Patricia Hului

Patricia Hului is a Kayan who wants to live in a world where you can eat whatever you want and not gain weight.

She grew up in Bintulu, Sarawak and graduated from the University Malaysia Sabah with a degree in Marine Science.

She is currently obsessed with silent vlogs during this Covid-19 pandemic.

Due to her obsession, she started her Youtube channel of slient vlogs.

Follow her on Instagram at @patriciahului, Facebook at Patricia Hului at Kajomag.com or Twitter at @patriciahului.

3 trails in Similajau National Park you must visit

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The nearest national park to the energy town of Sarawak, Bintulu, is Similajau National Park.

Widely known by its official name, ‘Similajau’ in the early days of the park’s establishment, locals preferred to call it ‘Likau’ after the biggest river flowing through the area.

The national park is more than just unperturbed coastlines. It has jungle trails for visitors to explore and enjoy the park’s diverse biodiversity.

According to Sarawak Forestry website, the park is home to 185 species of birds as well as 24 species of mammals including Borneo bearded pigs and macaques.

There is only one main trail at the park where one has to cross Sungai Likau via suspension bridge to start.

From there, the trail eventually breaks into eight different routes.

With eight trails to choose from, first-time visitors might not know which trail to take.

3 trails in Similajau National Park you must visit
Are you wondering which trail to take?
Here are KajoMag’s top 3 trails in Similajau National Park you must take at least once:
3 trails in Similajau National Park you must visit
Sungai Likau.
1.View Point trail

Imagine looking over South China Sea at the mouth of Sungai Likau. The View Point trail is about 1.3km long and takes about 40 minutes one-way.

A shelter sitting on top of a small rocky headland at the mouth of Sungai Likau will greet you at the end of this trail.

It is a fairly easy hike passing though few small streams.

2.Turtle Beach trails I and II
3 trails in Similajau National Park you must visit
The orange-coloured Turtle Beach II.

There are two turtle beaches and they are only about one kilometer apart. It takes about 3 hours and 15 minutes to reach Turtle Beach I and another 25 minutes to reach Turtle Beach II.

The whole stretch of Turtle Beaches I and II are about 3km long. So if you have extra time, you can slowly explore both beaches.

Speaking of time, after reaching Turtle Beach II, if you still have the time and stamina, continue to hike another 1 hour and 20 minutes to reach Golden Beach.

It is a very long walk but you can make the trip in a day as a long as you start early. Those who have visited the Golden Beach have raved about its beauty as the coastline is lined with scenic cliffs.

Both Golden and Turtle Beaches have similar golden-coloured sand. The sand consists mainly of large, well-rounded quartz grains that have an orange tint due to their high iron content.

Hans P. Hazebroek and Abang Kashim Abang Morshidi wrote in National Parks of Sarawak that the sand is derived from the Nyalau Formation sandstone that forms the coastal cliffs and inland river beds.

“Erosion by breaking waves and flowing breaks the sandstone down into its constituent mineral grains. Sea currents, which flow parallel to the coast, continuously distribute and redistribute the ebach sands.”

That explain why the sand at these beaches stays golden in color.

3 trails in Similajau National Park you must visit
Countinue ahead to Turtle Beaches I and II as well Golden Beach.

3.Batu Anchau
3 trails in Similajau National Park you must visit
The trail leads to Batu Anchau.

While the rest of the trails at Similajau National Park can be finished without any climbing, the Batu Anchau trail requires a little bit of climbing.

Hence, the trail is for those who are fit as the trail has several fairly steep sections. According to Hazebroek and Abang Kashim, this is a good route for those interested in watching forest birds. And you may see long-tailed macaques and gibbons along the way as well.

Tips and tricks

No matter which trail you are planing to take, the best is to start early. Wear light clothing to protect you against the tropical heat.

All these trails can be muddy after rain so wear shoes which come with strong grip. Additionally, do not forget your sunscreen and insect repellents.

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Rajah Vyner Brooke’s message to Sarawak on Cession Day

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After the end of World War II, Sarawak was briefly administered by the British Military Administration.

On July 1, 1946, the third White Rajah Vyner Brooke ceded the kingdom to the British Government.

So Sarawak became a British Crown Colony with Sir Charles Arden Clarke becoming the first British Crown Colonial Governor.

Sarawakians were conflicted and largely divided over the cession. Some felt betrayed because Sarawakians were promised self-rule according to the Nine Cardinal Principles of the rule of the English Rajah.

Rajah Vyner Brooke’s message to Sarawak on Cession Day
Sarawak anti-cession demonstration. Borneo Asian Reports [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Meanwhile, the last Ranee of Sarawak, Sylvia blamed Brooke’s officer over the cession in her book stating “I think it can safely be said if there had been no Gerard MacBryan there would have been no cession of Sarawak at that time – July 1946.”

Nonetheless, Sarawak was a British Crown Colony from 1946 to 1963.

On the first anniversary of Sarawak’s Cession Day, the last Brooke ruler sent his message to the people of Sarawak in four languages; English, Malay, Iban and Chinese.
Here is the transcript of his message in English:

“On this day July 1st, I send warm greetings to all my friends in Sarawak. A year has passed since Sarawak was ceded to His Majesty the King.

