawak. They speak the Melanau language , which
5270-471: Is about 3,750 mm (148 in) annually. The mean daily hours of sunshine at Bintulu is about 5.0 to 5.5 hours. Bintulu receives on average 14 to 15 mJ/m of radiation throughout the year. Bintulu's relative humidity is 85%. The growth of Bintulu's population is shown below: The issue of gangsters in Bintulu was first raised in 2007 by the member of parliament (MP) for Bintulu. The gangsters may have run businesses related to illegal logging , controlling
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5440-568: Is also an 18-hole golf course at Bintulu. Borneo Borneo ( / ˈ b ɔːr n i oʊ / ; also known as Kalimantan in the Indonesian language ) is the third-largest island in the world , with an area of 748,168 km (288,869 sq mi). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia , it is one of the Greater Sunda Islands , located north of Java , west of Sulawesi , and east of Sumatra . The island
5610-679: Is considered an important source of information on the people, customs and in particular the traded commodities of many countries in South East Asia and around the Indian Ocean during the Song dynasty which he finished around 1225. One of the nations is Sha Hua Kung which is similar to Sawaku, a name used to describe Sarawak by Majapahit in Kakawin Negarakertagama. "..again in a south-easterly direction (from this country?) there are certain islands inhabited by savage robbers called Ma-lo-nu.. " Furthermore,
5780-465: Is evident, from the remains of the deserted towns and villages that we saw in their districts, that the population was formerly much greater than we found it during our expeditions to protect their industrious people. We heard of almost monthly attacks on one or other of their villages, and a few weeks passed without the Milanows having to add many to the list of their murdered relatives. " Finally, in 1861,
5950-535: Is from the Chinese records, Dade Nanhai Zhi between the 12th to 13th centuries. It mentions the places under the Fu Ni kingdom that covers Melanau areas of Igan, Tutong & Bintulu; “Xiao Dong Yang's territory under the power of Fu Ni state includes Ma Li Lu (Manila), Ma Ye (Luzon), Mei Kun, Pu Duan (Panay), Su Lu (Sulu), Sha Hu Zhong (Marudu), Ya Chen (Igan), Odjuton (Tutong) and Wen Du Ling (Bintulu)." The Maragtas Code ,
6120-424: Is held annually in the town. During the 16th century, Bintulu was named "River de Burulu" by Portuguese cartographers . There are several legends surrounding the name Bintulu. During the Brooke dynasty, the indigenous practised headhunting to maintain their social status in the community. They threw the heads into the Kemena River, after which the heads had to be collected from the river. The practice of collecting
6290-624: Is highly dependent on the oil and gas production sector, and the country has become one of the largest oil producers in Southeast Asia. The Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak are both top exporters of timber . Sabah is also known as the agricultural producer of rubber , cacao , and vegetables, and for its fisheries, while Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan export liquefied natural gas (LNG) and petroleum. The Indonesian provinces of Kalimantan are mostly dependent on mining sectors despite also being involved in logging and oil and gas explorations. HDI
6460-572: Is kept relatively alive by the isolated Sekapan communities Kapit division of Sarawak. The Melanau are considered among the earliest settlers in Sarawak. The name Melanau was not used by the Melanau to refer to themselves until recently. They call themselves a-likou meaning 'people of the river'. Legend has it that the name Melanau was given by the Malays of Brunei to the inhabitants of the coastal swamp flats and riverbanks of central Sarawak which might signify "coast-dweller". This legend cannot be considered
6630-562: Is located near the mouth of the Kemena River, in the coastal region of central Sarawak. Geology of the coastal area was formed during the Pleistocene period; silt, clay, and gravel can be found here. Geological formation from the Oligocene period is found in the inland area, which contains limestone, siltstone, and sandstone. The soil is generally soft. There are two monsoon seasons in the Bintulu:
6800-400: Is mainly found in the towns and cities in Sarawak. There has been little effort done to preserve the Melanau dialects and to teach the current Melanau generation continuous usage of their dialects. The gradual disappearance of the Melanau cultures and dialects is further aggravated by the absence of qualified Melanau staff members handling the documentation on the Melanau culture and history in
6970-520: Is named after a friend of James Brooke, Sir Henry Keppel. Bintulu has a long-distance bus station, located at Medan Jaya, 5 km (3 mi) northeast of the town centre. Among the areas served by the bus station are: Miri, Sibu, Kuching, Mukah, Sarikei , Oya, Dalat , Balingian , and Pontianak, Indonesia . The bus companies that serve the station are the Syarikat Baram Sdn. Bhd, MTC, Biaramas, and Suria bus lines. There are also buses that serve
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7140-662: Is of Melanau ethnicity including the 7th Yang di-Pertua Tun Pehin Abdul Taib Mahmud and 2 out of 6 of Chief Ministers of Sarawak are ethnic Melanau. The population dynamics of the Melanau people are as follows: The Melanau were traditionally fishermen as well as padi and sago farmers. The Melanaus from Paloh were described by Spencer St John are salt producers in the 19th century. Some were skilled boat builders. They used to live in tall stilt and longhouses, but nowadays, they live in Malaysian kampung-style houses (individual & separated houses). Because of religious similarity,
7310-441: Is owned by Bintulu Adhesive & Chemicals Sdn Bhd. It produces urea formaldehyde resin and phenol formaldehyde resin for plywood and chipboard manufacturing at Kemena Industrial Estate. Urea precondensate is also produced to supply ASEAN Bintulu Fertiliser plant. The Bintulu Port Authority was established in 1981. It started port operation in 1983 at Tanjung Kidurong. Following a privatisation exercise, Bintulu Port Sdn Bhd (BPSB)
7480-504: Is politically divided among three countries: Malaysia and Brunei in the north, and Indonesia to the south. Approximately 73% of the island is Indonesian territory. In the north, the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak make up about 26% of the island. The population in Borneo is 23,053,723 (2020 national censuses). Additionally, the Malaysian federal territory of Labuan
7650-627: Is situated on a small island just off the coast of Borneo. The sovereign state of Brunei , located on the north coast, comprises about 1% of Borneo's land area. A little more than half of the island is in the Northern Hemisphere , including Brunei and the Malaysian portion, while the Indonesian portion spans the Northern and Southern hemispheres. The Native people of Borneo referred to their island as Pulu K'lemantang but not as an ethnic name, when
7820-534: Is the Melanau Bintulu dialect, which can hardly be understood by speakers of other dialects and is thought by many linguists to hardly fit into the Melanau language grouping. This tribe is also known as "Vaie" whose language is very similar to Punan Lovuk Pandan and Punan Bah. Their early establishment were from Lavang and Segan riverine areas. The Melanau languages have been divided into the following five groups Another Melanau group worth mentioning and including
7990-543: Is the Melanau Igan. They live in kampungs by the Igan River, e.g. Kampung Skrang, Kampung Tengah, Kampung Hilir, that border the Mukah – (Matu-Daro) district. The main language is Melanau. However, some speak a local Malay dialect. This group of Melanau is probably all Muslim. They have mainly adopted Malay culture while preserving some aspects of Melanau culture. It is believed that this group was originally Malays who settled in
