Misplaced Pages

#159840

63-621: The name "Selangau" comes from the name of a river, which is one of the tributaries of the Mukah river. The earliest settlement of Selangau town was near the Selangau river delta (near Nanga Selangau primary school today). Initially, the area was inhabited by the Beketan people before they were displaced by the Iban people from Kanowit and Lemanak river. The Beketan people then moved to Tatau District . Meanwhile,

126-519: A tropical rainforest climate (Af) with heavy to very heavy rainfall year-round. The population (2010) of the district is 24,412. Selangau traders serve commuters along the Sibu-Bintulu trunk road on Pan Borneo Highway and workers from surrounding oil palm plantations with daily necessities. Selangau is the major stopover station for bus express. Selangau have accessibility of sea and land transportation via cars, trucks, bus and boats. Currently, it

189-431: A half hours. The town has two primary schools: and three secondary schools: The town center consists of three streets of 1930s vintage Chinese shophouses, near the waterfront. A few new shophouses have been built. Kanowit have a dry and wet market, offering local vegetables, meats and handicrafts. The market opens everyday from 7am till 12 noon. The biggest supermarket is Hock Tong Seng. During periods of celebration,

252-727: A river in Sarawak , northwestern Borneo , Malaysia . The river originates in the Iran Mountains , flows through Kapit , and then towards the South China Sea . At approximately 565 km long (351 mi), the river is the seventh-longest in Borneo and the longest in Malaysia. Malaysia's largest and tallest (160m) hydro electric project, the Bakun Hydro Electric Dam , is located on

315-669: A total revenue of RM 30.1 million although its total cargo throughput went down from 5.0 million to 3.2 million tonnes from the previous year. The five river ports along the Rajang river (arranged by their distances from the river mouth) are: River cruises for tourists were run on the Rajang between Sibu and the Pelagus Rapids Resort in Kapit from 2009 until 2012, but were terminated because of logistical and operational difficulties. During 2017's "Visit Sibu Year", longhouse visits along

378-499: Is Musyati Mudajaya JV (MMJV) Sdn Bhd. The town is served by a health clinic, Selangau Health Clinic operated by the Ministry of Health . The Selangau Fire Department Station was built, serving the emergency services, such as drowning and fire. It was managed by Fire and Rescue Department and Ministry of Housing and Local Government . With its existing, it will reducing response time from Sibu Fire Station and Mukah Fire Station. There

441-510: Is a town and the capital of Kanowit District , Sibu Division , Sarawak , Malaysia , comprising 2,253.5 square kilometres. As of 2010, Kanowit's population is 28,985. It is built on the mouth of Kanowit River at the bank of Rajang River , approximately 174 kilometers from the coast of South China Sea . It takes 45 minutes to reach the town by land transport and an hour by boat from Sibu . The main ethnic groups are Iban , Chinese , Malay , and Melanau . The town takes its name from

504-465: Is a weekend bazaar at Selangau where natives could sell their jungle produce to their customers. Pesta Selangau (Selangau Festival) is held every year. Among the activities during the festival are: rafting, kayaking , and radio-controlled boat race. The federal constituency represented in the Dewan Rakyat is Selangau (federal constituency) . Kanowit Kanowit ( Malay : Pekan Kanowit )

567-456: Is at its broadest. At this intersection point, about 160 miles (260 km) from the river mouth, the river begins to flow from east to west, near the town of Kapit . Kapit is the last stop for express boats coming from Sibu , and is inhabited by the Chinese, Iban, and Kayan people. Kapit is the biggest town in the upper Rajang river. Further downriver are smaller towns such as Song , which

630-401: Is considered unclean. Floods in the Rajang delta near the coast are usually caused by the rising tide while floods 120 km inland near Sibu is caused by heavy downpour with inadequate drainage caused by sediment accumulation in the river bed; as a result of heavy development of the river upstream. In September 2020, heavy rain in the upper tributaries of the Rajang caused flash floods in

693-506: Is located at the mouth of the Katibas River . At about 120 miles (190 km) from the sea, there are owned by both Chinese and Iban people. The lands are divided into parcels measuring several acres, where smallholders clear the land for agricultural activities. In the midst of these Mixed Zone Lands, 105 miles (169 km) miles from the sea, is the town of Kanowit ; the river here is 0.5 miles (0.80 km) wide. The biggest town on

