Sarawak

& Brunei

09 January to 15 January 2012

Compiled by Ooi Chooi Seng

SarawakSarawak

— State —

Land of The Hornbills

Flag

Coat of arms

Nickname(s): Land of the Hornbills

Motto: "Bersatu, Berusaha, Berbakti""United, Striving, Serving"

Anthem: Ibu Pertiwiku (My Motherland)

Sarawak in Malaysia

Capital Kuching

Divisions

In alphabeticalorder:[hide]

BetongBintuluKapitKuchingLimbangMiriMukahSamarahanSarikeiSibu

Sri AmanGovernment

• Yang di-Pertua NegeriAbang MuhammadSalahuddin

• Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud (BN)

Area[1]

• State of Sarawak 124,450 km2 (48,050.4 sq mi)

Population (2010) [2]

• State of Sarawak 2,420,009

• Density 19.4/km2 (50.4/sq mi)

Human Development Index

• HDI (2010) 0.692 (high) (11th)

Postal code 93xxx to 98xxx

Calling code

082 (Kuching), (Samarahan)083 (Sri Aman), (Betong)084 (Sibu), (Kapit), (Sarikei),(Mukah)085 (Miri), (Limbang),(Marudi), (Lawas)086 (Bintulu), (Belaga)

Vehicle registration

QA & QK (Kuching)QB (Sri Aman)QC (Kota Samarahan)QL (Limbang)QM (Miri)QP (Kapit)QR (Sarikei)QS (Sibu)QT (Bintulu)QSG (Sarawak StateGovernment)

Brunei Sultanate 19th century

Brooke dynasty 1841

Japanese occupation 1941–1945

British control 1946–1963

Accession with the Federationof Malaya to form Malaysia[3] 16 September 1963 [4]

Website www.sarawak.gov.my

Sarawak (Jawi:س راوق) (Malay pronunciation: [sa r̍awaʔ]) is one of two Malaysian states[4] on the island ofBorneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang ("Land of the Hornbills"), Sarawak is situated on the north-west ofthe island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to theNorth- East.

The administrative capital is Kuching, which has a population of 579,900.[5] Major cities and townsinclude Miri (pop. 263,000), Sibu (pop. 254,000) and Bintulu (pop. 176,800). As of last census (2010),the state population was 2,420,009.[2]

Contents[hide]

1 Historyo 1.1 Brooke Dynastyo 1.2 Second World War and Occupationo 1.3 Independence

2 Geographyo 2.1 Environment

3 Demographicso 3.1 Ethnic groups

3.1.1 Dayak Iban 3.1.2 Chinese 3.1.3 Malay 3.1.4 Melanau 3.1.5 Dayak Bidayuh 3.1.6 Dayak Salako & Lara 3.1.7 Indian 3.1.8 Eurasian 3.1.9 Javanese 3.1.10 Bugis 3.1.11 Bisaya 3.1.12 Kedayan 3.1.13 Dayak Orang Ulu

o 3.2 Religions 3.2.1 Christianity 3.2.2 Islam 3.2.3 Buddhism/Taoism 3.2.4 Hinduism 3.2.5 Sikhism 3.2.6 Baha'i 3.2.7 Animism

4 Governmento 4.1 Administrative Divisionso 4.2 Administrative Districts

5 Energy 6 Economy

o 6.1 Agriculture, logging and land usageo 6.2 Conservation

6.2.1 Sanctuarieso 6.3 Tourism

7 See also 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External links 11 Related Information

[edit] History

See also: Kingdom of Sarawak and Anti-cession movement of Sarawak

The eastern seaboard of Borneo was charted, though not settled, by the Portuguese in the early 16thcentury. The area of Sarawak was known to Portuguese cartographers as Cerava. During the 17thcentury, Sarawak was self-governed under Sultan Tengah. By the early 19th century, Sarawak hadbecome a loosely governed territory under the control of the Brunei Sultanate. During the reign ofPangeran Indera Mahkota in 19th century, Sarawak was facing chaos.[6] Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II(1827–1852), the Sultan of Brunei, ordered Pangeran Muda Hashim in 1839 to restore order and it wasduring this time that James Brooke arrived in Sarawak. Pangeran Muda Hashim initially requestedassistance in the matter, but Brooke refused. In 1841, Brooke paid another visit to Sarawak and this timehe agreed to provide assistance. Pangeran Muda Hashim signed a treaty in 1841 surrendering Sarawakand Sinian to Brooke. On 24 September 1841, Pangeran Muda Hashim bestowed the title Governor toJames Brooke. He effectively became the Rajah of Sarawak and founded the White Rajah Dynasty ofSarawak, later extending his administration through an agreement with the Sultan of Brunei. Sarawakwas thus an independent kingdom from 1841 until 1888, when the state was placed under Britishprotection.

Sir James Brooke, Raja of Sarawak.

[edit] Brooke Dynasty

James Brooke was appointed Rajah by the Sultan of Brunei on 18 August 1842. Originally Brooke ruledthe territory across the western regions of Sarawak around Kuching until his death in 1868. His nephewCharles Anthony Johnson Brooke became Rajah after his death; he was succeeded on his death in 1917by his son, Charles Vyner Brooke, with the condition that Charles should rule in consultation with hisbrother Bertram Brooke.[7] The Sarawak territories were greatly expanded under the Brooke dynasty,mostly at the expense of areas nominally under the control of Brunei. In practice Brunei had onlycontrolled strategic river and coastal forts in much of the lost territory, so most of the gain was at theexpense of Muslim warlords and of the de facto independence of local tribes.

The Brooke dynasty ruled Sarawak for a hundred years and became famous as the "White Rajahs",accorded a status within the British Empire similar to that of the rulers of Indian princely states. Incontrast to many other areas of the empire, however, the Brooke dynasty was intent on a policy of

paternalism in order to protect the indigenous population against exploitation. They governed with the aidof the Muslim Malay and enlisted the Ibans and other "Dayak" as a contingent militia. The Brookedynasty also encouraged the immigration of Chinese merchants but forbade the Chinese to settle outsideof towns in order to minimise the impact on the Dayak way of life. Charles Brooke, the second WhiteRajah of Sarawak, established the Sarawak Museum, the oldest museum in Borneo.

In the early part of 1941 preparations were afoot to introduce a new constitution, designed to limit thepower of the Rajah and give the people of Sarawak a greater say in government. Despite this democraticintention, the draft constitution contained irregularities, including a secret agreement drawn up betweenCharles Vyner Brooke and his top government officials, financially compensating him via treasuryfunds.[8]

[edit] Second World War and Occupation

Japan invaded Sarawak and occupied the island of Borneo in 1941, occupying Miri on 16 December andKuching on 24 December, holding both territories for the duration of World War II until the area wassecured by Australian forces in 1945. Charles Vyner Brooke formally ceded sovereignty to the BritishCrown on 1 July 1946, under pressure from his wife among others. In addition the British Governmentoffered a healthy pension to Brooke.

Anthony continued to claim sovereignty as Rajah of Sarawak. After the end of the Second World War,Anthony Brooke then opposed the cession of the Rajah's territory to the British Crown, and wasassociated with anti-secessionist groups in Sarawak. Anthony was banished from Sarawak.

Anthony Brooke was allowed to return only seventeen years later, when Sarawak became part ofMalaysia. Sarawak became a British colony (formerly an independent state under British protection) inJuly 1946, but Brooke's campaign continued. The Malays in particular resisted the cession to Britain,dramatically assassinating the first British governor.

[edit] Independence

Sarawak was officially granted independence on 22 July 1963,[4][9] and joined with Malaya, Sabah, andSingapore, in the federation of Malaysia,[10][11] formed on 16 September 1963, despite the initialopposition from parts of the population. [12][13] Sarawak was also a flashpoint during the IndonesianConfrontation between 1962 and 1966.[14][15]

[edit] Geography

The Sarawak state legislative assembly building, in Kuching.

Having land area of 124,450 km² spreading between latitude 0° 50' and 5°N and longitude 109° 36' and115° 40' E, it makes up 37.5% of the land of Malaysia. Sarawak also contains large tracts of tropical rainforest home to an abundance of plant and animal species.

The state of Sarawak stretches for over 750 km along the north east coastline of Borneo, interrupted inthe north by about 150 km of Brunei coast. Sarawak is separated from the Indonesian part of Borneo(Kalimantan) by ranges of high hills and mountains that are part of the central mountain range of Borneo.These get higher to the north and culminate near the source of the Baram River with the steep MountBatu Lawi, Mount Mulu in the Park of the same name and Mount Murud with the highest peak inSarawak.

The major rivers from the south to the north include Sarawak River, the Lupar River, the Saribas River,the Rajang River which is the longest river in Malaysia at 563 km long. The Baleh River branch, theBaram River and the Limbang River drains into the Brunei Bay as it divides the two parts of Brunei andthe Trusan River. The Sarawak river 2459k2 in area and is the main river flowing through the capitalKuching.

Sarawak can be divided into three natural regions. The coastal region is rather low lying flat country withlarge extents of swamps and other wet environments. The hill region provides most of the easilyinhabited land and most of the larger cities and towns have been built in this region. The ports ofKuching and Sibu have been built some distance from the coast on rivers. Bintulu and Miri are close tothe coast line where the hills stretch right to the South China Sea. The third region is the mountain regionalong the border and with the Kelabit and Murut highlands in the north.

[edit] EnvironmentSee also: Fauna of Borneo, Deforestation in Borneo, Sarawak Biodiversity Centre, and #Agriculture, logging andland usage

Sarawak has vast areas of both lowland and highland rainforest. However, Sarawak has been hit hard bythe logging industry and the expansion of monoculture tree plantations and oil palm plantations.Malaysia's deforestation rate is increasing faster than anywhere else in the world. Statistics estimateSarawak's forests have been depleted but thereis no definitive study to know how much. Malaysia'sdeforestation rates overall are among the highest in Asia, jumping almost 86 percent between the 1990–2000 period and 2000–2005. In total, Malaysia lost an average of 1,402 km² —0.65 percent of its forestarea—per year since 2000.[16] By comparison, South East Asian countries lost an average of 0.35% oftheir forest per annum during the 1990s.

[edit] Demographics

[edit] Ethnic groups

A Modern Iban Longhouse, built using new materials and preserving essential features of communal living

Iban girls dressed in full Iban (women) attire during Gawai festivals in Debak, Betong region, Sarawak

Sarawak has more than 40 sub-ethnic groups, each with its own distinct language, culture and lifestyle.Cities and larger towns are populated predominantly by Malays, Melanaus, Chinese, Indians and asmaller percentage of Ibans and Bidayuhs who have migrated from their home-villages for employmentreasons.

[edit] Dayak Iban

Main article: Iban

Sea Dayaks (Iban) women from Rejang, Sarawak, wearing rattan corsets decorated with brass rings and filigreeadornments. The family adds to the corset dress as the girl ages and based on her family's wealth.

The Ibans comprise the largest percentage (almost 34%) of Sarawak's population. Formerly reputed to bethe most formidable headhunters on the island of Borneo, the Ibans of today are a generous, hospitableand placid people.[17] Because of their history as pirates and fishermen, Ibans were conventionallyreferred to as the "Sea Dayaks". The early Iban settlers migrated from Kalimantan, the Indonesian part ofBorneo south of Sarawak, via the Kapuas River. They crossed over the Kelingkang range and set uphome in the river valleys of Batang Ai, the Skrang River, Saribas, and the Rajang River. The Ibans dwellin longhouses, stilted structures with a large number of rooms housing a whole community of families.[17]

An Iban longhouse may still display head trophies or antu pala. These suspended heads mark tribalvictories and were a source of honour. The Dayak Iban ceased practising headhunting in the 1930s.[17]

The Ibans are renowned for their Pua Kumbu (traditional Iban weavings), silver craft, wooden carvingsand bead work. Iban tattoos, which were originally symbols of bravery among Iban warriors, havebecome amongst the most distinctive in the world.[17] The Ibans are also famous for a sweet rice winecalled tuak, which is served during big celebrations and festive occasions.[18]

The large majority of Ibans practise Christianity. However, like most other ethnic groups in Sarawak,they still observe many of their traditional rituals and beliefs. Sarawak celebrates colourful festivals suchas the Gawai Dayak (harvest festival), Gawai Kenyalang (hornbill, or the god of war festival), penuaianpadi and Gawai Antu (festival of the dead).

It is interesting to note that there is also a thriving Iban population of between 30,000 & 40, 000 in Johor,found mostly in the area between Pasir Gudang & Masai on the eastern end of the Johor Bahrumetropolitan area. Sizeable Iban communities are also present in Kuala Lumpur & Penang.

[edit] Chinese

Main article: Malaysian Chinese

Chinese people first came to Sarawak as traders and explorers in the 6th century. Today, they make up26% of the population of Sarawak and consist of communities built from the economic migrants of the19th and early 20th centuries.

The first Chinese (Hakka) migrants worked as labourers in the gold mines at Bau or on plantations.Through their clan associations, business acumen and work ethic, the Chinese organised themselves

economically and rapidly dominated commerce. Today, the Chinese are amongst Sarawak's mostprosperous ethnic groups.

The Sarawak Chinese belong to a wide range of dialect groups, the most significant being:

Hakka Hokkien Teochew Hainanese Foochow Puxian Min

Whereas Hakka is spoken predominantly by the farmers in the interior, Hokkien and Teochew are thedominant dialects spoken within the major trading towns and among early traders and businessmen.Hainanese (a.k.a. Hailam) were well known as coffee-shop operators, the Henghua are famous asfishermen. The notable difference between those who presided in West Malaysia is the common use ofCantonese. Mandarin however was and still is the unifying language spoken by all the different dialecticgroups in both East and West Malaysia. The Chinese maintain their ethnic heritage and culture andcelebrate all the major cultural festivals, most notably Chinese New Year and the Hungry Ghost Festival.The Sarawak Chinese are predominantly Buddhists and Christians.

[edit] Malay

The Malays make up 21% of the population in Sarawak. Traditionally fishermen, these seafaring peoplechose to form settlements on the banks of the many rivers of Sarawak. Today, many Malays havemigrated to the cities where they are heavily involved in the public and private sectors and taken upvarious professions.

Malay villages, known as Kampungs, are a cluster of wooden houses on stilts, many of which are stilllocated by rivers on the outskirts of major towns and cities, play home to traditional cottage industries.The Malays are famed for their wood carvings, silver and brass craftings as well as traditional Malaytextile weaving with silver and gold thread (kain songket).

Malays are Muslim by religion, having been converted to the faith some 600 years ago with theIslamification of the native region. Their religion is reflected in their culture and art and Islamicsymbolism is evident in local architecture – from homes to government buildings.

[edit] Melanau

Main article: Melanau

The Melanaus have been thought to be amongst the original settlers of Sarawak.[19]

Originally from Mukah (the 10th Administrative Division as launched in March 2002), the Melanaustraditionally lived in tall houses. Nowadays, they have adopted a Malay lifestyle, living in kampong-typesettlements. Traditionally, Melanaus were fishermen and still today, they are reputed as some of thefinest boat-builders and craftsmen.[20]

While the Melanaus are ethnically different from the Malays, their lifestyles and practices are quitesimilar. This is especially the case in the larger towns and cities where most Melanau have adopted theIslamic faith.[21]

The Melanaus were believed to originally summon spirits in a practice verging on paganism. Today mostof the Melanaus community is Muslim whilst some remained Christians, though they still celebratetraditional animist festivals such as the annual Kaul Festival.

[edit] Dayak Bidayuh

Main article: Bidayuh

Concentrated mainly on the West end of Borneo, the Bidayuhs make up 10% of the population inSarawak are now most numerous in the hill counties of Lundu, Bau, Penrissen, Padawan, Siburan andSerian, within an hour's drive from Kuching.

Historically, as other tribes were migrating into Sarawak and forming settlements including the Malaysfrom the neighbouring archipelagos, the Bidayuhs retreated further inland, hence earning them the nameof "Land Dayaks" or "land owners". The word Bidayuh in itself literally means "land people" in Biatahdialect. In Bau-Jagoi/Singai dialect, the pronunciation is "Bidoyoh" which also carry the same meaning.The traditional community construction of the Bidayuh is the "baruk", a roundhouse that rises about1.5 metres off the ground. It serves as the granary and the meeting house for the settlement's community.Longhouses were typical in the olden days, similar to that of the Ibans.Typical of the Sarawak indigenous groups, the Bidayuhs are well known for their hospitality, and arereputed to be the best makers of tuak, or rice wine. Bidayuhs also use distilling methods to make “araktonok”, a kind of moonshine.[22]

The Bidayuhs speak a number of different but related dialects. Some Bidayuhs speak either English orSarawak Malay as their main language. While some of them still practise traditional religions, themajority of modern-day Bidayuhs have adopted the Christian faith with a few villages embracing theIslamic faith as a minority group within the Bidayuh community.

[edit] Dayak Salako & Lara

Main article: Bidayuh

This ethnic group forms a small minority with very little or no comprehensive studies done by any partyon their dialect, culture/customs and history. Although classified as Bidayuh by the Malaysiangovernment for political convenience, the Salako and Lara culture have nothing in common with theother Bidayuh groups and their oral tradition claim different descent and migration histories. It isunderstandable that since this group is living within Bidayuh-majority areas and the fact that they alsoprefer to stay in one permanent inland area, most probably for agricultural reasons instead of branchingout to other locations as opposed to the other races, they are grouped together as Land Dayaks.

This tribal community is believed to have originated from Gajing Mountain, at the source of SalakauRiver, near Singkawang in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Their language is completely different and notintelligible with the other spoken Bidayuh dialects in the other districts. They are mainly foundconcentrated in the Lundu area. In August 2001, the Salako and Lara community set up the Salako-LaraAssociation to safe guard and preserve their culture and custom for the future generations.

[edit] Indian

Main article: Malaysian Indian

The Indians in Sarawak are a small community, estimated to be between 5000 & 7000 people (figure alsoincludes those of mixed parentage & professionals/students/residents from other parts of Malaysia),found mainly in the urban exteriors of Kuching & Miri division. The Indians encompass a wide spectrumof religions, being represented in the Hindu, Muslim (from Tamil Naidu, Malabari & Andhra Pradeshsubethnic groups), Christian, Sikh, Buddhist & Baha'i faiths.

The Sikhs were among the earliest Indians to set foot on Sarawak's soil, recruited by the first WhiteRajah, Sir James Brooke in Singapore as police officers to bring peace, law and order during the 1857Chinese uprising in Bau. At a much later stage, the Sikhs were employed as security personnel for theSarawak Shell Company in Miri & also as government-appointed prison wardens. It is also believed thatthere were a few Sikhs in the Sarawak Rangers, which was formed in 1872. As for the Tamil, Malayali,Sindh & other Indian ethnic groups, their history in the state began during the 1860s, when they werebrought in from South India by the second White Rajah Charles Brooke to work in the tea & coffeeplantations in the Matang Hills. There were also traders & travellers visiting the state for religious,educational or business opportunities. After many years, the Indian community is extended to includenewer immigrants from Sri Lanka & other areas in India. The Indian Muslims were prominent in therestaurant business, textile trade & Indian food production. They were also instrumentally significant intheir contribution to the Islamic fellowship & religious welfare in the state with their Muslim Malaybrethren.

Many of the present-day Sarawak Indians are from mixed marriages with the Malays, Chinese & otherSarawak native ethnic groups, with many of the younger generation using English, Sarawak Malay or oneof the native or Chinese dialects to communicate with everybody else. They have assimilated well withinthe state's general population as a culturally distinct group in Sarawak that is rather unique as opposed tothe Indian diaspora of Peninsular Malaysia & the Asian region in general. A number of Sarawak Indianscan be found working as doctors, lawyers, engineers, teachers & other professional careers in thegovernment & private sectors.

[edit] Eurasian

Main article: Eurasian (mixed ancestry)

Mixed marriages/unions between Europeans and local spouses have been going on for centuries, sincethe time European traders, sailors and colonists first set foot on Sarawak's soils.