8160-523: Is the oldest state legislative assembly in Malaysia. During World War II, Rajah Charles Vyner Brooke ordered the construction of airstrips in Kuching, Oya , Mukah, Bintulu, and Miri . Construction of the Bintulu airstrip was started in 1934 under the direction of C. W. Bailey, a Works and Building Inspector for the British Royal Air Force (RAF). All the airstrips were completed except for
8330-596: The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 to exchange trading ports in Malay Peninsula and Sumatra that were under their controls and assert spheres of influence. This resulted in indirectly establishing British- and Dutch-controlled areas in the north (Malay Peninsula) and south (Sumatra and Riau Islands) respectively. In 1895, Marcus Samuel received a concession in the Kutei area of east Borneo, and based on oil seepages in
8500-591: The Batu Lintang camp . During the Japanese occupation, the Japanese used the airstrip for military purposes. However, the airstrip was heavily bombed by Allied forces. The British began reconstruction of the airstrip after the war; during the project many unexploded bombs were unearthed. On 5 September 1942, Japanese Field Marshal Prince Maida (前田利为) boarded a plane from Kuching to Labuan to officiate an airport that bears his name. However, he never arrived. One month later,
8670-491: The Lambir Hills National Park and Niah National Park . Tanjung Batu beach (Temasya beach) is located 3 km (1.9 mi) from the town centre. Meanwhile, Taman Tumbina (Tumbina Park) is located 4 km (2.5 mi) from the town centre. The park has a hornbill aviary, a butterfly garden, and a mini-zoo. Taman Tumbina has deer, a tiger, sunbears, as well as many different fish in their fish pond. Just down
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#17328439695598840-1027: The Mahakam River delta , Mark Abrahams struck oil in February 1897. This was the discovery of the Sanga Sanga Oil Field, a refinery was built in Balikpapan , and discovery of the Samboja Oil Field followed in 1909. In 1901, the Pamusian Oil Field was discovered on Tarakan , and the Bunyu Oil Field in 1929. Royal Dutch Shell discovered the Miri Oil Field in 1910, and the Seria oil field in 1929. During World War II, Japanese forces gained control and occupied most areas of Borneo from 1941 to 1945. In
9010-424: The Sandakan Death March . In addition, of the total of 17,488 Javanese labourers brought in by the Japanese during the occupation, only 1,500 survived mainly due to starvation, harsh working conditions and maltreatment. The Dayak and other indigenous people played a role in guerrilla warfare against the occupying forces, particularly in the Kapit Division . They temporarily revived headhunting of Japanese toward
9180-455: The sultan of Brunei would be the head of state for the federation—though Azahari had his own intention to abolish the Brunei monarchy, to make Brunei more democratic, and to integrate the territory and other former British colonies in Borneo into Indonesia, with the support from the latter government. This directly led to the Brunei Revolt , which thwarted Azahari's attempt and forced him to escape to Indonesia. Brunei withdrew from being part of
9350-410: The 'Bin' which means "son of" and 'Binti' which means "daughter of" as given in all their names (be they are Muslim, Christian, or "Likou") had probably confused the census workers (read the following paragraph). One of the reasons the Muslim Melanau 'migrated' to become Malay is that during the registration of birth of the newborns, they are automatically being assumed as Malay if the parents don't inform
9520-457: The 'Majlis Adat Istiadat' department in Sarawak. This department is involved in the preservation and documentation of the cultures and histories of the various ethnic groups in Sarawak. The Melanau are slowly being absorbed into other cultural groups. The Melanau Kaul festival will only serve as a reminder of the Melanau Pagan ritual. While originally animists , the majority of the Melanaus are now Muslim , although some of them, especially among
9690-503: The 14th century, Borneo became a vassal state of Majapahit (in present-day Indonesia), later changing its allegiance to the Ming dynasty of China. Pre-Islamic Sulu, then known locally as Lupah Sug , stretched from Palawan and the Sulu archipelago at the Philippines; to Sabah , Eastern , and Northern Kalimantan in Borneo. The Sulu empire rose as a rebellion and reaction against former Majapahit Imperialism against Sulu which Majapahit briefly occupied. The religion of Islam entered
9860-475: The 2010 Malaysian census, the population of the town of Bintulu is 114,058. Indigenous people accounted for the largest proportion of the town population (61.2%, 69,782), followed by Chinese (25.0%, 28,512), Non-Malaysians (13.1%, 14,939), and Indians (0.3%, 319). Among the indigenous groups, there are Iban (32,992), Malay (14,945), Melanau (14,179), Bidayuh (1,598), and other indigenous tribes (6,068). According to government sources, there are 229 Iban longhouses in
10030-436: The Allied forces, the meeting was shelved. Sukarno and Hatta continued the plan by unilaterally declaring independence, although the Dutch tried to retake their colonial possession in Borneo. The southern part of the island achieved its independence through the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence on 17 August 1945. The southern part saw guerrilla conflicts followed by Dutch blockade to cut supplies for nationalist within
10200-473: The Bintulu District. The Ibans moved into Kemena and Tatau basins in the mid-19th and early 20th century with permission of the Brooke government. Other indigenous tribes that form the minority are Kayan , Kenyah , and Punan . The Chinese in Bintulu are mainly composed of dialect groups such as Hakka , Fuzhou , and Teochews . The Chinese have been living in the town of Tatau since the era of Bruneian Empire. Later, Fuzhou Chinese from Sibu moved in, dominating
10370-412: The Bintulu airstrip, where construction was discontinued in October 1938 due to financial reasons. Japanese forces landed in Miri on 16 December 1941. Sarawak fell into Japanese hands when they conquered Kuching on 24 December 1941. When the Japanese invaded Sarawak, Charles Vyner Brooke already left for Sydney ( Australia ) before the attack while his officers were captured by the Japanese and interned at
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#173284396955910540-457: The Bintulu area and occasionally from the Tanjung Manis timber processing zone located at the mouth of the Rajang River . Synthetic resins, which are required to hold wood dust together, constituted 20% of the total production cost of the wood panel products. MDF plants in Bintulu are operated by Daiken Sarawak Sdn Bhd, which was founded on 15 February 1994. The briquette plant is operated by Cipta Briquette Sdn Bhd. A glue/adhesive factory in Bintulu
10710-489: The British to halt such efforts, and as a result a Treaty of Protection was signed in 1888, rendering Brunei a British protectorate. Before the acquisition by the British, the Americans also managed to establish their temporary presence in northwestern Borneo after acquiring a parcel of land from the Sultanate of Brunei. A company known as American Trading Company of Borneo was formed by Joseph William Torrey , Thomas Bradley Harris and several Chinese investors, establishing
10880-426: The British trying to maintain their presence in northern Borneo and the Malay Peninsula, decided to launch a military infiltration, later known as the confrontation , from 1962 to 1969. As a response to the growing opposition, the British deployed their armed forces to guard their colonies against Indonesian and communist revolts, which was also participated by Australia and New Zealand . The Philippines opposed