SECTION 10

#1732852295160

756-566: Is more than 160 inches (410 cm) of rainfall each year in these mountains, which forms the headwaters of Rajang. The river flows from northeast to southwest. The Punan Bah people reside at the headwaters of the Rajang. One of the Rajang tributaries, the Balui River , north of the Hose Mountains , flows into the lands of the Kayan people and Kenyah people . At the western end of a great bend in

819-615: The Balui River , a tributary of the Rajang. Other important tributaries include the Katibas River , Ngemah River, Iran River, Pila River, Balleh River , Bangkit River and the Kanowit River. In Sarawakian Malay, a major river is named Batang (meaning "trunk" or "tree" in Malay) as it is the main larger stream which took its "root" from its tributary rivers which is known as Sungai ("river" in Sarawakian Malay) and branches out again at

882-459: The Melanau ethnic group. Therefore, they are often called as the "Melanau of Kanowit". Their languages is classified as the languages related to the people from Oya , Mukah , and Matu District . They had their own social rankings: aristocrats, middle class, and slaves. Their houses were 40 foot tall, although such houses no longer exists today. They were well known of their basketry which were sold in

945-611: The Pacific swallow , Little spiderhunter , and Asian glossy starling . Twenty species of birds (mainly eagles, egret , kingfishers, woodpeckers) are protected, while seven species of birds (mainly hornbill and pheasant ) are totally protected under the Sarawak Wildlife Protection Ordinance 1998. A total of 164 fish species was recorded at the Rajang basin in 2005. Empurau ( Tor tambroides ) and Semah ( Tor douronensis ) fish are considered popular fishes among

1008-464: The 1870s, while Sibu was still a small Malay village at that time. Chinese traders from Singapore brought clothes, jars, salt, and other daily necessities in exchange for rattan , hides of wild cattle, camphor , rhinoceros horns, and monkeys gall stones. The Cantonese people later arrived in the 1880s. They were involved in timber exports. The Fuzhounese arrived here from Sibu in 1910. Besides, Malay villages also established just immediate south to

1071-507: The 1970s, there were 48 shophouses in Kanowit, lying parallel to the Kanowit River. There was also a market, churches, a hospital, a moving picture theatre (named Capital Theatre), a jetty, government offices, government resident quarters, a government clinic, and a community hall. The Chinese were settled near the banks of the Rajang River. There were no roads that enter the town. Therefore,

1134-462: The Chinese. Tanjung Manis District (16 miles (26 km) from the river's mouth) is located near the Rajang delta where the Malay and Melanau people dominate. Bruit Island is situated inside the Rajang delta, with a lighthouse at Sirik Point. The Rajang delta is bounded by the towns of Igan in the north and Rajang (4 miles (6.4 km) from the river's mouth) in the south. The population of

1197-425: The Iban people inhabited the Selangau delta in the 1930s and 1940s. There were only four shophouses owned by Chinese and Iban people selling groceries at that time. In the 1960s, after the completion of Pan Borneo Highway between Sibu and Bintulu , these residents then moved their homes to the present location beside the highway. Selangau was originally put under the administration of Mukah district. However, with

1260-566: The Kanowit Bazaar (market). In 1846, Phlegethon ship commanded by Captain Rodney Mundy and James Brooke sail up the Rajang River to combat Dayak piracy that frequently threatened the borders of Sarawak (Kuching area). On 29 June, Rodney and James arrived at Kanowit and their first contact with the "Kanowit" people there was peaceful. In 1851, Fort Emma was built by the Brookes although Kanowit

1323-410: The Kanowit population was able to converse in more than one languages. In the 1970s, 21% of the Kanowit bazaar population was Christians while 19% of the population was Muslims. Meanwhile, 60% of the population was devoted to other religions. Kanowit acts as a middleman of trade between the town of Sibu and people from the interior of the Rajang River. Kanowit exports rural agricultural products to