The Eurasians in Sarawak continues to be the smallest of minorities, with many of them ratheridentifying themselves with the major racial denomination of their local parent rather than that of theirEuropean, Australian or American parent, as the local state government does not formally classify themas an official ethnicity. At the moment, the exact number of people in the local Eurasian community isnot known, as many of them registered themselves (for administrative and social ease) as Iban, Bidayuh,Chinese, Malay, Melanau, Orang Ulu, Indian or simply under "others". Besides assimilating themselvesinto the general populace, many of them had also migrated to Peninsular Malaysia or their foreignparents' countries of origin.

The local Eurasians established the Sarawak Eurasian Association(SEA) in the year 2000 to foster closerties among members of this community and also to raise awareness on the existence of this distinctgroup. Their association is quite unique, if compared to the Eurasian associations of Peninsular Malaysia,as it is composed by members of different religious faiths.

[edit] Javanese

Main article: Javanese people

The present generation are descended from the original ethnic Javanese people, the majority from theprovince of Central Java, who arrived in Sarawak as "kuli kontrak", indentured servants who werebrought in by the Dutch via Batavia (modern-day Jakarta) during the late 1800s to the 1940s &transferred to a British company to work in the rubber plantations. After the end of their contracts, someof them had decided to settle down & work on land no longer producing rubber. Over the years, theselabourers were prosperous & were later given the right of ownership to several hectares of land.

An estimated 50,000 Javanese people are found all over the state, establishing their own villages, with themajority concentrated in Kuching & its surrounding areas. Some of the younger generation still carrytraditional Javanese names & are identified as ethnic Javanese in their birth certificates. They are proudof their heritage; the current population still speak the language of their parents & retaining their age-oldtraditions & practices of their forefathers.

The friendly Javanese are traditionally Muslims, so they have a strong affinity with the Malays, withmany of them intermarrying & living within Malay-majority areas & also other communities. They useSarawak Malay or English as a common lingua franca to communicate with the other ethnic groups.

[edit] Bugis

Main article: Bugis

The Bugis are an ethnic group which had originated from the southwestern province of Sulawesi,Indonesia. They are renowned around the archipelago as adventurous seafarers and merchants,establishing trading routes with other ports along Sarawak's coastal areas over the past few centuries,eventually settling down with their families or taking up local spouses. The Bugis artisans are noted fortheir expertise in building tongkangs & proas, plying their skills at the fishing villages and localdockyards. They are also skilled farmers, construction workers, traders and fishermen.

The Bugis population in Sarawak is scattered throughout the state. Many can be found living along thecoast alongside or within other communities and also opening up small agricultural settlements furtherinland, especially in the Sarikei district. They are predominantly Muslims and many have amalgamatedwith the local Muslim society through marriage.

[edit] Bisaya

Main article: Bisaya (Borneo)

The Bisaya are an indigenous people, concentrated around the Limbang river in northern Sarawak state.Most Sarawakian Bisaya are Christians. They are distantly related to the Visayan of the Philippines, mostof which are more related to Bahasa Malaysia than Philippine Visaya. Such similarities may be due to the

standardising effect and influence Bahasa Melayu had over not just the Borneon Bisaya but also all otherethnic languages spoken in Malaysia.

Bisaya’s indigenous people settled in Borneo thousand of years ago. The Bisaya were a people who wereloved, feared and respected by the others. They are skilled in agriculture such as paddy planting, ginger,sago, local ginger, tapioca, banana, yam, pepper, coconut, and so on. They also hunt animals and breedothers such as chicken, duck, goose, goat, buffalo, cow and many more. Bisaya people are also skilled incatching fish in the river or sea, and they can hold their breath under water without drowning.

[edit] Kedayan

Main article: Kedayan

The Kedayan are an ethnic group residing in parts of Sarawak. They are also known as Kadayan, Kadaianor simply badly spelled as Kadyan by the British. The Kedayan language is spoken by more than 37,000people in Sarawak, with most of the members of the Kedayan community residing in Lawas, Limbang,Miri and Sibuti areas. The origins of Kedayans are somewhat uncertain, with some Kedayans claiming tohave Javanese origins. However, most researchers consider them indigenous to Borneo, having acceptedIslam and influenced by Malay culture. Kedayan are mainly padi farmers or fishermen. They have areputation for knowledge of medicinal plants, which they grow to treat a wide range of ailments or tomake tonics. The Kedayan tend to settle inland in a cluster pattern, with houses built in the center andwith fields radiating outwards. The Kedayans traditionally tended to be a rather closed community,discouraging contact with outsiders. Intermarriage among relatives was encouraged for economic andsocial reasons.

[edit] Dayak Orang Ulu

Main article: Orang Ulu

A young Sarawakian playing the sapeh

The phrase Orang Ulu means upriver people and is a term used to collectively describe the numeroustribes that live upriver in Sarawak's vast interior. Such groups include the major Kayan and Kenyah

tribes, and the smaller neighbouring groups of the Kajang, Kejaman, Punan, Ukit, and Penan. Nowadays,the definition also includes the down-river tribes of the Lun Bawang, Lun Dayeh, "mean upriver" or "farupstream", Berawan, Saban as well as the plateau-dwelling Kelabits. The various Orang Ulu groupstogether make up roughly 5.5% of Sarawak's population.

The Orang Ulu are artistic people with longhouses elaborately decorated with murals andwoodcarvings.[23] They are also well known for their intricate beadwork and detailed tattoos. The OrangUlu tribe can also be identified by theirunique musical sound made by a sapeh, a stringed instrumentsimilar to a mandolin.

A vast majority of the Orang Ulu tribe are Christians but traditional religions are still practised in someareas.

Some of the major tribes making up the Orang Ulu group include:

Kayan

There are approximately 15,000 Kayans in Sarawak. The Kayan tribe built their longhouses in thenorthern interiors of Sarawak midway on the Baram River, the upper Rejang River and the lower TubauRiver, and were traditionally headhunters.

They are well known for their boat making skills. The Kayan people carve from a single block of belian,the strongest of the tropical hardwoods.[24]

Although many Kayan have become Christians, some still practise paganistic beliefs, but this isbecoming more rare.[25]

Lun Bawang

The Lun Bawang are indigenous to the highlands of East Kalimantan, Brunei (Temburong District),southwest of Sabah (Interior Division) and northern region of Sarawak (Limbang Division). Lun Bawangpeople are traditionally agriculturalists and rear poultry, pigs and buffalo.

Lun Bawangs are also known to be hunters and fishermen.Alternatively, they are also collectively calledthe Murut of Sarawak and are closely related to the Lun Dayeh of Sabah and Kalimantan.[26]

Kelabit

With a population of approximately 3000, the Kelabit are inhabitants of Bario – a remote plateau in theSarawak Highlands, slightly over 1,200 meters above sea level. The Kelabits form a tight-knitcommunity and practise and practice agriculture methods used for generations. Famous for their rice-farming, they also cultivate a variety of other crops which are suited to the cooler climate of theHighlands of Bario. The Kelabits are closely related to the Lun Bawang.

The Kelabit are predominantly Christian, the Bario Highlands having been visited by Christianmissionaries many years ago.

Kenyah

With the population about ~22,000, the Kenyah inhabit the Upper Belaga and upper Baram. There is littlehistorical evidence regarding the exact origin of the Kenyah tribe. Their heartland however, is Long San,along the Baram River and Belaga along Rajang River. Their culture is very similar to that of the Kayantribe with whom they live in close association.

The typical Kenyah village consists of only one longhouse. Most inhabitants are farmers, planting rice inburnt jungle clearings. With the rapid economic development, especially in timber industry, many ofthem work in timber camps.[27]

Penan

The Penan are the only true nomadic people in Sarawak and are amongst the last of the world's hunter-gatherers.[2] The Penan make their home under the rainforest canopy, deep within the vast expanse ofSarawak's jungles. Even today, the Penan continue to roam the rainforest hunting wild boar and deer withblowpipes.[28]

The Penan are skilled weavers and make high-quality rattan baskets and mats. The traditional Penanreligion worships a supreme god called Bungan. However, the increasing number who have abandonedthe nomadic lifestyle for settlement in longhouses have converted to Christianity.[29]

Sebob/Chebob

One of the least known tribes in Sarawak and can be found in upper Tinjar river. Sebob are the firstTinjar settlers along the Tinjar river and it is said that others migrated at a later date. The Sebob/Chebobtribes occupies up to six longhouse in Tinjar including Long Loyang, Long Batan, Long Selapun, LongPejawai and Long Subeng. Amongst the longhouses, Long Luyang is the longest and most populatedSebob/Chebob settlement. It comprises almost 100 units. Most of these people have migrated and foundwork in the cities.[30]

[edit] Religions

Sarawakians practice a variety of religions, including Islam, Christianity, Chinese folk religion (a fusionof Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and ancestor worship) and animism. Christianity is the largestreligion in culturally and religiously diverse Sarawak.[31] Religion plays a significant role in nurturing theculture of decency and modesty among Sarawakians. It also reflects and strengthens the identity amongvarious ethnics. For example, Islam reflects the identity of Malay, Chinese religions and Buddhismreflects the identity of Chinese and Christianity reflects the identity of most Dayaks, while some stillpractising animism.[20]

[edit] Christianity

Main article: Christianity in Malaysia

Christianity is the most popular religion in Sarawak.[32] Sarawak is the state with the highest percentageof Christians in Malaysia with a 43%-majority according to the 2000 census. Major Christiandenominations in Sarawak are the Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Methodists, Borneo Evangelical Church(or Sidang Injil Borneo, S.I.B.) and Baptists. Many Sarawakian Christians are non-Malay Bumiputera,ranging from Iban, Bidayuh, Orang Ulu and Melanau.

Denomination of Christians in Sarawak may vary according to their race, although this is not necessarilytrue. For example, most Chinese Christians are Methodists, most Ibans and Bidayuhs are either RomanCatholics or Anglicans, whilst most Orang Ulu are S.I.B.s. Church plays an important part in shapingmorality of the communities, while some Christians view the church as a religious place. ProfessingChristianity has led to abolishing of some previous rituals by indigenous ethnics such as headhunting,improper disposal of dead bodies. Christians among indigenous ethnics have also embraced manyChristian values such as preserving modesty and dedication to God.[20]

Official statistics show that the number of Christians living in Sarawak has increased faster than that ofMuslims in Sarawak. In 1960, Muslims outnumbered Christians in Sarawak; over the past half-century,the number of Christians has grown tremendously, due to foreign missionary efforts. [33]

Christianity has also contributed to the betterment of the education system in Sarawak. There were a lotof missionary schools built during 1950s to early 1980s.[34] Christianity has gained popularity throughoutSarawak, transcending race and religion. Due to federalisation of the education system, most of thesemissionary schools have been converted into government national schools. Participation of the church inthese schools has been reduced. The Malaysian government has allowed the schools to continue usingreligious symbols on school buildings and teaching Christian values to non-Muslim students.[35]

Christians in Sarawak observe Christian festivals just like their counterparts in other part of the world,namely Christmas, Good Friday, Easter Monday and Ascension Day. However, only Christmas and GoodFriday are public holidays in Sarawak.[36]

[edit] Islam

Main article: Islam in Malaysia

Masjid Kuching

Islam is the second largest religion in Sarawak. 26% of Sarawak population are Muslim by religion.[37]

Many Muslims in Sarawak are ethnic Malays. All Malays are designated Muslim by the MalaysianConstitution.[38] Malay culture contributes significantly to Sarawakian Muslim tradition as a wholeespecially for weddings, circumcision (coming of age ritual), 'majlis doa selamat', etc.

Other ethnic groups which have strong Islamic influence in their traditions are Melanau and Kedayan.Melanaus, depending on region or kampung they live in, are normally either Muslim or Christian (whilevery little practising pagan). Most of them live in Kuching, Matu, Mukah, Igan and Bintulu. The majorityof Melanau people are of Muslim faith.[39]

Kedayan, is another distinct ethnic from Malay and Melanau, but traditionally Muslim. Although small innumber, they contribute to a majority of Muslim population in Sibuti and Bekenu district in Miri. Penan,on the other hand, which is part of Orang Ulu tribes, has gradually contributed to the rising Muslimpopulation in Sarawak.[40]

Administratively, Islam is under the authority of the state of Islamic Council, which is Majlis IslamSarawak (MIS), a state government agency. Under MIS, there are various agencies dealing with variousaspects of Islam such as Jabatan Agama Islam Sarawak (JAIS), Majlis Fatwa, Baitulmal Sarawak etc.[41]

Although the population of Muslims has increased over the past 40 years, their rate of growth has notmatched that of the Christians. In 1960, Islam was the largest religion in Sarawak. Despite being the statewith highest growth of Muslim population in Malaysia, Sarawak may have the highest growth ofapostasy among Muslim converts in Malaysia.[36]

Muslims in Sarawak observe all Islamic festivals, such as Hari Raya Aidilfitri (Puasa), Hari RayaAidiladha (Haji), Awal Muharram and Maulidur Rasul. All these celebrations have been commenced aspublic holidays in Sarawak. However, Israk Mikraj, Awal Ramadhan and Nuzul Quran, althoughobserved, are not public holidays.[42]

[edit] Buddhism/Taoism

Main article: Buddhism in Malaysia

Buddhism is regarded as the main religion of the ethnic Chinese in Sarawak. Many of the SarawakianChinese community, which comprises the bulk of the Buddhist population, actually practise a mixture ofBuddhism, Taoism and Chinese folk religion. As there is no official name for this particular set ofbeliefs, many followers instead list down their religion as Buddhism, mainly for bureaucraticconvenience. Buddhists from other ethnic especially Bumiputera are rare and almost insignificant to berelated with.

Buddhists in Sarawak observe Wesak Day. It is a public holiday in Sarawak.

[edit] Hinduism

Main article: Hinduism in Malaysia

Unlike their fellow Peninsular Malaysians, Sarawak Hindus are very small in number. Almost all Hindusin Sarawak are Indians, while some are Chinese. There are less than 10 Hindu temples throughoutSarawak, most of them are located in Kuching and Miri.

Hindus in Sarawak observe Deepavali and Thaipusam. However, none of these festivals are publicholidays in Sarawak.

[edit] Sikhism

Main article: Sikhism in Malaysia

The first Gurdwara was built in 1911 in Kuching, built by the Sikh community of pioneers in the state,comprising mainly of police & security personnel. At the present, there are four known Gurdwaras in the

state, with one each located in Kuching, Miri, Sibu and Bau, with the latter no longer in existence sincethe late 1950s, due to the fact that there were no longer any Sikhs in that area.

Besides being used as places of worship, the Gurdwaras also hold weekly Gurmukhi classes and alsoserve as community centres for the thriving Sikh community.

[edit] Baha'i

Main article: Bahá'í Faith

Baha'i is one of the recognised religions in Sarawak. Various races embraced the Baha'i Faith, fromChinese to Iban and Bidayuh, Bisayahs, Penans, Indians but not the Malays or other Muslims. In towns,the majority Baha'i community is often Chinese, but in rural communities, they are of all races, Ibans,Bidayuhs, etc. In some schools, Baha'i associations or clubs for students exist. Baha'i communities arenow found in all the various divisions of Sarawak. However, these communities do not accept assistancefrom government or other organisations for activities which are strictly for Baha'is. If, however, theseservices extend to include non-Baha'is also, e.g. education for children's classes adult literacy, thensometimes the community does accept assistance. The administration of the Baha'i Faith is through localspiritual assemblies. There is no priesthood among the Baha'is. Election is held annually withoutnomination or electioneering. The Baha'is should study the community and seek those members whodisplay mature experience, loyalty, are knowledgeable in the Faith. There are more than 40,000 Baha'is inmore than 250 localities in Sarawak.

[edit] Animism

Main article: Animism

Many Dayak especially Iban continue to practice traditional ceremonies, particularly with dual marriagerites and during the important harvest and ancestral festivals such as Gawai Dayak, Gawai Kenyalang andGawai Antu.

Other ethnics who still have trace number of animism followers are Melanau and Bidayuh.

[edit] Government

Unlike other states in Malaysia, Sarawak is divided into divisions rather than districts. Each division isheaded by one Resident. Divisions are further divided into districts, each of which is headed by a DistrictOfficer; and each district is divided into sub-districts, each headed by an Administrative Officer.

[edit] Administrative Divisions

Sarawak is divided into 11 Divisions:

Betong Division Bintulu Division Kapit Division Kuching Division Limbang Division Miri Division

Mukah Division Samarahan Division Sarikei Division Sibu Division Sri Aman Division

[edit] Administrative Districts

Each division is further divided into districts. There are 33 districts throughout Sarawak.

Division District Subdistrict

Kuching Kuching

BauLundu

SiburanPadawan

Sematan

Samarahan SamarahanAsajayaSimunjanSerian

SebuyauTebedu

Sri Aman Sri Aman

Lubok Antu

LinggaPantuEngkilili

Betong Betong

Saratok

PusaSpaohDebakMaludamRobanKabongBudu

Sibu SibuKanowitSelangau

Mukah MukahDalatDaroMatu

BalingianOyaBelawaiIgan

MiriMiri

Marudi

SubisNiah-SuaiBeluru

Long Lama

Bintulu BintuluTatau

Sebauh

Limbang LimbangLawas

Ng. MedamitSundarTrusan

Sarikei SarikeiMeradongJulauPakan

Kapit KapitSongBelaga

Nanga Merit

Sungai Asap

[edit] Energy

The state of Sarawak has introduced the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy.

[edit] Economy

The breakdown of Sarawak’s GDP share by sector for 2010.

Sarawak has an abundance of natural resources. LNG and petroleum have provided the mainstay of theMalaysia federal government's economy for decades while State of Sarawak only get a 5% royalty fromit. Sarawak is also one of the world's largest exporters of tropical hardwood timber and is the majorcontributor to Malaysian exports. The last UN statistics estimated Sarawak's sawlog exports at an averageof 14,109,000 m³ between 1996 and 2000.[43]

Agriculture, logging and land usage

Sarawak's rainforests have been gradually depleted by the demand driven by the logging industry and thefollowing introduction of palm oil plantations. Many of Sarawak's rural communities have felt changesaffected by the economic activity of these industries. Peaceful protests and timber blockades betweennative communities and logging companies are common, often resulting in preventive police action. ThePenan, Borneo's nomadic hunter gatherers have been most affected by these changes, complaining ofillness through polluted rivers, game depletion resulting in widespread hunger and loss of traditionalmedicines and forest products. Their resistance to logging companies culminated in a series of protestsand timber blockades in the 1990s, of which many were dismantled by the Police, within the remit of theLaw. The Penan claim that their rights are not respected by the State nor by logging companies.[44]

Another example, the native customary rights court case of Rumah Nor in the Kemena Basin gave ruralcommunities engaged in subsistence farming hope for continued communal use of land reserves.Although the Court of Appeal ruled against Rumah Nor on the grounds that they had not producedsufficient evidence for their claim, it nevertheless upheld the principles stated by the lower court. Theseprinciples are the basis of not only Rumah Nor's claim, but of the claims of all Sarawak's nativecommunities, namely, (i) that native customary rights are NOT created by legislation, although they canbe extinguished by legislation, on condition of adequate compensation, and (ii) that these communitieshave a territory including forest reserves and rivers, and farmland, including land under fallow. Thusalthough the Court of Appeal ruled against Rumah Nor's specific claims, it upheld the lower court'sruling in favour of Rumah Nor with regard to the general principles. In this sense, it represents asignificant blow to the state's claims that native customary rights comprise only those rights recognisedby the state through its legislation.