11050-411: The Central Advisory Council, an advisory council for south Borneo, Celebes , and Lesser Sunda , set up in February 1945. After the fall of Singapore , the Japanese sent several thousand of British and Australian prisoners of war to camps in Borneo such as Batu Lintang camp . From the Sandakan camp site, only six of some 2,500 prisoners survived after they were forced to march in an event known as
11220-445: The Clearwater Cave has one of the world's longest underground rivers while Deer Cave is home to over three million bats , with guano accumulated to over 100 metres (330 ft) deep. The Gomantong Caves in Sabah has been dubbed as the "Cockroach Cave" due to the presence of millions of cockroaches inside the cave. The Gunung Mulu National Park in Sarawak and Sangkulirang-Mangkalihat Karst in East Kalimantan which particularly
11390-434: The Dutch followed suit to increase their economic production. By 1888, North Borneo, Sarawak and Brunei in northern Borneo had become British protectorate . The area in southern Borneo was made Dutch protectorate in 1891. The Dutch who already claimed the whole Borneo were asked by Britain to delimit their boundaries between the two colonial territories to avoid further conflicts. The British and Dutch governments had signed
11560-457: The Dutch only began their trade in 1644: to Banjar and Martapura, also in the southern Borneo. The Dutch tried to settle the island of Balambangan , north of Borneo, in the second half of the 18th century, but withdrew by 1797. In 1812, the sultan in southern Borneo ceded his forts to the British East India Company . The British, led by Stamford Raffles , then tried to establish an intervention in Sambas but failed. Although they managed to defeat
11730-442: The Indonesian portion of Borneo lost 10.7 million hectares (26 million acres) of tree cover between 2002 and 2019, of which 4 million hectares (9.9 million acres) was primary forest , compared with Malaysian Borneo's 4.4 million hectares (11 million acres) of tree cover loss and 1.9 million hectares (4.7 million acres) of primary forest cover loss. As of 2020, Indonesian Borneo accounts for 72% of
11900-439: The Japanese occupation, sawmills at Bintulu produced a total of 4,000 tons of sawn timber. In the 1950s, major economic activities in Bintulu were the timber extraction industry, fishing, and Sago processing. In the 1960s, Bintulu was still a small fishing village, with a population of 5,000. No roads were constructed in Bintulu until 1969 when the first untarred road was built to connect Bintulu to Miri. The first bus that serviced
12070-614: The Melanau Mukah, and Dalat are Christian . Nonetheless, many still celebrate traditional rites such as the annual Kaul Festival . Despite their different beliefs and religions, the Melanaus, like other East Malaysians (Sabah and Sarawak) are very tolerant of each other and are proud of their tolerance. One can still come across a Melanau family with different children in the family embracing Christianity and Islam while their parents still have strong animist beliefs. The Melanaus have unique food such as jungle ferns, umai , fresh fish products, and siet , (edible sago palm weevil larva). There
12240-507: The Melanau areas. When James Brooke was granted the title Rajah of Sarawak in 1841, the territories of Melanau people from the Rejang river to Bintulu was still under the Brunei kingdom. When a long conflict between the Pangiran Dipa and Pangeran Matusin in Mukah was reaching its peak, it resulted led to a crisis point for James Brooke. Events like blockage of sago supply from Melanau regions to
12410-586: The Melanaus traditional areas were described as either their local places such as Mukah, Igan, etc., or by the wider state or region name Malano. Before the Melanaus are known today as the ethnic name, the origins are vague as written records were not a common norm among the natives of Borneo. However, the linguistic evidence survived till today and ancient culture is preserved up till 19th century. The shared ancient culture of hanging coffin & burial poles (Kelidieng or Jerunei or Lejeng) between Melanaus and some orang ulu tribes such as Punan Bah, Kejaman, Sekapan etc.
12580-561: The Miri–Bintulu route was owned by Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA). The MARA bus line was an initiative by the Malaysian federal government to provide public transportation for the people. The Iban villagers paid the bus driver with "vegetables, chickens, bamboo shoots, and other items". Before 1960, Bintulu was connected to Kuching by sea through a ship named "Swee Joo". After 1960, the ship "Chin Chin"
12750-694: The Portuguese described the place as surrounded by a stone wall . While Borneo was seen as rich, the Portuguese did not make any attempts to conquer it. The Spanish had sailed from Latin America and conquered the Brunei's provinces in the Philippines and incorporated it into the Mexico-Centered Viceroyalty of New Spain . The Spanish visit to Brunei led to the Castilian War in 1578. The British began to trade with Sambas of southern Borneo in 1609, while
12920-498: The Rajah near the mouth of the river, they came to settle near the sea – a thing they would never have dared to do in former days for fear of the attacks of the Lanun pirates and Dayak pirates. The houses of the Melanau people were built in rows on both sides of the Kemena River, mostly furnished by Nipah and Sago palms. Each house had its own shed projection into the entrance of
13090-488: The Sarawak State Legislative Assembly. Since 1978 the town of Bintulu has been administered by the Bintulu Development Authority (BDA), with offices located along Jalan Tanjung Kidurong. The town is located within the boundary of Bintulu District , with a population of 183,402 and a total area of 7,220.40 square kilometres (2,787.81 sq mi). Bintulu Division was formerly a Bintulu District under
13260-501: The Sarawak river delta reveal that the area was a thriving centre of trade between India and China from the 6th century until about 1300. Stone pillars bearing inscriptions in the Pallava script , found in Kutai along the Mahakam River in East Kalimantan and dating to around the second half of the 4th century, constitute some of the oldest evidence of Hindu influence in Southeast Asia. By
13430-615: The Sekapan, the Rajang, the Tanjung, and the Kanowit gradually moved and assimilated into Dayak migrations settling in the Rajang. The Melanau people were regarded as a sub-group of the purported Klemantan people . Today the Punan (or Punan Bah ) people are also closely linked to the last riverine dwelling Melanau communities previously inhabiting the middle and upper Rejang tributaries. The Kajang language
13600-567: The Sessions Court, and the Magistrate Court. Bintulu also has Syariah Subordinate Court , located at Tanjung Kidurong, whose area of jurisdiction covers Bintulu District and Tatau districts . The Bintulu central police station is located at Tun Hussein Onn Road, with other police stations located at Tanjung Kidurong, Tubau, and Sebauh. There is also a central prison in Bintulu, which doubles as
13770-503: The Sultan gave a lease to James Brooke the territories between Samarahan river to Tanjung Kidurong. Since the 14th century, the Melanaus have never been united under their racial political entity and controlled by Brunei for about 500 years and the White Rajahs for about 100 years. This contributed to the disparity in the language differences among the Melanau people who were widespread along
13940-738: The Sultanate of Sulu where he conducted business and exported large quantities of arms, opium , textiles and tobacco to Sulu before the land was also passed to Overbeck by the sultanate. Prior to the recognition of Spanish presence in the Philippine archipelago, a protocol known as the Madrid Protocol of 1885 was signed between the governments of the United Kingdom, Germany and Spain in Madrid to cement Spanish influence and recognise their sovereignty over