SECTION 20

#1732852295160

1386-465: The Kanowit river entering Rajang south to north. The part of Rajang River near Kanowit is 0.5 miles (0.80 km) wide. The town of Kanowit is located in the north-south direction. The area around Kanowit contains mostly tertiary stage of Paleozoic rocks such as sandstones , greywicks, siltstone , shales , and slate . During the Peneplanation and Jerudong cycles, the erosions of the hills in

1449-485: The Kanowit, a Melanau ethnic group called Rajang by the Ibans ( ISO 639-3 : kxn). The language is still spoken by the Kanowit people living in the area. The village where the Kanowit people live is known as Kampung Bedil, a short trip by boat up the Rajang River from Kanowit town. The name "Kanowit" is derived from the name of the earliest ethnic group settling along the Kanowit River. The ethnic group adopted similar culture as

1512-606: The Kayan and Kenyah migrated to the Balui river from the present day Indonesian Kalimantan . Meanwhile, the Iban people migrated from West Kalimantan to the lower Rajang valley, moving their agricultural base. Inter-ethnic conflicts followed the introduction of new tribes into the Rajang basin, and some ethnic groups fled to the Balingian and Tatau rivers. In the late 19th century, the government of Charles Brooke began constructing forts along

1575-601: The Melanau people as "Go" people because their staple food was "Sago". "Go" is pronounced in a similar way to the Hokkien word for "Swan". Chinese immigrants may have been reminded of another "Swan River" back in China. The Rajang is the longest river system in Malaysia, with its source in the Nieuwenhuis mountains, where it forms the political boundary between Malaysia and Indonesia. There

1638-484: The Rajang River is the only mode of transport for people to travel to other towns. The town of Kanowit is the capital of the Kanowit District. The Kanowit district is administered by a District officer, an assistant officer, administrative officers, treasurer, clerks, and other office employees. Kanowit District Council was first known as Kanowit Sea Dayak Local Authority when it was established in 1949. In 1957,

1701-504: The Rajang River were promoted as an ecotourism project. Crocodiles, which live by the river banks, became the mascot for the event. The town of Sibu can be assessed by oceangoing vessels for 80 miles (130 km), while an additional 100 miles (160 km) of the river can be assessed by shallow-draft craft. The remaining parts of the river, leading into the Sarawak interior, can only be assessed by small canoes. Speedboats and longboats are

1764-409: The Rajang basin by a study of 2004. The mouth of the river is the only place where the dolphins can be sighted. Totally protected mammals include gibbon , langurs , black giant squirrel , slow loris , and tarsier . Civets , otters , bats , treeshrew , and primates are also included under the Sarawak Wildlife Protection Ordinance 1998. Wild pigs and deer are the animals most frequently hunted by

1827-472: The Rajang basin was very low in the 19th century during the Bruneian Empire . The people living along the river's banks traded with Malays from Brunei. At that time, the Melanau, Kanowit and Rajang ethnic groups lived downriver; Bhuket, Punan Bah , Lugat, Sihan and Kejaman ethnic groups lived at the middle section of the river, with Penan and Seping tribes living in the upriver area. After the 19th century,

1890-436: The Rajang basin. Trading of Engkabang fruits ("illipe nuts") were commonly traded in the 1960s and 1970s, with the trade centred on Sibu. The fruits are also a food for fish such as empurau that populate the river. Other agricultural activities in the Rajang basin include the cultivation of rubber, pepper and vegetables, and poultry domestication. The Rajang Port Authority (RPA) is the main regulatory body for coordinating

1953-416: The Rajang in an attempt to achieve political stability in the Rajang basin. The Chinese then started to move inland and settle near the forts and trade various forest products with the natives. In 1884, Fort Vyner was constructed, and Belaga soon became the political and economic centre of the district. Subsequently, government offices, schools, a bank, a police station, a mosque, and churches were built around

Selangau - Misplaced Pages Continue

2016-512: The Rajang river from May to December 2004 found that the main channel of the Rajang river was turbid except for smaller tributaries. The water transparency was about 4 cm to 5 cm at that time. Based on Taxonomic richness index , the stretch of upstream river between Kanowit and Belaga river is recovering from logging 15 to 20 years ago with the exception of Penaan river because the local community uses toxic chemicals to capture fish. The stretch of river downstream from Lebaan to Selalang river