Conservation

In February 2011, the Government of Sarawak announced that it is intensifying wildlife conservation andprotection activities as part of its commitment to sustainable development. Chief Minister Taib Mahmudsaid: "We must plan our development in a sustainable manner, to ensure that the prosperity of the Statewill not only be sustained but can be handed down to our children and grand-children."[45]

A programme has been put in place to save the flora and fauna affected by the construction of the BakunHydro Electric Dam. A total of 349 species of flora, 65 species of fauna, 27 mammals and 38 bird specieswere identified and relocated to higher ground. There is now a conservation programme in place in theBakun Dam catchment area and it is anticipated that the growth in eco-tourism will provide economicopportunities for local communities.[46]

Other programmes include the Heart 2 Heart orangutan campaign which invites the public to get involvedwith orangutan conservation; orang-utan and turtle adoption; protection of the dugong (a large marinemammal) and the Irrawaddy dolphin, which are both endangered species; and the Reef Ball project thatwill rehabilitate Sarawak's ocean ecosystem by placing artificial reef modules in the sea to form newhabitats. Reef balls have also proven their effectiveness in protecting turtles in Sarawak. In the early1990s, between 70 to 100 turtle deaths were reported every year. Now, the number of deaths has beenreduced significantly to less than 15 reported cases. Reef balls also protect traditional fishing areas andare used to create recreational diving sites.[47]

Sanctuaries

In March 2011 the Chief Minister said the state had “reserved two million hectares of land for nationalparks and animal sanctuaries”.[48]

Tourism

Tourism also plays a major part in the state's economy. In 2010, Sarawak was visited by 3,270,655 [49]

tourists (international and domestic tourists). As for 2011, the state is targeting 4 million[50] visitors. Thisis in-line with more direct flights from countries such as Japan and South Korea. The Sarawak HornbillTourism Award is held each year to appreciate the best in the tourism sector of the state. Some of themost popular tourist attractions are Kuching city, Gunung Mulu National Park, the Rainforest WorldMusic Festival (RWMF) and many more. The RWMF is the region's premier "world music" event,attracting more than 20,000[51] music fans.

See also

Malaysia portal

Malaysia Agreement Manila Accord Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories Kingdom of Sarawak Flag of Sarawak Sarawak dollar Sarawak Stadium Gunung Mulu National Park

[edit] References

1. ^ "Laporan Kiraan Permulaan 2010". Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia. p. 27. Retrieved 24 January2011.

2. ^ a b "Laporan Kiraan Permulaan 2010". Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia. p. iv. Retrieved 24 January2011.

3. ^ Malaysia Act 1963. (PDF) . Retrieved on 12 August 2011.4. ^ a b c Agreement relating to Malaysia between United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern

Ireland, Federation of Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore5. ^ (2006 census; Kuching City South – 143,500; Kuching City North – 133,600; Padawan- 3rd Mile/

7th Mile/ 10th Mile – 302,800)6. ^ http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/22333933/1832677949/name/AUFB7. ^ [1]8. ^ Facebook. En-gb.facebook.com. Retrieved on 12 August 2011.9. ^ Bernama (22 July 2008). "Reflect On Past Leaders' Struggles, Says Taib". Retrieved 24 July 2008.10. ^ United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories, '''North Borneo and Sarawak'''. Un.org (14

December 1960). Retrieved on 12 August 2011.11. ^ United Nations Member States. Un.org. Retrieved on 12 August 2011.12. ^ UN General Assembly 15th Session – The Trusteeship System and Non-Self-Governing

Territories (pages:509–510). (PDF) . Retrieved on 12 August 2011.13. ^ UN General Assembly 18th Session – the Question of Malaysia (pages:41–44). (PDF) . Retrieved

on 12 August 2011.

14. ^ United Nations Treaty Registered No. 8029, Manila Accord between Philippnes, Federation ofMalaya and Indonesia (31 JULY 1963). (PDF) . Retrieved on 12 August 2011.

15. ^ United Nations Treaty Series No. 8809, Agreement relating to the implementation of theManila Accord. (PDF) . Retrieved on 12 August 2011.

16. ^ Malaysia: Environmental Profile. Rainforests.mongabay.com. Retrieved on 12 August 2011.17. ^ a b c d Journey Malaysia. Journey Malaysia. Retrieved on 12 August 2011.18. ^ Tourism Malaysia USA. Tourism Malaysia USA. Retrieved on 12 August 2011.19. ^ Gomiri. Gomiri. Retrieved on 12 August 2011.20. ^ a b c Museum of Learning. Museumstuff.com. Retrieved on 12 August 2011.21. ^ Melanau | The Grown Ups. Swingrownups.wordpress.com. Retrieved on 12 August 2011.22. ^ LongHuse. Longhouse.org.my (15 October 2009). Retrieved on 12 August 2011.23. ^ Vtaide. Vtaide. Retrieved on 12 August 2011.24. ^ Heesyam, Faizal. (27 July 2010) Discover Borneo. Discover Borneo. Retrieved on 12 August

2011.25. ^ XFab. XFab. Retrieved on 12 August 2011.26. ^ Sri Lankan News Web. Srilankanewsweb.com. Retrieved on 12 August 2011.27. ^ Malaysia Accommodation. Malaysiaaccommodation.blogspot.com. Retrieved on 12 August

2011.28. ^ Raymond, Boon. (13 January 2010) Malaisia Lah. Georgetownstreet.blogspot.com. Retrieved on

12 August 2011.29. ^ Discover Borneo. Discover Borneo. Retrieved on 12 August 2011.30. ^ Citizendia. Citizendia. Retrieved on 12 August 2011.31. ^ Tititudorancea. Tititudorancea. Retrieved on 12 August 2011.32. ^ Sarawak Blog. Ikeeliniescom-mike.blogspot.com (3 September 2010). Retrieved on 12 August

2011.33. ^ Islamic World. Islamic World (30 April 1975). Retrieved on 12 August 2011.34. ^ Travel Malaysia. Go2travelmalaysia.com. Retrieved on 12 August 2011.35. ^ Network Base. Networkbase.info. Retrieved on 12 August 2011.36. ^ a b One Stop Malaysia. One Stop Malaysia. Retrieved on 12 August 2011.37. ^ BERNAMA – PAS Claims It Can Win First Sarawak Seat. Bernama.com (2 April 2011). Retrieved

on 12 August 2011.38. ^ Tititudorrancea. Tititudorancea.com. Retrieved on 12 August 2011.39. ^ Borneo Tropicana. Borneo Tropicana. Retrieved on 12 August 2011.40. ^ The Daily Brunei Resources: Sultan Tengah, the first and only Sarawak Sultan.

Bruneiresources.blogspot.com (17 August 2010). Retrieved on 12 August 2011.41. ^ Travel Malaysia. Go2travelmalaysia.com. Retrieved on 12 August 2011.42. ^ Go Malaysia. Go Malaysia. Retrieved on 12 August 2011.43. ^ An overview of forest products statistics in South and Southeast Asia. Fao.org. Retrieved on 12

August 2011.44. ^ Bruno Manser Fonds. Bmf.ch. Retrieved on 12 August 2011.45. ^ Wall Street Online[dead link]

46. ^ Democrat.Gnome.es[dead link]

47. ^ GTN News[dead link]

48. ^ Chief Minister's Official Website. Chiefministertaib.sarawak.gov.my (20 March 2011). Retrievedon 12 August 2011.

49. ^ Visitors Arrivals 2010. (PDF) . Retrieved on 12 August 2011.50. ^ Sarawak sasar empat juta pelancong tahun ini: Talib. sarawakpage (10 March 2011). Retrieved

on 12 August 2011.51. ^ Sarawak fest certain to be a rare treat. Bangkok Post (22 February 2011). Retrieved on 12

August 2011.

[edit] Further reading

Gudgeon, L. W. W. (1913), British North Borneo. London, Adam and Charles Black. Runciman, Steven (1960). The White Rajahs: A History of Sarawak from 1841 to 1946, Cambridge

University Press. Chin, Ung Ho (1997), Chinese Politics in Sarawak: A Study of the Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP),

(Kuala Lumpur, New York: Oxford University Press, 1997) (ISBN 983-56-0039-2). Barley, Nigel (2002), White Rajah, London, Brown Little/Abacus. Cramb, R. A. (2007), Land and Longhouse: Agrarian Transformation in the Uplands of Sarawak, Hawaii

University Press Julitta Lim Shau Hua: „Pussy's in the well“ : Japanese occupation of Sarawak, 1941–1945. Research and

Resource Centre SUPP Headquarters, Kuching 2006, ISBN 983-41998-2-1 Brooke, Sylvia (The last Ranee of Sarawak), (1970), Queen of the Headhunters. William Morrow Co. Palmer, Gladys, (1929) Relations & Complications. Being the Recollections of H.H. The Dayang Muda of

Sarawak. Foreword by T.P. O'Connor. Ghost-written by Kay Boyle. London, John Lane Co. Urmenyhazi, Attila (2007) DISCOVERING NORTH BORNEO, A travelogue on Sarawak & Sabah by the

author-graphic designer-publisher. National Library of Australia, Canberra, record ID: 4272798. James Chin. “The More Things Change, The More They Remain The Same”, in Chin Kin Wah & D. Singh

(eds.) South East Asian Affairs 2004 (Singapore: Institute of South East Asian Studies, 2004) James Chin. “Autonomy: Politics in Sarawak” in Bridget Welsh (ed) Reflections: The Mahathir Years,

(Washington DC: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004) (ISBN 9790615 124871) pp 240–251

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sarawak

Find more about Sarawak on Wikipedia's sister projects:

Images and media from Commons

Source texts from Wikisource

Textbooks from Wikibooks

SarawakReport Seati ke Menua Sarawak Sarawak online community forum website Sarawak Community Pages Sarawak government website Sarawak Social Network Community Sarawak National Parks Sarawak News WWF Heart of Borneo conservation initiative Sarawak travel guide from Wikitravel Virtual Malaysia – the official portal of the ministry of tourism – Sarawak page Independent News Portal for Sarawak's Indigenous Communities Swiss Charity who support Sarawak's Indigenous Land Rights American funded Charity Supporting Indigenous Development Initiatives and Conservation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarawak

KuchingNickname(s): "Cat City"

Location in BorneoMalaysia

Coordinates: 1°33′36″N 110°20′42″ECoordinates: 1°33′36″N 110°20′42″E Country Malaysia StateSarawak Division Kuching Division District Kuching District First settled Circa AD 600s (7th century)[1]

Incorporation (Municipality) November 1906[2] Incorporation (City) 1 August 1988 Government • TypeKuching South : Mayor–council government Kuching North : Council–manager government • Mayor(Kuching South) James Chan Khay Syn[3] • Commissioner (Kuching North) Datuk Abang Wahap AbangJulai[4] Area[5] • City of Kuching 431.01 km2 (166.4 sq mi) • Kuching North 369.48 km2 (142.7 sq mi)• Kuching South 61.53 km2 (23.8 sq mi) Sourced from the DBKU official website Elevation 27 m (89 ft)

Highest elevation 810.2 m (2,658 ft) Lowest elevation 0 m (0 ft) Population [6] • City of Kuching617,887 • Estimate (2010) 984,549 • Density 1,208.2/km2 (3,129.2/sq mi) Sourced from the Population andHousing Census of Malaysia 2000. Census 2010 is currently in progress. Demonym Kuchingite Time zone MST(UTC+8) • Summer (DST) Not observed (UTC+8) Postal code 93xxx International dialling code prefix+6082 (landline only) Vehicle registration plate prefix QQ, QA and QK (for all vehicles except taxis)HQ (for taxis only) Website Kuching North: www.dbku.gov.my/Kuching South: www.mbks.gov.my/Kuching ( / k̍uːtʃɪŋ/ KOO-ching; Chinese: 古晋）), officiallythe City of Kuching,[7] and formerly the City of Sarawak, is the capital and most populous city of theEast Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is the largest city on the island of Borneo, and the fourth largest cityin Malaysia.[8][9]

Kuching is one of the two subsets of the Kuching Proper subdistrict, the other subset being part of thePadawan municipality. Kuching Proper is one of the three subdistricts in the Kuching District, which isone of the three districts in the Kuching Division.

Etymology

More than 150 years ago, Sarawak was essentially Kuching. Kuching was known as Sarawak first, thenthe word Proper, was added to Sarawak, thus Sarawak Proper, so as to distinguish it from the largerSarawak which, in 1841, consisted of only the area between Tanjung Datu, and the Samarahan River.[10]

On 12 August 1872, Sarawak Proper was given its present name, Kuching, under the rule of the secondRajah of Sarawak, Charles Brooke.[11]

Kuching was named after a tidal stream called Kuching River (Sungai Kuching) that ran between thepresent-day Tua Pek Kong Temple, and Chinese History Museum. The stream originated from Cat's EyeHill (Bukit Mata Kuching) where there was an abundance of a local fruit called Green Longan (Isau,Dimocarpus longan ssp malesianus), vernacularly known as Cat's Eye (Mata Kuching).[10] In 1928, the

stream was filled up to make way for the construction of Temple Street (Lebuh Temple), and thus thecity's expansion eastwards.

History

Kuching is the third capital of Sarawak, founded by the representative of the Sultan of Brunei, PengiranIndera Mahkota in 1827. Prior to the founding of Kuching, the two past capitals of Sarawak wereSantubong, founded by Sultan Pengiran Tengah in 1599, and Lidah Tanah, founded by Datu Patinggi Aliin the early 1820s.

City of Kuching

A part of the western side of Kuching city centre skyline at dusk, viewed from across the Sarawak River.

Official Seals of the City of Kuching

Commission of the City of Kuching North Council of the City of Kuching South

105px

Kuching as the Capital of the Brooke Administration

Downtown Kuching as seen from Fort Margherita

Sir James Brooke, the first Rajah of Sarawak.

Sarawak was a part of the Sultanate of Brunei before it was ceded to British adventurer James Brooke,who ruled it as his personal kingdom from 24 September 1841. The official declaration was not madeuntil 18 August 1842. Brooke took over as a reward for helping to bring about a peaceful settlementfacing Bidayuh uprising against the Sultan of Brunei. This marked an onset of three generations of theBrooke family rule.[citation needed ]

Kuching became the seat of the Brooke government and underwent remarkable changes. As theadministrative capital, it was the focus of attention and development. Some of the first things JamesBrooke did was to introduce a code of laws and build his residence on a site at the northern bank of theSarawak River. The present-day Astana (Palace), which is now the official residence of the Governor ofSarawak, is next to the original Brooke building.

Under James Brooke, piracy and headhunting were banned and law and order enforced. However,Kuching remained cramped and lacking in facilities. It was not until 1868 when Charles Brooke becamethe Second Rajah that greater efforts were made to upgrade the town. Drainage was improved, newbuildings and streets sprang up and old shophouses were replaced with brick ones. In fact, most ofKuching from the town centre and its outlying areas was rebuilt after the great fire in 1884.[citation needed]

The Brooke Administration was given the status of Protectorate under Rajah Charles Brooke's rule andwas placed behind the Indian Rajas and Princes. By the end of the Charles Brooke rule, Kuching hadgrown from a small ramshackle place into a town with attractive Victorian-styled Government buildingsand telecommunication service. Sampans (small boats) and trains were the primary mode of transport.There were even sports and entertainment facilities such as a race course and the Sarawak Club, completewith a bar, billiard tables and bowling alleys.[citation needed]

Kuching continued to prosper under Charles Vyner Brooke, who succeeded his father as the Third Rajahof Sarawak. In 1941, Kuching became the venue of the Brooke Government Centenary Celebration. Afew months later, the Brooke administration came to a close when the Japanese occupied Sarawak.

[edit] World War Two

During World War 2, 6 platoons of infantry from 2/15 Punjab Regiment were stationed at Kuching.Kuching would be defended because of its airfield, and because its occupation by the enemy would giveaccess to the important Dutch airfield at Singkawang II, sixty miles to the southwest and only some 350miles from Singapore.[12]

Kuching was surrendered to the Japanese forces on 24 December 1941, and Sarawak was part of theJapanese Imperial Empire for three years and eight months, until the official Japanese surrender on 11September 1945, on board HMAS Kapunda at Kuching. From March 1942, the Japanese operated aPOW and civilian internee Batu Lintang camp, three miles (5 km) outside Kuching.[13]

After the end of World War II the third and last Rajah, Sir Charles Vyner Brooke ceded Sarawak to theBritish Crown in 1946. Kuching was revitalised as the capital of Sarawak under the British ColonialGovernment. When Sarawak, together with Northern Borneo, Singapore and the Federation of Malaya,formed the Federation of Malaysia in 1963, Kuching was maintained as the State Capital. The townexperienced rapid development, resulting in its incorporation as a City in 1988.[citation needed]

[edit] Geography

Kuching is situated at the banks of the Sarawak River on the North-Western part of the island of Borneo.

The limits of the City of Kuching include all that area in Kuching District containing an areaapproximately 431.01 km2 (166.4 sq mi) bounded from Gunung Lasak (Mount Lasak) in Muara Tebas toBatu Buaya (Crocodile Rock) in the Santubong peninsula following a series of survey marks as stated inthe First Schedule of the City of Kuching Ordinance, 1988. As a simplification of the legal statute, theKuching city limits extend from the Kuching International Airport in the south to the northern coast ofthe Santubong and Bako peninsulas; from the Kuching Wetlands National Park in the west to the KuapRiver estuary in the east. The Sarawak River generally splits the city into North and South.

The highest point in the city is Mount Santubong on the Santubong peninsula, which is at 810.2 m(2,658 ft) AMSL, located 35 km north of the city centre.

[edit] ClimateCity of Kuching (2008)

Climate chart (explanation)

J F M A M J J A S O N D

466

30

445

29

465

30

251

32

347

33

310

32

184

31

326

32

208

32

307

32

482

32

516

30

23 23 23 23 24 23 23 23 23 23 24 23

Average max. and min. temperatures in °C

Precipitation totals in mm

Source: Monthly Statistical Bulletin Sarawak

[show]Imperial conversion

Kuching has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen climate classification Af), moderately hot but veryhumid at times and receives substantial rainfall. The average annual rainfall is approximately 4,200 mmor 165 inches (4,200 mm).[14] Kuching is the wettest populated area (on average) in Malaysia with anaverage of 247 rainy days per year. Kuching receives only 5 hours of sunshine per day on average and anaverage of only 3.7 hours of sunshine per day in the month of January (wettest month of the year). Thewettest times are during the North-East Monsoon months of November to February and the dry seasonstarts from June till August. The temperature in Kuching ranges from 19 °C (66 °F) to 36 °C (97 °F) butthe average temperature is around 23 °C (73 °F) in the early hours of the morning and rises to around 33°C (91 °F) during mid afternoon but the heat index often reaches 42 °C (108 °F) during the dry seasondue to the humidity. This temperature stays almost constant throughout the year if it is not affected by theheavy rain and strong winds during the early hours of the morning which could but rarely bring thetemperature down to 19 °C (66 °F). The temperature could also rise to 38 °C (100 °F) under rare casesdue to the haze caused by open burning from Indonesia during the dry season. The haze occurs almostannually around mid year in Kuching.

[show]Climate data for the City of Kuching (2008)

[show]Climate data for the City of Kuching (2007)

[edit] Demographics

Kuching is the 4th largest urban area in Malaysia, after Kuala Lumpur-Klang Valley, Penang and JohorBahru. The 2006 census indicates that Greater Kuching's metropolitan area, including Asajaya,Samarahan and Bau-Lundu, has 1,000,000 inhabitants.[17]

The main urban population of 579,900 (2006 census; Kuching City South – 143,500; Kuching City North– 133,600; Padawan- 3rd Mile/ 7th Mile/ 10th Mile – 302,800) is made up of Chinese (220,400), Malays(207,000), Ibans (58,100) and other ethnic groups. The Dayaks, the grouping of local indigenous tribes,can be categorized into Ibans, Bidayuhs, Melanaus and Orang Ulu, among others. The Chinese are madeup of Fujianese (Hokkien) in the city areas and Hakka in the suburbs mainly. Other Chinese consist ofFoochow (Fuzhou), Teochew, Hainanese, Cantonese, Henghua and others. Interracial marriages amongthose of different ethnic backgrounds are common in Kuching.