14110-575: The Sultanate of Sulu—in return for Spain's relinquishing its claim to the former possessions of the sultanate in northern Borneo. The British administration then established the first railway network in northern Borneo, known as the North Borneo Railway . During this time, the British sponsored a large number of Chinese workers to migrate to northern Borneo to work in European plantation and mines, and
14280-640: The Sulu former territories. The Philippine government also claimed that the heirs of the sultanate had ceded all their territorial rights to the republic. The Sultanate of Brunei at the first welcomed the proposal of a new larger federation. Meanwhile, the Brunei People's Party led by A.M. Azahari desired to reunify Brunei, Sarawak and North Borneo into one federation known as the North Borneo Federation ( Malay : Kesatuan Negara Kalimantan Utara ), where
14450-427: The accretionary complex occurred as a result of underthrusting of thinned continental crust in northwest. The uplift may have also resulted from shortening due to the counter-clockwise rotation of Borneo between 20 and 10 mega-annum (Ma) as a consequence of Australia -Southeast Asia collision. Large volumes of sediment were shed into basins, which scattered offshore to the west, north and east of Borneo as well into
14620-506: The actual Melanau population (in Malaysia and outside Malaysia) is much higher. Being migrants in the early days, Melanaus are found almost everywhere in Sarawak. Sadly, though their children know their roots, many of them cannot speak or even understand their Melanau language. Intentionally or unintentionally, many of them have registered themselves as other races, mostly as Malays. In some cases, their parents, both Melanaus, prefer to speak Malay or English to their children. This language trend
14790-551: The administration of North Borneo Chartered Company following the acquisition of territory from the Sultanates of Brunei and Sulu by a German businessman and adventurer named Baron von Overbeck , before it was passed to the British Dent brothers (comprising Alfred Dent and Edward Dent). Further expansion by the British continued into the Borneo interior. This led the 26th sultan of Brunei, Hashim Jalilul Alam Aqamaddin to appeal
14960-453: The annual global tropical timber acquisition comes from Borneo. Palm oil plantations have been widely developed and are rapidly encroaching on the last remnants of primary rainforest. Forest fires since 1997, started by the locals to clear the forests for plantations were exacerbated by an exceptionally dry El Niño season, worsening the annual shrinkage of the rainforest. During these fires, hotspots were visible on satellite images and
15130-554: The area. However, intermarriage with Melanaus over many generations produced new generations who considered themselves Melanau. Similar to the Igan Melanaus ancestral beginnings, many Melanaus who had migrated to different areas in Sarawak experienced the same transformation. A group of Matu Melanaus settled in the Bintawa area in Kuching after World War 2. However, their offspring, even though mostly Melanaus by blood, normally do not speak
15300-473: The area. On 15 August 1981, the Bintulu Port Authority was established at Tanjung Kidurong, starting operation on 1 January 1983. Since the establishment of Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) in 2008, Bintulu become the gateway to Samalajau Industrial Park, which is located 62 kilometres (39 mi) away from Bintulu. The industrial park is a centre of heavy, energy-intensive industry. Among
15470-447: The best places for trade. At Sambas, tidings were received that the people Calca, Seribas, and Melanuge had fallen away from Borneo, and placed themselves under the power of the king of Johore. These were places of large trade, where much gold, benzoar, pearl, and other rare articles were found.” It is estimated that around 1730, under Sultan Kamaluddin of Brunei regained control over the countries from Sarawak Proper from Sambas including
15640-459: The census. The 2010 Malaysian Population Census showed the Melanaus population in Sarawak, Malaysia was about 123,410. They make up the 5th largest ethnic group in Sarawak, after the Ibans , Chinese, Malays , and Bidayuh . The continuous inter-marriage between the Melanau and other races in Malaysia has also caused the disappearance of the Melanau identity. Data from some private research estimated that
15810-523: The coastline of Northwest Borneo. Yet the Melanau language has retained much of its authenticity making it separable from the Malay language despite heavy influence from the Malay language itself. Grouping-wise, the Melanaus can be classified into the following; The largest group is the Matu-Daro. Each group has its characteristic dialect, but they all share the same cultural and linguistic background. An exception
15980-478: The companies that started their operations in the industrial park are Tokuyama Malaysia Sdn Bhd (now replaced by OCI Malaysia Sdn Bhd), Press Metal Bintulu Sdn Bhd, and OM Materials Sdn Bhd. Rural–urban migration is significant in Bintulu because of greater job availability in the town. Since 2007, new residents have started several squatter areas in Bintulu due to inability to find affordable housing, around Kidurong Industrial estate and Sungai Sebatang. To address
16150-403: The courses offered are: automotive, mechanical and civil engineering, commerce, and fashion. Gulf Golden International Flying Academy (GGIFA), the first and only flying academy in Sarawak, was closed in 2012 due to financial difficulties. The first public library in Bintulu was built in 1971 by Bintulu District Council (BDC). In 1988 the library was demolished to make way for car parks. Books from
16320-425: The desires of its indigenous people and following the disposition of Malaya . Sukarno and Mohammad Yamin meanwhile continuously advocated for a Greater Indonesian republic. Towards the end of the war, Japan decided to give an early independence to a new proposed country of Indonesia on 17 July 1945, with an Independence Committee meeting scheduled for 19 August 1945. However, following the surrender of Japan to
16490-490: The discovery of the oldest known figurative art painting , over 40,000 (perhaps as old as 52,000) years old, of an unknown animal, in the cave of Lubang Jeriji Saléh on the island of Borneo. It has been proposed, based on house construction styles, linguistic and genetic evidence, that Madagascar may have been first populated from southern Borneo. According to ancient Chinese (977), Indian and Japanese manuscripts, western coastal cities of Borneo had become trading ports by
16660-745: The divide known as Wallace's Line between Asian and Australia- New Guinea biological regions. The island today is surrounded by the South China Sea to the north and northwest, the Sulu Sea to the northeast, the Celebes Sea and the Makassar Strait to the east, and the Java Sea and Karimata Strait to the south. To the west of Borneo are the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra . To the south and east are islands of Indonesia: Java and Sulawesi , respectively. To
16830-478: The earliest and original people to settle in the island of Borneo. However, due intense direct influence from the Bruneian Malay Kingdom since 13th century, the culture and lifestyle of the coastal dwelling Melanaus today are highly similar to Malays on the exterior. The earliest existence of a polity at the mouth of the Rejang river is Kin-li-fo-che (shortened as Kin-fo) in Chinese records of I Ching which