I have deep thought to his proposal for cession before making it to the British Government and placing it before the Councils in Kuching. I knew that it meant the end of Brooke rule, an event which, I was proud to realise, would be matter of sorrow to very many of you. Nevertheless I took the decision because I knew that it was the best interests of the people of Sarawak and that in the turmoil of the modern world they would benefit greatly from the experience, strength and wisdom of British rule.

I have followed very closely the events of the last year and I am more than ever convinced that the decision taken was the right one. The assurances given at the time of cession that there would be no interference with your ancient customs are being scrupulously observed. At the same time large schemes for the welfare and betterment of the people have been worked out and will be put into force with the aid of funds provided by the King’s Government in Britain. I am glad that all these plans adhere to the main principles of the policy of the three Rajahs in the past, that the interests of the local population shall be paramount and that the development shall be undertaken by the people by the people and for the benefit of the people of Sarawak.

I know that there are still some in Sarawak, encouraged by persons living outside the country, who maintain their opposition to what has been done. Their cry is that they have lost their “independence” and wish to recover it. What in fact is the position? You have transferred your loyalty from the Rajah who was like your father to a greater father, the King, who has for so long been our Protector. Your feet are firmly set on the road which lead to true independence. Your local institutions are being developed, your power to express your views on laws and forms of Government is being increased, and your will gradually approach that goal, already reached by so many peoples who have had the privilege of Britain’s guidance, where you will be completely self-governing.

The length of time which must elapse before your arrive at that goal will depend largely on the willingness with which your grasp the hand of friendship and support held out to you by His Majesty’s Government. This is the greatest opportunity for progress that Sarawak has ever had. With unaltered devotion for your interests and well-being I say, “Long Live the people of Sarawak. Long Live the King.”


C. V. Brooke

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One badass Sarawak legend about a coconut, dragons and the middle of the world

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There was a Malay woman who gave the first Ranee of Sarawak Margaret Brooke a coconut as a parting gift before she left for England.

The woman told the Ranee that the coconut would bring her good luck.

At the same time, the woman told Margaret that the fruit came from fairyland.

Not one to pass up a good story, Margaret asked the woman to tell her the legend of the coconut and why she said it was from fairyland.

One badass Sarawak legend about a coconut, dragons and the middle of the world
A legend of coconuts and dragons

According to the woman, in the middle of the world was a place called “The Navel of the Sea.”

In this spot, two dragons guarded a tree on which these large coconuts grew, known as Pau Jinggeh.

Margaret said in her book My Life in Sarawak that “The dragons feed on the fruit, and when they have partaken too freely of it, have fits of indigestion, causing them to be seasick. Thus the fruit finds its way into the ocean, and is borne by the current into all parts of the world.

“These enormous nuts are occasionally met with by passing vessels, and it this manner some are brought to the different settlements in the Malayan Archipelago.”

The coconut that the woman brought was given by the captain of a Malay schooner. He found it bobbing up and down in the water under the keel of his boat.

What did Ranee Margaret think about local legends and superstitions?

Whether she believed that the coconut would bring her good luck, we will never know. But she did put the coconut on display in her drawing room at the Astana and according to her was “a source of great interest to the natives.”

Additionally, she wrote:

“With our ideas of European wisdom, we may be inclined to smile superciliously at these beliefs, but we should not forget that a great many of us do not like seeing one magpie, we avoid dining thirteen at table, we hate to see the new moon through glass, we never walk under a ladder, or sit in a room where three candles are burning; and how about people one meets who assure us they have heard the scream of a banshee, foretelling the death of some human being? Putting all these things together, I do not think either Malays or Dyaks show much more superstition than we Europeans do. After all, we are not so very superior to primitive races, although we imagine that on account of our superior culture we are fit to govern the world.”

Margaret Brooke, My Life in Sarawak (1913)
One badass Sarawak legend about a coconut, dragons and the middle of the world

Read about other legends on KajoMag:

A Sarawakian love story of a pirate and a slave

The legends of Pelagus Rapids, Kapit

5 interesting legends from Central Borneo recorded by Carl Sofus Lumholtz

Five Sarawak legends about people turning into stones

The legends of how paddy came to Sarawak

The legend of Mount Santubong that you never heard of

Legend of coconut and dragons of Sarawak

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10 powerful quotes about native land rights from Bruno Manser’s Voices from The Rainforest

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“Everyone of us has an inner voice. If you are a girl, you have the picture of a princess inside of you. If you are boy, you have the picture of a prince inside of you. May this book encourage you to follow your inner voice against all obstacles from the outside.”

Bruno Manser, Voices from The Rainforest (1992)

Bruno Manser wrote this in his book Voices from The Rainforest (1992) to introduce western readers to the life of a Penan in Sarawak. It was the only book he ever published before his mysterious disappearance in 2000.

Manser was a Swiss environmental activist, known for staying with the Penan in Sarawak. He lived with them from 1984 to 1990, learning their culture and language .

After he came out from the jungle in 1990, Manser actively voiced out against illegal logging and fighting for the rights of the Penan people.

He also founded an NGO called Bruno Manser Fonds in 1991.

Throughout his stay with the Penans, Manser kept diaries which also contained his drawings and descriptions of plants and animals.

Part of these illustrations were published in Voices from The Rainforest. In his books, he also collected testimonies from the Penans on their journey to defend their lands.