The main religions are Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism and Islam[citation needed] . The Chinese practiceeither Buddhism, Taoism or Christianity. Most Dayaks are Christian, with the exception of the Melanaus,who are partially Muslim.

The city is considered one of the cleanest cities in Malaysia and was voted as one of the world's healthiestcities, recognised and awarded by both United Nations (UN) and World Health Organisation (WHO)[18]

and by the Alliance for Healthy Cities (AFHC) in Suzhou, China.[19]

A majority of people in Kuching are capable of communicating in Bahasa Melayu (Malay Language) andEnglish. English is more widely spoken in Kuching than other Malaysian cities due to Sarawak's historyand the large number of native dialect languages.[citation needed] The dialect of Malay spoken in Kuching isknown as Bahasa Sarawak (Sarawakian Malay Language), which is a subset of the Malay language.

[edit] Government

Kuching is the only city in Malaysia to be administered by two distinct entities; a local authority (CityCouncil) and a state government statutory body granted a City Hall status.

The city's twin administration was born out of the need of an efficient system which would allow for abalanced development and population distribution for the two territories. It will also ensure that the localauthority of the city proper will not be hampered by the former jurisdiction of Kuching Rural DistrictCouncil (KRDC).

The City of Kuching is divided into two areas; Kuching North and Kuching South. Each of these isadministered by a Mayor (Malay: Datuk Bandar); legally called Mayor for Kuching South andCommissioner for Kuching North. The city delimitation exercise also resulted in the city centre beingsplit into East and West.

[edit] Administration of the City of Kuching South

Kuching City South largely covers the area previously under the Kuching Municipal Council (KMC).

This area is administered by the Council of the City of Kuching South (Malay: Majlis BandarayaKuching Selatan), known by its Malay acronym MBKS. As a local authority, the powers and functions ofMBKS are as conferred by the KMC Ordinance are maintained with minor changes.[citation needed]

The Council comprises a Mayor, a Deputy Mayor and 25 Councillors, all of whom are appointed by theState Government of Sarawak.

[edit] Administration of the City of Kuching North

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by addingcitations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2011)

Kuching City North refers to a significant part of the territory formerly administered by the KuchingRural District Council (KRDC). It also includes a part of the former KMC area and the entire Petra Jayaarea which is also the administrative centre of the State Government of Sarawak.

Kuching City North is placed under the jurisdiction of a nine-member commission, known as theCommission of the City of Kuching North (Malay: Suruhanjaya Bandaraya Kuching Utara). Thechairman of the Commission is a Commissioner, appointed by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak andreports directly to the Chief Minister of Sarawak. The Commissioner is given the mayoral control overKuching City North while the eight remaining non-executive members become his Board of Advisors.

The powers and functions of a Commissioner are contained in the Kuching City North Ordinance, whichis closely modelled on that of Kuching City South.

[edit] Education

Education in Kuching City is provided by a sizeable number of public and private institutions.

[edit] Higher and tertiary education

The city's higher education system follows the guidance of the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education(MOHE). Under the purview of MOHE are two main departments, namely the Institutes of HigherEducation Management Department and the Polytechnic and Community College ManagementDepartment.

There are currently no public university campuses in Kuching, apart from the UNIMAS Faculty ofMedicine & Health Sciences building situated next to the Sarawak General Hospital. The Sarawak stategovernment has moved the last remaining public university campus (Universiti Teknologi MARA) fromKuching to Kota Samarahan in 1997 in a long-term initiative to transform Kota Samarahan into aneducation hub.[20] However, there is a polytechnic (Politeknik Kuching Sarawak) and a communitycollege (Kolej Komuniti Kuching) available for school leavers seeking further education in publicinstitutions in Kuching.

Kuching is home to two full-fledged private university campuses; namely the Swinburne University ofTechnology Sarawak Campus, the only branch campus of Swinburne University of Technology outsideAustralia; and UCSI University, Sarawak Campus which houses the Faculty of Hospitality &Management. Swinburne University Sarawak Campus is currently run by Professor HelmutLueckenhausen; the CEO and PVC (Pro Vice Chancellor) since 2007.

The city has other private colleges, mainly subsidiaries from universities and university collegesestablished in West Malaysia, such as SEGi College, Sarawak, Sunway College Kuching, PTPLSarawak, INTI College Sarawak, Limkokwing Borneo and Twintech College Sarawak.

There are also private institutions conducting franchised programmes from full-fledged universities (apartfrom running their own courses) such as SATT College (conducting franchised programmes from UiTM)and the Institute of Dynamic Management, Sarawak (conducting franchised programmes fromUNIRAZAK).

The International College of Advanced Technology Sarawak or ICATS is an institution created as thestate government's initiative to enhance technical and vocational training education among schoolleavers. Operated by a state-owned subsidiary, ICATS focuses on producing human capital for the hi-tech sector, especially for the development of the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy.

[edit] Primary and secondary education

The Malaysian Ministry of Education (MOE) oversees the education system on the primary andsecondary levels. The Sarawak Education Department manages all aspects of the education service inthe state. Public schools in Sarawak are supervised according to districts under the purview of a DistrictEducation Officer.[21] In Kuching, all schools under the National Education System (government

education institution category), are managed by the Kuching Combined Education Office (PejabatPelajaran Gabungan Kuching).

There are more than 80 schools with an enrollment of more than 30,000 students in the City ofKuching.[22] Schools are divided into 4 levels of education namely pre-school, primary, secondary (lower& upper) and post-secondary (excluding tertiary). As of January 2010, SMK Green Road has the highestenrollment of 2075 among all secondary schools in Kuching[23] while SJK Chung Hua No. 3 has thehighest enrollment of 1553 among all primary schools. [24]

[edit] Libraries

The Sarawak State Library (Pustaka Negeri Sarawak).

The Sarawak State Library (Pustaka Negeri Sarawak) is the major information resource centre andprovides information services for the public and private sectors. It links with libraries, archives andinformation centers elsewhere in Sarawak and throughout Malaysia, and also provides a gateway into andfrom publicly accessible international information centres.[25] The library serves Kuching and its outskirtsas the main depository of public records. In addition it administers, monitors and facilitates the operationsof 36 village libraries in the state funded by the National Library of Malaysia.[26]

Other public libraries in Kuching include the DBKU City Library and village libraries such as in BandarBaru Samariang, Kampung Samariang Lama and Taman Sepakat Jaya.

Transportation

Land

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by addingcitations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2011)

Roads within the city are of a reasonable standard, though traffic congestion often leads to long tailbacksduring weekday rush hour. As Kuching is located near the equator, potholes have the tendency to developon the roads during the monsoon season (usually around the end of the year, coinciding with winter in thenorthern hemisphere). Roads leading outside of Kuching to the interior are of a slightly lower quality butare being upgraded from time to time. The main resort roads (e.g. leading to Damai) and BorneoHighlands are good.

Kuching post office

Kuching CBD skyline from the southern suburbs. The spread of low density suburb sprawls led to the everincreasing dependence on private vehicles.

Kuching International Airport at night

Bus travel is available by either antiquated, smoky, non-air-conditioned buses or newer air-conditionedbuses or the 'van sapu' (mini-van converted into mini-buses) which are cheaper.

Kuching is served by several major bus companies. Among others, Chin Liang Long Motor Vehicle Co.(traditionally blue) serving Kuching South, Matang Transport Company (yellow and orange) servingMatang-Kubah and Petra Jaya Transport Company (Black, yellow and red strips) serving Kuching North.The Sarawak Transport Company (traditionally green) and Bau Transport Company (Red) have routesfrom Kuching to other smaller towns. A large portion of the buses in service are antiquated and not air

conditioned. The fares are low. For tourists, the State Ministry of Tourism has provided bus shuttles totransport tourists around Kuching.

Road signs adhere to the Road Sign Standards issued by the Ministry of Transportation. Kuching isfamous for many large traffic circles or roundabouts. The roundabouts are efficient at handling mediumscale traffic. However, as traffic continues to rise in Kuching several roundabouts have given way totraffic lights and over and underpasses. These traffic circles are usually well landscaped.

The list of highways in Kuching city include:

Kuching-Serian Highway

Kuching Bypass Kuching-Kota Samarahan Expressway

Tun Salahuddin Bridge Matang Highway

[edit] Water

Kuching, like most towns in Sarawak, has connections to other urban centres and settlements by watertransportation. Between the banks of Sarawak River, near the city centre, many 'tambang' (small boats)can be seen ferrying passengers from one riverbank to the other. For those staying along the river banks,it is a faster means of getting to the city-proper. The wharf for express boats servicing transport to furtherareas such as Sibu and Bintulu, is located in the east of the city, near the Sim Kheng Hong Port, alsoknown as the Tanah Puteh Port, in Pending.

[edit] Air

Kuching International Airport is the main gateway for air passengers. The airport's history dates back tothe 1940s. The new terminal complex was opened in April 2006.

[edit] Tourism

[edit] Museums

The old Sarawak Museum was built by Rajah Charles Brooke in 1891 and modelled on a town hall in Normandy

Kuching maintains a healthy establishment of museums showcasing its rich culture and history. TheSarawak Museum, the oldest of its kind in Borneo, exhibits collections on the natural history of Sarawak.

Directly opposite the Sarawak Museum is the Dewan Tun Abdul Razak which serves as an exhibitionvenue and the office of the Sarawak Museum Department. Located right behind Dewan Tun Abdul Razakis the Sarawak Islamic Museum.

Other museums in Kuching include the Chinese History Museum, the Kuching Cat Museum, theSarawak Timber Museum and the Sarawak Textile Museum. Kuching is also home to the first everplanetarium in Malaysia, the Sultan Iskandar Planetarium adjacent to the Kuching Civic Centre.

[edit] Historical sites

Interesting historical landmarks and sites of Kuching include The Astana (the former palace of the WhiteRajahs and currently the official residence of the Governor of Sarawak), Fort Margherita, and the TuaPek Kong temple.

The oldest street of Kuching is the Main Bazaar, a row of 19th century Chinese shophouses located alongthe Kuching Waterfront overlooking the Sarawak River. It offers the city's best concentration of antiqueand handicraft shops .[27] The Main Bazaar is part of Kuching's old town, which also includes theCarpenter Street and India Street. The old Courthouse building, which sits in between Carpenter Streetand India Street, has undergone restoration and now houses the Sarawak Tourism Board.[citation needed]

Some other interesting areas around the CBD include Padungan Street, which is the Chinatown ofKuching.

Other places of interest

The Kuching Waterfront is an approximately 1 kilometer long riverside esplanade stretching from themain hotel and commercial heartland of the city to downtown Kuching. The beautifully landscapedwaterfront is dotted with food stalls, restaurants and benches and offers excellent views of The Astana,Fort Margherita and the New Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Building. The waterfront also featuresan observation tower, an open-air theater and musical fountains. The Sunday Market at Satok operatesduring weekends offers a large diversity of items for trade. The Kuching Civic Center offers a panoramicview of the city from a viewing platform during the day.

[edit] Attractions near Kuching

Numerous natural attractions including National Parks, notably the Bako National Park and the KuchingWetlands National Park as well as the Semenggoh Wildlife Center which operates an orang utanorphanage and rehabilitation program are popular attractions near Kuching. Also, available near Kuchingare the Gunung Gading National Park and the Kubah National Park.

Located about 40-minutes drive from Kuching is Santubong, a prominent beach resort area home tonumerous world-class beach resorts, the Damai beach and the Sarawak Cultural Village. The SarawakCultural Village is a primary attraction in the area, which is essentially a living museum that allowsvisitors a first-hand experience to Sarawak's ethnic diversity. Other beaches accessible nearby Kuchingare the Lundu Beach and the Sematan Beach. The Borneo Highlands is also nearby Kuching and offers afresh and chilly highlands resort experience located 1000-meters above sea level.

Events

Model of the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK)

Since 1997, Kuching has been host to the Rainforest World Music Festival, an annual music festivalwhich brings performers and spectators to the region from all over the world. Hosted by the SarawakCultural Village, the festival is now one of the largest musical events in Malaysia. Since 2009 severallarge events have been established in Kuching including The Malaysia Global Business Forum andTomorrow’s Leaders Summit.

The Borneo Convention Centre Kuching or BCCK is the first dedicated convention and exhibition centrein Borneo. It was opened in October 2009 and aims to attract conventions, conferences, events andexhibitions to Kuching.

Menara Pelita and SarawakEnergy HQ in Petra Jaya

Kuching CBD skyline with GunungSerapi in the background

Kuching South City Council CatStatue

Old court house built by theBrookes

Future and current developments

Kuching has many current and future development projects, both public and private. The MatangHighway which will create a direct Kuching-Lundu road access has been constructed. It is a 2-lane, dual-carriageway road, with a gateway bridge over the Selang Rambungan River and a minor bridge over theMatang Sebubut River. Construction of this highway commenced in July 2002 and was completed inMay 2007.[citation needed]

Shopping

The Spring[28] – The largest lifestyle shopping mall in the state, situated along Jalan Simpang Tiga, wasopened on 10 January 2008, covering some 420,000 sq ft (39,000 m2) of net lettable area (built up –1.2mln sq ft). The anchor tenants are Parkson Department Store, Ta Kiong Supermarket and MBOcinemas., [29]

Boulevard Shopping Complex – Phase I of the mall was opened on 22 December 2007. It is a newregional mall located along Jalan Datuk Tawi Sli in the 4th Mile area. The major tenant is the BoulevardDepartment Store & Hypermarket, with some 720,000 sq ft (67,000 m2) of net lettable area, which will bethe largest one-stop lifestyle mall in the state. .[30][31]

Green Heights Mall – Kuching's first suburban neighbourhood small mall, occupied by internationalfranchise, Cold Storage, and additionally with some 4,000 m2 of leasable space, opened on 13 June2008.[32]

OneTJ [33] – Sarawak's first ICT based shopping mall was developed in the Heights Drive CommercialCentre, with some 67,500 sq ft (6,270 m2) of leasable area, opened on 22 November 2008.

E-mart – A new one-stop shopping destination, located at Matang Jaya. The anchor tenant is E-martDepartment Store and Supermarket.

Hills Shopping Mall – A new 2 storey up-market shopping centre, with about 140,000 sq ft (13,000 m2) ofretail space, located in Kuching City Centre, opened on 29 December 2009.

Kuching Sentral - A new bus terminal mix with 3 storey shopping complex. Located 5 minutes fromKuching international airport.

[[|center|border|180x180px|alt=|TheRiverside Shopping Complex in theCity Centre ]]

The Riverside Shopping Complex in theCity Centre

CuisineThis section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by addingcitations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2011)

Kuching has a number of notable local dishes served at hawker stalls.

Kolo mee – Egg noodles, flash-boiled, then classically served with crushed garlic and shallot, minced porkor beef, white vinegar, either vegetable oil, pork oil or peanut oil, and sliced barbecue pork known aschar siu or beef.

Sarawak laksa – Spicy coconut prawn paste-based broth served with rice vermicelli, omelette andchicken strips, prawns, sliced deep fried tofu, and occasionally clams.

Tomato sauce mee or tomato sauce kway teow – Crispy deep fried noodles or ricecake strips servedwith tomato sauce, vegetables, and chicken.

Bubu cha-cha – Concentrated mixed syrup of sago, agar, and sweet potatoes. Kway chap – Ricecake strips served with pig entrails, deep fried tofu, and hard-boiled egg. Lui cha – Rice served with seven types of shredded vegetables with a bowl with bitter herb soup

accompanied by a small bowl of roasted peanuts.

Kuching has some very good local seafood restaurants, often run by the Chinese residents serving primelocal shellfish.[citation needed] There are many such establishments in and around the city, most notably alongthe way to popular seaside resorts located on the island of Santubong.

While global chain outlets (McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf,Starbucks)Marrybrown are ubiquitous in the prime commercial complexes, a local fast food chain"Sugarbun" also serves a variety of Malaysian food in a more Western style.

[[|center|border|180x180px|alt=|Seafoodstalls ]]

Seafood stalls

Kuching Kolo Mee

Tomato Noodle

Sister cities

Pontianak, Indonesia Johor Bahru, Malaysia (2008)

References

1. ^ "Sejarah Bahagian Samarahan". Retrieved 26 April 2010.2. ^ Sarawak Government Almanac, PNMB Kuching, 2010, "Kuching Municipal Office established."3. ^ "Chan appointed mayor of Kuching". Star Publications. 29 May 2008. Retrieved 28 June 2008.4. ^ "Ex-cop sworn in as Sixth North Kuching Datuk Bandar". Borneo Post. 2 August 2011. Retrieved

2 August 2011.5. ^ "City Boundary". Retrieved 26 April 2010.6. ^ "World Gazetter: Malaysia – largest cities (per geographical entity)". Retrieved 26 April 2010.7. ^ City of Kuching Ordinance [Cap. 48], 1988, para 3.-(1)8. ^ "Sarawak Government Official Portal". Sarawak Government. Retrieved 12 July 2010.9. ^ Butler, Rhett A.. "Largest Cities in Malaysia". Mongabay.com. Retrieved 12 July 2010. Klang is a

town; Kampung Baru Subang is a village.10. ^ a b A brief history of Kuching. Occasional Paper No. 6. The Sarawak Museum. 1993.11. ^ Sarawak Government Almanac, PNMB Kuching, 2010, "Kuching so named officially instead of

Sarawak."12. ^ L, Klemen (1999-2000). "The Invasion of British Borneo in 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The

Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942.

13. ^ Ooi, Keat Gin (1998) Japanese Empire in the Tropics: Selected Documents and Reports of theJapanese Period in Sarawak, Northwest Borneo, 1941–1945 Ohio University Center for InternationalStudies, Monographs in International Studies, SE Asia Series 101 (2 vols) ISBN 0-89680-199-3, pages 6–11

14. ^ "Kuching, Malaysia Weather History and Climate Data". WorldClimate. Retrieved 28 June 2008.15. ^ "Meteorological Observations at Meteorological Station, Kuching International Airport".

Monthly Statistical Bulletin (Kuching: Department of Statistics Malaysia, Sarawak) (January 2009): 3.August 2011. ISSN 1823-1640.

16. ^ "Meteorological Observations at Meteorological Station, Kuching International Airport".Monthly Statistical Bulletin (Kuching: Department of Statistics Malaysia, Sarawak) (January 2008): 3.August 2011. ISSN 1823-1640.

17. ^ Population data from Sarawak Ministry of Health18. ^ WHO Healthiest City Award19. ^ AFHC Healthiest City Award20. ^ Rudy Rukimin Rambli (5 February 2008). "Samarahan Semakin Pesat Berkembang [Rapid

Expansion of Samarahan]" (in Bahasa Malaysia). Berita Wilayah. BERNAMA. Retrieved 26 April 2010.21. ^ "Sarawak Education Department". Retrieved 5 May 2010.[dead link]

22. ^ "Sarawak Education Department: Basic Statistics of Schools in Kuching.". 31 October 2008.Retrieved 5 May 2010.[dead link]

23. ^ (in Malay) Maklumat Asas Pendidikan Sekolah Menengah di Sarawak seperti 31 Januari 2010,Sarawak Education Department, 31 January 2010

24. ^ (in Malay) Maklumat Asas Pendidikan Sekolah Rendah di Sarawak seperti 31 Januari 2010,Sarawak Education Department, 31 January 2010

25. ^ "Sarawak State Library: Our Background". Retrieved 4 May 2010.26. ^ "Sarawak State Library: Public Library Services". Retrieved 4 May 2010.27. ^ Cuti Malaysia – Sarawak28. ^ The Spring29. ^ The Spring30. ^ Dewan Undangan Negeri31. ^ Boulevard Shopping Complex32. ^ Green Heights Mall33. ^ OneTJ

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kuching

Council of the City of Kuching South Commission of the City of Kuching North Kuching Catscity – Kuching Travel Information Site Kuching travel guide from Wikitravel

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuching

MiriFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the city in northern Sarawak. For other uses, see Miri (disambiguation).

