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How a father’s rage led to the origin of oil in Miri

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British Charles Hose was the one responsible for the discovery of oil in Miri, Sarawak.

After his appointment as the Resident of Baram in 1890, Hose started mapping oil seeps in and around Miri.

He reportedly gave his findings to the Sarawak government but an oil exploration was an impossible mission back then due to its poor logistic conditions.

No one pursued the idea again until Hose retired and returned to England. There, he showed his map of oil seeps to Charles Brooke, the second White Rajah of Sarawak.

After a series of meetings, Sarawak signed the first Sarawak Oil Mining Lease in 1909, allowing the oil in Miri to be exploited.

However, according to legend there was another man who not only discovered oil, but was responsible for the origin of oil in this northern city of Sarawak.

How does the legend of the origin of oil in Miri go?
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History writer Lee Fook Onn wrote in Miri Legends and Historical Stories about a family that lived in the middle course of Baram river many years ago. They came down to live there from Usun Apau highlands.

The family consisted of Balai and his wife, their son and their two daughters, Miri and Seria.

They were a happy family, with Usung famous for his hunting skills as well as Miri and Seria for their beauty.

The family owned a mortar from which black-coloured fluid would continuously flow but would never overflow.

Balai and his family would dip a piece of wood or leaf into the fluid to light a fire. This made their life easy and convenient as they saved a lot on firewood.

Time passed and the two daughters married, going off to live with their own families. Their only son Usung had died a while ago in a hunting mishap, and so Balai and his wife began to feel lonely in their own home.

The good thing was that Miri and Seria both lived nearby, so they often came back to visit their parents.

Every time they returned to their own homes, however, they brought the black fluid back with them.

Balai was not happy with that. However, their mother was more than willing to give and even used bamboo pipes to store the black fluid for her daughters.

One day, Balai caught his wife pouring the black fluid into the pipes. This time, he was so furious that he took a knife to cut the pipes. In his rage, he broke the mortar as well.

In the midst of his temper tantrum, Balai lost his balance and fell. As he struggled to get up, according to legend, he stamped the ground so hard that a heap of soil was formed. The black fluid then seeped through the ground and flowed into the sea.

This heap of soil is what Sarawakians recognise as Canada Hill today. Baram river, Sungai Melayu and several other rivers separating Miri and Seria towns (named after Balai’s daughters) are the ‘cuts’ made by Balai.

And the black fluid is the oil which now can be found in Miri and Seria.

Since Balai’s tantrum, oil has not been found in the middle course of Baram river to this day.

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At Adau releases second album, ‘Oba’

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After the release of Journey (2016), Sarawak’s very own experimental world music band has returned with a new album called Oba.

In this album, At Adau fuses different kinds of musical styles and instruments, even inserting new sounds like electronic, pop rock and samba.

Oba which means love in the Kenyah language, has nine tracks to offer that will make fans dance or relax.

Apart from their usual music instruments such as sape, serutong, guitar, and all kinds of traditional drums and percussion, the band brought in new instruments such as the Penan nose flute and hulusi (Chinese cucurbit flute) in Oba.

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Fans had the chance to win At Adau’s latest album ‘Oba’ during the launching party at Rumah Asap Tabuan Dayak.

The six-member band has been busy promoting their album around Kuching.

Together with their partners Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) and Malaysia Airlines (MAS), At Adau had a launching event with the press at Plaza Aurora on Jan 30.

Then on Feb 2, they had a launching party together with their fans at Rumah Asap Tabuan Dayak.

The party had special appearances by Swaiv, Automatic The Remote and master sape player Mathew Ngau Jau.

Though it was just released, Oba was already making waves in the world music industry. By February 2019, the album ranked at number 35 on the Transglobal World Music Chart (TWMC)

In addition to that, At Adau was the first Malaysian act to be on the chart.

Co-founded by Angel Romero from WorldMusicCentral.Org, TWMC’s songs are selected by renowned world music specialists from all over the world.

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The launcing party of Oba on last Saturday’s night attracts both the young and old.
About At Adau

The band was founded in June 2014 as a traditional contemporary music act. Their music is mainly driven by the sounds of the sape. Plus, it blends the different beats of traditional drums and percussion of Borneo tribes.

The name At Adau is a combination of the word ‘At’ which means ‘root’ in Bidayuh. Meanwhile, ‘Adau’ refers to the preferred tree used to make the sape in Kenyah.

Since their debut, they have performed all over Sarawak as well as Thailand, South Korea, Australia and Singapore.

