1.
Malaysia
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Malaysia is a federal constitutional monarchy located in Southeast Asia. Peninsular Malaysia shares a land and maritime border with Thailand and maritime borders with Singapore, Vietnam, East Malaysia shares land and maritime borders with Brunei and Indonesia and a maritime border with the Philippines and Vietnam. The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government, with a population of over 30 million, Malaysia is the 44th most populous country. The southernmost point of continental Eurasia, Tanjung Piai, is in Malaysia, located in the tropics, Malaysia is one of 17 megadiverse countries on earth, with large numbers of endemic species. Malaysia has its origins in the Malay kingdoms present in the area which, from the 18th century, the first British territories were known as the Straits Settlements, whose establishment was followed by the Malay kingdoms becoming British protectorates. The territories on Peninsular Malaysia were first unified as the Malayan Union in 1946, Malaya was restructured as the Federation of Malaya in 1948, and achieved independence on 31 August 1957. Malaya united with North Borneo, Sarawak, and Singapore on 16 September 1963 to become Malaysia, less than two years later in 1965, Singapore was expelled from the federation. The country is multi-ethnic and multi-cultural, which plays a role in politics. About half the population is ethnically Malay, with minorities of Malaysian Chinese, Malaysian Indians. The constitution declares Islam the state religion while allowing freedom of religion for non-Muslims, the government system is closely modelled on the Westminster parliamentary system and the legal system is based on common law. The head of state is the king, known as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and he is an elected monarch chosen from the hereditary rulers of the nine Malay states every five years. The head of government is the prime minister, since its independence, Malaysia has had one of the best economic records in Asia, with its GDP growing at an average of 6. 5% per annum for almost 50 years. The economy has traditionally been fuelled by its resources, but is expanding in the sectors of science, tourism, commerce. Today, Malaysia has a newly industrialised market economy, ranked third largest in Southeast Asia, the name Malaysia is a combination of the word Malay and the Latin-Greek suffix -sia/-σία. The word melayu in Malay may derive from the Tamil words malai and ur meaning mountain and city, land, malayadvipa was the word used by ancient Indian traders when referring to the Malay Peninsula. Whether or not it originated from these roots, the word melayu or mlayu may have used in early Malay/Javanese to mean to steadily accelerate or run. This term was applied to describe the current of the river Melayu in Sumatra. The name was adopted by the Melayu Kingdom that existed in the seventh century on Sumatra
2.
Sarawak
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Sarawak is one of the two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. The capital city, Kuching, is the centre of the state. Other cities and towns in Sarawak include Miri, Sibu, as of the 2015 census, the total population of Sarawak is 2,636,000. Sarawak has a climate with tropical rainforests and abundant animal. It has several prominent cave systems at Gunung Mulu National Park, Rajang River is the longest river in Malaysia, Bakun Dam, one of the largest dams in Southeast Asia, is located on one of its tributaries, the Balui River. Mount Murud is the highest point in Sarawak, the earliest known human settlement in Sarawak, located at the Niah Caves, dates back to 40,000 years ago. A series of Chinese ceramics dated from the 8th to 13th century AD was uncovered at the site of Santubong. The coastal regions of Sarawak came under the influence of the Bruneian Empire in the 16th century, in 1839, James Brooke, a British explorer, arrived in Sarawak. He, and his descendants, governed the state from 1841 to 1946, during World War II, it was occupied by the Japanese for three years. After the war, the last White Rajah, Charles Vyner Brooke, ceded Sarawak to Britain, on 22 July 1963, Sarawak was granted self-government by the British and subsequently became one of the founding members of the Federation of Malaysia, established on 16 September 1963. However, the federation was opposed by Indonesia leading to a three-year confrontation, the creation of the Federation also resulted in a communist insurgency that lasted until 1990. The head of state is the Governor, also known as the Yang di-Pertua Negeri, Sarawak exhibits notable diversity in ethnicity, culture, and language, major ethnic groups in Sarawak are, Iban, Malay, Chinese, Melanau, Bidayuh and Orang Ulu. English and Malay are the two official languages of the state, there is no official religion. The Gawai Dayak is a festival celebrated on a public holiday. The official explanation of the word Sarawak is that it is derived from the Sarawak Malay word serawak, which means antimony. A popular alternative explanation is that it is a contraction of the four Malay words purportedly uttered by Pangeran Muda Hashim, Saya serah pada awak, James Brooke became the first of the White Rajah dynasty to govern Sarawak. Sarawak is nicknamed Land of the Hornbills and these birds are important cultural symbols for the Dayak people, representing the spirit of God. It is also believed if a hornbill is seen flying over residences
3.
Kedayan
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The Kedayan are an ethnic group residing in Brunei, Labuan, Sabah, and parts of Sarawak on the island of Borneo. The Kedayan language is the de facto language of Brunei and bears a similarity to Brunei Malay. In Sabah the Kedayan mainly live in the cities of Sipitang, Beaufort, Kuala Penyu, in Sarawak the Kedayans mostly reside in Lawas, Limbang, Miri and the Subis area. The Kedayan people are regarded as a sub-ethnic group of the Klemantan Dayak people. The origins of the Kedayans are uncertain, some of them believe their people were originally from Java, which they left during the reign of Sultan Bolkiah. Because of his fame as a sea captain and voyager, the Sultan was well-known to the people of Java, Sumatra and it is believed that when the Sultan arrived to the island of Java, he became interested in the local agricultural techniques. He brought some of the Javanese farmers back to his country to spread their techniques, the farmers inter-married with the local Bruneian Malay people, giving birth to the Kedayan ethnicity. Most Kedayans have adopted Islam since the Islamic era of the Sultanate of Brunei and they have also adopted Malay culture. The Kedayans are recognized as one of the people of Borneo. They are experts in making traditional medicines, the Kedayans are well-known for their cultivation of medicinal plants, which they grow to treat a wide range of ailments and to make tonics. Both the Kedayans and the Banjarese are related, to a certain extent, minority Rights Group International, World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Brunei Darussalam, Dusun, Murut, Kedayan, Iban, Tutong, Penan,2008, available 13
4.
Iban people
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The Ibans or Sea Dayaks are a branch of the Dayak peoples of Borneo. Most Ibans are located in the Malaysian state of Sarawak, Ibans were renowned for practicing headhunting and tribal/territorial expansion, and had a fearsome reputation as a strong and successful warring tribe in the past. The Iban population is concentrated in Sarawak, Brunei, and in the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan and they traditionally live in longhouses called rumah panjai. Although Ibans generally speak various dialects which are mutually intelligible, they can be divided into different branches which are named after the areas where they reside. The majority of Ibans who live around the Lundu and Samarahan region are called Sebuyaus, Ibans who settled in areas in Serian district are called Remuns. They may be the earliest Iban group to migrate to Sarawak, Ibans who originated from Sri Aman area are called Balaus. Ibans who come from Betong, Saratok & parts of Sarikei are called Saribas, the original Iban Lubok Antu Ibans are classed by anthropologists as Ulu Ai/batang ai Ibans. Ibans from Undup are called Undup Ibans and their dialect is somewhat a cross between the Ulu Ai dialect & the Balau dialect. Ibans living in areas from Sarikei to Miri are called Rajang Ibans and this group is also known as Bilak Sedik Iban. They are the majority group of the Iban people and they can be found along the Rajang River, Sibu, Kapit, Belaga, Kanowit, Song, Sarikei, Bintangor, Bintulu and Miri. Their dialect is similar to the Ulu Ai or lubok antu dialect. In West Kalimantan, Iban people are more diverse. The Kantu, Air Tabun, Semberuang, Sebaru, Bugau and they can be related to the Iban either by the dialect they speak or their customs, rituals & their way of life. For hundreds of years, the ancestors of the Iban practiced animistic beliefs, although after the arrival of James Brooke, many were influenced by European missionaries, the longhouses of Iban Dayaks are constructed in such a way to act as an accommodation and a religious place of worship. The first thing to be erected during the building is the tiang pemun from which the pun ramu is determined and followed along the longhouse construction. Any subsequent rituals will refer to the tiang pemun and pun ramu, the supreme God is called Bunsu Petara, and is sometimes called Raja Entala or even Tuhan Allah Taala in modern times. The Iban calls this supreme god who creates the universe by the three names of Seragindi which makes the water, Seragindah which makes the land and Seragindit which makes the sky, there are seven main petaras of Iban Dayaks who act as the messengers between human beings and God. These deities are the children of Raja Jembu and the grandchildren of Raja Burong, Menjaya Manang as the god of health and shamanism being the first manang bali Anda Mara as the god of wealth and fortune
5.