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by addingcitations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2009)

Miri

— City —

Seal

Nickname(s): "Resort City"

Motto: Progress with the society(Malay: Maju bersama masyarakat)

Miri

Location in Borneo

Miri

Location in Malaysia

Coordinates: 4°24'10″N 113°59'36″ECoordinates:4°24'10″N 113°59'36″E

Country Malaysia

State Sarawak

Division Miri Division

District Miri District

Incorporation (Municipality) 1933

Incorporation (City) 20 May 2005

Government

• Type Mayor–council government

• Mayor Lawrence Lai Yew Son

Area

• City of Miri 4,707.1 km2 (1,817.4 sq mi)

Elevation 21.95 m (72 ft)

Population [1]

• Estimate (2010) 280,518

Demonym Mirian

Time zone MST (UTC+8)

• Summer (DST) Not observed (UTC+8)

Postal code 98xxx

International dialling codeprefix

+6085 (landline only)

Vehicle registration plateprefix

QM (for all vehicles excepttaxis)HQ (for taxis only)

Website www.miricouncil.gov.my

Miri ( / m̍ɪəriː/) is a city in northern Sarawak, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. It is the secondlargest city in Sarawak, with a population of about 300,000,[2] and the government administrative centreof Miri District in Miri Division.

Miri is the birthplace of Malaysia's petroleum industry, which remains the major industry of the city. Thefirst oil well (the Grand Old Lady) was drilled by Shell in 1910, and is now a state monument and one ofMiri's tourist attractions. Shell also built Malaysia's first oil refinery in Lutong, a suburb of Miri, in 1914.Recently, vast oil reserves were discovered just offshore northeast of the city[citation needed]. Miri has grownphenomenally since oil was first discovered in the early 1900s, burgeoning into the business, commercialand educational centre it is today.[3]

The city's other major industries include processed timber, oil palm production, and tourism. The worldfamous Gunung Mulu National Park with its Sarawak Chamber, a half an hour flight from the city, is oneof the favourite eco-tourism destinations. Miri is also the main tourist gateway for Loagan BunutNational Park, Lambir National Park, and the Niah Caves. Miri has lately become known for its exoticcoral reefs.[citation needed]

Contents[hide]

1 Historyo 1.1 World War IIo 1.2 Recent history

2 Demographics 3 Climate 4 Economy 5 Transportation 6 Tourism

o 6.1 Parkso 6.2 Shoppingo 6.3 Lotus Hill (Lian Hua San) Taoist Templeo 6.4 Beacheso 6.5 Coral reefso 6.6 Museums

7 Higher education 8 Sister cities 9 References

[edit] History

The earliest evidence of human population in the area dates back to 35,000 BC from the nearby NiahCaves.[4]

Miri City seen from satellite

In 1989, a proposal for Miri to become a city received the blessing of Sarawak state government in 1993.A public forum was held in 1994 and a grand signature-collecting campaign was organised in 2004. Morethan one-third of the residents of Miri signed in support. City blueprints[clarification needed] were drawn up in

the early 2000s, while the government and private sector managed to fulfill the federal government's tenmain criteria for obtaining city status.[citation needed]

The Sarawak state government approved the then Miri Municipal Council's application for Miri to beelevated to a city and concurrently the Council to be upgraded as the Miri City Council on 20 May 2004.The federal government approved its application on 16 March 2005. The Yang di-Pertua Negeri(ceremonial head of state) of Sarawak issued an order on 12 May 2005 for the establishment of the MiriCity Council.[citation needed] The King of Malaysia, Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Di-Pertuan Agong XII issuedthe instrument for conferment of city status of name Miri City Council on Miri Municipal Council, withfull jurisdiction on Miri City on 13 May 2005. The appointments of the mayor, deputy mayor and citycouncillors of the Miri City Council was published in the Sarawak Government Gazette on 19 May 2005.On 20 May 2005, the official proclamation of Miri City and appointment of Cr. Dato Wee Han Wen asfirst Mayor of Miri City Council were made at Miri and this was then followed by a celebration. 20 Mayis now celebrated each year as Miri City Day.

[edit] World War II

Realizing that war was imminent, the Brooke government, under Sir Charles Vyner Brooke, conductedpreliminary work to establish airstrips at selected locations throughout the country. These airstrips wouldbe located at Kuching, Oya, Mukah, Bintulu, and Miri.[5]

With no air or sea forces stationed in or around Sarawak, the British government encouraged the Brookeregime to adopt a "scorched earth policy" in the event of a Japanese attack. Later, schemes weredeveloped to destroy the oil installations at Miri and Lutong.[6] The Brooke government learned of theJapanese attack on Pearl Harbor (on 7 December 1941) and quickly ordered the total destruction of theoil fields and airfields at Miri and Seria. Orders for the demolition of the refinery at Lutong and the oilwells reached the officer commanding at Miri on the morning of 8 December, and by that evening, thetask was completed. The garrison, a company of the 2/15 Punjab Regiment, then left for Kuching by seaon 14 December.[5] The Japanese captured the city on 17 December. [7]

On 19 December 1941, a Dutch flying boat from Tarakan Island attacked the Japanese destroyerShinonome, (Cdr. Hiroshi Sasagawa) of 1,950 tons off Miri; the ship was sunk along with her entire crewof 228.[8] Another flying boat damaged a transport ship.

[edit] Recent history

Miri was elevated to city status on 20 May 2005 and is the ninth city[clarification needed], and its localauthority the tenth city council in Malaysia.

[edit] Demographics

Miri's population consists of Iban, Chinese, Malay, Berawan, Lunbawang, Melanau, Indian, Kayan,Kenyah, Kelabit, Bidayuh, Penan, a handful of Eurasians and other indigenous groups.[9] Many religionsare also represented in Miri, including tribal religions, Islam, Hinduism,[10] and Christianity.

[edit] Climate

Miri has a tropical rainforest climate. There are two monsoon seasons: the southwest monsoon, which isthe dry season from April to September and the northeast monsoon, which is the wet season from

October to March. The annual rainfall is around 250 to 380 cm (100 to 150 inches). The air temperatureis between 23 to 32 °C (74 to 90 °F) the whole year round. But in rare occasion, temperature can reacheddown to 18 °C to 16 °C especially in the month of November, December and January. Lowest everrecorded is in December 2010 where temperature dropped down to 11 °C. [11]

[hide]Climate data for MiriMonth Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year

Average high °C(°F)

30(86)

30(86)

31(88)

31(88)

31(88)

31(88)

31(88)

31(88)

31(88)

30(86)

30(86)

30(86)

31(87.0)

Average low °C(°F)

22(72)

22(72)

23(73)

23(73)

23(73)

24(75)

24(75)

24(75)

23(73)

23(73)

22(72)

22(72)

22.9(73.3)

Record low °C(°F)

16(61)

18(64)

20(68)

21(70)

22(72)

22(72)

22(72)

22(72)

21(70)

20(68)

18(64)

11(52)

11(52)

Precipitation cm(inches)

15.3(6.02)

10.25(4.035)

11.66(4.591)

12.34(4.858)

15.22(5.992)

14.66(5.772)

12.72(5.008)

15.72(6.189)

19.45(7.657)

24.18(9.52)

20.54(8.087)

24.74(9.74)

196.78(77.47)

Source: MSN Weather[12]

[edit] Economy

Miri mainly thrives on its vibrant oil and gas industry, which contributes significantly to the GrossDomestic Product (GDP) of Sarawak. Sarawak Shell Berhad and Petronas Carigali have theirheadquarters based in Miri. The city is also home to numerous local and multinational oil and gascompanies, including Nippon Oil, Schlumberger, Baker Hughes, Halliburton and Petra Resources andmany others. The oil and gas industry not only infuses money into the economy, but also brings inexpatriates from various countries. Businesses, big & small, in Miri are constantly on the increase[13] asbusinessmen look to venture and investing in the growing city.

Tourism is another important focus of the economy. Miri has a diverse ecology and a myriad of flora andfauna species. Four national parks and a marine national park are all located near Miri. Thus, it is oftenseen as a hub for ecotourism and a draw for nature enthusiasts.

Miri is also a shopping destination for the neighbouring country of Brunei Darussalam,[14] as well asnearby smaller towns like Bintulu and Limbang.

The regional airline, MASwings, has its head office at Jalan Airport in Miri.[15]

[edit] Transportation

Miri Airport is the fifth busiest airport in Malaysia[citation needed], and the busiest domestic airport [citation

needed]. The airport receives flights from Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Kuching, Singapore, Kota Kinabalu,Labuan, Sibu, Bintulu and many other smaller towns throughout Sarawak. The airport is also animportant hub for MASwings's fleets to provide connecting flights to isolated communities in the interior.It serves as the essential airway to national parks such as Mulu Caves, Niah Caves, and Lambir Hills.MASwings is headquartered at Miri Airport.[clarification needed] Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia operate flightsto Miri.

Miri is accessible by road from Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei) and all major towns in Sarawak, and isconnected to major towns in Sarawak and to Brunei and Sabah by the Pan Borneo Highway.

[edit] Tourism

Miri is often called the northern gateway to Sarawak and is one of the state's most important touristattractions. It is surrounded by four world-class national parks: Mount Mulu, Niah, Lambir Hills, andLoagan Bunut.

[edit] Parks

The Gunung Mulu National Park is a certified UNESCO World Heritage Site and boasts the world'slargest natural cave chamber, the Sarawak Chamber.

Niah Caves in Niah National Park is an important archaeological and historical site, as one of the oldesthuman remains in Southeast Asia was found here.

Lambir Hills National Park contains very diverse species of flora and fauna and is ranked as the 12thmega-biodiverse site in the world. The park has Sarawak's largest natural lake. There is also the recentlygazetted Miri-Sibuti Marine National Park, which has coral reefs and diverse marine life. [16]

The city has 14 public parks and recreational grounds. Miri Bulatan Park (a lake garden), Luak BayEsplanade (a park at the sea front), Taman Selera (family picnic spot), Taman Awam Miri (a theme park)and Miri City Fan are the more popular parks with both residents and visitors. Miri City Fan, a 10.4-hectare (26-acre) park in the heart of the city.

[edit] Shopping

Shopping complexes include the Bintang Plaza (now refurnished and renamed "Bintang Megamall" orParkson as most of the locals call it); Boulevard Shopping Complex, Imperial Shopping Mall (currentlyundergoing expansion of Imperial City Mall next to the current building), Servay Supermarket (atMosjaya Commercial Centre), Servay Superstore (at Taman Tunku), Soon Hup Shopping Complex (mostknown as Mega Hotel's Shopping Mall), E-Mart, Miri Plaza (or Servay Hypermarket) , Wisma PelitaMall, Merdeka Mall, Permy Mall (Opened), MYY Mall (under construction) and so on.

In addition, Miri is also well known for its fine handicrafts, especially bead products. Handicraft shopsalong Jalan Bendahara and Brooke Road are favourite destinations for tourists and locals.[citation needed]

The entertainment outlets, restaurants and road-side cafes along South Yu Seng and North Yu SengRoads are popular night streets.

[edit] Lotus Hill (Lian Hua San) Taoist Temple

This grand Taoist Temple located in the Krokop suburbs of Miri is South East Asia's largest Taoisttemple. [17]

[edit] Beaches

Sunset from the Luak Esplanade Beach

Miri, being close to the sea, boasts some spectacular beaches. Some of the popular ones are TanjongLobang Beach, formerly known as Brighton Beach (Taman Selera), Luak Esplanade, Hawaii Beach,Bekenu-Sibuti Beach, Marina Bay (owned by Marina Mahathir), and Lutong Beach.

[edit] Coral reefs

The Miri Reef off Miri is one of Malaysia’s most recently discovered diving locations. In this patch ofreefs is a variety of coral and marine life, at depths from 7 to 30 metres (23 to 98 ft), that rivals the bestanywhere in Borneo.

[edit] Museums

Miri opened a petroleum museum to preserve the city's roots as an oil and gas city. The museum issituated on a hill with a view of Miri and the coast. The museum has been criticised as being poorlymaintained and underpatronised.[18] In 2010, Tourism and Heritage Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chansaid he was trying to get help from Shell and Petronas to provide funds for the management of themuseum.[19] The museum was built at the site of "The Grand Old Lady", Miri's first producing rig.[20]

[edit] Higher education

Curtin University, Sarawak Campus, Malaysia is the first offshore campus of Curtin University, WesternAustralia, and the first foreign university campus in East Malaysia. Opened in 1999 in partnership withthe Sarawak government, it serves the educational needs of local and foreign students.

Other higher institutions of education in Miri City include Open University Malaysia (Miri Campus),Institut Pendidikan Guru Malaysia Kampus Sarawak, Jalan Bakam (Teacher Education Institute), InstitutKemahiran Belia Negara, Permyjaya (National Youth Skill Institute), Institut Latihan Perindustrian Miri,Permyjaya (Industrial Training Institute), Riam Institute of Technology, IBS College, Fajar InternationalCollege, Tenby International School and so on.

[edit] Sister cities

Singkawang, Indonesia Bali, Indonesia Tangerang, Indonesia

Beihai, China [21]

[edit] References

Malaysia portal

1. ^ "Malaysia: largest cities and towns and statistics of their population". World Gazetteer.Retrieved 2010-10-29.

2. ^ "Welcome to Miri Resort City". Retrieved 2011-07-14.3. ^ "A Brief History On Miri". Miri City Official Website. Retrieved 2008-11-16.4. ^ "Ancient Malaysia: 35,000 BC - 100 BC". Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board. Retrieved 2008-

07-18.5. ^ a b L, Klemen (1999-2000). "The Invasion of British Borneo in 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The

Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942.6. ^ "Miri Resort Decline and War". Retrieved 2008-07-18.7. ^ "Miri History". miricity.com.my (official city community site). Retrieved 2011-09-11.8. ^ Visser, Jan (1999-2000). "Who sank IJN destroyer Shinonome, December 1941?". Forgotten

Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942.9. ^ "Introduction to Miri City". Miri City Council official website.10. ^ Miri Hindus to celebrate Navarathri with prayers The Borneo Post - September 17, 201111. ^ ...http://www.myweather2.com/City-Town/Malaysia/Miri/climate-profile.aspx?month=1212. ^ "Weather Information for Miri, MYS". MSN Weather Information Service. July 2011. Retrieved

November 7 2011.13. ^ MiriBiz - Miri Company Directory Listing14. ^ Miri remains as top draw for Bruneians15. ^ "Contact Us." MASwings. Retrieved on 21 December 2010. "MASwings Sdn. Berhad, Lot 10635,

Ground Floor, Jalan Airport, 98000, Miri, Sarawak."16. ^ "First Coral Reef National Park".17. ^ "Taoist Temple". Miri Council. Retrieved 2008-11-16.18. ^ Miri Petroleum Museum gives poor taste to visitors19. ^ Chan hopes Shell, Petronas will provide funds to upkeep museum20. ^ Miri’s first oil well stands stately at museum21. ^ "Beihai to adopt Miri as its sister city."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miri

Sarawak ToursDaytrips and Tour Packages in SarawakSarawak is known for its rich tropical landscape and mighty rivers, as wellas a city that is named after a cat!

Enjoy some tours that bring you to explore the Cat City of Kuching, thecapital city of Sarawak. You will also have the chance to see themagnificent Orang-Utans, gentle primates of Southeast Asia, in theSemenggoh Orang-Utan Rehabilitation Center as well as visit the amazingMulu Caves, the largest in the world.

Recommended Tours

1 : Cultural Village

2 : Half Day Kuching City Tour

3 : Mulu Show Caves

4 : Semenggoh Orang UtanRehabilitation Center

5 : Sunset River Cruise

Sarawak Culture ToursSarawak Tours & Excursions

These single-day tours are designed for you to experience the multi-racial culture of Sarawak, especiallythe indigenous tribes that have lived on the land for centuries.

The Sarawak Cultural Village tour brings you to a museum that highlight the traditional lifestyles of themany tribes here, with dance and musical performances. On the other hand, the Annah Rais Longhousetour is a visit to a Bidayuh longhouse, where one of Sarawak’s most fascinating tribes continues to live atraditional lifestyle.

Sarawak Annah Rais Longhouse Tour

The Bidayuh are one of Sarawak’s mostfascinating indigenous groups, originating fromKalimantan since the 16th century. On this tour,you will pass through a scenic countrysidefringed by hills and plantations to visit the AnnahRais Longhouse village, home to the Bidayuh thatpractise a traditional lifestyle of agriculturalfarming. Sarawak Annah Rais Longhouse TourSarawak Cultural Tours

Bidayuh Culture

Pepper Plantation

Annah Rais Longhouse

The Bidayuh are one of Sarawak’s most fascinating indigenous groups, originating from Kalimantansince the 16th century. On this tour, you will pass through a scenic countryside fringed by hills andplantations to visit the Annah Rais Longhouse village, home to the Bidayuh that practise a traditionallifestyle of agricultural farming.

An optional stop can be made to visit a pepper plantation. The Annah Rais Longhouse is composed offive different longhouses, proving a grand experience of this unique tribal group for visitors

Time:

Half day Daily At 09:00 hrs. via Kuching

Includes:

Transfer by air-conditioned vehicle Tour guide Entrance fees

Excludes:

Airfare Beverage, tips & not mentioned in itinerary

Photo Gallery

Read more: Sarawak Annah Rais Longhouse Tour - Sarawak Cultural Tours http://www.visit-malaysia.com/sarawak-tours/annah-rais-longhouse.htm#ixzz1iyuSKybe

Sarawak Cultural Village Tour

The Sarawak Cultural Village is an award-winning living museum that allows you toexperience Sarawak in all its cultural glory,providing information and demonstrations ofdifferent tribal lifestyles. This village is alsocalled the ‘Living Museum’ because natives live

in the house and make handicrafts. ReadSarawak Cultural Village TourSarawak Cultural Tours

Cultural

Living Museum

Iban Longhouse

The Sarawak Cultural Village is an award-winning living museum that allows you to experience Sarawakin all its cultural glory, providing information and demonstrations of different tribal lifestyles.

This village is also called the ‘Living Museum’ because natives live in the house and make handicrafts.There are seven ethnic groups represented here through the Bidayuh Longhouse, Iban Longhouse, PenanHut, Orang Ulu Longhouse, Melanau Tall House, Malay House and Chinese Farm House.

You will get to see the lifestyles, arts, crafts, games, clothes and music of all these different cultures aswell as visit a fantastic restaurant and handicraft shop.

Time:

Tour duration: 4 Hours Departure time: 09:00 hrs. or 14:00 hrs.

Includes:

Entrance fee Guide fee Transfer

Excludes:

Airfare Beverage, tips & not mentioned in itinerary

Photo Gallery

Read more: Sarawak Cultural Village Tour - Sarawak Cultural Tours http://www.visit-malaysia.com/sarawak-tours/sarawak-cultural-village.htm#ixzz1iyuzyHeA

http://www.visit-malaysia.com/sarawak-tours/cultural-tours.htm?pid=AWDINP1620

Sarawak Bako National Park Tour

Sarawak Nature Tours

Natural Heritage

Proboscis Monkey

Family & Kids

Borneo – the third largest island in the world – is home to more than a few world famous touristattractions including the world’s largest flower – the Rafflesia – and Southeast Asia’s highest peak.Sarawak exemplifies all the typical Borneo stereotypes – hidden jungles, tea-brown rivers, exotic animalsand a thriving indigenous populace. It goes without saying that the cat city’s major plus point is itsproximity to this abundance of natural wonders.

The oldest in Sarawak, the Bako National Park can be summed up as an excellent introduction to thebeauty of the Sarawak’s natural heritage. Comprising Borneo’s signature jungles along with a vastbionetwork of exotic flora and fauna, the park is a 27 square kilometre sanctuary. Located along thenorthern tip of the Muara Tebas Peninsular, the park is a stone’s throw away from Kuching. The SarawakBako National Park tour will take you on a trip to explore this recreational locale and its flora and fauna,including the carnivorous pitcher plant and the proboscis monkey. Bako has 17 trails ranging from theshort Lintang Trail to the laborious Telok Limau trail; wind your way through the park to the indentedsandy bays which are good swimming locations.

