5 things to know about Kayan river, North Kalimantan

Travel

by Patricia Hului - June 14, 2019June 14, 2019

While in Sarawak we have Batang Kayan river in Lundu, in North Kalimantan they have their own Kayan river too. North Kalimantan borders the Malaysian states of Sabah to the north and Sarawak to

How the Bornean rhinoceros was hunted to extinction in Sarawak

Culture

by Patricia Hului - June 11, 2019June 11, 2019

In the beginning of 20th century, the Bornean rhinoceros was common in Sarawak. Also known as the Eastern Sumatran rhinoceros or Eastern hairy rhinoceros, it was one of the three subspecies of Sumatran rhinoceros.

What you need to know about the Battle of Tarakan during World War II

Culture

by Patricia Hului - June 6, 2019June 6, 2019

The Battle of Tarakan refers to different actions which happened during World War II on Tarakan island, off the northeast coast of Borneo. The first battle of Tarakan happened on Jan 11-12, 1942 when

What you need to know about the Kedang Expedition 1886

Culture

by Patricia Hului - June 5, 2019June 5, 2019

When second White Rajah, Charles Brooke visited Simanggang in June 1885, the Iban chiefs there complained to him that the Lemanak and Skrang peoples were constantly being attacked by those living near the Kedang

What you should know about Ligitan and Sipidan dispute

Culture

by Patricia Hului - June 3, 2019June 3, 2019

The Ligitan and Sipadan dispute was all over media headlines during the late 90s and early 00s in Malaysia. It was a territorial dispute between Indonesia and Malaysia over islands in the Celebes Sea,

The massacre of Sarawak officers at Long Nawang during WWII

Culture

by Patricia Hului - May 23, 2019May 23, 2019

When news of Japanese troops coming to attack Sarawak broke out, the Chief Secretary put out instructions requiring all Brooke officers to remain at their stations. However, a group of Sarawak officers decided to

Saying hello to the proboscis monkey in Tarakan’s Bekantan and Mangrove Conservation Park

Travel

by Patricia Hului - May 16, 2019

While we call it’ ‘monyet belanda’ in Malaysia, in Indonesia it is called ‘bekantan’. The proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) is endemic to Borneo and can be found in all three countries on the island.

Hiking up the hill of legendary Lundayeh hero Upai Semaring

Travel

by Patricia Hului - May 8, 2019May 9, 2019

The mystical story of Upai Semaring (spelled as Yuvai Semaring in Indonesia) is unlike other local legends. It transcends international boundaries, from the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak, to Long Pa’ Sia in Sabah and

What you need to know about Operation Claret 1964-1966

Culture

by Patricia Hului - May 2, 2019May 2, 2019

Most Malaysians are aware about the Indonesian-Malaysian Confrontation, a conflict which happened in the years 1963-1966 as a result of Indonesia’s opposition to the creation of Malaysia. However, most may not have heard about

Relying on the Ba Kelalan-Long Midang border route for a livelihood

Travel

by Patricia Hului - May 1, 2019May 1, 2019

Living near the border between Indonesia and Malaysia, the Krayan Highland communities have one famous saying among themselves: “Harimau di perut, Garuda di dada.” It means ‘tiger in my stomach, Garuda in my heart’,