Han Chinese
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The Han Chinese, Han people or simply Han are an ethnic group native to East Asia. They constitute approximately 92% of the population of China, 95% of Taiwan, 76% of Singapore, 23% of Malaysia, Han Chinese are the worlds largest ethnic group with over 1.3 billion people. Similarly, the Chinese language also came to be named the Han language ever since, in the Oxford Dictionary, the Han are defined as The dominant ethnic group in China. In the Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Asia and Oceania, the Han are called the dominant population in China, as well as in Taiwan, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the Han are the Chinese peoples especially as distinguished from non-Chinese elements in the population. The name Hanzhong, in turn, was derived from the Han River, which flows through the regions plains. The river, in turn, derives its name from such as Tianhan, Yinhan, Xinghan or Yunhan, all ancient Chinese poetic nicknames for the Milky Way. This gave rise to a commonly used nowadays by overseas Chinese for ethnic identity – Huaren. The term is used in conversation and is also an element in the Cantonese word for Chinatown. The vast majority of Han Chinese – over 1.2 billion of them – live in areas under the jurisdiction of the Peoples Republic of China, where they constitute about 92% of its population. Han Chinese also constitute the majority in both of the administrative regions of the PRC—about 95% and 96% of the population of Hong Kong and Macau. There are over 22 million Han Chinese in Taiwan, they began migrating from the coastal provinces of mainland China to Taiwan during the 13th to 17th century. At first, these migrants chose to settle in locations that bore a resemblance to the areas they had left behind in mainland China, hoklo immigrants from Quanzhou settled in coastal regions, and those from Zhangzhou tended to gather on inland plains, while the Hakka inhabited hilly areas. Clashes between these groups over land, water, and cultural differences led to the relocation of some communities, of about 40 million overseas Chinese worldwide, nearly 30 million live in Southeast Asia. They are collectively called Nanyang Chinese, according to a population genetic study, Singapore is the country with the biggest proportion of Hans in Southeast Asia. Up until the past few decades, overseas Han communities originated predominantly from areas in southern China, christmas Island has a Chinese majority at 70%, large Chinese populations also live in Malaysia and Thailand. Prior to the 1965 split, Malaysia and Singapore used to have the largest overseas Chinese population in the world and this position has since been taken by Thailand. The prehistory of the Han ethnic group is closely intertwined with both records and mythology. Han Chinese trace their ancestry from a confederation of late neolithic/early bronze-age agricultural tribes that lived along the Guanzhong, the Yellow Emperor is traditionally credited to have united with the neighbouring Shennong tribes after defeating their leader, Flame Emperor, at the Battle of Banquan
6.
Brunei
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Brunei, officially the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace, is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its coastline with the South China Sea, the country is surrounded by the state of Sarawak. It is separated into two parts by the Sarawak district of Limbang, Brunei is the only sovereign state completely on the island of Borneo, the remainder of the islands territory is divided between the nations of Malaysia and Indonesia. Bruneis population was 408,786 in July 2012, the maritime state was visited by Spains Magellan Expedition in 1521 and fought against Spain in the 1578 Castille War. During the 19th century, the Bruneian Empire began to decline, the Sultanate ceded Sarawak to James Brooke and installed him as the White Rajah, and it ceded Sabah to the British North Borneo Chartered Company. In 1888, Brunei became a British protectorate and was assigned a British resident as colonial manager in 1906, after the Japanese occupation during World War II, in 1959 a new constitution was written. In 1962, an armed rebellion against the monarchy was ended with the help of the British. Brunei gained its independence from the United Kingdom on 1 January 1984, Economic growth during the 1990s and 2000s, with the GDP increasing 56% from 1999 to 2008, transformed Brunei into an industrialised country. It has developed wealth from petroleum and natural gas fields. Brunei has the second-highest Human Development Index among the Southeast Asian nations, after Singapore, according to the International Monetary Fund, Brunei is ranked fifth in the world by gross domestic product per capita at purchasing power parity. The IMF estimated in 2011 that Brunei was one of two countries with a debt at 0% of the national GDP. Forbes also ranks Brunei as the fifth-richest nation out of 182, based on its petroleum, according to legend, Brunei was founded by Awang Alak Betatar, later to be Sultan Muhammad Shah. He moved from Garang, a place in the Temburong District to the Brunei River estuary, according to legend, upon landing he exclaimed, Baru nah, from which the name Brunei was derived. He was the first Muslim ruler of Brunei, before the rise of the Bruneian Empire under the Muslim Bolkiah Dynasty, Brunei is believed to have been under Buddhist rulers. It was renamed Barunai in the 14th century, possibly influenced by the Sanskrit word varuṇ, the word Borneo is of the same origin. In the countrys name, Negara Brunei Darussalam, darussalam means abode of peace. The people are pagans and are men of goodwill and their colour is whiter than that of the other sort. in this island justice is well administered. One of the earliest Chinese records is the 977 AD letter to Chinese emperor from the ruler of Po-ni, which some scholars believe to refer to Borneo
7.
Limbang Division
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Limbang Division is one of the twelve administrative divisions of Sarawak, Malaysia. It has an area of 7,788.50 square kilometres. Limbang Division consists of two districts which are Limbang and Lawas, together with a single sub-district under Limbang and two sub-districts under Lawas, Long Semadoh and Ba’kelalan are rural settlements in the southern part of Lawas district. Two major towns in Limbang are Limbang and Lawas, there are also few smaller towns such as Sundar, Trusan, Merapok and Tedungan. Limbang Division splits Brunei Darussalam into two, West Brunei to the west and Temburong District in the middle of Limbang and Lawas districts, Limbang is located between West Brunei and Temburong, while Lawas is located between Temburong and the Malaysian state of Sabah. This geographical situation, as well as the autonomy of Sabah, as of 2002, the population of Limbang Division was 81,152. This makes Limbang one of the most sparsely populated divisions in Sarawak with only 10.5 people per square kilometre, most of the Limbang Division population is concentrated in the coastal areas of Limbang and Lawas. Limbang is traditionally a home to Malay, Lun Bawang, Kedayan, Iban, Murut/Lun Bawang, Chinese, other Sarawakian ethnic groups do exist, especially Bidayuh and Melanau, who migrate from various parts of Sarawak. It has one of the highest concentration of Orang Ulu and Kedayan people, due to being so close to Brunei, the Malay dialect in Limbang Division is somehow distinct to other parts of Sarawak. It has more Kedayan, Brunei Malay and Sabah regional dialect influences to it, note,1 Excluding Kedayan.2 Including Kedayan and Orang Ulu ethnics such as Lun Bawang, Murut, Kelabit and Penan. Limbang mostly relies on its agriculture, timber industry and tourism sector to keep growing, commercial sector is thriving in Limbang because of its location is within Brunei vicinity. Limbang has one of the highest number of tourist in Sarawak whereby Bruneian and Sabahan as the main contributor, main commercial areas in Limbang are, Limbang Lawas Tedungan Owing to its geographical location, Limbang is completely cut off from the rest of Sarawaks road network. It is however has good links to both parts of Brunei located to the east and west of the district. There is also a local network of roads in the district. There are two border crossing checkpoints in Limbang district, both into Brunei. Tedungan, Located 43 km west of Limbang, it is the crossing into the main part of Brunei from Limbang. The Brunei checkpoint is called Kuala Lurah, Pandaruan, This checkpoint is located 15 km east of Limbang on the Pandaruan River which forms the border between Sarawak and Bruneis Temburong district. The crossing has to be done by ferry, the checkpoint on the Brunei side is called Puni and operates out of a wooden building located 500m from the ferry landing point
8.