Time:

Tour duration: 6 – 7 hours Departure time: 08:30 hrs.

Includes:

Entrance fee Boat fee One lunch

Excludes:

Airfare Beverage, tips & not mentioned in itinerary

Remarks:

This tour is not encouraged during the monsoon season from November until February

Photo Gallery

Read more: Sarawak Bako National Park Tour - Sarawak Nature Tours http://www.visit-malaysia.com/sarawak-tours/bako-national-park.htm#ixzz1iyw02Fm3

Sarawak Mulu Caves and Pinnacles PackageSarawak Hotel + Tour Packages

Camping Style

Mulu expedition

Real Adventure

Explore the beauty of the Mulu Caves and Pinnacles, two of Sarawak’s most exciting natural wonders inthis exciting 4D/3N package! In the Mulu Cave, expect to see beautiful limestone caverns and crystalrock formations. On the other hand, the Pinnacles are a series of 45 m high limestone spikes locatedmidway on the slopes of Gunung Api.

Includes:

Return airport-accommodation transfers Tour as per stated in the itinerary with entrance fee & English speaking guide 3 nights accommodation at selected accommodation with breakfast & 01 picnic lunch.

Excludes:

Air-ticket, tipping (Tipping policy: RM 30 per person Peak season surcharge Alcoholic beverage, canned / juice drinks & items not mentioned.

Remarks:

FIT Booking is on SEAT-IN-COACH basis

Photo Gallery

Sarawak Mulu Caves and Pinnacles - 4 Days 3 Nights

Day 01 Arrival / Deer Cave & Lang CaveMeet on arrival at Mulu Airport and transfer to your choice of accommodation. In theafternoon, we will be transferred to Mulu Park HQ and take the 3km plankwalk toexplore lang’s and Deer Caves. Watch the bats flights if weather permit and return tothe park HQ and transfer to your accommodation.

Day 02 Wind Cave & Clearwater Cave (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)Breakfast. After breakfast, we will depart by longboat to travel upstream on theMelinau river to expore Wind Cave. Later after lunch at Clearwater Hut, we willtravel by longboat to Long Litu. We will trek through lowland forest for 8.8km tocamp 5.dinner and overnight at camp5.

Day 03 Climb Gunung Api (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)After breakfast, we will asvcent Mt. Api to an elevation of 1200m to view Pinnales.Packed lunch at the view point before descend for dinner and overnight.

Day 04 Departure (Breakfast/Lunch)After breakfast, we will trek back to Long Litut and take the longboat to ClearwaterCave. Explore the cave and lunch at Clearwater Hut before transfer to Mulu Airportfor departure flight.

Read more: Sarawak Mulu Caves and Pinnacles Package - Sarawak Hotel + Tour Packages http://www.visit-malaysia.com/sarawak-room-packages/mulu-caves-pinnacles.htm#ixzz1iywOjvI4

uching Fun Break Tour 3D 2N Package

Sarawak Hotel + Tour Packages

River Safari

Palace of the White Rajahs

Chinatown

Sarawak truly beckons visitors with all those mystical Borneo stereotypes; verdant jungles, complex riversystems, pepper plantations and the customs of its natives. On this tour explore the beauty of the multi-racial population when you visit the buildings of the White Rajahs, a Chinese temple, the SarawakMuseum and the Palace of the white Rajahs – the Astana. Go on a bargain-hunting expedition toChinatown and soak in the sights of the Kuching Waterfront on your adventurous trip the Land of theHornbills. Later on you can experience the cultural symphony of an authentic Malay village andexperience a truly Malaysian sight of a bona fide cultural native dance.

Includes:

Round trip transfers , tours & Entrance fee as per itinerary & English speaking Guide. 2 nights accommodation at as stated with daily breakfast

Excludes:

Air Fare, Tipping ( Tipping Policy : RM 10 Per person ) , Peak season surcharge, Alcoholic beverage,canned / juice drinks & items not stated.

Photo Gallery

Kuching Fun Break Tour - 3 Days 2 Nights

Day 01Arrival / 3 HoursKuching City tour

Meet upon arrival at Kuching International Airport Proceed for 3 hours Kuching City Tour. Experience the beauty of a multi- racial

community and see places of interest & the essential part of Kuching includes thebuilding of the White Rajahs, ( Colonial Law Court, Clock Tower, Charles BrookeMemorial, Post Office , Square Tower ) bustling Chinatown, Chinese Temple.Discover the treasure of Sarawak Museum & Cat Museum, Sight-seeing to Astana,Malay Village & Kuching Water Front.

After tour complete, assist transfer to hotel for check in Accommodation at hotel

Day 02Free at own leisure

Breakfast at hotel Free at own leisure Accommodation at hotel

Day 03Departure

Breakfast at hotel Free at own leisure Then transfer to airport for flight departure

The above itinerary may be modified without notice, due to tidal changes.

Read more: Kuching Fun Break Tour 3D 2N Package - Sarawak Hotel + Tour Packages http://www.visit-malaysia.com/sarawak-room-packages/package-kuching-fun-break.htm#ixzz1iywq7gt1

Sarawak Kuching City TourKuching Sight-seeing Tours

Heritage Building

Clock Tower

Chinese Temple

Kuching means ‘cat’ in Malay and token mascots of the feline form are apparent throughout Sarawak’scapital. Best known as this state’s main point of entry, the city is a romantic mixture of Indochineseheritage. The conurbation features a blend of colourful shop-houses and trendy urban architecture andwhen the sun goes down its streets are a jumble of fashionable nightclubs adjacent to colourful Chineseshop lots. Sarawak’s main tourist attractions are located on the south bank of the Sungai Sarawak; thereare a small number of must-visit museums as well as historical attractions but the city’s streets also hostinteresting and eclectic of-the-beaten-path attractions.

The Half-Day Kuching Tour takes you on an excursion to see some of the ‘Land of the Hornbill’s’ best-known city attractions starting out with a visit to the Colonial Law Court and the Clock Tower. Later,visit the Charles Brooke Memorial and Square Tower – which, along with Fort Margherita, guarded theSarawak River against marauders in bygone days. Next, head on down to Chinatown, a compilation ofpretty colonial-age shop-houses and Chinese temples, centred along Jalan Carpenter then afterwardsexplore a colourful Chinese shrine and also learn about Kuching’s namesake with a visit to the CatMuseum. Soon after that pay a visit to Astana Village as well as an authentic Malay village; the tourwraps up with a stopover along the Kuching waterfront.

Time:

Tour duration: 3 Hours Departure time: 09:00 hrs. or 14:00 hrs.

Includes:

Entrance fee Guide fee

Excludes:

Airfare Beverage, tips & not mentioned in itinerary

Photo Gallery

Read more: Sarawak Kuching City Tour - Kuching Sight-seeing Tours http://www.visit-malaysia.com/sarawak-tours/kuching-city-tour.htm#ixzz1iyxMJtaN

Brunei

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from Brunai)

State of Brunei, the Abode of Peace

Negara Brunei Darussalamدارالس لامب رونياراڬن

Flag Crest

Motto: "بالھ دىالمحس نونال دائمون " "Sentiasa membuatkebajikan dengan petunjuk Allah"

"Always in service with God's guidance" (translation)

Anthem: Allah Peliharakan SultanGod Bless the Sultan

Location of Brunei (red)

[Legend]

Capital(and largest city)

Bandar Seri Begawan

4°53.417 'N 114°56.533'E

Official language(s) Bahasa Melayu (Malay)[1][2]

Official scriptsMalay alphabet,Jawi alphabet[3]

Demonym Bruneian

GovernmentUnitary Islamic Constitutionalsultanate

- Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah

- Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah

- Prime Minister Hassanal Bolkiah

Formation

- Sultanate 14th century

- British protectorate 1888

- Independence 1 January 1984

Area

- Total5,765 km2 (172nd)2,226 sq mi

- Water (%) 8.6

Population

- 2011 estimate 401,890[4] (174th)

- 2001 census 332,844

- Density67.3/km2 (134th)174.4/sq mi

GDP (PPP) 2010 estimate

- Total $21.237 billion[5] (122nd)

- Per capita $49,719[5] (8 th)

GDP (nominal) 2011 estimate

- Total $16.313 billion[5] (166th)

- Per capita $38,191[5] (26th)

HDI (2011) 0.838[6] (very high) (33th)

Currency Brunei dollar (BND)

Time zone (UTC+8)

Drives on the left

ISO 3166 code BN

Internet TLD .bn

Calling code +6731

1 Also 080 from East Malaysia

Brunei i/bruː n̍aɪ/, officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abodeof Peace[7] (Malay: Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi: ,(ارا ب روني دارالس لامڬن is a sovereign statelocated on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia. Apart from its coastline with theSouth China Sea, it is completely surrounded by the state of Sarawak, Malaysia, and in fact it is separatedinto two parts by Limbang, which is part of Sarawak. It is the only sovereign state completely on theisland of Borneo, with the remainder of the island belonging to Malaysia and Indonesia. Brunei'spopulation is around 400,000 (July 2010).[8]

Brunei can trace its beginnings to the 7th century, when it was a subject state of the Srivijayan empireunder the name P'o-li. It later became a vassal state of Majapahit empire before converting to Islam in the15th century. At the peak of its empire, the sultanate had control that extended over the coastal regions ofmodern-day Sarawak and Sabah, the Sulu archipelago, and the islands off the northwest tip of Borneo.The thalassocracy was visited by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 and fought the Castille War in 1578against Spain. Its empire began to decline with the forced ceding of Sarawak to James Brooke and theceding of Sabah to the British North Borneo Chartered Company. After the loss of Limbang, Bruneifinally became a British protectorate in 1888, receiving a resident in 1906. In the years after the wartimeoccupation, it formalised a constitution and fought an armed rebellion.[9] Brunei regained itsindependence from the United Kingdom on 1 January 1984. Economic growth during the 1970s and1990s, averaging 56% from 1999 to 2008, has transformed Brunei Darussalam into a newly industrialisedcountry.

Brunei has the second highest Human Development Index among the South East Asia nations afterSingapore, and is classified as a Developed Country.[10] According to the International Monetary Fund(IMF), Brunei is ranked 4th in the world by gross domestic product per capita at purchasing powerparity.[11]

Contents[hide]

1 Etymology 2 History 3 Politics and government 4 Foreign relations 5 Subdivisions 6 Geography 7 Economy 8 Demographics 9 Culture 10 Media 11 Defence 12 Infrastructure 13 See also 14 Notes and references 15 Bibliography 16 External links

[edit] Etymology

According to legend, Brunei was founded by Awang Alak Betatar. His move from Garang, a place in theTemburong District[12] to the Brunei river estuary led to the discovery of Brunei. According to legend,upon landing he exclaimed "Baru nah!" (loosely translating as "that's it!" or "there"), from which thename Brunei was derived.[13]

It was renamed Barunai in the 14th century, possibly influenced by the Sanskrit word varuṇai (व णै),meaning "seafarers", later to become Brunei. The word Borneo is of the same origin. In the country's fullname Negara Brunei Darussalam, Darussalam (Arabic: (دار السلام means "Abode of Peace", whileNegara means "country" in Malay.

[edit] HistoryMain article: History of Brunei

The power of the Sultanate of Brunei was at its peak between the 15th and 17th centuries, with its powerextending from northern Borneo to the southern Philippines. [4]

A civil war broke out in 1660 and lasted until 1673.[14] By the 16th century, Islam was firmly rooted inBrunei, and the country had built one of its biggest mosques. In 1578, Alonso Beltrán, a Spanish travelerdescribed it as being five stories tall and built on the water.[15]

European influence gradually brought an end to this regional power, as Brunei entered a period of declinecompounded by internal strife over royal succession. Piracy was also detrimental to the kingdom.[4] Later,there was a brief war with Spain, in which Brunei's capital was occupied. Eventually the sultanate wasvictorious but lost territories to Spain, including the island of Luzon. The decline of the Bruneian Empireculminated in the 19th century, when Brunei lost much of its territory to the White Rajahs of Sarawak,

resulting in its current small landmass and separation into two parts. [16] Brunei was a British protectoratefrom 1888 to 1984,[4]. British Residents were introduced in Brunei under the Supplementary ProtectorateAgreement in 1906.[17] The Residents were to advise the Sultan on all matters of administration. TheResidential system ended in 1959. [18]. Brunei was occupied by Japan from 1941 to 1945 during WorldWar II.[19]. In 1959 a new constitution was written declaring Brunei a self-governing state, while itsforeign affairs, security, and defense remained the responsibility of the United Kingdom. [8]

There was a small rebellion against the monarchy in 1962, which was suppressed with help from theUnited Kingdom. This event became known as the Brunei Revolt and was partly responsible for thefailure to create the North Borneo Federation. The rebellion partially affected Brunei's decision to opt outof the Malaysian Federation.[8]

[edit] Politics and governmentMain article: Politics of Brunei

Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei.

Brunei has a constitutional sultanate. It has a legal system based on English common law, althoughIslamic shariah law supersedes this in some cases.[4]

The political system in the country is governed by the constitution and the tradition of the Malay IslamicMonarchy, the concept of “Melayu Islam Beraja” (MIB). The three components of MIB cover Malayculture, Islamic religion and the political framework under the monarchy.[20]

Under Brunei's 1959 constitution, His Majesty Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji Hassanal BolkiahMu'izzaddin Waddaulah is the head of state with full executive authority, including emergency powerswhich are renewed every two years, since 1962. The Sultan's role is enshrined in the national ideologyknown as Melayu Islam Beraja (MIB), or Malay Muslim Monarchy. The country has been underhypothetical martial law since the Brunei Revolt of 1962.[8] The Royal family retains a venerated statuswithin the country.[8]

[edit] Foreign relationsMain article: Foreign relations of Brunei

With its traditional ties with the United Kingdom, it became the 49th member of the Commonwealthimmediately on the day of its independence on 1 January 1984. [21] As its first initiatives toward improvedregional relations, Brunei joined ASEAN on 7 January 1984, becoming the sixth member.[22] It laterjoined the United Nations at the 39th Session of the United Nations General Assembly and became a fullmember on 21 September 1984 as a means to achieve recognition of its sovereignty and fullindependence from the world community.[23] As it is an Islamic country, Brunei Darussalam became afull member of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (now the Organisation of IslamicCooperation) in January 1984 at the Fourth Islamic Summit held in Morocco.[24]

After its accession to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC) in 1989, Brunei hosted theAPEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in November 2000 and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in July2002.[25] As for other economic ties, Brunei Darussalam became an original member of the World TradeOrganization (WTO) since it came into force in 1 January 1995,[26] and is a major player in BIMP-EAGAwhich was formed during the Inaugural Ministers’ Meeting in Davao, Philippines on 24 March 1994.[27]

Brunei is recognized by every nation in the world. It shares a close relationship particularly with thePhilippines and other nations such as Singapore. In April 2009, Brunei and the Philippines signed aMemorandum of Understanding (MOU) that seeks to strengthen the bilateral cooperation of the twocountries in the fields of agriculture and farm-related trade and investments.[28]

Brunei is one of many nations to lay claim to some of the disputed Spratly Islands.[29] The status ofLimbang as part of Sarawak was disputed by Brunei since the area was first annexed in 1890.[30] Theissue was reportedly settled in 2009, with Brunei agreeing to accept the border in exchange for Malaysiagiving up claims to oil fields in Bruneian waters.[31]. The government, however, denies this and says thattheir claim on Limbang was never dropped. [32][33]

[edit] Subdivisions

Main articles: Districts of Brunei and Mukims of Brunei

Brunei is divided into four districts (daerah):[34]

Belait Brunei and Muara Temburong Tutong

The district of Temburong is physically separated from the rest of Brunei by part of Sarawak State(Malaysia). The districts are subdivided into 38 mukims.[8]

Rank Mukim Population Town/Suburb/Town District

1 Sengkurong 62,400 Jerudong and Bandar Seri Begawan Brunei-Muara

2 Gadong A & Gadong B 59,610 Bandar Seri Begawan Brunei-Muara

3 Berakas A 57,500 Bandar Seri Begawan Brunei-Muara

4 Kuala Belait 35,500 Kuala Belait Belait

5 Seria 32,900 Seria Town (Pekan Seria) Belait

6 Berakas B 23,400 Bandar Seri Begawan Brunei-Muara

7 Sungai Liang 18,100 None Belait

8 Pengkalan Batu approx. 15,000 None Brunei-Muara

9 Kilanas approx. 15,000 Bandar Seri Begawan Brunei-Muara

10 Kota Batu 12,600 Bandar Seri Begawan Brunei-Muara

11 Pekan Tutong 12,100 Pekan Tutong Tutong

12 Mentiri 10,872 None Brunei-Muara

13 Serasa approx. 10,000 Muara Town (Pekan Muara) Brunei-Muara

14 Kianggeh 8,540 Bandar Seri Begawan Brunei-Muara

15 Burong Pinggai Ayer approx. 8,200 Bandar Seri Begawan Brunei-Muara

16 Keriam 8,000 None Tutong

17 Lumapas 7,458 Bandar Seri Begawan Brunei-Muara

18 Kiudang 7,000 None Tutong

19 Saba approx. 6,600 Bandar Seri Begawan Brunei-Muara

Rank Mukim Population Town/Suburb/Town District

20 Sungai Kedayan approx. 6,000 Bandar Seri Begawan Brunei-Muara

[edit] GeographyMain article: Geography of Brunei

The topographic map of Brunei

Brunei is a southeast Asian country consisting of two unconnected parts with the total area of 5,765square kilometres (2,226 sq mi). It has 161 kilometres (100 mi) of coastline next to the South China sea,and it shares a 381 km (237 mi) border with Malaysia. It has 500 square kilometres (193 sq mi) ofterritorial waters, and an 200 nm exclusive economic zone.[4]

77% of the population lives in the eastern part of Brunei, while only about 10,000 live in themountainous south eastern part (the district of Temburong). The total population of Brunei Darussalam isapproximately 408,000 (July 2010) of which around 150,000 live in the capital Bandar Seri Begawan.[35]

Other major towns are the port town of Muara, the oil producing town of Seria and its neighboring town,Kuala Belait. In the Belait district, the Panaga area is home to large numbers of expatriates due to RoyalDutch Shell and British Army housing and recreational facilities located there.[36]

Most of Brunei is within the Borneo lowland rain forests ecoregion that covers most of the island butthere are areas of mountain rain forests inland.[37]

The climate of Brunei is tropical equatorial.[4] The average annual temperature is 26.1 °C (79.0 °F), withthe April–May average of 24.7 °C (76.5 °F) and the October–December average of 23.8 °C (74.8 °F).[38]

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year

Mean Maximum (°C) 25.8 24.8 27.2 27.1 27.5 27.1 28.4 28.3 28.0 26.5 24.4 24.0 28.3

Mean Minimum (°C) 22.1 22.0 22.5 23.9 23.9 24.7 24.1 24.3 25.3 23.1 22.2 23.6 26.2

Average Rainfall (mm) 277.7 138.3 113.0 200.3 239.0 214.2 228.8 215.8 257.7 319.9 329.4 343.5 2873.9

[edit] EconomyMain article: Economy of Brunei

This small, wealthy economy is a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, governmentregulation, welfare measures, and village tradition. Crude oil and natural gas production account forabout 90% of its GDP.[8] About 167000 barrels of oil are produced everyday, making Brunei the fourthlargest producer of oil in South-east Asia.[8] It also produces approximately 895 million cubic feet ofliquified natural gas per day, making Brunei the ninth-largest exporter of the substance in the world.[8]

Substantial income from overseas investment supplements income from domestic production. Most ofthese investments are made by the Brunei Investment Agency, an arm of the Ministry of Finance.[8] Thegovernment provides for all medical services[39] and subsidizes rice[40] and housing[8]. The nationalairline, Royal Brunei, is trying to make Brunei a hub for international travel between Europe andAustralia/New Zealand, and also has services to major Asian destinations. Brunei is increasinglyimporting from other countries. [41]

Brunei's leaders are very concerned that steadily increased integration in the world economy willundermine internal social cohesion although it became a more prominent player by serving as chairmanfor the 2000 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. Stated plans for the future includeupgrading the labour force, reducing unemployment, strengthening the banking and tourism sectors, and,in general, further widening the economic base.[42]

To achieve its target for food self-sufficiency, Brunei renamed its Brunei Darussalam Rice 1 to LailaRice during the launch of the "Padi Planting Towards Achieving Self-Sufficiency of Rice Production inBrunei Darussalam" ceremony at the Wasan padi fields in April 2009.[43] In August 2009, the RoyalFamily reaped the first few Laila padi stalks, after years of multiple attempts to boost local riceproduction, a goal which was envisioned about half a century ago.[44] In July 2009 Brunei launched itsnational halal branding scheme, Brunei Halal, with an aim to export to foreign markets.[45]

[edit] DemographicsMain article: Demographics of Brunei

Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque at night.