Oba is now available for purchase through At Adau’s official Facebook page. Or you can head over to Sape Gallery Riverside Shopping Complex, Skrang Tattoo Studio or Blackout Tattoo Studio.

Here are some throwback photos of At Adau performing at Rainforest World Music Festival 2017 and 2018:

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A night of storytelling and poems at Nusi Poetry

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Nusi Poetry was back for its second edition last Feb 2 in conjunction with the UNESCO International Year of Indigenous Languages 2019.

Initiated by Nading Rhapsody, an Avant-Garde Borneo ethnic world music ensemble, vocalist Opah Aspa explained that Nusi Poetry was an inter-ethnic and inter-language event.

“In each edition, we will show a different mosaic. This edition, we are presenting Nusi Poetry: Mosaic -Ngebat Mimpi which means ‘weaving dreams’ in Iban.”

She added, “Each and everyone of us we all have our own dreams. We spend our lives riding our own journey, weaving our way to our own dreams.”

During the event, 12 presenters from different walks of life shared their stories about achieving their dreams through poetry, chants and lyrics.

A night of storytelling and poems at Nusi Poetry
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Teacher Philomina Wilson for instance, shared her story by reciting a poem called ‘Heaven’s Very Special Child’ by Edna Massimilla.

As a mother to an autistic son, she related with Massimilla who wrote the poem for her daughter who had Down syndrome.

Meanwhile, Dr Deborah Chong gave a glimpse of her life as a successful fitness athlete through a poem she wrote called ‘Dare to Dream’.

Sharing how she lived her life as a dream chaser, Chong attributed her success to her seven-year-old son who was born prematurely.

As for Raziv from local metal band Myopia, it was the first time he would actually read the lyrics of his song to his audienxe, instead of singing and yelling them out as he normally would.

He shared about the scepticism he faced in his life for being passionate about metal music, something he experienced since he first discovered his passion at 9 years old.

Sticking true to the spirit of being an inter ethnic and inter language event, the presentations were done in different languages such as Iban, Sarawak Malay, English and Melanau.

Other poets and presenters were Gabriel Fairuz Louis, Opah Aspa, Kulleh Grasi, Ronney Bukong. Calvin Mikeng, Raygyna Hayden, Neyna Radzuan, Dauz Iezara, Zakaria Hassan and Venu K Puthankatil.

The audience was also entertained by the band Imaginasi founded in 2013 by Shahrol, Naz, Zair and Zul.

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How Betong town in Sarawak got its name

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If you look up ‘Betong’ on Google, more often than not you will probably end up with Betong, Thailand.

The Thai town of Betong is located in southern Thailand, near the Malaysian border. It is the capital of Betong District, the southernmost district of Yala province.

Meanwhile, there is another town named Betong in Sarawak, Malaysia which falls under the Betong Division.

Both these two Betong towns not only share the same names but the origins of its name…and it all comes from a plant.

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One of the monuments in Sarawak’s Betong town.
The origins of the name of Betong

Just like the town in Thailand, Betong derives its name from a type of bamboo called ‘buluh Betong’ in Malay.

It is also known as giant bamboo and it is a type of species native to Southeast Asia.

According to Legends and History of Sarawak by Chang Pat Foh, the scientific name of the bamboo is Dendrocalamus asper. He wrote, “In the olden days, there were plenty of buluh Betong widely grown in the vicinity of Betong area.”

In those days the area was mostly known as Saribas after the river that flows through the area.

There was no mention of ‘Betong’ in some of the books written about Brooke’s administration in Sarawak such as The White Rajahs of Sarawak by Robert Payne, Twenty Years in Sarawak by Max Saint and My Life in Sarawak by Margaret Brooke.

Due to its colourful history of anti-Brooke movement in the 19th century, there are plenty of references to Saribas.

According to Betong District Council’s website, the name ‘Betong’ was chosen collectively by both the Iban and Malay communities in the area after the abundance of bamboos there.

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St. Augustine Church, Betong.

The history of the bazaar can be traced back to the 1890s. Back then there were only 16 attap shophouses.

A huge fire broke out in 1915, razing the bazaar to the ground. Then, the town was rebuilt but was destroyed another fire in 1925.

Betong town and anti-Brooke movement

In 1855, a fort was built by the Brooke government in Betong. It was named Fort Lily, after Charles Brooke’s wife – Margaret Alice Lili de Windt.