Limbang
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Limbang is a border town and the capital of Limbang District in the Limbang Division of northern Sarawak, East Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. The division has an area of 3,978.1 square kilometres, Limbang is located on the banks of the Limbang River, between the two halves of Brunei. It is a 30-minute speedboat ride or at least a two-hour drive to Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei. The Limbang District, which today is part of Sarawak, was part of the Sultanate of Brunei following the founding of the Bruneian Empire. However, it was only after the signing of the Treaty of Protection of 1888 that Brunei lost control over the territory and this treaty eventually did not save Brunei from foreign intervention because the British did not prevent Charles Brooke from seizing Limbang in 1890. In 1901 and 1902, Brooke and Hewett asked Sultan Hashim to cede Belait and Tutong to them but Sultan Hashim refused and said, “What would happen to me, my chiefs, I should be left like a tree, stripped of branches and twigs”. Limbang economic importance was realised from the 15th century until now, when Limbang was still under the rule of Brunei, Limbang was considered as the Rice Bowl of Brunei as Limbang was a major producer and supplier of sago and rice to Brunei. Its economic importance was one of the reason why Limbang was seized by Rajah Charles Brooke of Sarawak. SJK Chung Hwa Limbang SK Limbang SK Melayu Pusat SK Kampung Pahlawan SK St. Edmund SMK Seri Patiambun Limbang SMK Medamit SMK Limbang SMK Kubong SMK Limbang Limbang is served by the Limbang Airport. Owing to its location, Limbang is completely cut off from the rest of Sarawaks road network. It however has good links to both parts of Brunei located to the east and west of the district. There is also a local network of roads in the district. There are two border crossing checkpoints in Limbang district, both into Brunei. Tedungan, Located 43 km west of Limbang, it is the crossing into the main part of Brunei from Limbang. The Brunei checkpoint is called Kuala Lurah, Pandaruan, This checkpoint is located 15 km east of Limbang on the Pandaruan River which forms the border between Sarawak and Bruneis Temburong district. The crossing used to have to be done by ferry, the checkpoint on the Brunei side is called Puni and operates out of a wooden building located 500 m from the ferry landing point. Pandaruan Bridge open on 8 December 2013 eliminating the need to cross the river by ferry, as the only road connection to outside the district is through Brunei, one must have a passport to travel into or out of Limbang. The Limbang Regional Museum is located in a built by Rajah Charles Brooke in 1897
9.
Charles Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak
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Charles Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak, GCMG, born Charles Anthoni Johnson, ruled as the head of state of Sarawak from 3 August 1868 until his death. He succeeded his uncle, James Brooke, as the second White Rajah of this country on the coast of Borneo. Charles was born in Berrow Vicarage, Burnham, Somerset, in England, to the Rev. Francis Charles, Emma Frances Johnson, née Brooke, was the younger sister of James Brooke, the first Rajah of Sarawak. Charles was educated at Crewkerne Grammar School and entered the Royal Navy and he adopted his uncle Jamess name and entered his service in 1852 as Resident at the Lundu station. In 1865, James named Charles as his successor, Charles married Margaret Alice Lili de Windt at Highworth, Wiltshire on 28 October 1869, she was raised to the title of Ranee of Sarawak with the style of Her Highness on the same day. Esca was later adopted by Rev. William Daykin, moved to Canada, in 1891 he established the Sarawak Museum, the first museum in Borneo. Brooke founded a school in 1903, called the Government Lay School. This was the forerunner of SMK Green Road, by the time of his death, Britain had granted Sarawak protectorate status, it had a parliamentary government and a railway, and oil had been discovered. All three White Rajahs are buried in St Leonards Church in the village of Sheepstor on Dartmoor, the White Rajahs of Sarawak, Dynastic Intrigue and the Forgotten Canadian Heir. The Name of Brooke, the End of White Rajah Rule in Sarawak
10.
Drainage divide
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A drainage divide, water divide, divide, ridgeline, watershed, water parting, is the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins. In hilly country, the divide lies along topographical ridges, and may be in the form of a range of hills or mountains. In flat country—especially where the ground is marshy—the divide may be harder to discern, a valley floor divide is a low drainage divide that runs across a valley, sometimes created by deposition or stream capture. Settlements are often built on valley-floor divides in the Alps, examples are Eben im Pongau, Kirchberg in Tirol and Waidring. Extremely low divides with heights of less than two metres are found on the North German Plain within the Urstromtäler, for example, between Havel and Finow in the Eberswalde Urstromtal. In marsh deltas such as the Okavango, the largest drainage area on earth, or in large areas, such as the Finnish Lakeland. Another case is bifurcation, where the watershed is effectively in the river bed, in pre-industrial times, water divides were crossed at portages. Later, canals connected adjoining drainage basins, a key problem in such canals is ensuring a sufficient water supply, category, Drainage basins List of watershed topics European watershed Scottish watershed River source
11.
Brunei River
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The Brunei River is a river which flows through Brunei and empties into Brunei Bay towards the North-east direction. The Istana Nurul Iman, the residence of the Sultan of Brunei. The Brunei River is the shortest major river in Brunei Darussalam, Brunei Darussalams traditional residential areas, Kampong Ayer, is situated on the river. Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei Darussalam, stands on its banks, the upper reaches of the river are an important source of freshwater for the western parts of the country. Brunei has a maritime history. The Sultans of Brunei once controlled all Borneo, plus parts of the Philippines, the regions thick jungle means the method of transport and communication was always via boats. This led to settlements being established beside rivers and waterways. These waterways provided convenient transport through an environment, and a supply of food. In 2006 Brunei ministrys Department of Environment, Parks and Recreation initiated the campaign of the Brunei River. A total of $3.9 million has been allocated for the clean-up project, in addition to the $90,000 for the house-to-house waste collection
12.
Lun Bawang
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The Lun Bawang is an ethnic group found in Central Northern Borneo. They are indigenous to the highlands of North Kalimantan, Brunei, southwest of Sabah, in Brunei, they are also identified by law as one of the 7 natives of Brunei, through the term Murut. Nevertheless, in Sabah, Kalimantan and Brunei, the term Lun Bawang is gaining popularity as a term for this ethnic across all region. There are also other names such as Lun Lod, Lun Baa. Lun Bawang people are traditionally agriculturalists and practise animal husbandry such as rearing poultry, pigs, Lun Bawangs are also known to be hunters and fisherman. The word Lun Bawang means people of the country, whilst Lun Dayeh means upriver people or people of the interior or Orang Ulu and Lun Lod means people living downriver or near the sea. Other names are derived from reference to their rice cultivation, for example Lun Baa who lives near swampy areas and grow wet rice. While insisting that they never called themselves Murut, the Lun Bawangs were formerly identified as Murut by the British colonists and by outsiders. In Lun Bawang language, the word Murut either means to massage or to give dowry, and these meanings have little or no relation at all to the identity of the people. In the early 1970s, the use of the term Lun Bawang began to gain popularity amongst ethnologist and linguist, the Lun Bawangs made up of one of the ethnic natives that occupied the Borneo Island for centuries. According to Tom Harrisson and S. Runciman, the Lun Bawang Community is one of the settlers in the mountainous regions of central Borneo. Both tribe are linked to a common lineage termed the Apo Duat or Apad Uat people, of which Apo Duat is the area consisting of the Krayan highland and Kelabit Highlands. One theory suggests that Apo Duat is the homeland of this ancestor. The migration of people to the low lands and gradual spreading out might have been spurred by various waves of migration of the Lun Bawang people from different clans. The migration of Lun Bawang people from one clan to an already inhabited by another clan, causes the latter to move to another region, despite them having similar culture. One other theory suggests that these Apo Duat people were natives of old Brunei. The ones that remained downriver were isolated from the ones who migrated to the highlands, causing their culture, another theory, on the other hand, suggests that the migration originated from the opposite side of Borneo. It was suggested that the Apo Duat people were farmers in the lowlands downstream of Malinau river
13.
Orang Ulu
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Orang Ulu is not a legal term and no such racial group exist or listed in the Malaysian Constitution. The term was popularised by a minority known as Orang Ulu National Association that was formed in 1969. The Orang Ulu typically live in longhouses elaborately decorated with murals and they are also well known for their intricate beadwork detailed tattoos and rattan weaving. The Orang Ulu tribes can also be identified by their unique music - distinctive sounds from their sapes and they also practice Kanjet, a form of traditional dance. A vast majority of the Orang Ulu tribes are Christians but old traditional religions are practiced in some areas
14.