The population of Brunei in July 2011 was 401,890 of which 76% live in urban areas. The average lifeexpectancy is 76.17 years. In 2004, 66.3% of the population were Malay, 11.2% are Chinese, 3.4% areIndigenous, with smaller groups making up the rest.[4]

The official language of Brunei is Melayu Brunei (Brunei Malay), the official standardized form of theMalay language used in Brunei. Brunei Malay is quite divergent from standard Malay and the rest of theMalay dialects and is mostly mutually unintelligible. [1] English and Chinese are also spoken.[46] BahasaRojak, often spoken by the media and the public, is known as a "mixed language" and considereddetrimental to normal Malay.[47] Other languages spoken include Kedayan, Tutong, Murut, Dusun andIban.[46] English is also widely spoken[48] and there is a relatively large expatriate community.[49]

Islam is the official religion of Brunei,[4]. Two-thirds of the population adheres to Islam. Other faithspracticed are Buddhism (13%, mainly by the Chinese) and Christianity (10%).[4] Freethinkers, mostlyChinese, form about 7% of the population. Although most of them practice some form of religion withelements of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism, they prefer to present themselves as having professedno religion officially, hence regarded as atheists in official censuses. Followers of indigenous religionsare about 2% of the population.[50]

All Brunei citizens have access to free health care from public hospitals. The largest hospital in Brunei isRaja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Hospital (RIPAS) hospital situated in the country's capital Bandar SeriBegawan. There are two private medical centres, Gleneagles JPMC Sdn Bhd .[51] and Jerudong ParkMedical Centre. The Health Promotion Centre opened in November 2008 and serves to educate thepublic on the importance of having a healthy lifestyle.[52]

There is currently no medical school in Brunei, and Bruneians wishing to study to become doctors mustattend university overseas. However, the Institute of Medicines had been introduced at the UniversitiBrunei Darussalam and a new building has been built for the faculty. The building, including research labfacilities, was completed in 2009. There has been a School of Nursing since 1951. [53] 58 nurse managerswere appointed in RIPAS to improve service and provide better medical care.[54] In December 2008, Thenursing college merged with the Institute of Medicines at the Universiti Brunei Darussalam to producemore nurses and midwives.[55] It is now called the PAPRSB (Pengiran Anak Puteri Rashidah Sa'datulBolkiah) Institute of Health Sciences.[56]

[edit] CultureMain article: Culture of Brunei

The culture of Brunei is predominantly Malay (reflecting its ethnicity), with heavy influences from Islam,but is seen as more conservative than Malaysia.[57]

Brunei's culture is mainly derived from the Old Malay World, which encompassed the MalayArchipelago and from this stemmed what is known as the Malay Civilisation. Based on historical facts,various cultural elements and foreign civilisations had a hand in influencing the culture of this country.Thus, the influence of culture can be traced to four dominating periods of animism, Hinduism, Islam andthe West. However, it was Islam that managed to wind its roots deeply into the culture of Brunei hence itbecame a way of life and adopted as the state's ideology and philosophy.[58]

As a Sharia country, the sale and public consumption of alcohol is banned.[59] Non-Muslims are allowedto bring in a limited amount of alcohol from their point of embarkation overseas for their own privateconsumption. [20]

[edit] Media

Media in Brunei is extremely pro-government. The country has been given "Not Free" status by FreedomHouse; press criticism of the government and monarchy is rare.[60] Nonetheless, the press is not overtlyhostile toward alternative viewpoints and is not restricted to publishing only articles regarding thegovernment. The government allowed a printing and publishing company, Brunei Press PLC, to form in1953. It continues to print the leading English daily Borneo Bulletin. This paper began as a weeklycommunity paper, became the country's daily paper in 1990, and "remains the foremost source ofinformation on local and foreign affairs."[20] Apart from The Borneo Bulletin, there is also the MediaPermata, the local Malay newspaper which is circulated daily. The Brunei Times is another Englishindependent newspaper published in Brunei Darussalam.[61]

The Brunei government owns and operates six television channels with the introduction of digital TVusing DVB-T (RTB 1, RTB 2, RTB 3 (HD), RTB 4, RTB 5 and RTB New Media (Game portal) and fiveradio stations (National FM, Pilihan FM, Nur Islam FM, Harmony FM and Pelangi FM). A privatecompany has made cable television available (Astro-Kristal) as well as one private radio station, KristalFM.[20] It also has an online campus radio station, UBD FM that streams from the its first university,Universiti Brunei Darussalam'[62]

[edit] Defence

Brunei maintains three infantry battalions stationed around the country.[8] The Brunei navy has several"Ijtihad"-class patrol boats purchased from a German manufacturer . The United Kingdom also maintainsa base in Seria, the center of the oil industry in Brunei. A Gurkha battalion consisting of 1500 personnelis stationed there.[8] United Kingdom military personnel are stationed there under a defence agreementsigned between the two countries.[8]

[edit] InfrastructureMain article: Transport in Brunei

The major population centres in the country are linked by a network of 2,800 kilometres of road. The135 km highway from Muara Town to Kuala Belait is being upgraded to a dual carriageway.[20]

Brunei is accessible by air, sea and land transport. Brunei International Airport is the main entry point tothe country. Royal Brunei Airlines[63] is the national carrier. The ferry terminal at Muara services regularconnections to Labuan (Malaysia). The speedboats provide passenger and goods transportation to theTemburong district.[64] The main highway running across Brunei is the Tutong-Muara Highway. Thecountry's road network is well developed. Brunei has one main sea port located at Muara.[8]

With one private car for every 2.09 persons, Brunei Darussalam has one of the highest car ownershiprates in the world. This has been attributed to the absence of comprehensive transport system, low importtax, inexpensive maintenance and low unleaded petrol price of B$0.53 per litre.[20]

[edit] See alsoGeography portal

Asia portal

Southeast Asia portal

Outline of Brunei Index of Brunei-related articles

Malay language edition of Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Astronomy in Brunei Brooketon Commonwealth of Nations Communications in Brunei Girl Guides in Brunei Hospitals in Brunei Istana Nurul Iman (Sultan's

Palace)

Jerudong Park MedicalCentre

List of Bruneians List of Brunei-related

topics List of Sunni Muslim

dynasties Media of Brunei Military of Brunei

Music of Brunei Royal Brunei Airlines Scouting in Brunei Sport in Brunei Transport in Brunei Universiti Brunei

Darussalam

[edit] Notes and references

1. ^ a b The Prime Minister's Office of Brunei Darussalam2. ^ "Brunei Tourism". Tourismbrunei. Retrieved 16 October 2010.3. ^ Writing contest promotes usage, history of Jawi script | The Brunei Times4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Brunei. CIA World Factbook. 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2011.5. ^ a b c d "Brunei". International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 8 December 2011.6. ^ "Human Development Report 2011". United Nations. 2011.7. ^ Haggett, Peter (ed). Encyclopedia of World Geography, Volume 1, Marshall Cavendish, 2001, p.

2913. Available on Google Books.8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Background Note: Brunei". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 23

December 2011.9. ^ Pocock, Tom (1973). Fighting General – The Public &Private Campaigns of General Sir Walter

Walker (First ed.). London: Collins. ISBN 0002112957.10. ^ "Human Development Reports". United Nations. Retrieved 5 October 2009.11. ^ Data refer to the year 2009. World Economic Outlook Database-October 2009[dead link],

International Monetary Fund. Retrieved March 29, 2010.12. ^ Curriculum Development Department (2008). History for Brunei Darussalam:Sharing Our Past.

Section 2.2: EPB Pan Pacific. p. 26. ISBN 99917-2-545-8.13. ^ "Treasuring Brunei's past". Southeast Asian Archaeology. 8 March 2007. Retrieved 19

September 2011.14. ^ History for Brunei Darussalm. EPB Pan Pacific. 2008. pp. 44. ISBN 9917-2-545-8.15. ^ Nicholl 1975, pp. 47–5116. ^ History For Brunei Darussalam. EPB Pan-Pacific. 2008. pp. 58. ISBN 99917-2-545-8.17. ^ History For Brunei Darussalam. EPB Pan Pacific. 2008. pp. 59. ISBN 99917-2-545-8.18. ^ History For Brunei Darussalam. EPB Pan Pacific. pp. 67. ISBN 99917-2-545-8.19. ^ "Brunei under the Japanese occupation". June 29 2008. Retrieved 20 December 2011.20. ^ a b c d e f "About Brunei". Bruneipress.com.bn. 30 July 1998. Retrieved 30 December 2009.21. ^ "MOFAT, Commonwealth". Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Brunei Darussalam. 30

March 2010. Archived from the original on 28 January 2010.

22. ^ "Background Note:Brunei Darussalam/Profile:/Foreign Relations". United States StateDepartment. Retrieved 6 March 2007.

23. ^ "MOFAT, UN". Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Brunei Darussalam. 30 March 2010.Archived from the original on 18 February 2008.

24. ^ "MOFAT, OIC". Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Brunei Darussalam. 30 March 2010.Archived from the original on 18 June 2008.

25. ^ "APEC, 2000 Leaders' Declaration". Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation. 30 March 2010.Archived from the original on 21 March 2010.

26. ^ "MOFAT, WTO". Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 30 March 2010. Archived from theoriginal on 25 June 2008.

27. ^ "MOFAT, BIMP-EAGA". Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 30 March 2010. Archived from theoriginal on 21 June 2008.

28. ^ "RP, Brunei sign farm-cooperation deal"[dead link]

29. ^ https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2070.html30. ^ "Disputes - International". CIA. Retrieved 4 January 2011.31. ^ A tale of two oil blocks The Star. Retrieved 9 May 2010.32. ^ "Brunei Denies Limbang Story". Retrieved 19 December 2011.33. ^ "Brunei Denies Limbang Story". Retrieved 19 December 2011.34. ^ District Statistics (2010). Brunei Darussalam Statistical Yearbook. Brunei Government.35. ^ 2001 Summary Tables of the Population Census. Department of Statistics, Brunei Darussalam36. ^ Outpost Seria Housing Information. "Outpost Seria". Retrieved 20 December 2011.37. ^ "Country Profile". Retrieved 20 December 2011.38. ^ [1][dead link]

39. ^ Brunei Healthcare Info. "Brunei Healthcare". Retrieved 23 December 2011.40. ^ Brunei Times article. "Subsidy on rice, sugar to stay". Chinese Embassy. Retrieved 23 December

2011.41. ^ Brunei Statistical Year Book. Brunei Government. 2010. pp. 5.42. ^ "Sultanate Moves to reduce unemployment". BruDirect. Retrieved 20 December 2011.43. ^ Ubaidillah Masli, Goh De Noand Faez Hani BRUNEI-MUARA (28 April 2009). "'Laila Rice' to

Brunei's rescue". Bt.com.bn. Retrieved 30 December 2009.44. ^ Ubaidillah Masli, Deno Gohand Faez HaniBRUNEI-MUARA (4 August 2009). "HM inaugurates

Laila harvest". Bt.com.bn. Retrieved 30 December 2009.45. ^ Hadi Dp Mahmud (1 August 2009). "Brunei pioneers national halal branding". Brunei Times.

Retrieved 19 September 2011.46. ^ a b Martin, P. W., & Poedjosoedarmo, G. (1996). An overview of the language situation in Brunei

Darussalam. In P. W. Martin, C. Ozog & G. Poedjosoedarmo (Eds.), Language use & language change inBrunei Darussalam (pp. 1-23). Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Center for International Studies.

47. ^ Official calls to preserve Brunei Malay language | The Brunei Times48. ^ Ozog, A. C. K. (1996). The unplanned use of English: The case of Brunei Darussalam. In P. W.

Martin, C. Ozog & G. Poedjosoedarmo (Eds.), Language use & language change in Brunei Darussalam (pp.156-166). Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Center for International Studies.

49. ^ Brunei Statistical Yearbook. pp. 13.50. ^ 2010 Brunei Statistical Yearbook. Brunei Government. 2010. pp. 19.51. ^ "Gleneagles JPMC". Retrieved 11 February 2011.52. ^ Bandar Seri Begawan (17 April 2009). "HRH visits Health Promotion Centre | The Brunei Times".

Bt.com.bn. Retrieved 30 December 2009.53. ^ "FHA – [Nursing staff education in Brunei – Article Summary". Find-health-articles.com.

Retrieved 30 December 2009.[dead link]

54. ^ Bandar Seri Begawan (19 March 2009). "58 nurse managers appointed | The Brunei Times".Bt.com.bn. Retrieved 30 December 2009.

55. ^ Hadi Dp Mahmudbandar Seri Begawan (6 December 2008). "Problem needs nursing with care".Brunei Times. Retrieved 30 December 2009.

56. ^ "Institute of Medicine". Retrieved 11 February 2011.57. ^ For a discussion of religious freedom, see http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71334.htm

(United States Department of State).58. ^

http://web.archive.org/web/20110511082403/http://www.jpm.gov.bn/pmo1/index.php?view=article&id=185%3Alanguage-and-culture&format=pdf&option=com_content&Itemid=209

59. ^ Brunei Tourism Website (Government appointed)60. ^ "Freedom Of The Press – Brunei (2006)". Freedomhouse.org. Retrieved 30 December 2009.61. ^ "Brunei Times Website". Retrieved 15 December 2011.62. ^ UBD Radio Website. "UBD Radio". Retrieved 23 December 2011.63. ^ "Welcome to Royal Brunei Airlines". Bruneiair. Retrieved 4 January 2011.64. ^ "Speedboat services to and from Temburong". Borneo Bulletin. Retrieved 20 December 2011.

[edit] Bibliography

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Brunei.

This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the CIA WorldFactbook.

U.S. Department of State website (2003) L. W. W. Gudgeon, British North Borneo, Adam and Charles Black: London, 1913. Nicholl, Robert (2002), European sources for the history of the Sultanate of Brunei in the Sixteenth

Century, Special Publications, no.9. Muzium Brunei

[edit] External linksFind more about Brunei on Wikipedia's sister projects:

Definitions and translations from Wiktionary

Images and media from Commons

Learning resources from Wikiversity

News stories from Wikinews

Quotations from Wikiquote

Source texts from Wikisource

Textbooks from Wikibooks

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Brunei

Government

Government of Brunei Darussalam website Chief of State and Cabinet Members

General information

Brunei entry at The World Factbook Brunei from UCB Libraries GovPubs Brunei at the Open Directory Project Wikimedia Atlas of Brunei

Business

Brunei Business Directory

Travel

Brunei travel guide from Wikitravel Brunei Tourism website Brunei Attractions website Brunei information on globalEDGE

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brunai

Bandar Seri BegawanFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bandar Seri Begawanواناڬبس ريبن در

Nickname(s): Bandar or BSB

Bandar Seri Begawan

Coordinates: 4°53'25″N 114°56'32″ECoordinates:4°53'25″N 114°56'32″E

Country Brunei

District

Area

• City 100.36 km2 (38.7 sq mi)

Population (2010)

• City 140,000

• Density 1,395/km2 (3,613/sq mi)

• Urban 276,608

• Demonym Begawanese

Website www.municipal-bsb.gov.bn/

Mean solar time UTC+07:39:00

Bandar Seri Begawan, (Jawi: ;اوانڬبن در س ري ب Malay: [ b̩anda sə̩ ri bə̩ ɡawan]) with anestimated population 140,000 (as of 2010),[1] is the capital and largest city of the Sultanate of Brunei. Theurban area has a population of 276,608 people.

Contents[hide]

1 History 2 Geography 3 Climate 4 Demographics 5 Transportation

o 5.1 Lando 5.2 Airo 5.3 Water

6 Places of interesto 6.1 Mosqueso 6.2 Historical siteso 6.3 Museumso 6.4 Istana Nurul Imano 6.5 Kampong Ayero 6.6 Parks and trails

7 Economy 8 Expansion of the city 9 Education 10 Gallery 11 References 12 External links

[edit] History

Habitation on the banks of the Brunei River can be traced back to the 8th century where there had beensettlements similar to those in Kampong Ayer, located on areas close to the present site of the BruneiMuseum.

Seri Begawan was named after the Sultan's late father Omar Ali Saifuddien on 5 October 1970, itsoriginal name being Bandar Brunei or Brunei Town. Begawan is a name given to Bruneian monarchswho have abdicated, originally coming from the Sanskrit word for "god": bhagavān. Seri alsocomes from the honorific Sanskrit word Sri. Bandar, comes from Persian viaبن در Indian languages andmeans "port" or "haven" (bandar means "town" in Malay).

On 1 August 2007, The Sultan of Brunei gave consent for the extension of Bandar Seri Begawan from12.87 square kilometres to 100.36 square kilometres. For a list of the included villages and mukims see"Expansion of the City" below.

[edit] Geography

Bandar Seri Begawan is located at 4°53'25"N, 114°56'32"E, on the northern bank of the Brunei River.

[edit] Climate

Bandar Seri Begawan features a tropical rainforest climate with no real dry season. In fact, the city seesheavy precipitation throughout the course of the year with the driest month (March) on average having120 mm of rain per year. October through December are the rainiest months of the year in the city, whenprecipitation is seen roughly two out of every three days. As is common to cities with a tropical rainforestclimate, average temperatures are relatively constant throughout the course of the year, with averagehighs temperatures of around 32 C and average low temperatures of 23 C.

[hide]Climate data for Bandar Seri BegawanMonth Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year

Averagehigh °C (°F)

30.4(86.7)

30.7(87.3)

31.9(89.4)

32.5(90.5)

32.6(90.7)

32.5(90.5)

32.3(90.1)

32.4(90.3)

32.0(89.6)

31.6(88.9)

31.4(88.5)

31.0(87.8)

31.8(89.2)

Average low°C (°F)

23.3(73.9)

23.3(73.9)

23.5(74.3)

23.7(74.7)

23.7(74.7)

23.4(74.1)

23.0(73.4)

23.1(73.6)

23.1(73.6)

23.2(73.8)

23.2(73.8)

23.2(73.8)

23.3(73.9)

Precipitationmm (inches)

292.6(11.52)

158.9(6.256)

118.7(4.673)

189.4(7.457)

234.9(9.248)

210.1(8.272)

225.9(8.894)

226.6(8.921)

264.4(10.409)

312.3(12.295)

339.9(13.382)

339.6(13.37)

2,913.3(114.697)

Avg. rainydays 16 12 11 16 18 16 16 16 19 21 23 21 205

Source: World Meteorological Organization[2]

[edit] Demographics

The population of Bandar Seri Begawan is around 140,000 and the metropolitan area is 278,000 as forAugust 2010. The majority of Bruneians are ethnic Malays, with Chinese being the most significantminority group. Aboriginal groups such as the Iban also exist and are loosely classified as Malays. Largenumbers of transitory workers are to be found within Brunei, the majority being from Indonesia, thePhilippines and the Indian subcontinent.