Here are ten powerful quotes by the Penan people about their native land from Manser’s Voices from The Rainforest:
1.Along Sega, from Ulu Limbang.

“Think about the trees. They did not create themselves, they don’t know how to talk. God (Balei Ngebutun, the creative spirit) created them. The earth, too, is created by God and doesn’t know how to communicate with humans. The animals are like that, too; they can talk to each other, but we don’t understand their speech. When a tree falls or is torn down by a bulldozer, its outflowing resin is its blood.

“The earth is like our mother, our father. If you from the government gives orders to the companies to invade our land, you might as well cut off our heads and our parents’ heads too. When the bulldozers tear open the earth, you can see her blood and her bones even though she can’t speak. Some company employees have fractured skulls and broken bones. Don’t you understand? It is the earth crying: ‘I don’t want to be killed.”

2.When asked why they refused to change their nomadic lifestyle, this was what Jugah Lesu from Long Ballau. According to Manser, Jugah was one of a handful Penan who spoke English fluently back then.

“Can you throw an ocean fish into a mountain river or a fish from the Ulu into the sea? They will surely die. Even though they are both fish, they have different lifestyles. We humans on earth are the same.”

He also added,

“We don’t know that (our land is government property). This land is our land, because we live on it. We roam through the forest for weeks on end without ever meeting the government. The further the company penetrates our land the emptier our bellies become. It is our bellies that make us stand up and say no to the timber companies’ destructive acts with one voice.”

3.Aiong Pada from Long Ballau

“My father is in the forest and so am I. No, building a house isn’t a project I want. The project I love is called sago palm, rattan, deer. My heart is happy in the ulu. There, I want to hear the voice of the argus pheasant, the deer and the hornbill.”

4.Berehem from Patik

“You in the town live off business, you are towkay or coolie. That’s why you ask others to work or work for others. But we are free people and live off our land. Our forest gives us life. If it gets destroyed, our customs die with it. As reward for suffering, God gives us paradise. First suffering, then reward. He doesn’t give it to idlers and lazybones.”

5.Pellutan from Ba Pulau

“In the old days, a shirt costs 50 cents. Today, it costs RM30. But our land provides us with food for free, and so, without a cent in our pocket, we have enough. Nobody tells us to sign anything or ask for the number on our identity card. What is it about the people in the town in their stores? Why do they have to install fans and air-conditioners in their apartments? They live in the heat because they have destroyed their forest. Here, under the big trees, is cool shadow. We don’t want to change places with them.”

6.Aji from Long Sembayang, Ulu Limbang

“Without our forest, we are like animals without bones, like a baby monkey fallen from its mother. Without our forest, we become orphans, and those who kill it and take away from us are like wicked step-parents to us.”

6.Uan Limun from Long Ballau

“What we need on our land are the sago palms and the rattans to weave our our mats, bags and carrying baskets, wood for blowpipes and tajem (dart poison), laue and daun (the leaves of the two dwarf palms) for our roof, pellaio (resins), ketipai, gerigit, jakan (wild species of rubber), bear and leopard… In the forest, we don’t need tinned sardine because we know how to find fish ourselves. But now, the fish in the river have disappeared, the deer have fled and rattan has become expensive.”

7.Ayat Lirong from Long Kevok

“In former times, one could hear the sound of the hornbills’ wings. Nowadays, you might as will forget about catching prey with the blowpipe or hearing your dogs rouse a deer or enjoying yourself in the clear of the river. Do we even have to tell you this? Can’t you see it yourself from the airplane? In the old days, the mountains were green, not red like now.

“ We trust and hope in God, that give us somebody who is like our father. If you wait too long, it will be too late for the lives of our crying children and wives!”

8.Saya Megut from Magoh

“We are tired of hearing bulldozers which are penetrating our land. Our land is no larger than the black edge of a finger nail. We have no other land. Come quickly! Come and see for yourselves. Be of strong heart. Success means preserving part of a primeval forest.”

9.Djauau Lat

“Our land means life. The forest gives us food and everything we need for our life.”

10.Lakei Petujek from Long Napir

“The jungle is our home and our house where all of us can find food. We need even the little trees- they are our arms and legs. When we hear the droning of a bulldozer, how can we help but be sad?”

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5 things you can enjoy at Similajau National Park, Bintulu

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Situated about 30km from Bintulu town, Similajau National Park covers a total area of 22,230 acres.

The park was gazetted in 1978 and opened to public in 1995.

Here are 5 interesting things about Similajau National Park:
5 things you can enjoy at Similajau National Park, Bintulu
Pay your entrance fee at this office before going into the park.
1.It is place where you can hike to the sound of waves crashing

There are about eight trails catering for visitors of all ages at Similajau National Park. The plank walk and education trail take about 15 and 20 minutes respectively. Thus making them suitable for young children.

Then, they have Circular Trail (1.7km), View Point Trail (1.3km), Batu Anchau (1.8km), Turtle Beach I Trail (6.5km), Turtle Beach II Trail (7.6km) and Golden Beach Trail (10km).

5 things you can enjoy at Similajau National Park, Bintulu
Choose your trail!

One tip for if you choose the Golden Beach Trail: start early and pack up some strength and endurance. Although you can make a round trip in one day, it is a very long walk.