2079-425: The Rajang upriver. After the freeze of new timber licenses in the 1970s, the effect of timber on the local economy has been reducing. Majority of the businesses in Kanowit were retail grocery businesses. Other business were: tailors, coffeshops, hairdressers, and food stalls. Fee of local bus is only RM1, but bus service is not frequently. Lanang Bus Express boats from Kanowit can reach Sibu in one and

2142-535: The Third Division of Sarawak (also known as Sibu Division today). In the 1970s, the Kanowit government secondary school was the only secondary school apart from Sibu in the Rajang basin. Kanowit is located at 105 miles (169 km) miles from the sea, near the Rajang River . Although the Rajang flows from east to west in its general course of direction, the river is flowing from south to north in Kanowit, with

2205-435: The banks of the river is Sibu , some 65 miles (105 km) upriver from the mouth of the Rajang. It can be reached by ocean-going vessels, and is the political, economic, cultural, and education centre of the central region of Sarawak. Other towns located further downriver are Sarikei (24 miles (39 km) from Rajang town) and Bintangor (11 miles (18 km) from Sarikei). These two towns have been mainly settled by

2268-503: The central Rajang basin has reduced their elevations to 200 to 300 feet, when compared to 3,000 to 5,000 feet mountains located near the Sarawak-Kalimantan border. The riverbanks at Kanowit are below sea level; therefore, Kanowit is subject to frequent flooding during periods of monsoon seasons. There are three types of soils in the Kanowit area: acid yellow soils found in the mountainous areas, podsols derived from sandy material at

2331-518: The confluence between the smaller tributaries and the major river, just as Malay uses the name "Kuala" (meaning "river delta"). Amongst the Chinese in Sibu , the Rajang River is also nicknamed the "Swan River" (鹅江), probably because of the legendary appearance of a flock of swans flying over the area, resulting in the end of a famine. Alternatively, it may originate with the Sibu Chinese immigrants regarding

2394-467: The council name was changed to its present name. Julau was previously a sub-district under the jurisdiction of the Kanowit District. In 1973, Julau was upgraded into a district and put under the administration of Sarikei Division . In the 1960s, there were 24 democratically elected representatives in the Kanowit District Council. The Kanowit District was in turn put under the jurisdiction of

2457-452: The delta, thus the Rajang River is known as Batang Rajang in Malay. Upriver areas, such as the areas surrounding the headwaters, are called "Ulu" (which means "upriver") or "Hulu" in Malay. " Hulu Rajang " is the upriver section of the Rajang river. Places along the river that are too small to be called towns are named "Nanga" in the Iban language , which is the language used in the areas where

2520-523: The fort. During the Brooke era, the sago processing industry was an important economic activity amongst the Melanaus, and it provided an important revenue for the Sarawak government. The sago products were sent to the port of Sibu for export overseas. The Ibans in the Rajang basin exchanged jungle produce with Chinese and Malay businessmen for salt, beads, metal, porcelain utensils, earthen jars, and coins. Seeing

2583-412: The fort. In 1883, Father Edmund Dunn of St Joseph College, Mill Hill, England, established the first Roman Catholic Mission headquarters at Kanowit. The missionary at that time worked almost exclusively amongst the Iban people In 1885, St Francis Xavier Church was built. The church was demolished in 1967 to pave the way for new modern building construction. Later a mission hospital and a primary school

Selangau - Misplaced Pages Continue

2646-435: The increasing number of traders coming to town, has raised the population of the town. In the 1970s, a representative was chosen to administer the town and act as an intermediary between the government and the people. Selangau also become a resting station for the people who ply the highway regularly. In the 1980s, a great fire burnt down the wooden houses in the town of Selangau. After that concrete houses were built to replace

2709-576: The last 200 years. The "Kanowit" ethnic group, where the town is named after them, is known to be the earliest inhabitants along the Kanowit River. Few of the "Kanowit" people still staying in Kampung Bedil today. The Kampung Bedil has about 40 houses with a population of 200 in the year 2015. In the 1970s, there were seven widely spoken languages in Kanowit: English, Malay , Iban , Mandarin , Hokkien , Fuzhounese , and Cantonese . About 30% of