Elaeis
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Elaeis is a genus of palms containing two species, called oil palms. They are used in agriculture in the production of palm oil. The African oil palm Elaeis guineensis is the source of palm oil, it is native to west and southwest Africa. The American oil palm Elaeis oleifera is native to tropical Central and South America, mature palms are single-stemmed, and can grow well over 20 m tall. The leaves are pinnate, and reach between 3–5 m long, the flowers are produced in dense clusters, each individual flower is small, with three sepals and three petals. The palm fruit is reddish, about the size of a large plum, each fruit is made up of an oily, fleshy outer layer, with a single seed, also rich in oil. The two species, E. guineensis and E. oleifera can produce fertile hybrids, the genome of E. guineensis has been sequenced, which has important implications for breeding improved strains of the crop plants. Since palm oil contains more saturated fats than oils made from canola, corn, linseed, soybeans, safflower and it contains no trans fat, and its use in food has increased as food-labelling laws have changed to specify trans fat content. Oil from Elaeis guineensis is also used as biofuel, human use of oil palms may date back about 5,000 years in coastal west Africa. Palm oil was discovered in the late 19th century by archaeologists in a tomb at Abydos dating back to 3000 BCE. It is thought that Arab traders brought the oil palm to Egypt, Elaeis guineensis is now extensively cultivated in tropical countries outside Africa, particularly Malaysia and Indonesia which together produce most of the world supply. Especially in Indonesia, there is growing pressure for palm oil producers to prove that they are not harming rare animals in the cultivation process. Attalea maripa, another oil-producing palm Journal of Oil Palm Research Energy and the environment List of Arecaceae genera Social and environmental impact of palm oil
15.
Rattan
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Rattan is the name for roughly 600 species of old world climbing palms belonging to subfamily Calamoideae. Rattan is also known as manila, or malacca, named after the ports of shipment Manila and Malacca City, the climbing habit is associated with the characteristics of its flexible woody stem, derived typically from a secondary growth, makes rattan a liana rather than a true wood. Calamoideae also includes tree palms such as Raphia and Metroxylon and shrub palms such as Salacca and they dont have spinose stems and climb by means of their reflexed terminal leaflets. Of these only Desmoncus spp. furnish stems of sufficiently good quality to be used as rattan cane substitutes, there are 13 different genera of rattans that include around 600 species. The largest rattan genus is Calamus, distributed in Asia except for one species represented in Africa, the rattan genera and their distribution, In Uhl & Dransfield, and also Dransfield & Manokaran, a great deal of basic introductory information is available. Available rattan floras and monographs by region, Uses by taxon, rattans are also superficially similar to bamboo. Unlike bamboo, rattan stems are solid, and most species need structural support, many rattans have spines which act as hooks to aid climbing over other plants, and to deter herbivores. Rattans have been known to grow up to hundreds of metres long, most of the worlds rattan population exist in Indonesia, distributed among the islands Borneo, Sulawesi, and Sumbawa. The rest of the supply comes from the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Malaysia. In forests where rattan grows, its value can help protect forest land, by providing an alternative to loggers who forgo timber logging. Rattan is much easier to harvest, requires simpler tools and is easier to transport. It also grows faster than most tropical wood. This makes it a tool in forest maintenance, since it provides a profitable crop that depends on rather than replaces trees. It remains to be seen whether rattan can be as profitable or useful as the alternatives, rattans are threatened with overexploitation, as harvesters are cutting stems too young and reducing their ability to resprout. Unsustainable harvesting of rattan can lead to forest degradation, affecting overall forest ecosystem services, the use of toxic chemicals and petrol in the processing of rattan affects soil, air and water resources, and also ultimately peoples health. Meanwhile, the method of rattan production is threatening the plants long-term supply. Generally, raw rattan is processed into products to be used as materials in furniture making. The various species of rattan range from millimetres up to 5–7 cm in diameter
16.
Black pepper
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Black pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. When dried, the fruit is known as a peppercorn, when fresh and fully mature, it is approximately 5 millimetres in diameter, dark red, and, like all drupes, contains a single seed. Peppercorns, and the ground pepper derived from them, may be described simply as pepper, or more precisely as black pepper, green pepper, black pepper is native to south India and is extensively cultivated there and elsewhere in tropical regions. Currently, Vietnam is the worlds largest producer and exporter of pepper, dried ground pepper has been used since antiquity for both its flavour and as a traditional medicine. Black pepper is the worlds most traded spice and it is one of the most common spices added to cuisines around the world. The spiciness of black pepper is due to the chemical piperine, black pepper is ubiquitous in the modern world as a seasoning and is often paired with salt. The word pepper has its roots in the Tamil word for long pepper, todays pepper derives from the Old English pipor. and from Latin which was the source of Romanian piper, Italian pepe, Dutch peper, German Pfeffer, French poivre, and other similar forms. In the 16th century, pepper started referring to the unrelated New World chili pepper as well, Pepper was used in a figurative sense to mean spirit or energy at least as far back as the 1840s, in the early 20th century, this was shortened to pep. Black pepper is produced from the still-green, unripe drupes of the pepper plant. The drupes are cooked briefly in hot water, both to them and to prepare them for drying, the heat ruptures cell walls in the pepper. The drupes are dried in the sun or by machine for several days, during which the pepper around the seed shrinks and darkens into a thin, once dried, the spice is called black peppercorn. On some estates, the berries are separated from the stem by hand, once the peppercorns are dried, pepper spirit and oil can be extracted from the berries by crushing them. Pepper spirit is used in medicinal and beauty products. Pepper oil is used as an ayurvedic massage oil and used in certain beauty. White pepper consists solely of the seed of the pepper plant and this is usually accomplished by a process known as retting, where fully ripe red pepper berries are soaked in water for about a week, during which the flesh of the pepper softens and decomposes. Rubbing then removes what remains of the fruit, and the seed is dried. Sometimes alternative processes are used for removing the outer pepper from the seed, ground white pepper is used in Chinese and Thai cuisine, but also in salads, cream sauces, light-coloured sauces, and mashed potatoes. White pepper has a different flavour from black pepper, it lacks certain compounds present in the layer of the drupe
17.
Border checkpoint
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A border checkpoint is a place, generally between two countries, where travelers or goods are inspected. Authorization often is required to enter a country through its borders, access-controlled borders often have a limited number of checkpoints where they can be crossed without legal sanctions. Arrangements or treaties may be formed to allow or mandate less restrained crossings, land border checkpoints can be contrasted with the customs and immigration facilities at seaports, international airports, and other ports of entry. Checkpoints generally serve two purposes, To prevent entrance of individuals who are either undesirable or are simply unauthorized to enter, to prevent entrance of goods that are illegal or subject to restriction, or to collect tariffs. Checkpoints are usually manned by a uniformed service, in some countries, there are border checkpoints when both entering and exiting the country, while in others, there are border checkpoints only when entering the country
18.
Temburong District
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Temburong is the easternmost district in Brunei. It is an exclave, as it is separated from the rest of Brunei by Malaysia, the main town located in the district is Pekan Bangar. The district borders Brunei Bay to the north and Sarawak, Malaysia to the east, south and it has a population of 9,300 and covers 1,166 km2. The Sungai Temburong river flows through the district, and the Sungai Pandaruan river forms the western section of the border with Malaysia, the national park has a scientific research centre facility, the Kuala Belalong Rainforest Field Studies Centre, which is only accessible by boat. It is called the Belalong Rainforest Experience, and is funded by The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, an Outward Bound centre can also be found within the national park. Temburong has 67 km of roads connecting Bangar to interior villages, in addition a further 54 km of roads connect villages in the interior. A new 30 km roadway connecting the Muara and Temburong districts of Brunei is slated to be completed in 2019,14 km of this roadway would be crossing the Brunei Bay. Pristine forest still covers most of the district and this leads to the intensive development of the eco-tourism industry in Temburong district. The promotion event is a kick-start of the Heart of Borneo project at Brunei vicinity, SM Sultan Hassan is the districts only secondary school and is located in Bandar. In addition, there are 14 primary schools spread across the district, in 1987 the $10 million Pengiran Isteri Hajah Mariam Hospital opened, providing 50 beds and a variety of medical services. A number of clinics also exist. The district has a presence at Bangar Camp. There are two stations, one in Bangar and a smaller one in Puni. Popular sports in Temburong include football, top-spinning, netball and sepak takraw, R. Hédl, M. Svátek, M. Dancak, Rodzay A. W. A new technique for inventory of permanent plots in tropical forests, a case study from lowland dipterocarp forest in Kuala Belalong, Brunei Darussalam, In Blumea 54,2009, p 124–130
19.