Most of the trails go along the coast of Similajau. So you can imagine hiking these routes while listening to the waves crashing.

Additionally, the trails are mostly flat with little climbing required.

Apart from that, you can also soothe your soul with the sounds of insects and maybe some Bornean bearded pigs walking or champing their food.

5 things you can enjoy at Similajau National Park, Bintulu
Hike along the South China Sea!
2.The sand is gold in colour!

Golden Beach got its name thanks to its gold-coloured sand. This type of sand can also be found at Turtle I and Turtle II beaches.

Hanz P. Hazebroek and Abang Kashim Abang Morshidi wrote in National Park of Sarawak that the parent rocks along the coast of the park include sandstone as well as mudstone.

“The resultant soils are red-yellow podzolic soils, composed of varying proportions of clay and sand with a few centimetres of decomposing plant remains on top. The yellow-orange colours are due to insoluble iron oxides.”

Putting geology and chemical composition aside, the golden-coloured beach offers the perfect Insta-background.

But we warn you! Unlike white sandy beaches which feel smooth between your toes, these golden sands are rough and harsh. So don’t even think about walking on the beach bare-footed.

5 things you can enjoy at Similajau National Park, Bintulu
The yellow-orange sand of Turtle Beach II.
3. There is a whale skeleton to greet you at the front office

Right outside of Similajau NP’s front office, there is a whale skeleton to greet you.

The story of this whale goes back to Dec 11, 2015 when it was first found stranded at Tanjung Batu Beach around 7pm.

Sarawak Forestry Corporation staff from Similajau NP, Malaysia LNG (MLNG) volunteers, Bintulu Fire Department and Civil Defense Department successfully released it back to the sea two hours later.

However, the animal was found dead at the same beach the next morning.

Identified as Cuvier’s Beaked Whale (Ziphius cavirostris), the carcass measuring 5.7m long was then transferred to Similajau National Park.

It is the first complete assembled skeleton of Cuvier’s Beaked Whale recorded in Sarawak and the second one in Malaysia.

The other one is on display at Universiti Malaysia Sabah’s Borneo Marine Research Institute aquarium.

5 things you can enjoy at Similajau National Park, Bintulu
Say hi to whale skeleton before you head out to your journey!
4.It has a turtle hatchery

Three species of turtles have recorded landings at Similajau National Park; green turtle, leatherback turtle and hawksbill turtle.

They come from March to September annually. To protect their eggs, a turtle hatchery has been introduced to the park.

The staff usually dig their eggs from the beach and transplant them into the turtle hatchery. Then once the eggs are hatched, the hatchlings are released into the sea.

5 things you can enjoy at Similajau National Park, Bintulu
A glimpse into the turtle hatchery.
5.Similajau National Park has the Sea Turtles and Reef Ball Project

Speaking of turtles, these marine reptiles were absent for five years from Similajau since July 2010.

Then, they came back again in 2015 to lay their eggs. One of the strong reasons why they came back was due to the Sea Turtles and Reef Ball Project.

From 2013 to 2016, a total of 1,500 artificial reef balls were deployed off the coast of Similajau National Park.

This was to create habitat for marine life as well as to improve the livelihood of the local community.

In addition to that, Sarawak Forestry Corporation stated that the presence of the reef balls in the waters of Similajau National Park have greatly reduced trawling activities close to the park, thus providing protection and encouraging the return of turtles to the beaches of Similajau.

If you are feeling generous, you can adopt a reef ball through the Reef Ball Adoption Program. The funds are used to buy and deploy these artificial reefs at Similajau National Park.

Your generosity might bring more turtles to the beach to lay their eggs!

5 things you can enjoy at Similajau National Park, Bintulu
This is how a reef ball looks like.

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How the story of SS Vyner Brooke will break your heart

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SS Vyner Brooke started her service as the royal yacht of Sarawak. The Scottish-built steamship also worked as a merchant ship used between Singapore and Kuching.

However at the beginning of World War II, this ship owned by Sarawak Steamship Co Ltd, had a tragic ending.

Here are 5 things to know about SS Vyner Brooke:

1.She was named after the third White Rajah of Sarawak

The ship was named after Vyner Brooke. His wife Ranee Sylvia launched it on Nov 10, 1927 at Leith, north of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland.

Then the ship sailed from Leith for Singapore on Apr 17, 1928.

2.The interior of SS Vyner Brooke was clearly described in an issue of The Sarawak Gazette
How the story of SS Vyner Brooke will break your heart
A screenshot of The Sarawak Gazette published on Nov 1, 1927.

On Nov 1, 1927, The Sarawak Gazette published an article on the launching of SS Vyner Brooke.

It described the specifications and interiors of the royal yacht.

The main deck had accommodation for crews as well as a cold store room designed for temperature -2 degree Celsius.

Meanwhile, the upper deck cabin could accommodate 44 first class passengers and a large saloon for dining. The saloon was ‘panelled to the full height with polished mahogany and is provided with twenty large windows of Laycock type’.

In fact, all furniture is of mahogany and the chairs came with leather seats.

For passengers who were looking for entertainment and exercise, there was a room for deck quoits and deck tennis.

As for safety, she was equipped with lifeboats, rafts and lifebelts enough for six hundred and fifty people.