17000-407: The end of the last ice age , Borneo was part of the mainland of Asia, forming, with Java and Sumatra , the upland regions of a peninsula that extended east from present day Indochina . The South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand now submerge the former low-lying areas of the peninsula. Deeper waters separating Borneo from neighbouring Sulawesi prevented a land connection to that island, creating
17170-521: The end of the war, with Allied Z Special Unit provided assistance to them. Australia contributed significantly to the liberation of Borneo. The Australian Imperial Force was sent to Borneo to fight off the Japanese. Together with other Allies, the island was completely liberated in 1945. In May 1945, officials in Tokyo suggested that whether northern Borneo should be included in the proposed new country of Indonesia should be separately determined based on
17340-473: The factories in Kuching and the killing of Charles Fox and Henry Steele became a point for Sir James Brooke to obtain from Sultan Abdul Momin the permission to interfere in 1857. Furthermore, the pirate activities in the Melanau areas carried out by the Sakarang and Saribas were diminishing the livelihood of the Melanaus as well as other local communities In Spencer St James account of the piratical activities; "It
17510-451: The first international destination, Singapore will start the direct flight since 26 December 2017. There is a wharf terminal at Bintulu that serves the rural areas of Bintulu Division. Among the destinations that can be reached by express boat from Bintulu are: Sebauh , Pandan, Labang, Tubau, and Binyo. The current court complex is located at Pisang Emas Road. It comprises the High Court ,
17680-562: The first millennium AD. In Chinese manuscripts, gold, camphor , tortoise shells, hornbill ivory , rhinoceros horn, crane crest , beeswax , lakawood (a scented heartwood and root wood of a thick liana , Dalbergia parviflora ), dragon's blood , rattan , edible bird's nests and various spices were described as among the most valuable items from Borneo. The Indians named Borneo Suvarnabhumi (the land of gold) and also Karpuradvipa (Camphor Island). The Javanese named Borneo Puradvipa , or Diamond Island. Archaeological findings in
17850-535: The first stage of the war, the British saw the Japanese advance to Borneo as motivated by political and territorial ambitions rather than economic factors. The occupation drove many people in the coastal towns to the interior, searching for food and escaping the Japanese. The Chinese residents in Borneo, especially with the Sino-Japanese War in Mainland China mostly resisted the Japanese occupation. Following
18020-606: The formation of resistance movements in northern Borneo such as the Jesselton Revolt , many innocent indigenous and Chinese people were executed by the Japanese for their alleged involvement. In Kalimantan, the Japanese also killed many Malay intellectuals, executing all the Malay sultans of West Kalimantan in the Pontianak incidents , together with Chinese people who were already against the Japanese for suspecting them to be threats. Sultan Muhammad Ibrahim Shafi ud-din II of Sambas
18190-478: The heads was known as "Metuk Ulow" (picking heads) in the local native language. Another story relates that two Iban warriors named Berengik and Jaleb built houses along the river. They and their followers frequently carried out preservation of severed heads near a small river stream branching off from Sebezaw River because the river bank was flat and wide. Therefore, the small river stream was named "Metuk Ulow" river. Outsiders who came to Bintulu subsequently pronounced
18360-571: The heat of the weather. In 977, Chinese records began to use the term Bo-ni to refer to Borneo. In 1225, it was also mentioned by the Chinese official Chau Ju-Kua (趙汝适). The Javanese manuscript Nagarakretagama , written by Majapahit court poet Mpu Prapanca in 1365, mentioned the island as Nusa Tanjungnagara , which means the island of the Tanjungpura Kingdom . Borneo was formed through Mesozoic accretion of microcontinental fragments, ophiolite terranes and island arc crust onto
18530-415: The independent Federation of Malaya desired to unite Malaya, the British colonies of Sarawak , North Borneo , Singapore and the protectorate of Brunei under the proposed Federation of Malaysia . The idea was heavily opposed by the governments in both Indonesia and the Philippines as well from communist sympathisers and nationalists in Borneo. Sukarno, as the president of the new republic, perceiving
18700-531: The island due to its influence in the region) and several islands in the Philippines. During the 1450s, Shari'ful Hashem Syed Abu Bakr , an Arab born in Johor , arrived in Sulu from Malacca. In 1457, he founded the Sultanate of Sulu ; he titled himself as "Paduka Maulana Mahasari Sharif Sultan Hashem Abu Bakr". Following its independence in 1578 from Brunei's influence, Sulu began to expand its thalassocracy to parts of
18870-539: The island in the 10th century, following the arrival of Muslim traders who later converted many indigenous peoples in the coastal areas. The Sultanate of Brunei declared independence from Majapahit following the death of the Majapahit emperor in the mid-14th century. During its golden age under Bolkiah from the 15th to the 17th century, the Bruneian sultanate ruled almost the entire coastal area of Borneo (lending its name to
19040-509: The island in what is the Panay island in the Philippines today It is believed that Makatunao described is Raja Tugau, a well-known king figure in Melanau oral literature and also in Bruneian literature of Syair Awang Semaun. The quality of the evil king persisted and the document is dated in 1225 according to Prof. Henry Otley Beyer but such dates are contested by other scholars in the field of history Until today, people of Panay celebrate Ati-Atihan ,
19210-461: The island's tree cover, Malaysian Borneo 27%, and Brunei 1%. Primary forest in Indonesia accounts for 44% of Borneo's overall tree cover. The island historically had extensive rainforest cover, but the area was reduced due to heavy logging by the Indonesian and Malaysian wood industry, especially with the large demands of raw materials from industrial countries along with the conversion of forest lands for large-scale agricultural purposes. Half of
19380-438: The issue, several low-cost housing projects were initiated by BDA and Sarawak state government to relocate the squatters. The state government planned to achieve zero squatters status by the year 2020. Bintulu also saw the rise in the number of residential and commercial properties such as double-storeyed terraced houses, terraced shopoffices, Kidurong Commercial Centre, and Time Square Shopping Mall. Residential properties has shown
19550-553: The jurisdiction of Miri Division. The former Bintulu District was upgraded to Bintulu Division on 1 January 1987. At the same time, Bintulu sub-district was upgraded to the present-day Bintulu District. Both the Bintulu Resident and District offices are located inside Wisma Residen, Pisang Keling Street, Bintulu. Bintulu is located 610 kilometres (380 mi) northeast of Kuching 216 kilometres (134 mi) northeast of Sibu, and 200 kilometres (120 mi) southwest of Miri. Bintulu
19720-484: The language and are considered Malays. However, as a point of interest, the new secondary school built in Bintawa, Kuching in 2007 is named SMK Matu Baru. Many areas in Greater Kuching , notably in the neighbourhoods of Petra Jaya, Lundu, Samarahan and Santubong do have a significant Melanau population. In addition, Sibu, Miri and Bintulu are also places or towns where there is a significant Melanau population. However,
19890-460: The language the elders use with their children at homes) are indistinguishable from those of the local Sarawak Malays. This has helped the Malay population of Sarawak to have significantly increased in the census. Most Melanaus have a 'Bin' (son of) and 'Binti' (daughter of) in their names similar to the Malays and it is also likely that the Christian Melanaus too were designated as Malays in