Lawas
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Lawas is a small town and the capital of Lawas District, Limbang Division, Sarawak, Malaysia. This district area is 3,811.9 square kilometres and it is 1200 km from the state capital, Kuching and 200 km from the capital city of Sabah, Kota Kinabalu. From the 1970s up until the early 1990s, Lawas and nearby Limbang were notorious for being the sin capitals of Sarawak, prostitution, massage parlours, sleazy pubs and rundown motels were common in both towns. Both towns have since undergone a transformation following major urban redevelopment in the last decade. New residential areas, shops, shopping centres, agriculture projects, rundown motels have been refurbished into tourist level hotels with adequate facilities. Timber and agriculture are the mainstays of the economy, the highland area known as BaKelalan has been experimenting with the cultivation of apples. In addition, the industry is being developed in BaKelalan. However, these plans have met with controversy due to the probable effects on several traditional tribal villages. Plans to develop small and middle scale industries in Lawas have been proposed by the state government, at this time much of the land in Lawas, Sundar and Trusan has been transformed from padi fields into oil palm plantations. Lawas is also known as the producer of smoked fish called Tahai in local dialect, one of the villages that produces Tahai commercially is Kampung Awat-Awat in the Sundar sub-district. A government hospital was proposed to be built for the town under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, as of May 2016, the hospital is scheduled to be completed in 36 months. Sarawak’s first and only Hotel Seri Malaysia Lawas is located on Jalan Gaya, the Lawas hotel is currently the only Hotel Seri Malaysia branch in East Malaysia. A planned RM210 million state government office complex cum three-storey shopping mall will be next to Hotel Seri Malaysia. The mall will houses a supermarket, departmental store and 132 commercial lots, pesta Lawas Lawas Regatta Irau Aco Lun Bawang Festival Lawas, by virtue of its geographical location, is cut off from the rest of Sarawaks road network. It is however linked by road to Sabah and Bruneis Temburong district. There is a local road network around Lawas district which is relatively free of traffic jams. Travelling to or from Lawas by road requires undergoing immigration checks, travelling to the rest of Sarawak requires a passport. Two road border crossings are located in Lawas district, Mengkalap, Located to the west of Lawas town is the Mengkalap border checkpoint for traffic headed to or from Brunei
20.
Portable Document Format
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The Portable Document Format is a file format used to present documents in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems. Each PDF file encapsulates a complete description of a fixed-layout flat document, including the text, fonts, graphics, PDF was developed in the early 1990s as a way to share computer documents, including text formatting and inline images. It was among a number of competing formats such as DjVu, Envoy, Common Ground Digital Paper, Farallon Replica, in those early years before the rise of the World Wide Web and HTML documents, PDF was popular mainly in desktop publishing workflows. Adobe Systems made the PDF specification available free of charge in 1993 and these proprietary technologies are not standardized and their specification is published only on Adobe’s website. Many of them are not supported by popular third-party implementations of PDF. So when organizations publish PDFs which use proprietary technologies, they present accessibility issues for some users. In 2014, ISO TC171 voted to deprecate XFA for ISO 32000-2, on January 9,2017, the final draft for ISO 32000-2 was published, thus reaching the approval stage. The PDF combines three technologies, A subset of the PostScript page description programming language, for generating the layout, a font-embedding/replacement system to allow fonts to travel with the documents. A structured storage system to bundle these elements and any associated content into a single file, PostScript is a page description language run in an interpreter to generate an image, a process requiring many resources. It can handle graphics and standard features of programming such as if. PDF is largely based on PostScript but simplified to remove flow control features like these, often, the PostScript-like PDF code is generated from a source PostScript file. The graphics commands that are output by the PostScript code are collected and tokenized, any files, graphics, or fonts to which the document refers also are collected. Then, everything is compressed to a single file, therefore, the entire PostScript world remains intact. PDF supports graphic transparency, PostScript does not, PostScript is an interpreted programming language with an implicit global state, so instructions accompanying the description of one page can affect the appearance of any following page. Therefore, all preceding pages in a PostScript document must be processed to determine the appearance of a given page. A PDF file is a 7-bit ASCII file, except for elements that may have binary content. A PDF file starts with a header containing the magic number, the format is a subset of a COS format. A COS tree file consists primarily of objects, of which there are eight types, Boolean values, representing true or false Numbers Strings, enclosed within parentheses, objects may be either direct or indirect
21.
International Standard Book Number
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The International Standard Book Number is a unique numeric commercial book identifier. An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation of a book, for example, an e-book, a paperback and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is 13 digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007, the method of assigning an ISBN is nation-based and varies from country to country, often depending on how large the publishing industry is within a country. The initial ISBN configuration of recognition was generated in 1967 based upon the 9-digit Standard Book Numbering created in 1966, the 10-digit ISBN format was developed by the International Organization for Standardization and was published in 1970 as international standard ISO2108. Occasionally, a book may appear without a printed ISBN if it is printed privately or the author does not follow the usual ISBN procedure, however, this can be rectified later. Another identifier, the International Standard Serial Number, identifies periodical publications such as magazines, the ISBN configuration of recognition was generated in 1967 in the United Kingdom by David Whitaker and in 1968 in the US by Emery Koltay. The 10-digit ISBN format was developed by the International Organization for Standardization and was published in 1970 as international standard ISO2108, the United Kingdom continued to use the 9-digit SBN code until 1974. The ISO on-line facility only refers back to 1978, an SBN may be converted to an ISBN by prefixing the digit 0. For example, the edition of Mr. J. G. Reeder Returns, published by Hodder in 1965, has SBN340013818 -340 indicating the publisher,01381 their serial number. This can be converted to ISBN 0-340-01381-8, the check digit does not need to be re-calculated, since 1 January 2007, ISBNs have contained 13 digits, a format that is compatible with Bookland European Article Number EAN-13s. An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation of a book, for example, an ebook, a paperback, and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is 13 digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007, a 13-digit ISBN can be separated into its parts, and when this is done it is customary to separate the parts with hyphens or spaces. Separating the parts of a 10-digit ISBN is also done with either hyphens or spaces, figuring out how to correctly separate a given ISBN number is complicated, because most of the parts do not use a fixed number of digits. ISBN issuance is country-specific, in that ISBNs are issued by the ISBN registration agency that is responsible for country or territory regardless of the publication language. Some ISBN registration agencies are based in national libraries or within ministries of culture, in other cases, the ISBN registration service is provided by organisations such as bibliographic data providers that are not government funded. In Canada, ISBNs are issued at no cost with the purpose of encouraging Canadian culture. In the United Kingdom, United States, and some countries, where the service is provided by non-government-funded organisations. Australia, ISBNs are issued by the library services agency Thorpe-Bowker
22.
Xinhua News Agency
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The Xinhua News Agency is the official press agency of the Peoples Republic of China. Xinhua is the biggest and most influential organization in China. Xinhua is a ministry-level institution subordinate to the Chinese central government and its president is a member of the Central Committee of Chinas Communist Party. Xinhua operates more than 170 foreign bureaus worldwide, and maintains 31 bureaus in China—one for each province, Xinhua is the sole channel for the distribution of important news related to the Communist Party and Chinese central government. Xinhua is regarded as the most influential media outlet in China as almost every newspaper in China relies on Xinhua feeds for content, Peoples Daily, for example, uses Xinhua material for approximately 25 percent of its stories. The Xinhua press agency was started in November 1931 as the Red China News Agency, during the Pacific War the agency developed overseas broadcasting capabilities and established its first overseas branches. It began broadcasting to foreign countries in English from 1944, when the communists took power in China, the agency represented the Chinese Communist Party in countries and territories with which it had no diplomatic representation, such as Hong Kong. The agency was described as the eyes and tongue of the Party, observing what is important for the masses and passing on the information. A former Xinhua director, Zheng Tao, noted that the agency was a bridge between the Party, the government and the people, communicating both the demands of the people and the policies of the Party. Like many other organizations, Xinhua struggled to find the right line to use in covering the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. Even so, many Xinhua reporters were angry with top editors for not going far enough, for several days after the violence on June 4, almost no one at Xinhua did any work, and journalists demonstrated inside the Agencys Beijing compound. It has made contracts to exchange news and news pictures with more than eighty foreign news agencies or political news departments, Xinhua is also responsible for handling, and in some cases, censoring reports from foreign media destined to release in China. The agency recently began to converge its news and electronic media coverage and has increased its English coverage through its wire service, Xinhua recently acquired commercial real estate on New Yorks Times Square and is developing a staff of top-tier English-language reporters. Xinhua has also started an English-language satellite news network, the State values these internal reports because they contain much of Chinas most sensitive, controversial, and high-quality investigative journalism. Xinhua produces reports for the internal journals, the Chinese governments internal media publication system follows a strict hierarchical pattern designed to facilitate party control. A three-to-ten-page report called Internal Reference is distributed to officials at the ministerial level, one example was the first reports on the SARS outbreak by Xinhua which only government officials were allowed to see. The most classified Xinhua internal reports are issued occasionally to the top dozen or so party, the Xinhua headquarters is located in Beijing. The Xinhua News Agency established its first overseas affiliate in 1947 in London, now it distributes its news in Asia, Middle East, Latin America, Africa where run the superior offices, in Hong Kong, Macau and many foreign countries and districts
23.