3.She was requisitioned by the Britain’s Royal Navy as an armed trader

Before the war, she sailed the waters between Singapore and Kuching under the flag of the Sarawak Steamship Company. She usually carried about 12 passengers in addition to her 47 crew.

When the war broke out, SS Vyner Brooke was considered a militarily-useful vessel. So the British Royal Navy requisitioned it as an armed trader.

Now known as HMS Vyner Brooke, the ship was painted gray and armed with guns. The crew was made of members of Malay Royal Navy Reserve as well as survivors of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse.

Both HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse were sunk by Japanese aircraft on Dec 10, 1941. The wrecks now rest near Kuantan, Pahang in the South China Sea.

4.SS Vyner Brooke was bombed by Japanese aircraft and sunk

Unfortunately, the former crew of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse could not survived a Japanese attack for the second time.

On the evening of Feb 12, 1942, HMS Vyner Brooke was one of the last ships carrying evacuees leaving Singapore.

This was right before Singapore fell into Japanese hands on Feb 15, 1942.

On top of her 47 crew, there were 181 passengers, including the last 65 nurses of the Australian Army Nursing Service in Singapore, wounded servicemen as well as civilian men, women and children.

In the late afternoon on Feb 13, she was attacked by a Japanese aircraft. Fortunately, there were no casualties. By sunset, she set her sail for Palembang passing through Bangka Straits.

The next day on Valentine’s day at about 2pm, HMS Vyner Brooke was attacked by several Japanese aircraft. This time she did not survive. Within 30 minutes, she rolled over and sunk bow first.

Altogether, it is believed that 44 ships were carrying evacuees from Singapore between Feb 12 to 14. All but four were bombed and sunk as they sailed through the Bangka Straits.

Thousands of people died before any of them could reach land.

5.Some of the survivors died during the Bangka Island Massacre

According to records, there were approximately 150 survivors washed up ashore at different parts of Bangka island, east of Sumatra.

Unfortunately, Japanese troops had already occupied the then Dutch East Indies island. On Radji beach of Bangka island, a group of survivors from HMS Vyner Brooke gathered together with survivors from other vessels bombings.

What happened to them after the sinking is now known as the Bangka Island Massacre.

At first, they tried to ask for help and food from the locals but were denied due to the locals’ fear of the Japanese.

One unnamed officer from HMS Vyner Brooke had an idea. Since they had no food, no help for the injured and no chance of rescue, they considered giving themselves up as prisoners of war (POWs).

The group agreed and the officer walked to Muntok to inform the Japanese that they surrendered.

While he was away, one of the nurses – Matron Irene Drummond – instructed a group of civilian women and children to walk toward Muntok.

Those who remained on Radji beach were 22 Australian nurses from HMS Vyner Brooke and the injured.

The Massacre and aftermath

Several hours later, the officer returned with about 20 Japanese soldiers (some records stated 15).

The nurses were confident that the Japanese would not hurt them as they wore their Red Cross armbands. By right, they were Non-combatants and therefore protected under the international treaties of the Geneva Convention.

However, the Japanese started to divide the survivors into three groups. The first two groups were the male survivors who were capable of walking.

The Japanese soldiers escorted the groups down to Radji Beach and around a headland, out of the nurses’ sight.

When they heard gunshots from a distance, the survivors knew that the Japanese were not accepting their surrender.

All 22 Australian nurses and one civilian woman were in the third group. They were instructed to walk into the sea until they were waist deep.

Knowing what would happen to them, Drummond reportedly called out, “Chin up girls. I’m proud of you and I love you all.” Then, the Japanese began to shoot them down.

A nurse, Vivian Bullwinkel was the only one who survived the shooting.

Of the 65 Australian nurses on board the HMS Vyner Brooke, 12 were killed during the air attack, 21 were shot dead at Radji Beach, and 32 became POWs. Eight of the nurses did not survive the internment.

Two of its crew were taken as POWs. Some of the non-European crew members who died on board of HMS Vyner Brooke were Ahmad Rashid, Awang Adam Awang Nong, Li Wong Chuan and Phiaw Chew Teck.

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7 Sarawak firsts in transportation history

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‘Sarawak First’ may have become the main theme for newly registered Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), but when it comes to other firsts in Sarawak, here are some notable milestones in the region’s transportation history:

1.The first aeroplane to have landed in Sarawak

The first aeroplane which landed in the Land of the Hornbills was a sea plane. It landed on Oct 16, 1924 along the stretch of Sarawak river in front of Main Bazaar, Kuching.

7 Sarawak firsts in transportation history
The first aeroplane landed in Sarawak. Credits: Ho Ah Chon [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Sarawak tried to launch its own government air service in 1929. They had two planes, namely the Royalist and Venus. Nonetheless, the venture did not last long.

The first land plane to touch down in Kuching on Sep 26, 1938. It landed on the then newly-built Kuching Landing Ground.

2.When Sarawak’s streets were first lit

Sarawak installed its first street lamps in 1906 in Kuching. However, there were no records of which specific areas where the street lamps were installed.

3.The first bullock carts

After the Brooke government imported Indian cattle, the number of bullock carts used to carry heavy loads started to increase in the 1870s.