2772-506: The local karaoke can often be heard from far away with the pounding basslines of 80s hits in English, Malay and Chinese. The best sight seeing can be had by walking along the riverside from town or up the Telecom Hill or Bukit Memaluh Hill. Rajang River (Period of data: 2003-2016)4,715 m /s (166,500 cu ft/s) The Rajang River ( Malay : Sungai Batang Rajang ) is

2835-449: The locals. A total of 122 species of bird was recorded by the 2004 study, with 21 species along the mouth of the river, 96 species in the Hose Mountains , and 88 species at Lanjak Entimau in the interior of Sarawak. The only endemic species of bird found in the Rajang basin was the Dusky munia , found abundantly in paddy fields. Other species of bird commonly found along the Rajang basin are

2898-561: The locals. the Empurau is still found breeding near the upper tributaries of Rajang such as the Balleh River , and also near the Bakun Dam . The major economic activity in the upper reaches of the Rajang River is logging. Among the types of wood that are extracted for exports are Ramin , plywood , Kapur , Meranti , Keruing , and Belian . Rice is the dominant crop along the middle section of

2961-570: The low-lying areas of Kapit, Song, Kanowit and Sibu. On 6 October 2010, heavy rain have caused a massive landslide that brought logs and debris down into the Balleh river, tributaries above Kapit, and then into the Rajang river. It was estimated that the volume of the logs and debris had exceeded 300,000m in length. The logjam also affected the Igan river . The log debris, stretching 50 km, reached Sibu on 8 October, causing transportation difficulties for

3024-495: The major form of transport between Kapit and Belaga. Transportation above Belaga to the Balui River requires longboats. The Rajang River is also used for transporting logs. During the monsoon season, some areas of the interior are accessible only by river. Meanwhile, in the towns downriver, market traders are often affected by floods. Logging operations are rampant on the upstream of the Rajang river. A major study conducted along

3087-506: The moderately high terrains, and alluvial deposits at the flood plain areas. Kanowit has a tropical rainforest climate (Af) with heavy to very heavy rainfall year-round. The total population in the Kanowit Bazaar (market) in 1960 was 1,555. It increased by 13% to 1,720 in August 1970, where 72.7% of them were Chinese and 18.1% were the Malays. Among the Chinese, Hokkien accounted for 48.8% of

3150-445: The outside world. At the same time, manufactured goods from the outside world are imported for daily use by the Kanowit residents. Among the items available for trade in the Kanowit bazaar are: hill rice, vegetables, chicken, pigs, fish, and fresh-water shrimp. Rubber and pepper are also cultivated in Kanowit. Kanowit also produces rubber and black pepper. Before 1970s, Kanowit acted as a transshipment centre for timbers coming from

3213-512: The people living alongside the river and killed many fish. On 2 November 2012, Global Witness claimed that the logging operations of Interglobal Empire, a subsidiary of the WTK group of companies, owners of the logging concession T/3476, were responsible for the landslide into the Melatai River which subsequently blocked the Rajang River. Similar logjam occurred in early 2017 at the upper reaches of

SECTION 50

#1732852295160

3276-571: The period of the Communist insurgency , the Sarawak government set up the "Rajang Special Security Area", and Rajang Security Command (RASCOM) was formed as a result of co-operation of civil, military, and police command headquarters, to clamp down on communist activities in the Rajang delta. Construction of the Bakun Dam on the upper Balui River, from 1997, resulted in the Sungai Asap resettlement scheme. Thirty species of mammals were recorded along

3339-399: The population at that time speak English. 90% of the population in Kanowit can speak Iban, including 70 to 80% of the Chinese. Meanwhile, 18% of the Kanowit people spoke Malay. Hokkien was the most widely spoken Chinese dialect in Kanowit during the 1970s. At that time, 48.8% of the Chinese spoke Hokkien, 40 to 50% of the Chinese spoke Fuzhounese, and 90% of the Chinese spoke Mandarin. Most of