[edit] Transportation

The main bus station is located at Jalan Cator.

Water taxis awaiting passengers near Jalan MacArthur.

[edit] Land

The capital is connected to Bus of Bandar Seri Begawan the western part of the country by road. To getto the eastern part of Brunei (Temburong) it is necessary to travel through Sarawak which is in Malaysia,via the town of Limbang which is accessed by the Kuala Lurah Bus terminal. To get to Bandar SeriBegawan from the west, access is via Miri town in Sarawak via the Sungai Tujuh Bus terminal and thenalong the coastal highway.

The main bus station in the city is located in Jalan Cator underneath a multi-story car park. There are sixbus routes servicing Bandar Seri Begawan area; the Central Line, Circle Line, Eastern Line, SouthernLine, Western Line and Northern Line. The buses operate from 6.30 am till 6.00pm except for Bus No. 1and 20 which have extended to the night. All bus routes begin and terminate their journey at the main busterminal. Buses heading to other towns in Brunei such as Tutong, Seria and Kuala Belait also depart fromthe main bus terminal and Taxicab.

[edit] Air

Brunei International Airport serves the whole country. It is 11 km from the town centre and can bereached in 10 minutes via the Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Highway. Airlines flying into the airport includeRoyal Brunei Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Malaysian Airlines, Air Asia, Cebu Pacific and Thai AirwaysInternational.[3]

[edit] Water

A water taxi service known as 'penambang' is used for transportation between downtown Bandar SeriBegawan and Kampong Ayer. Water taxis are the most common means of negotiating the waterways ofKampung Ayer. They can be hailed from the numerous "docking parts" along the banks of the BruneiRiver. Fares are negotiable. Regular water taxi and boat services depart for Temburong between 7:45 amand 4 pm daily, and also serve the Malaysian towns of Limbang, Lawas, Sundar and Labuan. Aspeedboat is used for passengers traveling to Penamdang Ferry Service and from Bangar and Limbang.

[edit] Places of interest

[edit] Mosques

The Ceremonial Ship beside the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque

The Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque - Built in 1958, features a golden dome and an interior of Italianmarble walls, carpeting and an elevator. It also has tunnels, which are used by the Sultan on journeysthrough the town. This mosque is one of the world's most beautiful mosques [4]

Jame'asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque - This mosque is the largest and is one of the most magnificentlooking mosques in Brunei. It was built to commemorate the 25th anniversary His majesty the Sultanreign. It is locally known as the Kiarong mosque.

[edit] Historical sites

The Royal Ceremonial Hall or Lapau

Located in Jalan Kianggeh the Lapau (Royal Ceremonial Hall) is used for royal traditional ceremonies. Itwas here that His Majesty the Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah was crowned on 1 August 1968. The interior of theLapau and Sultan's throne are decorated in exquisite gold. Within the precincts of the Lapau is the DewanMajlis where the legislative assembly used to sit. Official permission is required by visitors to enter thisbuilding. With the completion of the new legislative council building in Jalan Mabohai, the Lapau willsoon become a symbol of the Sultanate's constitutional history.

Late sultan Bolkiah's tomb in Kota Batu Late sultan Sharif Ali's tomb in Kota Batu The Royal Mausoleum (Makam Di-Raja)

Located away from on the banks of Sungei Brunei behind the department store Soon Lee Megamart atMile One, Jalan Tutong, the Royal Mausoleum and the graveyard have been used by succeedinggenerations of Sultans. Inside the Mausoleum itself are the remains of the last four Sultans, Haji Sir MudaOmar Ali Saifuddin (1950–1967), who died in 1986, Ahmad Tajuddin Ibnu Sultan Muhammad JamalulAlam (1924–1950), Muhammad Jamalul Alam Ibnu Sultan Hashim (1906–1924), and Hashim Jalilul AlamPutera Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II (1885–1906). Other members of the royal families from those timesare also buried there.

[edit] Museums

Located on an archaeological site at Kota Batu, Brunei museum is the largest in the country.

Brunei Museum (Muzium Brunei) - Located on an archeological site at Kota Batu about 5 km fromBandar Seri Begawan, this museum is the largest in the country. It was first established in 1965 andoccupied its present site since 1970. Officially opened in 1972, the museum focuses on Islamic history,natural history, Brunei artifacts and customs, ceramics and the oil industry of Brunei. The museum isreachable by public transport (Bus No. 39). Its exhibition galleries consist of the following:

Islamic Art Gallery: The gallery displays a magnificent collection of Islamic Art belonging to His Majestythe Sultan, Hassanal Bolkiah and is the main highlight. The collection comprises a wide range of objectscovering the artistic production of various Islamic regions from the transitional and early Islamic periodsto the 19th century.The History and Technology of Brunei Darussalam's Petroleum Gallery: The state's main industry ispresented in this gallery, covering descriptive narratives on the origin and formation of oil, process ofdrilling, refining, the history of the petroleum industry in Brunei and a map depicting current oil fields.

Brunei Traditional Culture Gallery: Brunei's material culture is presented in this gallery. The objectsdisplayed in the gallery shows the customs and the culture of the people from the birth till marriage.There is also a fine collection of brass ware, and especially canons for which the country is traditionallyrenowned.

Natural History Gallery: The gallery exhibits a wide range of natural history subjects and especially thefauna of Brunei. Some of the exhibits are presented in the form of diorama techniques to form a realisticform of their natural habitat.

Brunei Darussalam Archeology and History Exhibition Gallery: It exhibits the history of the countrybeginning from the Pre-historic period up to the independence in 1984.

The Malay Technology Museum at Kota Batu.

Malay Technology Museum - The museum was officially opened in 1988.

Front exhibit, Royal Regalia Building

The Royal Regalia Building - Located at Jalan Sultan, this museum is devoted to His Majesty the Sultan,Hassanal Bolkiah. The main gallery displays the coronation and Silver Jubilee Chariots, gold and silverceremonial armory and traditional jewellery encrusted coronation crowns. A collection of documentsthat chronicles His Majesty's life up to the coronation together with the constitutional history gallery isalso housed in the same building.

The Brunei History Center - Located at Jalan Sultan next to the Royal Regalia building is the Brunei historycenter. The center was opened in 1982 with a brief to research the history of Brunei. Much of that workhas been establishing the genealogy and history of the Sultans and Royal Family. The public display has awealth of information on these subjects including replicas and brass rubbings of tombs. A flow chartgiving the entire lineage of the Brunei Sultans can be found at the entrance.

Brunei Stamp Gallery - The recently opened Brunei Stamp Gallery is located inside the post officebuilding in Jalan Sultan.

Bubongan Duabelas - The name which translates to the House of Twelve Roofs is located in JalanResidency. It was built in 1906 and was formerly the official residence of British residents and highcommissioners in Brunei. It is one of the oldest surviving building in Bandar Seri Begawan. It now servesas a gallery that exhibits the long standing relationship between the Sultanate and the United Kingdom

The Arts and Handicrafts Center - Located at Jalan Residency it was opened in 1980. Brunei's fine artsand crafts date back to centuries and are part of the nation's proud heritage. The Arts and HandicraftsCenter conducts courses in silverware, brassware, woodcarving, songkok-making, weaving and basketry.

[edit] Istana Nurul Iman

The Istana Nurul Iman palace is the residence of His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah.The palace is located on a leafy, riverside sprawl of hills on the banks of the Brunei River directly southof Bandar Seri Begawan, a few miles outside the city center. Istana Nurul Iman is believed to be theworld's largest residential palace of any type. Its name is taken from Arabic, meaning Palace of the Lightof Faith. The palace was designed by Leandro V. Locsin, and built by the Filipino firm, AyalaInternational.

[edit] Kampong AyerMain article: Kampong Ayer

Kampong Ayer.

The city incorporates nearby Kampong Ayer, 'water village', which has houses on stilts and stretchesabout 8 km along the Brunei river (Sungei Brunei). It is a well preserved national heritage site, the largestof its kind in the world with approximately 30,000 residents. The Kampong is over 1,000 years old. Thename Venice of the East was coined by Antonio Pigafetta in honor of the water village he encountered atKota Batu (just east of city's central business district). Pigafetta was on Magellan's voyages in 1521.

Self contained, the water village is equipped with schools, police stations, clinics, a waterborne firebrigade and mosques. Kampong Ayer existed since the 10th century A.D, is actually a cluster of villages,each with their own village leader (head of the villages), or Ketua Kampong. The villages are connectedby a complex web of walkways and bridges. Kampong Ayer's historical importance lies in the fact thatthe Sultanate's civilization started here with fishing as one of the main livelihoods of the villages. Therewas a concentration of skilled craftsmen producing handicrafts from brass, silver and wood, hencegranting the water village a status of commercial and social importance.

The skills of these craftsmen can be viewed at The Kampong Ayer Cultural & Tourism Gallery. Theconstruction of the gallery was started in August 2007 and it was completed in June 2009 with anenclosed area of 565 sq meters. Some unique treasures of the Kampong Ayer over its illustrious historyare exhibited in 5 mini-galleries within the building.

[edit] Parks and trails

Persiaran Damuan

This narrow strip of landscaped park between Jalan Tutong and the Sungei Brunei was created in 1986 asa "Square". It has a permanent display of the work of a sculptor from each of the original ASEANcountries. The one kilometer long park has pleasant walkways bordered by shrubs and the mangrovefringed Pulau Ranggu where two species of monkeys live, including the notable Proboscis Monkey onlyfound in Borneo. The park also offers some of the best views of the Istana Nurul Iman.

Brunei Darussalam's sculpture at Persiaran Damuan.

Jalan Tasek Lama

Located just a few minutes walk from the city center, this is a popular trekking trail for the local residentsof Bandar Seri Begawan. There are well made walkaways through the small park which has benches andpicnic spots as well as a waterfall and ponds with water lilies.

Bukit Subok Recreational Park

The park offers a great view of the Kampong Ayer and downtown Bandar Seri Begawan. There is a wellmaintained wooden walkaway with viewing huts along the way. These huts provide a good vantagepoints of Kampong Ayer and its surroundings.

[edit] EconomyThis section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by addingcitations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2010)

The city produces furniture, textiles, handicrafts, and timber.[citation needed] Royal Brunei Airlines, thenational airline, has its head office in the RBA Plaza in the city.[5][6]

[edit] Expansion of the city

The expanded Bandar Seri Begawan will encompass more villages and mukims. They are:

Mukim Kianggeh: Kg Kianggeh, Berangan, Jalan Tasek Lama, Mabohai/Tungkadeh, Melabau,Kumbang Pasang, Padang Baru, Pusar Ulak and Tumasek

Mukim Gadong: Kiulap, Kiarong, Menglait, Batu Bersurat/ Pengkalan Gadong, Mata Mata (which doesnot include Perpindahan Mata-Mata or Mata-Mata housing scheme) and Beribi

Mukim Kilanas: Madewa, Tasek Meradun, Bunut and Perpindahan Bunut

Mukim Berakas 'A': Pulaie, Manggis I, Anggerek Desa, Pancha Delima, Orang Kaya Besar Imas,Delima Satu, Serusop, Jaya Setia, Jaya Bakti and Brunei International Airport Area.

Mukim Berakas 'B': Manggis II, Madang, Sungai Tilong and Salambigar.

Mukim Kota Batu: Sungai Lampai/Pintu Malim, Kota Batu, Pelambayan, Subok and Belimbing.

Also, areas in kg Ayer will also come inside the Bandar Seri Begawan expansion. They are:

1. Mukim Sungai Kedayan: Bukit Salat, Sumbiling Lama, Sungai Kedayan 'A', Sungai Kedayan 'B',Ujong Tanjong and Kuala Peminyak

2. Mukim Tamoi: Tamoi Ujong, Tamoi Tengah, Pengiran Kerma Indera Lama, Pengiran TajuddinHitam, Ujong Bukit/Limbongan, Pengiran Bendahara Lama

3. Mukim Burong Pingai Ayer: Burong Pingai Ayer, Lurong Dalam, Pandai Besi 'A', Pandai Besi 'B',Sungai Pandan 'A', Sungai Pandan 'B', and Pengiran Setia Negara, Pekan Lama

4. Mukim Peramu: Peramu, Pekilong Muara, Bakut Pengiran Siraja Muda ' A', Bakut Pengiran SirajaMuda 'B', Bakut Berumput and Lurong Sikuna

5. Mukim Saba: Saba Tengah, Saba Ujong, Saba Laut, Saba Darat 'A' and Saba Darat 'B'.

6. Mukim Sungai Kebun: Setia 'A', Sungai Siamas/Ujong Klinik, Setia 'B' Sungai Kebun, Bolkiah 'A'and Bolkiah 'B'.[7]

[edit] Education

All levels of education are available in Bandar Seri Begawan from kindergarten to the tertiary level. TheUniversiti Brunei Darussalam, established on 28 October 1985, only a year after the Sultanate regainedfull independence, is located four and a half kilometres from the city center.[8] It is the oldest and also thelargest university in Brunei in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered. The Sultanate's seconduniversity, Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali, is also located in Bandar Seri Begawan's suburb ofGadong. It was established on 1 January 2007[9] as an Islamic university.

Higher Educational Institutes in Bandar Seri Begawan include Maktab Sains Paduka Seri BegawanSultan (Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan College of Science), Institute Teknologi of Brunei (Brunei Instituteof Technology), Maktab Jururawat Pengiran Anak Puteri Rashidah Sa'adatul Bolkiah (the only nursingcollege in Brunei), Maktab Teknik Sultan Saiful Rijal (Sultan Saiful Rijal Technical College), and PusatTingkatan Enam Meragang (Meragang Sixth Form Centre).

Schools in the capital include Chung Hwa Middle School, St. George's School, St. Andrew's School,International School Brunei (ISB), Jerudong International School, Kolej Universiti Perguruan UgamaSeri Begawan, and Institut Tahfiz Al Quran Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah (ITQSHHB).

[edit] Gallery

The Sultan Omar Ali SaifuddienMosque facade

Kampong Ayer

Memorial depicting 60 in Arabic, tocommemorate the His Majesty theSultan's 60th birthday

Tomb of the late Sultan Sharif Ali, alsoknown as Sultan Berkat, the thirdSultan of Brunei, who ruled 1426-1432

Street scenery, Jalan Sultan

Outside view of the Royal RegaliaBuilding

Sungai Brunei (Brunei river)

Street in Gadong, the main shoppingcenter of Bandar Seri Begawan

[edit] References

1. ^ "Bandar Seri Begawan". Answers.com.2. ^ "World Weather Information Service - Bandar Seri Begawan". World Meteorological

Organization. Retrieved 14-05-2010.3. ^ "Department of Civil Aviation – Brunei Darussalam – Lists of Airlines". Retrieved 10 May 2010.4. ^ http://www.designfollow.com/photography/60-unbelievable-beautiful-mosques-around-the-

world/5. ^ "Contact Us." Royal Brunei Airlines. Retrieved on November 10, 2010.6. ^ "World Wide Offices Brunei." Royal Brunei Airlines. Retrieved on November 10, 2010. "Bandar

Seri Begawan Details: RBA Address: Royal Brunei Airlines. RBA Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri BegawanBS 8811, Brunei Darussalam."

7. ^ "Brunei Capital To Become Nearly Ten Times Bigger". Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin,BruneiDirect.Com News.

8. ^ "UBD in Brief". Universiti Brunei Darussalam. Retrieved 2009-10-26.9. ^ "About Us". Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali. Retrieved 2009-10-26.

[edit] External links

Southeast Asia portal

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bandar Seri Begawan

Municipal Department Bandar Seri Begawan

Business

Brunei Business Directory

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandar_Seri_Begawan

2D/1N Brunei TourTour Code: EB-BRU01 Duration: 2 days / 1 night Minimum Participants: 2

Itinerary

Day 1

Highlight includes visits to the Morning Market, Brunei Museum, Sultan Omar AliSaifuddien Mosque, Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque and photo stop at the entrance of thebiggest residential palace in the world-Istana Nurul Iman which the official residential ofHis Majesty The Sultan of Negara Brunei Darussalam.

After lunch, continue with a visit to the Royal Regalia Museum which was built in 1992to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of His Majesty's The Sultan of Brunei accession ofthe throne in 1967. The museum houses a collection of royal paraphernalia and alsoan exhibition on the Constitution of the nation.

After that, proceed on a scenic boat ride around the biggest Malay Water Village in theworld and visit a local home where you can witness the daily livelihood of a typicalvillagers living in houses on stilts on Brunei River. Local refreshments will be served.Return to your hotel.

At night, proceed to a local restaurant for dinner. After dinner, visit Yayasan ShoppingComplex for shopping and observing the lifestyle of local Bruneian in the evening.

Walk across the road for photo taking session with the backdrop of the majestic, OmarAli Saifuddien Mosque and the glittering water village on the other side of the river.

Proceed to the entrance of the Royal Palace and the magnificent Hassanil BolkiahMosque for photo taking session.

A short visit to the open air night market before drop off at the hotel.

( Inclusive: Lunch & Dinner )

Day 2

Free at own leisure until departure transfer to airport.

( Inclusive: Breakfast )

Suggested Flight from/to Kota Kinabalu:-BKI-BWN via BI 828 ETD: 0845hrs/0925hrsBWN-BKI via BI 827 ETD: 1925hrs/2005hrs(note: flight schedule and charges subject to changes. An extra B$5.00 for arrival visa will be chargedfor Australian citizens).

http://www.e-borneo.com/travel/tours/eb-bru01.shtml

Brunei Day TourTour Code: EB-BRU02 Duration: Full Day Minimum Participants: 2

Itinerary

Meet and greet on arrival at Brunei airport and proceed for City Tour.

Highlight include visits to the Morning Market, Brunei Museum, Sultan Omar AliSaifuddien Mosque, Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque and photo stop at the entrance of thebiggest residential palace in the world-Istana Nurul Iman which the official residential ofHis Majesty The Sultan of Negara Brunei Darussalam.

After lunch, continue with visit to the Jame Asr Hassanal Bolkiah Mosque, RoyalRegalia Museum which was built in 1992 to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of HisMajesty's The Sultan of Brunei accession of the throne in 1967.

The museum houses a collection of royal paraphernalia and also an exhibition on theConstitution of the nation. proceed on a scenic boat ride around the biggest MalayWater Village in the world and visit a local home where you can witness the dailylivelihood of a typical villagers living in houses on stilts on Brunei River. Localrefreshments will be served.

Tour ends with transfer to the airport.

http://www.e-borneo.com/travel/tours/eb-bru02.shtml

3D/2N Miri & Brunei Tour (includes Jerudong Park)Tour Code: EB-BRU03 Duration: 3 days / 2 nights Minimum Participants: 2

Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive Miri

Meet on arrival at Miri airport and transfer to hotel for check in. Overnight at Dynasty Hotel orequivalent.

(No Meals)

Day 2 Miri – Brunei – City Tour

Pick up from hotel and transfer by land to Brunei. On arrival at Bandar Seri Begawan the Capital ofBrunei. Visit the Brunei Museum where houses a fine collection of Brunei artifacts. Lunch at localrestaurant. Other significant monuments and destinations where we will visit includes the RoyalRegalia, National Mosque, the Sultan Palace and Kampong Air (Water Village). Transfer to HotelHoliday Lodge or equivalent for check-in. Evening transfer to Jerudong Park hawker center for dinner.After dinner enjoy tech ride and transfer back to hotel for overnight stay.

(Breakfast / Lunch)

Day 3 Brunei - Miri

After breakfast, transfer to Miri then proceeds to Miri City Tour, the “oil town” of Sarawak. Places ofinterest include Sarawak Shell Berhad, Pottery Shop, the Grand Old Lady (Oil Well), Miri City Fan,Miri Park, Tamu Muhibbah and Taman Selera. Afternoon transfer to airport for departure flight.

http://www.e-borneo.com/travel/tours/eb-bru03.shtml

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