4.The first form of vehicles for hire before taxis

The first few rickshaws were brought in 1895 from Singapore. Eventually the number of rickshaws began to increase, which prodded the government to introduce rickshaw stands just like taxi stands today.

They also imposed standard rates such as one mile costs 12 cents and 10 miles-journey costs a dollar.

Some of these stands were located at India Street, Gambier Road as well as at the end of Main Bazaar.

Ho Ah Chon wrote in Kuching in Pictures 1841-1991 that some of the wealthier people who lived in town kept private rickshaws for their own convenience.

He stated, “Those, with a tendency towards overweight often employed two pullers, because, at the best of times, going up or down a steep hill in a rickshaw could be dangerous, many people were decanted onto the road, sometimes with quite serious results, at the hill to Padungan, and on the bend of Reservoir Road.

5.The first car, bicycles, motorcycle in Sarawak

The manager of Borneo Company Limited J.M. Bryan brought in the first car to Kuching in 1917 (although some records stated 1907). It was a 10-12 HP Conventry Humber.

Meanwhile the third Rajah, Vyner Brooke brought the first motorcycle into the country. Another popular means of transportation was the bicycle which was first introduced in the 1900s.

6.The first railway service

The only type of transportation service that is not available now in Sarawak is train. But Sarawak once had a small railway line in Kuching.

It was about 10 miles long spanning from Kuching town to the 10th Mile. It provided both cargo and passenger service. The journey took about 15 minutes.

There were three engines in those days called Bulan (moon), Bintang (star) and Jean. Due to financial losses, the service was shut down in 1931.

During World War II, the Japanese took over the railway service. By 1947, the line was officially closed while the tracks were sold for scrap in 1959.

7.The first lorry in Sarawak

An unnamed local trader brought in a lorry back in 1912. Then, he made use of the 2-tonne lorry to give Sarawak’s first public bus service in the same year.

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Tracing back the history of St Anthony’s Church in Bintulu

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St Anthony’s Church in Bintulu is hard to miss; it has a 7-meter tall statue of Christ the Universal King in front.

The church is also hard to miss due to the heavy traffic which regularly happens along its roadways every Sunday as well as during the week because of the school located right next to it.

Catholics make up on one of Bintulu’s three large Christian communities besides Anglicans and Methodists.

However, the Catholics were the only one who built mission schools in Bintulu, providing childhood and primary education since 60 years ago.

Tracing back the history of St Anthony's Church in Bintulu
It is hard to miss St Anthony Church in Bintulu, thanks to the seven-meter statue next to it.
Rev Edmund Dunn, the first priest to visit Bintulu

The first group of Catholic missionaryies to arrive in Sarawak were priests from St Joseph’s Society for Foreign Missions. The missionary college was located at Mill Hill near London. Thus, the priests who were trained there are known as ‘Mill Hill’.

During that time, the second White Rajah of Sarawak Charles Brooke thought that religion would be able to tame the “savageness” of local people.

Since the Anglican church had arrived earlier in Sarawak and established itself, particularly in the western region, Brooke assigned the Catholic missionaries to areas where the Anglicans had not been. This was to prevent clashes between these two missionaries.

Tracing back the history of St Anthony's Church in Bintulu
This Pieta statue was erected to remember the Mill Hill missionaries and their contribution in Bintulu parish.

The first group of Mill Hill priests who arrived in Sarawak on July 10, 1881 were Rev Edmund Dunn, Rev Daniel Kilty, Rev Aloysius Goosens and Rev Thomas Jackson.

According to an article by Jacinta Chan in Solemn Dedication of St Anthony’s Church Souvenir Magazine, Rev Dun was the first ever Catholic priest who visited Bintulu.

Dunn was the Apostolic Prefect of Labuan and Northern Borneo (comprising current day Labuan island, Sabah and Sarawak).

He arrived in Bintulu some time in 1920. Then, Rev Henry Jansen, the rector of Miri and Baram, visited Bintulu every now and then.

Tracing back the history of St Anthony's Church in Bintulu
Opened in 1958, the old St Anthony’s Church has been turned into a hall and named after Rev John van de Laar, the first resident priest of St Anthony’s Church.
The first resident priest in Bintulu

Finally in 1954, Rev John van de Laar was appointed the first resident priest of St Anthony’s Church.

However, he had no proper place to live so he stayed in one of the empty government quarters along Abang Galau road.

He started to look for suitable piece of land to build a church. The sites considered included the mouth of Kemena River and the current site of Ming Ong Methodist Church at Jalan Sultan Iskandar.

Finally, the current site located right next to the old airport was chosen.

After Rev Van de Laar left Bintulu, Rev Peter Aichner arrived from Sibu on Feb 3, 1955 to take over his place.

His first Sunday mass in Bintulu was only attended by three people; two locals Mr and Mrs Richard Heng Ah Bah and Harry Buxton, a British Forestry Department officer.

Buxton reportedly was held as a Prisoner of War (POW) during the Japanese Occupation. Meanwhile, Heng was a staff of Bintulu District Council.

The construction for a proper church only started two years later on October 1957. Additionally, the plan was not only to build a church but a priest house, a school and a boarding house.

The school was first to be completed and was opened on Jan 17, 1958 as St Anthony’s Primary School (now SK St Anthony).