3402-410: The population, followed by Cantonese (21.4%), and Fuzhounese (20.1%). The Iban people made up 6.5% of the population in the Kanowit bazaar. Outside the Kanowit bazaar, the Iban people were the majority. Some Malay families may raise or adopt children from other races. Therefore, names such as "Abdul Chen" and "Aminah Lim" may appear. All the ethnic groups in the Kanowit Bazaar only started arriving in

3465-575: The river is the Belaga District , and further downstream are the Pelagus Rapids where the Iban people dominate. The rapids are located 180 miles (290 km) from the Rajang river mouth. As the Balleh River joins the Balui river from south of the Hose Mountains, the Rajang becomes broader and deeper. It is estimated that about 25% of the people of Sarawak live in the region where the Rajang

3528-518: The success of Chinese planting rubber trees and pepper vines, the Ibans also started to grow these cash crops. Later, when the Chinese ventured into the logging industry, urban migration of the Ibans occurred, whilst the Kayans and Kenyahs grew rice, cash crops such as rubber, coffee, and groundnuts. The Penans and Punans maintained a nomadic way of life, bringing jungle produce, woven items, and handicrafts for sale at local markets. On 25 March 1973, during

3591-527: The trade activities of all five river ports along the Rajang River. RPA serves to provide maintenance, adequate and efficient port services for all users of the ports. It is located at the Sibu port operation centre Sibu and Sungai Merah can be assessed via a shorter route through the Paloh river where the distances from the mouth of the river can be shortened to 82 km and 92 km respectively. In 2012, RPA recorded

3654-499: The tributaries join the main river. Examples of Nangas are: Nanga Ngemah, Nanga Dap, and Nanga Poi. In Iban, "Nanga" means "longhouse" and is often followed by the name of the river that runs by it. There are certain communities that use "Rumah" (meaning "house" in Malay), often followed by the name of the headman (thus it can change in time). "Long", meaning "confluence", is used by the Orang Ulu (upriver people) to name places located at

3717-525: The wooden houses. Due to the rising population and the development of Selangau, it was declared as a new district on 1 March 2002 with the Selangau town acted as the administrative centre. The Selangau district is now put under the administration of Sibu Division . Sibu Rural District Council (SRDC) administers the Selangau town and district. Selangau town is located at an intersection approximately 74 km from Sibu town, 84 km from Mukah town and 134 km from Bintulu town. Selangau has

3780-586: Was accessed mainly on road as it used many times. Selangau included in Pan Borneo Highway project (WPC 08; Sg. Kua Bridge to Sg. Arip Bridge) and was managed by Lebuhraya Borneo Utara Sdn Bhd (LBU) as a turnkey contractor. The main purpose of this project is replacing the existing two-lane carriageway at the old road to new four-lane two-way carriageway, including a few new lanes and constructing of an interchange at Mukah junction and new bridges, including new Batang Mukah Bridge. The main contractor of this project

3843-457: Was built. A boat to bring emergency cases to Sibu was provided. In June 1859, Syarif Masahor , together with a "Kanowit" leader named "Sawing", and a number of Malay chiefs killed two Brooke government officials, Charles Fox and Henry Steele. In 1906, a peacemaking ceremony was performed between Kana and Iban tribes here. During the last years of the Japanese occupation, the Kanowit bazaar

SECTION 60

#1732852295160

3906-506: Was looted and burnt to the ground by some natives. In 1951, as the Korean War broke out, the Kanowit bazaar was overflowing with rubber sheets due to rise in rubber prices. However, on 8 November 1951, the bazaar was burnt to the ground in a large fire. Construction of the shophouses was restarted from 1952 to 1953. However, several owners were unable to pay the mortgages owed to Chartered Bank in Sibu due to low collapsing rubber prices. In

3969-565: Was still under the control of Bruneian empire. The fort was named after the sister of James Brooke, Emma Brooke. Emma Brooke was also the mother of the second Rajah of Sarawak, Charles Anthony Brooke . In 1853, James Brooke was able to take over Rajang River and its surrounding settlements from the Brunei Sultanate. Fort Emma offered protection against Dayak piracy along the Rajang River. Therefore, Hokkien Chinese from Singapore and Fujian province of China came to settle in Kanowit during

#159840