People's Daily
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The Peoples Daily is the biggest newspaper group in China. The paper is a newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party. The newspaper provides direct information on the policies and viewpoints of the government, the paper was established on 15 June 1946 and was published in Pingshan, Hebei, until its offices were moved to Beijing in March 1949. Ever since its founding, the Peoples Daily has been under control of the Partys top leadership. Deng Tuo and Wu Lengxi served as editor-in-chief from 1948–1958 and 1958–1966, respectively, newspaper articles in the Peoples Daily are often not read for content so much as placement. A large number of devoted to a political figure or idea is often taken as a sign that the mentioned official or subject is rising. Likewise with articles on geographical areas foreign or domestic, recently increased interest in Latin America has been shown, in China, like in the rest of the world, visibility and prominence in official media communicates power. Editorials in the Peoples Daily are regarded both by foreign observers and Chinese readers as authoritative statements of government policy. Distinction is made between editorials, commentaries, and opinions, although all must be government approved, they differ sharply on the amount of official authoritativeness they contain by design – from the top. In other words, a trial balloon to assess internal public opinion. By contrast, an editorial, which is rather infrequent. During the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, the Peoples Daily editorial of 26 April, the editorial increased tension between the government and protesters, and top CPC leaders argued about whether to revise it. An article that compiles the most important editorials released by the Peoples Daily during the student movement can be found at the following page, since the mid-1990s, the Peoples Daily has faced a decline of governmental subsidies combined with increasing competition from international news sources and Chinese tabloids. The Peoples Daily is also responsible for the publication Global Times, the internet new portal of Peoples Daily includes pages in Arabic, French, Russian, Spanish, Japanese and English. The Peoples Daily also maintains an internet presence, and established the Peoples Daily Online in 1997. Peoples Daily in recent years has been expanding its publicity on the social media platforms. It has tens of million followers on its Facebook page, Twitter account, Instagram account, the worlds great dailies, profiles of fifty newspapers pp 264–72 Wu Guoguang. Command Communication, The Politics of Editorial Formulation in the Peoples Daily, Peoples Daily Home Page Peoples Daily English Edition Todays Peoples Daily front page at the Newseum website
24.
States and federal territories of Malaysia
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The states and federal territories of Malaysia are the principal administrative divisions of Malaysia. Malaysia is a federation comprising thirteen states and three federal territories, eleven states and two federal territories are located on the Malay Peninsula, collectively called Peninsular Malaysia or West Malaysia. Two states are on the island of Borneo, and the remaining one federal territory consists of islands offshore of Borneo, out of the 13 states in Malaysia,9 of the states are hereditary monarchies. The governance of the states is divided between the government and the state governments, while the federal territories are directly administered by the federal government. The specific responsibilities of the federal and the governments are listed in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution of Malaysia. Theoretically, any matter not set out in the Ninth Schedule can be legislated on by the individual states, however, legal scholars generally view this as a paupers bequest because of the large scope of the matters listed in the Ninth Schedule. The courts themselves have generally favoured a broad interpretation of the language of the Ninth Schedule, the Ninth Schedule specifically lists the following matters as those that can only be legislated on by the states, land tenure, the Islamic religion, and local government. Nine of the states, based on historical Malay kingdoms, are known as the Malay states. Each Malay state has a ruler as titular head of state. The rulers of Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Pahang, Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilans elective ruler holds the title of Yamtuan Besar, whereas the ruler of Perlis is titled Raja. The federal head of state, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is elected among the nine rulers to serve a 5-year term and they have separate immigration policies and controls and a unique residency status. Each state has a legislature called Dewan Undangan Negeri. Members of DUN are elected from single-member constituencies drawn based on population, the state leader of the majority party in DUN is usually appointed Chief Minister by the Ruler or Governor. The term of DUN members is five years unless the assembly is dissolved earlier by the Ruler or Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister, however, Rulers and Governors hold discretionary powers in withholding consent to dissolve the DUN. Each state sends two senators elected by the DUN to the Dewan Negara, the house of the federal parliament. The law in question must also be passed by the assembly as well. Non-Islamic issues that fall under the purview of the state may also be legislated on at the level for the purpose of conforming with Malaysian treaty obligations. Each state is divided into districts, which are then divided into mukim
25.
Kuching
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Kuching /ˈkuːtʃɪŋ/, officially the City of Kuching, is the capital and the most populous city in the state of Sarawak in Malaysia. It is also the capital of Kuching Division, Kuching was the third capital of Sarawak in 1827 during the administration of the Bruneian Empire. The town continued to receive attention and development during the rule of Charles Brooke such as the construction of a system, hospital, prison, fort. In 1941, the Brooke administration had a Centenary Celebration in Kuching, during World War II, Kuching was occupied by Japanese forces from 1942 to 1945. The Japanese government set up a Batu Lintang camp near Kuching to hold prisoners of war, after the war, the town survived intact. However, the last Rajah of Sarawak, Sir Charles Vyner Brooke decided to cede Sarawak as part of British Crown Colony in 1946, Kuching remained as capital during the Crown Colony period. After the formation of Malaysia in 1963, Kuching retained its status as capital and was granted city status in 1988. Since then, the Kuching city is divided into two administrative regions managed by two local authorities. The administrative centre of Sarawak state government is located at Wisma Bapa Malaysia, Kuching is a major food destination for tourists and the main gateway for travellers visiting Sarawak and Borneo. The city has one of the major industrial and commercial centres in East Malaysia. The name of Kuching was already in use for the city by the time Brooke arrived in 1841, there are many theories as to the derivation of the word Kuching. It was perhaps derived from the Malay word for cat, kucing or from Cochin, an Indian trading port on the Malabar Coast, some Hindu artefacts can be seen today at the Sarawak State Museum. However, another source reported that the Kuching city was known as Sarawak before the Brooke arrived. The settlement was renamed to Sarawak proper during the kingdom expansion and it was only in 1872 that Charles Brooke renamed the settlement to Kuching. There was one unlikely theory based on a story on miscommunication, according to the story, James Brooke arrived in Kuching on his yacht Royalist. He then asked his local guide about the name of the town, the local guide thinking that James Brooke was pointing towards a cat, and said the word Kuching. However, ethnic Malays in Sarawak usually refer the name of a cat as pusak instead of the Malay word kucing, some source also stated that it was derived from a fruit called mata kucing, a fruit that grows widely in Malaysia and Indonesia. There was also a hill in the city that was named after the fruit, which is called Bukit Mata Kuching
26.
History of Sarawak
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History of Sarawak can be traced as far as 40,000 years ago paleolithic period where the earliest evidence of human settlements is found in the Niah caves. A series of Chinese ceramics dated from 8th to 13th century AD was uncovered at the site of Santubong. The coastal regions of Sarawak came under the influence of the Bruneian Empire in the 16th century, in 1839, James Brooke, a British explorer, first arrived in Sarawak. Sarawak was later governed by the Brooke family between 1841 and 1946, during World War II, it was occupied by the Japanese for three years. After the war, the last White Rajah, Charles Vyner Brooke, ceded Sarawak to Britain, on 22 July 1963, Sarawak was granted self-government by the British. Following this, it one of the founding members of the Federation of Malaysia. However, the federation was opposed by Indonesia, and this led to the three-year Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation, from 1960 to 1990, Sarawak experienced a communist insurgency. The first foragers visited the West Mouth of Niah Caves 40,000 years ago when Borneo was connected to the mainland of Southeast Asia, the landscape around the Niah Caves was drier and more exposed than it is now. Prehistorically, the Niah Caves were surrounded by a combination of closed forests with bush, parkland, swamps, the foragers were able to survive in the rainforest through hunting, fishing, and gathering molluscs and edible plants. The skull probably belongs to a 16-to 17-year-old adolescent girl, mesolithic and Neolithic burial sites have also been found. The area around the Niah Caves has been designated the Niah National Park, another earlier excavation by Tom Harrisson in 1949 unearthed a series of Chinese ceramics at Santubong that date to the Tang and the Song dynasties in the 8th to 13th century AD. It is possible that Santubong was an important seaport in Sarawak during the period, but its importance declined during the Yuan dynasty, other archaeological sites in Sarawak can be found inside the Kapit, Song, Serian, and Bau districts. During the 16th century, the Kuching area was known to Portuguese cartographers as Cerava, much of Sarawak was part of the Bruneian Empire. For a short period of time it was self-governed under the Sultan of Bruneis younger brother, by the early 19th century, Sarawak had become a loosely governed territory under the control of the Brunei Sultanate. The Bruneian Empire had authority only along the regions of Sarawak held by semi-independent Malay leaders. Meanwhile, the interior of Sarawak suffered from tribal wars fought by Iban, Kayan, and Kenyah peoples, following the discovery of antimony ore in the Kuching region, Pangeran Indera Mahkota began to develop the territory between 1824 and 1830. When antimony production increased, the Brunei Sultanate demanded higher taxes from Sarawak, in 1839, Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II, ordered his uncle Pangeran Muda Hashim to restore order. Pangeran Muda Hashim requested the assistance of British sailor James Brooke in the matter, however, in 1841 during his next visit to Sarawak in 1841 he agreed to a repeated request
27.