20060-523: The library were moved into the former BDC building. On 29 May 2000, the Bintulu Development Authority (BDA) public library was built near the Bintulu Civic Centre, which is 2 km (1.2 mi) from the town. The public library has three branches: at Kidurong, Tatau, and Sebauh. Kampung Jepak (Jepak village) is a Vaie fishing village in Bintulu located near Kemena River. Among the daily activities in this village are Sago processing, fish drying, and
20230-547: The majority of Melanaus live socially and culturally like the rest of the Malays in Malaysia. The Melanau are one of the rare ethnic groups in Malaysia to have a population that remains more or less constant in numbers. This is because the Muslim Melanaus that have migrated to bigger towns in Sarawak have "automatically" become "Malays", especially during the National Census Operation as their names (and many times
20400-485: The manufacturing of Belacan , Cencaluk (salted shrimp), Terendak (Melanau headgear), and Tutop (a type of food cover). Kuan Yin Tong temple is located at KM2 Jalan Sultan Iskandar. It has a structural design with a rock garden courtyard, man-made waterfall, and dragon fencing. Assyakirin mosque, meaning "Gratefulness to God", has a man-made waterfall, a fountain, and a landscape planted with flowers. The Borneo International Kite Festival has been held yearly since 2005 at
20570-527: The name as "Mentulau", and later the name evolved into "Bentulu" and, finally, "Bintulu". James Brooke was appointed the White Rajah of Sarawak (now known as Kuching ) by the Bruneian Empire in 1841. In 1861, the Sultanate of Brunei ceded the Bintulu region to Brooke. Bintulu was a small settlement at that time. A wooden fort named Fort Keppel was built in the village, named after Sir Henry Keppel , who
20740-557: The native. But he adds that the word is fanciful and unpopular. The local mango, called klemantan, is still widely found in rural areas in Ketapang and surrounding areas of West Kalimantan. Internationally it is known as Borneo , derived from European contact with the Brunei kingdom in the 16th century during the Age of Exploration . On a map from around 1601, Brunei city is referred to as Borneo, and
20910-509: The neighbouring state of Sabah , to the LNG complex at Bintulu is facilitated by a 512-kilometre (318 mi) pipeline known as the "Sabah Sarawak Gas Pipeline". Currently, 45% of Malaysian natural gas is found at Central Luconia off the coast of Bintulu. The largest importers of Malaysia LNG productions are Japan (62%), Korea (17%), Taiwan (12%), and China (9%). The Sarawak Shell Bintulu Plant (SSBP), formerly known as Bintulu Crude Oil Terminal (BCOT),
21080-516: The new Federation of Malaysia due to some disagreements on other issues while political leaders in Sarawak and North Borneo continued to favour inclusion in a larger federation. With the continuous opposition from Indonesia and the Philippines, the Cobbold Commission was established to discover the feeling of the native populations in northern Borneo; it found the people greatly in favour of federation, with various stipulations. The federation
21250-526: The newly proposed federation, claiming the eastern part of North Borneo (today the Malaysian state of Sabah) as part of its territory as a former possession of the Sultanate of Sulu . The Philippine government mostly based their claim on the Sultanate of Sulu's cession agreement with the British North Borneo Company, as by now the sultanate had come under the jurisdiction of the Philippine republican administration, which therefore should inherit
21420-564: The northeast are the Philippine Islands . With an area of 743,330 square kilometres (287,000 sq mi), it is the third-largest island in the world, and is the largest island of Asia (the largest continent). Its highest point is Mount Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia, with an elevation of 4,095 m (13,435 ft). The largest river system is the Kapuas in West Kalimantan , with
21590-400: The northeast monsoon (November to March) and the southwest monsoon (May to September). The calm period between these two monsoons is known as the transitional period. In the coastal region, maximum rainfall occurs in the month of January, while minimal rainfall occurs from the period June to August. Rainfall is more evenly distributed in the inland areas. The annual rainfall of the Bintulu region
21760-447: The northern Borneo. Both the sultanates who ruled northern Borneo had traditionally engaged in trade with China by means of the frequently-arriving Chinese junks . Despite the thalassocracy of the sultanates, Borneo's interior region remained free from the rule of any kingdoms. After the fall of Malacca in 1511, Portuguese merchants traded regularly with Borneo, and especially with Brunei from 1530. Having visited Brunei's capital,
21930-485: The old Bintulu airport runway. It usually lasts for four to five days in September. In 1987 a clock tower and a fountain were erected at Council Negri Monument. A centenary stone that was erected in 1967 to commemorate the event is kept under the clock tower. The Bintulu Tua Pek Kong temple (near Tamu Bintulu) is believed to have been built in the 1890s to purge the town from evil spirits. The temple survived World War II, and
22100-510: The oldest secondary school in the town. Bintulu also has one Chinese independent school , Kai Dee Middle School (开智中学). The Shell Oil Company established the Kidurong International School in 1982 to meet the primary education needs of Shell employees' children. The school provides English National Curriculum (ENC) for literacy and numeracy and International Primary Curriculum (IPC) for other subjects. UPM Bintulu Sarawak Campus
22270-438: The peat swamp is comparatively infertile, while it is known to be the home of various bird species such as the hook-billed bulbul , helmeted hornbill and rhinoceros hornbill . There are about 15,000 species of flowering plants with 3,000 species of trees (267 species are dipterocarps ), 221 species of terrestrial mammals and 420 species of resident birds in Borneo. There are about 440 freshwater fish species in Borneo (about
22440-431: The plane was found to have crashed off the coast of Tanjung Batu, Bintulu. The cause of the plane crash was not known. The Japanese later set up a wooden pole memorial made up of Belian wood in Bintulu. The wooden pole was later taken back to Japan by the family of Prince Maida. Chinese sawmill owners at Sibu and Bintulu were instructed by the Japanese to produce timber for repairs at oil fields and ship building. During
22610-419: The prices of diesel, eggs, fertiliser and gas cylinders. Bintulu police have been cracking down on gangster activities in the town. Unscrupulous businessmen who seek cheap labour have caused a rise in the number of illegal immigrants in Bintulu. The number may have reached 50,000 in 2009. Bintulu immigration department has performed several operations to deport illegal immigrants back to their home country. As of
22780-650: The projection in the former territories in East Kalimantan Province (prior to the separation of North Kalimantan in 2012) Based on alphabetical order Religion in Brunei (2016) Religion in Malaysian Borneo (2020) Religion in Indonesian Borneo (December 2023) The island of Borneo is divided administratively by three countries. Borneo's economy depends mainly on agriculture, logging and mining, oil and gas, and ecotourism . Brunei's economy
22950-461: The rainforest is one of the few remaining natural habitats for the endangered Bornean orangutan . It is an important refuge for many endemic forest species, including the Borneo elephant , the eastern Sumatran rhinoceros , the Bornean clouded leopard , the Bornean rock frog , the hose's palm civet and the dayak fruit bat . Peat swamp forests occupy the entire coastline of Borneo. The soil of