It became one of the three primary schools in Bintulu apart from Chung Hua Primary School and Orang Kaya Mohammad Primary School in those days.

Meanwhile, the priest house and the church were finished the following month. The church was blessed on Feb 23, 1958.

It was during the care of Rev Aichner that the number of Catholics in Bintulu gradually increased.

Tracing back the history of St Anthony's Church in Bintulu
The old and new churches built at the same compound.
Construction on the new St. Anthony’s Church building

After Rev Aichner, the role of resident priest in Bintulu went to Rev Herman Plattner on Feb 16, 1959.

He stayed here for 10 years focusing the Catholic mission on education. Some of the priests who came to assist Rev Plattner also served as the principals of Bintulu Public Secondary School.

However, Rev Plattner’s biggest contribution is the building of the old St Anthony Church.

It was blessed by the first Bishop of Miri, Bishop Anthony Galvin in October 1968.

By 1986, this old building was too packed for Sunday mass. So, plans were made and money was raised.

The new church building was completed by the end of 1992 at the cost of RM1.7mil.

Meanwhile, the old church building was turned into a hall for prayer meetings and gatherings.

The church continued to accommodate the growing population of Catholics in Bintulu until another church was built in Tanjung Kidurong in 2010.

Tracing back the history of St Anthony's Church in Bintulu
The current St Anthony Church Building.
The 60th anniversary of the Catholic Mission in Bintulu

On Aug 15, 2014, the parishioners of St Anthony’s Church came together to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Catholic mission in Bintulu.

The celebration marked 60 years after Rev van der Laar came to Bintulu as the first resident priest. There was also blessing of the 7-meter tall statue of Christ the Universal King.

Looking at how big the Catholic church and its community are in this town today, nobody could imagine that the first priest appointed here more than 60 years did not even have a place to rest his head.

Tracing back the history of St Anthony's Church in Bintulu
The 7-metre tall Christ the Universal King statue.

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18 Hollywood movies to watch in 2019

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Besides listing out your new year’s resolution, how about listing out movies you must watch in 2019?

Here are KajoMag’s suggestions of Top 18 Hollywood movies you need to watch in 2019:

1.How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (Jan 31)

By the look of the movie poster, we know that Toothless has a mate! According to the movie timeline, it is one year the events of the second film, meaning Hiccup is now the chief of Berk.

2. Captain Marvel (Mar 7)

Marvel fans all over the world are eagerly waiting for this movie. Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel is a former US Air Force fighter pilot who turns into one of the galaxy’s mightiest heroes.

The main question here is how Captain Marvel will fit into the whole Marvel universe.

3. Dumbo (Mar 29)

Diehard Disney fans may not want to miss this live action remake of Disney’s most famous elephant. In this edition, Dumbo is trying to save a struggling circus.

4. Shazam! (Apr 5)

Here is a DC movie to look forward to in 2019. Shazam! is based on the DC Comics character of the same name.

The main character, Billy Batson is transported into a different realm where an ancient wizard gives him the power to transform into a godlike adult superhero by uttering the word “Shazam!”

5. Hellboy (Apr 12)

Hellboy is a fictional, half-demon superhero based on the Dark Horse Comics.

It made it to the big screen in 2004 and continued in a sequel in 2008. Another sequel was supposed to be filmed in 2019 but was canceled due to lack of funding.

In this reboot, Hellboy prepares to stop an ancient medieval sorceress who seeks to destroy all of mankind.

6. Avengers: End Game (Apr 26)

This is the movie of 2019, as in THE movie of 2019. How are the Avengers going to beat Thanos? Who else is going to die? How does Ant-Man manage to come back from the Quantum Realm? How is Captain Marvel going to fit into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)? There are so many questions!

7. John Wick 3: Parabellum (May 17)

If you watched the second installment of John Wick then you know that another sequel is definitely on the way.

In this third movie, Wick is still on the run following his assassination of a member of the High Table in The Continental.

With a $14 million contract on his head, Wick is fighting his way out of New York city.

8. Men in Black: International (May 22)

Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson showed great onscreen chemistry in Thor: Ragnarok. So movie buffs should be looking forward for the pair in Men in Black: International.

A spin-off of the Men in Black (MIB) film series, the story follows a London-based team of MIB secret agents trying to solve a murder mystery while travelling around the world.

9. Aladdin (May 24)

For the past few years, Disney is all about live-action adaptation of its classic movies. So here is Aladdin directed by Guy Ritchie.

Although it is not out yet, the movie has already gathered more than enough criticism, especially for its casting.

The addition of a white character played by Billy Magnussen had people accusing them of whitewashing the film.

On top of that, the public was also unhappy that Princess Jasmine is being played by a non-Middle Eastern and Anglo Indian actress Naomi Scott.

To top it all, Marwan Kenzari was accused being too hot for the role of Jafar. (Although the thirst tweets following this reveal are hilarious.)

But as they say in Hollywood, there is no such thing as bad publicity.

10. Godzilla: King of the Monsters (May 31)

Godzilla: King of the Monsters is a sequel to the 2014 Godzilla movie.

According to the synopsis released by Warner Bros, Godzilla will fight Mothra, Rodan and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah.

11. X-Men: Dark Phoenix (June 6)

This movie made it to our last year’s list of movies to watch in 2018. What is it doing here again? It was previously set to be released on Nov 2019, then rescheduled to be released on Feb 14, 2019. Now it is scheduled for release on June 6 this year.