Sarawak State Legislative Assembly
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The Sarawak State Legislative Assembly is the state legislature of the Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is an institution consisting of 71 members elected from single-member constituencies throughout the state. Elections are held no more than five years apart The State Legislative Assembly convenes at the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Building in the state capital, the first legislative assembly in Sarawak was formed during the rule of the White Rajahs. The General Council of the Kingdom of Sarawak was convened on 8 September 1867 by Charles Brooke and its members were chosen from local tribe leaders who were thought to be capable of assisting Brooke in administering the kingdom. The General Council later evolved into the Council Negri in 1903, the Council Negri first met in Bintulu. It continued to function even after Sarawak was ceded to the British Empire in 1946, the Assembly originally had 48 seats. That expanded to 56 in 1985, to 62 in 1985, in 2014 the Assembly passed a Bill to take the number of constituencies to 82. It has a number of seats than any other state assembly in Malaysia. The State Assembly enacts laws that apply in the state of Sarawak in matters specified in the Joint, legislation successfully passed in the Assembly are known as ordinances. The Assembly must sit at least once a year to approve taxation to and this is done during the tabling of the budget by the executive Cabinet. Aside from administrative matters, members of the Assembly are free to speak on any issues, as stipulated in the Privileges, Immunities, members of the Assembly are responsible for checking and criticising the executive governments actions. The Speaker presides over proceedings in the Assembly and he is appointed by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri on the advice of the Chief Minister. The Speaker can only vote to break a tie, the following is the Speaker of the Sarawak State Assembly Roll of Honour, since 1963, The State Assembly also consists of committees that handle administrative matters
28.
Flag of Sarawak
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James Brooke, who was the first Rajah of Sarawak, originally used the St Georges Cross as the states flag. The decision for Sarawak to have its own flag was made in 1845, the first Sarawak flag was originally made up of a cross, half blue and half red, on yellow, thought to be based on Brookes coat of arms. There is a controversy on whether the first flag was made up of purple and red, or blue and red. On 7 May 1870, the colour of the blue cross was changed to black by the second Rajah, Charles Brooke, and was hoisted on 26 September. It was retained as a coat-of-arms on a Blue Ensign when Sarawak was ceded to the British Crown on 1 July 1946, the 1870 version saw continued use even after cession, flying side-by-side with the Union Flag. Upon the formation of Malaysia and subsequent independence of the state, the Trisakti was adopted on the 10th anniversary of Sarawaks independence in 1973, and was first hoisted by the then Chief Minister of Sarawak, Abdul Rahman Yakub who also designed the flag. Accompanying the new design of the flag is the new anthem and motto, Sarawak Bahagia. It resembled an inverted flag of Czechoslovakia, in 1988, the flag was replaced again with the current version along with yet another new state anthem and motto, Ibu Pertiwiku and Bersatu, Berusaha, Berbakti. The new design was adopted on the 25th anniversary of independence of Sarawak within the Federation of Malaysia, on the Trisakti flag, the blue triangle represents unity among the people of Sarawak, red represents courage and perseverance, and white represents honesty and purity. Sarawak at Flags of the World Chater, W. J. Sarawak Long Ago, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka
29.
Demographics of Sarawak
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Sarawaks population is very diverse, comprising many races and ethnic groups. Sarawak has more than 40 sub-ethnic groups, each with its own language, culture. This makes Sarawak demography very distinct and unique compared to its Peninsular counterpart, Sarawak has more than 40 sub-ethnic groups, each with its own distinct language, culture and lifestyle. Unlike Indonesia, the term Dayak is not officially used to address Sarawakians native ethnicity, the Dayak of Sarawak comprises the Iban, Bidayuh, Orang Ulu and other tribes as listed below. The Ibans comprise the largest percentage of Sarawaks population, Iban is native to Sarawak and Sarawak has the highest number of Ibans in Borneo. Formerly reputed to be the most formidable headhunters on the island of Borneo, because of their history as farmers, pirates and fishermen, Ibans were conventionally referred to as the Sea Dayaks. The early Iban settlers migrated from Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo south of Sarawak and they crossed over the Kelingkang range and set up home in the river valleys of Batang Ai, the Skrang River, Saribas, and the Rajang River. The Ibans dwell in longhouses, stilted structures with a number of rooms housing a whole community of families. An Iban longhouse may still display head trophies or antu pala and these suspended heads mark tribal victories and were a source of honour. The Dayak Iban ceased practising headhunting in the 1930s, the Ibans are renowned for their Pua Kumbu, silver craft, wooden carvings and bead work. Iban tattoos, which were symbols of bravery among Iban warriors, have become amongst the most distinctive in the world. The Ibans are also famous for a rice wine called tuak. 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. The major festivals of the Iban people are Gawai Bumai that includes at least four stages i. e. Sizeable Iban communities are present in Kuala Lumpur and Penang. Most will return home during the Gawai Dayak, the word Bidayuh in itself literally means land people in Biatah dialect. 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 about 1.5 metres off the ground. It serves as the granary and the house for the settlements community. Longhouses were typical in the days, similar to that of the Ibans
30.