23120-646: The region. While nationalist guerrillas supporting the inclusion of southern Borneo in the new Indonesian republic were active in Ketapang, and to lesser extent in Sambas where they rallied with the red-white flag which became the flag of Indonesia , most of the Chinese residents in southern Borneo expected to be liberated by Chinese Nationalist troops from mainland China and to integrate their districts as an overseas province of China . Meanwhile, Sarawak and Sabah in northern Borneo became separate British crown colonies in 1946. In 1961, Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman of
23290-431: The registration officer of their racial preference. According to the statistics from the state's statistics department, in 2014, there are 132,600 who consider themselves Melanau, making it the fifth-largest ethnic group in Sarawak (after Iban , Chinese , Malays , and Bidayuh ). Even though a minority in Sarawak, Melanau forms a large part of Sarawak's political sphere, 5 out of 6 of Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak
23460-411: The respective ethnic groups. Standard Chinese is also spoken by ethnic Chinese in Bintulu. Bintulu is spoken by communities living along the Kemena River, with 4,200 native speakers. These speakers are now recognised as part of the Melanau ethnic group, where their main language is Malay. Bintulu is classified as one of the endangered languages in Sarawak because of the isolated usage of the language in
23630-498: The resulting haze frequently affected Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia. The haze could also reach southern Thailand , Cambodia , Vietnam and the Philippines as evidenced on the 2015 Southeast Asian haze . A 2018 study found that Bornean orangutans declined by 148,500 individuals from 1999 to 2015. List of highest peaks in Borneo by elevation. List of longest river in Borneo by length. In November 2018, scientists reported
23800-401: The river, which was used for the processing of Sago palms. On 8 September 1867, the first Sarawak General Council meeting (now Sarawak State Legislative Assembly ) took place here. It was made up of 21 elected local community members (five British officers and 16 Malay and Melanau local chiefs). The council was formed by Raja Muda Charles Brooke under orders from Rajah James Brooke. The council
23970-436: The road from Taman Tumbina there are hills where people go jungle tracking, jogging or walking. Kidurong Tower is an observation tower located at Tanjung Kidurong. It offers a view of the Bintulu oil and gas facilities shortly after nightfall. Bintulu Promenade is a 3-kilometre (2 mi) walkway along the Bintulu coastline with the Kemena River mouth as its focal point. It has the observation points offering sunset views. There
24140-456: The runway is reserved for Bintulu International Kite Festival. The new airport has a runway measuring 2,745 m (9,006 ft), capable of handling planes as large as the Airbus A330 . The airport currently serves three major airlines: Malaysia Airlines (MAS), Air Asia , and MASwings , connecting to domestic destinations such as: Sibu, Miri, Kuching, Kuala Lumpur , and Kota Kinabalu , and
24310-551: The same as Sumatra and Java combined). The Borneo river shark is known only from the Kinabatangan River . In 2010, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) stated that 123 species have been discovered in Borneo since the " Heart of Borneo " agreement was signed in 2007. The WWF has classified the island into seven distinct ecoregions . Most are lowland regions: According to analysis of data from Global Forest Watch ,
24480-680: The schools under the National Education System are managed by the Bintulu District Education Office. The oldest primary schools in Miri are St Anthony's Primary School (Roman Catholic Mission School), Chung Hua Primary School, and the Orang Kaya Mohammad Primary School, which were established in the early 1960s. The Bintulu Government Secondary School was built in 1964. It is now known as SMK Bintulu,
24650-410: The sea-shore, and just behind it, at a distance of few paces, the primeval forests commenced...Some chinamen had settled at the vicinity of the fort and had built a small bazaar; but the village is chiefly formed by the houses of the Melanau beyond the Chinese kampong (village). These Melanaus used to live further up the river, but since the construction of the fort, and the installation of an officer of
24820-412: The sixteenth century Portuguese explorer Jorge de Menezes made contact with the natives which became the name for modern-day Indonesian Borneo. The term kelamantan is used in Sarawak to refer to a group of people who consume sago in the northern part of the island. According to Crowfurd, the word kelamantan is the name of a type of mango (Mangifera) so the island of Borneo is called a mango island by
24990-471: The southern part of the island upon resuming contact in 1815, posting residents to Banjarmasin, Pontianak and Sambas and assistant-residents to Landak and Mampawa. The Sultanate of Brunei in 1842 granted large parts of land in Sarawak to the British adventurer James Brooke , as a reward for his help in quelling a local rebellion. Brooke established the Raj of Sarawak and was recognised as its rajah after paying
25160-487: The state of Sabah, although his plan failed and resulted in the Jabidah massacre and later the insurgency in the southern Philippines . In August 2019, Indonesian president Joko Widodo announced a plan to move the capital of Indonesia from Jakarta to a newly established location in the East Kalimantan province in Borneo. The demonym for Borneo is Bornean . Borneo had 23,053,723 inhabitants (in 2020 Censuses),
25330-469: The sultanate the next year and declared a blockade on all ports in Borneo except Brunei, Banjarmasin and Pontianak , the project was cancelled by the British governor-general Lord Minto in India as it was too expensive. At the beginning of British and Dutch exploration on the island, they described the island of Borneo as full of head hunters , with the indigenous in the interior practising cannibalism , and
25500-517: The timber and plantation businesses in Bintulu. There is also a large number of foreigners working there. Most of them come from Britain, Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, South Africa, New Zealand, Japan, China, the United States, and Indonesia. While Malay and English are the official language of Sarawak; Iban is widely spoken there. Local ethnic languages and Chinese dialects are spoken by
25670-474: The town area. Taxi service is also available. The old Bintulu airport was built in 1955 in the town centre. It once held the Guinness World Record of nearest airport to town. On 19 December 2002, the airport was replaced by a new airport , which is located 23 km (14 mi) away from the town centre. The surroundings of the old airport were developed into commercial and residential projects while
25840-487: The town. There are five industrial estates in Bintulu. They are: Kemena Industrial Estate (for wood-based industries), Jepak Industries Estate (wood-based industries), Kidurong Industrial Area (for medium and light industries), Kidurong Light Industrial Estate (medium and light industries), and Bintulu Light Industrial Estate (light industry). Malaysia LNG is a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) manufacturing complex located in Bintulu that currently contains eight LNG trains with
26010-401: The translator/author Friedrich Hirth & W.W. Rockhill also suggest this is referring to either Borneo or Sumatra. There is a need for further study regarding this description. Zhao had not travelled outside of China, thus many entries of Zhu Fan Zhi took information from an older work from 1178, Lingwai Daida by another geographer, Zhou Qufei. Among the earliest historical records of Melanau