The plot follows nearly a decade after the events of X-Men: Apocalypse. The X-Men are now national heroes going on increasingly risky missions.

The conflict starts when a solar flare hitting them during a rescue mission in space and Jean Grey loses control of her power, unleashing the Phoenix.

12. Toy Story 4 (June 29)

Raise your hand if you thought Toy Story 3 (2010) was the last movie of this Pixar installment.

The film continues from the last movie where Sheriff Woody and Buzz Lightyear after Andy gave them to Bonnie Anderson.

13. Spiderman: Far From Home (July 5)

So with the release of Spiderman: Far From Home, we know that Peter Parker is alive after Avengers: Endgame.

The movie follows Parker who goes on summer vacation to Europe with his friends. There, Spiderman teams up with villain Mysterio to fight against The Elementals.

14. The Lion King (July 19)

If you love the 1994 The Lion King, then you must put this movie on your Hollywood movies to watch in 2019.

And if you watched the trailer then you know it is a photorealistic computer animated remake of the 1994 film.

15. Joker (Oct 4)

DC Comics fans might have high expectations on this movie as it is the first film separate from the DC Extended Universe.

Moreover, movie fans are looking forward to see Joaquin Phoenix’s performance as the Joker.

16. Kingsman 3 (Nov 8)

Ladies if you have not heard the news, we are sorry to announce that Taron Egerton aka Eggsy will not be in this movie.

But rest assured, he has also told Yahoo: “That doesn’t mean I won’t be in Kingsman ever again.”

So what is Kingsman without Eggsy? Now we have to watch just to find out.

17. Jumanji 3 (Dec 13)

Do you know that there was an alternate ending for Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle which was supposed to leave the door open for another movie? That scene was removed from the final cut of the film.

Regardless, the third untitled Jumanji is confirmed on the way.

18. Star Wars: Episode IX (Dec 19)

Remember The Last Jedi? This movie is set a year after that movie.

Perhaps this time we will finally know who Rey is related to… and whether it matters in the grander scheme of the Star Wars universe.

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5 traditional uses for tajau among Malaysian Borneo communities

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Expensive cars, designers bags and huge mansions might be the modern-day symbol of wealth but in the olden days – particularly among some Malaysian Borneo communities – a jar of clay called the ‘tajau’ was a sign of one’s financial status.

Every jar has its own distinctiveness when it comes to height, design, shape and even colour.

People in Borneo have been using this jar since the 9th century which they obtained through trading with traders from China.

Besides a status symbol, here are at least five traditional uses of tajau among the Malaysian Borneo communities:
5 traditional uses for tajau among Malaysian Borneo communities
Some of the tajau displayed at Sabah Museum.
1.As a form of currency to pay fine or wages

How do you pay for your crime in the olden days? In the Iban culture, anyone who was guilty of murder, adultery, theft needed to pay a fine in the form of a tajau.

If you could not afford one, then you would become a slave to the person you had wronged.

Additionally, the olden Iban communities also paid their manang (shamans) and lemambang (poets) in tajau during certain ritual ceremonies.

2.As storage

Our modern society is blessed – and cursed when it comes to plastic waste – with containers to store our food and drinks. For the olden communities in Borneo, they used tajau to store their dry food and water, although they called them by different names according to their purpose.

For example, there is one type of tajau which the Iranun people of Sabah call Mantaya Gadung. The Iranun people, particularly in Kota Belud, used this tajau to store sugarcane juice.

They also used the jar to store salt which they called Mantaya Binaning.

Another example is the Dusun community of Tamparuli which used tajau pugion as a container to store their rice.

5 traditional uses for tajau among Malaysian Borneo communities
A 19th century tajau made in China displayed at Sabah Museum.
3.It also serves as dowry

Since the value of the jar is high, it also functioned as a dowry for some communities of Borneo.

In the Murut community, there are several types of tajau used as dowry. One of the most highly prized dowry items is the tajau tiluan.

They secured the jar with rattan to protect it from breakage during the journey to the bride’s family home.

4.To make rice wine

Both Malaysian regions of Borneo, Sabah and Sarawak share another common use for the tajau: making and storing rice wine.

Before any big celebration such as Gawai, the Iban people would ferment rice together with yeast in the jar to make tuak (rice wine).

Meanwhile, the Kadazandusun used the jar for the same purpose to make their kind of rice wine called ‘lihing’.

5.For burial

The Archaeology Division of Sabah Museum Department did three expeditions in 2000, 2007 and 2008 to Kampung Pogunon, Penampang.

There, they did research on ancient Kadazandusun graves where the jars were used to store the remains of their loved ones.

They believed the jar was the home and a necessity for the deceased in the next world.

The researchers also found that the Kadazandusun people there were practicing this kind of burial as early as the 15th century.

Also in Sabah, the Murut communities buried their loved ones in a huge tajau called bangkalan.

Two days afterwards, they would carry the jar in a procession to the cemetery.

Among the Iban people in Sarawak, the tajau was used as some sort of a tombstone or grave marker.

According to Iban ethnologist Benedict Sandin, a jar would be placed at the head of the deceased after burial. Then, they would build a small hut to cover the grave.

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