The purpose of the fort was to keep the alleged Iban rebels in check.

At that time, there was an Iban leader from Padeh river called Aji. Son to Orang Kaya Pemanca Dana Bayang who led the Saribas Ibans, Aji and his followers challenged Brooke’s authority in the area, refusing to have a foreign power ruling over the Ibans.

The Brookes sent out an expedition in April 1858 to pacify the rebellion.

Fortunately, Aji survived the attack. Unwilling to give up, the Brookes ordered another attack against Aji. This time they were successful, and he was killed near Kuala Langit by Brooke’s forces.

Later, Fort Lily became the fortress from which they defended themselves against another famous Iban warrior named Rentap.

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The locked gate to Fort Lily.
Betong town and its agricultural history

Although the town was named after a bamboo, the symbol of Betong is a rubber tree. This is because the area was among the first in Sarawak to plant the lucrative rubber trees in the early 20th century.

As such, a monument of a rubber tree was built in 1996 and is located right in the middle of Betong town.

Besides rubber, other major crops planted here in Betong division are pepper, paddy, coconuts and oil palm.

While bamboo is not widely grown as it used to be, the agriculture industry still remains a significant economic sector for Betong to this day. Together with Sarikei, Betong division aims to be Sarawak’s food basket by 2030.

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The monument of a rubber tree in the town square.

Read about how other towns in Sarawak got their names:

Marudi, when it was called Claudetown

How Lubok Antu got its name

How Limbang, Sarawak town of buffaloes got its name

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KajoPicks: Check out these four coffee places in Bintulu

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Apart from shopping complex, Bintulu is currently witnessing the rising number of different kind of eateries.

These include coffee places offering good coffee from dirty coffee to nitrogen-infused java and relaxing ambience for patrons to just hang out.

Here are four coffee places in Bintulu, Sarawak you need to check out:
1.Coffee Dream

Located at Parkcity Commerce Square, this coffee place has been operating since 2014.

Besides coffee, Coffee Dream is famous among the locals for its western food.

Omelette sandwich, spaghetti bolognese, mushroom soup, cheesy beef balls, mushroom cheese omelette, eggs Benedict, chicken Caesar salad are just the tip of their wide range of menu items.

For rice eaters out there, don’t worry because Coffee Dream has a selection of Asian favourites to choose from such as the typical nasi lemak.

While you are at it, might as well end your meal with one of their freshly baked cakes for dessert.

2.The Coffee Code Bintulu
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Do you like it dirty? Dirty Code from The Coffee Code.

The Coffee Code is Sarawak’s very own cafe chains. The first one was opened in Sibu, then Bintulu at Ibraco Town Square and the latest was in Kuching at Saradise, BDC.

When you’re at Coffee Code, how about giving the Dirty Code a try? It is their in-house version of dirty coffee. It is one of the best coffee places in town to spend your tea time because it serves wide range desserts.

Their specialty is perhaps waffles which come with different kind of toppings.

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Waffles at The Coffee Code Bintulu.
3.Escape Coffee

 

You can’t satisfy your coffee craving early in the morning at Escape Coffee. But you can satisfy your coffee craving late at night here because it opens from 12pm till 12am.

It is perfect for the late night work hustle since it provides free wifi.

Feeling hungry? They have good options of food on their menu such as beef sirloin steak, mixed grill, lamb chop, butter chicken waffle and chicken macaroni fruit salad.

4.Melt Cafe

The current star of Melt Cafe Bintulu, no, not its famed grilled cheese sandwich but its Nitro Coffee.

If you have not tried Nitro Coffee before, just imagine Guinness draft beer, only it’s coffee! Since the drink is infused with nitrogen, it has this rich, creamy head similar to Guinness.

So if you are a big fan of coffee, this beverage is definitely worth a try.

Longing for dessert? Give Melt Cafe’s Burnt Cheesecake a try. Some described Burnt Cheesecake as the alter ego to the classic New York cheesecake. The differences are this cake is burnt outside with toasty edges and without the usual pressed cookie base.

Of course you cannot leave Melt Cafe without trying its signature grilled cheese sandwich.

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Nitro Brew Coffee at Melt Cafe. Look at its creamy head on top of the glass!
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How the Nitro Brew Coffee looks like after few minutes.

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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.

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

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Countinue ahead to Turtle Beaches I and II as well Golden Beach.

3.Batu Anchau
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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.

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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.

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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)
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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:
Similajau National Park
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).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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This is how a reef ball looks like.

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