26180-522: The waters around the island infested with pirates , especially between the north eastern Borneo and the southern Philippines. The Malay and Sea Dayak pirates preyed on maritime shipping in the waters between Singapore and Hong Kong from their haven in Borneo, along with the attacks by Illanuns of the Moro pirates from the southern Philippines, such as in the Battle off Mukah . The Dutch began to intervene in
26350-536: The whole island is also labelled Borneo. The name Borneo may derive from the Sanskrit word váruṇa ( वरुण ), meaning either "water" or Varuna , the Hindu god of rain. Another source said it was from the Sanskrit word Kalamanthana , meaning "burning weather" possibly to describe its hot and humid tropical weather. In Indianized Malay era the name Kalamanthana was derived from Sanskrit terms kala (time or season) and manthana (churning, kindling or creating fire by friction), which possibly describes
26520-401: Was a close friend of the Rajah James and Charles Brooke . Sir Henry Keppel was responsible for crushing the Dayak piracy in the Saribas between 1840 and 1850. Meanwhile, Charles Brooke was a nephew of James Brooke and would later become the latter's successor as the second Rajah of Sarawak. Odoardo Beccari , an Italian botanist, visited Bintulu in 1867. On 4 August, he started his journey on
26690-656: Was added to the route. It took around 36 to 48 hours to reach Bintulu from Kuching, depending on the sea conditions. Due to lack of food supplies from Kuching, the villagers had to make do with limited food, and several villagers resorted to hunting in the jungles to supplement the food supply. In 1960 there were only three primary schools in Bintulu. These schools provided classes until Primary 3 level. There were no secondary schools. Villagers could pursue their secondary school studies at either Miri or Kuching by using small boats as there were no roads connecting Bintulu to either Miri or Kuching. Bintulu Government Secondary School
26860-439: Was already known in the 7th century. This Malanau empire covers North Borneo (Sabah), Sarawak, and Brunei. JL Moens mentioned Fo-che-pou-lo to be in the same location. On Mercator map of 1587 also locates the chief ports on the west coast of Borneo (Brunei) Malano and Puchavarao (Fo-che-pou-lo). Zhao Rukuo or Chau Ju Kua wrote Zhu Fan Zhi , a collection of descriptions of countries and various products from outside China, and it
27030-435: Was derived from the local native language "Mentu Ulau" (picking heads). Bintulu was a small fishing village when Rajah James Brooke acquired it in 1861. Brooke later built a fort there in 1862. In 1867, the first General Council meeting (now Sarawak State Legislative Assembly ) was convened in Bintulu. It is the earliest state legislature system in Malaysia. The construction of the earliest airstrip in Bintulu began in 1934 but
27200-423: Was established in 1979. It consists of three crude oil storage tanks, each with a capacity of 410,000 barrels. It has three major areas of operation: Crude Oil Operations, Condensate Stabilisation, and Gas Sales Facilities. Royal Dutch Shell started to establish the world's first Shell Middle Distillate Synthesis plant (Shell MDS) in 1993. It is also known as Bintulu Gas-To-Liquid plant (Bintulu GTL). The plant has
27370-467: Was established in June 1991. Bintulu currently has four palm oil refineries: Bintulu Edible Oils Sdn Bhd (operated under PGEO Group, a subsidiary of Wilmar International ), Sime Darby Austral Edible Oil Sdn Bhd, Kirana Palm Oil Refinery Sdn Bhd, and Sarawak Oil Palm Bhd. However, as of 2015, Wilmar no longer buys raw palm oil produced from cleared forests and peat swamps in Sarawak because of environmental concerns. The Bintulu Division has been designated as
27540-463: Was executed in 1944. The sultanate was thereafter suspended and replaced by a Japanese council. The Japanese also set-up Pusat Tenaga Rakjat (PUTERA) in the Indonesian archipelago in 1943, although it was abolished the following year when it became too nationalistic. Some of the Indonesian nationalist like Sukarno and Hatta who had returned from Dutch exile began to co-operate with the Japanese. Shortly after his release, Sukarno became president of
27710-472: Was founded on 23 December 1992 and commenced operation on 1 January 1993. BPA is currently responsible for regulatory exercises and security of the port. Meanwhile, BPSB is responsible for cargo handling at the Bintulu International Container Terminal (BICT). The port also provides Vessel traffic service to shipping vessels. The annual total cargo throughput is 45.4 million tonnes, consisting of 58% LNG and 42% non-LNG products. As of 31 December 2014, it generated
27880-442: Was halted in 1938 due to financial difficulties. During World War II , the airstrip was heavily bombed by Allied forces. The British later rebuilt the airstrip, and it became fully operational in 1955. The old airport was replaced by a new airport in 2002. Bintulu remained a fishing village until 1969 when oil and gas reserves were discovered off the coast. Since then, Bintulu has become the centre of energy intensive industries such as
28050-452: Was moved to Kota Samarahan as Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus Tun Abdul Razak (Tun Abdul Razak Teachers' Training Institute Campus). The UPM campus is currently located 13 km (8 mi) away from the town centre, occupying 715 ha (1,767 acres), which can accommodate up to 2,200 students. This branch campus currently has only one faculty, the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, consisting of five academic departments. In 2015 UPM
28220-439: Was opened in 1964. In 1967 Bintulu celebrated the first 100 years of the Council Negri meeting (Sarawak State Legislative Assembly). A stone monument was built in front of a government rice storeroom to commemorate the event. Bintulu was a sub-district of Miri Division in the 1970s. The sub-district was upgraded into a district in 1987. Large reserves of natural gas were discovered off the coast of Bintulu in 1969. Following this,
28390-416: Was ranked 41st in the UI-Greenmetric World University rankings. SEDAMAI College, established in November 1999, offers courses in business, information technology, language, and engineering. There is also a technical school located 15 km (9 mi) away from the town, near Tanjung Kidurong, occupying 20 ha (49 acres) of land. The school was built in 1982 with a maximum capacity of 900 students. Among
28560-407: Was rebuilt after the discovery of oil and gas reserves offshore. Similajau National Park is located 30 km (19 mi) northeast of the town. The park was gazetted in 1976, covering an area of 8,996 ha (22,230 acres) (89.96 km (35 sq mi) with sandy beaches, rocky headlands, jungle streams, and forests. Other national parks that can be accessed along the Miri–Bintulu road are
28730-472: Was started as the National Resource Training Centre, Kuching, in 1974. The oldest campus in Sarawak, it was relocated to Bintulu in 1987 as a branch campus of the Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (UPM). The campus was closed down in 1992 before reopening in 2001 as Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). During this period of closure, the campus was used as the site for Maktab Perguruan Sains Bintulu (Bintulu Science Teachers' Training College) from 1994 to July 1999 when it
28900-437: Was successfully achieved with the inclusion of northern Borneo through the Malaysia Agreement on 16 September 1963. To this day, the area in northern Borneo is still subjected to attacks by Moro pirates since the 18th century and militant from groups such as Abu Sayyaf since 2000 in the frequent cross border attacks . During the administration of Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos , Marcos made some attempts to destabilise
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