Betong Division
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Betong Division, formed on 26 March 2002, is one of the twelve administrative divisions in Sarawak, Malaysia. Formerly part of Sri Aman Division, Betong is in the Saribas area and it has a total area of 4,180.8 square kilometres, and is the smallest of the administrative divisions of Sarawak. Saribas is famous for its Iban longhouses and is regarded as the center for Iban culture and it was annexed to Sarawak by Rajah James Brooke, after his victory over the Sekrang and Saribas Iban at the Battle of Beting Maru on 31 July 1849. Betong Division contains two districts, Betong and Saratok. The population is mixed, with the majority Iban interacting well with the Malay. In Sarawak, Betong has the most number of administrative sub-districts, the sub-districts under Betong district are Pusa, Spaoh, Debak and Meludam, while those under Saratok district are Roban, Kabong and Budu. The population of Betong Division was 116,700, Betong division is traditionally a home to Iban, Malay and Chinese people. Most Ibans are scattered throughout rural areas of Betong and Saratok, whilst, Malay people are concentrated at the town and major village areas in Betong and Saratok. Chinese people are concentrated at town areas, such as at Betong and Saratok. Other races such as Bidayuh, Melanau and Orang Ulu are not native to Betong division, however, due to migration all over Sarawak, more and more of them coming to Betong to settle. Foreign workers is a sight in Betong division. Many of them work in palm oil plantations, Betong Division is divided into three broad topographical regions — the coastal or riverine region, the midland region, and the inland or hilly interior region. The coastal or riverine region is made up of peat swamp with very limited suitable area for agricultural activities in its natural condition. In areas with improved irrigation systems, the soil has gradually improved to some agricultural activities to be carried out. Some of the crops planted in the coastal or riverine region are wet paddy, sago, coconuts, some of the coastal or riverine areas have potential for aquaculture activities such as brackish water fish, tiger prawn and crab cultivation. The midland region has more areas for agricultural activities. Crops such as pepper, rubber, paddy, and oil palm are planted in the midland region, most of the livestock and pond fish rearing are also found in this region. All the commercial livestock in the area are in this region
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Bintulu Division
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Bintulu Division is one of the twelve administrative divisions of Sarawak, Malaysia. It has an area of 12,166.2 square kilometres. Bintulu Division consists of two districts which is Bintulu and Tatau, together with a sub-district under Bintulu, which is Sebauh, three major towns in Bintulu are Bintulu, Tatau and Sebauh. The population of Bintulu Division was 179,600 and this makes Bintulu as one of the most loosely populated division in Sarawak with only 14 people per kilometre. Despite being the most thinly populated, Bintulu Division has the fourth biggest town in Sarawak, most of the Bintulu divisions population is concentrated in this town. Bintulu is traditionally a home to Iban, Chinese, Melanau, Malay, Orang Ulu, most Ibans are scattered throughout rural areas of Bintulu, namely in Tatau and Sebauh. Whilst, Melanau people are concentrated at the areas in Bintulu and rural communal areas, namely at Bintulu town, Tatau town, Kuala Tatau, Sebauh, Pandan. Many Malay people are not originally from Bintulu, however, intermarriage with locals especially Melanau people has made Malay as one of the major ethnics in Bintulu. Chinese people are concentrated at town areas, such as at Bintulu, Sebauh and Tatau town, while some resides at Sangan. Orang Ulu people, such as Kenyah, Kayan, Tatau, most of them still live deep in the rural areas like Kakus and Jelalong. Kedayan people, although small in number, can be spotted at Nyalau areas just at the border with Miri Division, there is a large influx of foreign worker population due to the strength of the petroleum industry. It was estimated more than 20% of Bintulu population are foreign workers, the economy is largely based on the petroleum and natural gas industries. Bintulu has an estimated 85% of Sarawak’s known natural gas reserves, in addition to export as liquified natural gas, on-shore facilities produce fertiliser, and formaldehyde resins. Bintulu also has half of Sarawaks crude oil reserves of 500 million barrels. Bintulu has around 27% of Sarawak’s tropical rainforest, and the industry remains a strong component of the Divisions economy. Bintulu Division has a designated area of 1,071,031 hectares for logging purposes. The Division is the producer of wood species from peat swamp forests such as Ramin, Alan. Bintulu Division produces an average of 4.7 million m3 of logs per year, agriculture is relatively minor although growing steadily, with oil palm, rattan and pepper the main products
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Kapit Division
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Kapit Division, formed on 2 April 1973, is one of the twelve administrative divisions in Sarawak, Malaysia. It has an area of 38,934 square kilometres. Ethnically, the population of Kapit Division was 68. 7% Iban,19. 1% Orang Ulu, 7% Chinese,3. 4% Malay,1. 3% Melanau, and 0. 3% Bidayuh, Kapit Division consists of three districts and two sub-districts. Some 86% of the area is held in forest reserve. The economy is agricultural, based on forestry, oil palm, paddy, rubber, banana. The Bakun Dam is based partly in Kapit Division
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Kuching Division
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Kuching Division is one of the twelve administrative divisions in Sarawak, Malaysia. Formerly part of what was called the First Division, it is the center, Kuching Division has a total area of 4,559.5 square kilometres. Kuching Division consists of three districts, Kuching, Bau, and Lundu and two subdistricts, Padawan, and Sematan. The population of Kuching Division was 705,546 and this makes Kuching Division the most populated division in Sarawak. Most of the residents in Kuching Division live in Kuching District, Kuching Division is a melting pot of Sarawak diverse multi-racial society. However, the composition of Kuching Division is somewhat different compared to the whole Sarawak. Malay and Chinese form majority groups in Kuching, while in the whole Sarawak, Iban, basically, it is traditionally a home to Chinese, Malay and Bidayuh people. Most Chinese are of Hakka and Hokkien descent while some are Foochow and they live mostly at urban and suburban areas. Kuching Division has the highest number of Malay people in Sarawak, most Sarawakian Malays originated from Kuching Division. They are scattered all throughout Kuching Division, with exception of areas of Padawan sub-district. Kuching Division is also a home to the largest Bidayuh community, like Sarawakian Malays, most Sarawakian Bidayuhs are from Kuching Division. They form a majority group in Bau district of Kuching, other significant minority in Kuching Division are Iban and Melanau. Most of them originated outside Kuching, however, the earliest Iban settlement in Kuching can be found at Kampung Siol Kandis, Petra Jaya, Kuching. Most Melanau people who reside in Kuching have assimilated into Malay society due to professing Islam, some of them have no longer speak in Bahasa Melanau due to the assimilation. Kuching Division is a home to Sarawak capital city, Kuching and it is a centre of business, commercial, mixed industries, service sectors, education hub and tourism centre for Sarawak. Kuching relies heavily on its population to run its economy. Kuching Division is a centre of transportation sectors in Sarawak, with exception of river transportation and it has wide range of transportation services such as by air, land and river. Kuching Division has the widest and most extensive networks in Sarawak
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Miri Division
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Miri Division is one of the twelve administrative divisions of Sarawak, Malaysia. It has an area of 26,777.1 square kilometres. The population of Miri Division was 316,400, ethnically, the population was Iban, Chinese, Malay, Melanau, Kayan, Kenyah, Lun Bawang and Kelabit. Due to the industry, there is also a large foreign worker population. Miri Division consists of two districts, Miri and Marudi, the economy is largely based on petroleum and natural gas extraction from both onshore and offshore wells, and related petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas and chemical production. Another major industry is timber processing from Miris huge tropical rainforest, processed wood products, rather than log export has been given priority by the government. Agriculture is includes oil palm, rubber, and pepper as the main products, Tourism, particularly ecotourism, is a growing component of the economy. - Web page about Miri City Miri Tourism
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Mukah Division
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Mukah Division is one of the twelve administrative divisions in Sarawak, Malaysia. It was established on 1 March 2002 and it has an area of 6,997.61 square kilometres. Mukah Division contains five districts, Mukah, Dalat, Daro, Matu. The population is mixed, with mostly Melanau, Malay, Iban. During the 2014 Balingian by-election, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has announced that a new airport will be built for Mukah, the overall cost of the project is estimated at RM600 million. The earthworks has begun on 16 April 2014 at a site about 7 km from the town centre, the new airport is expected to be completed in 2018. As of February 2015, 16% of the construction has been completed, there are two higher education institutes in the division, UiTM Mukah campus and Mukah Polytechnic. Also, there is a power plant built in Matadeng. In March 2015, Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud has launced the Laila Taib College Mukah Campus, the 35-acre campus is within the Mukah Education Hub and costs RM336 million. The campus is still under construction, meanwhile, in Belawai, the fishery sector is being focused. There is Tanjung Manis Deep Sea Fishery Complex to support the sector, Tanjung Manis also connected to Sibu via Serdeng/Tanjung Manis/Bruit/Sg. Nai Road and Sibu/Bawang Assan/Serdeng Road. The fishery industry is synonym with Mukah town too, the Melanaus are fish lovers and fish are incorporated in traditional dishes, for example umai. Mukah town even has statues of Ikan Merah and Udang that suggests the importance of the industry to the town, medan Mall Everwin Mall Glory Supermarket Mukah Central Mukah offers a different tourism attraction in Sarawak. Being the only Melanau-majority town, the Melanau culture is the best that Mukah has to offer, there is a grand Kaul Festival held annually at Kala Dana Beach at Mukah. In 2012, approximately 70,000 visitors attended the festival, a park called Kala Dana Recreation Park or Site of Kaul Festival was built there and had recently been renovated and is now more modern. It also has an observation tower and this festival attracts many visitors from Sarawak-wide and sometimes even foreign tourists. The chief minister also attends this festival each year, for 2014, the festival was held on 23–27 April. In 1996, the Mukah Light Industrial Estate was established by the Mukah river, the planned area covers 61 hectares
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Samarahan Division
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Samarahan Division is one of the twelve administrative divisions in Sarawak, Malaysia. Formerly part of the First Division, which included Kuching, it became a separate Division on 24 July 1986, Samarahan Division formerly contained four administrative districts, Samarahan, Asajaya, Serian and Simunjan. But on 11 April 2015 the Serian District was separated to form a new Division, the population is ethnically mixed, with mostly Bidayuh, Iban, Malay and Chinese predominating. On 11 November 2016, the status of Majlis Daerah Samarahan has been upgraded to Majlis Perbandaran Kota Samarahan, giving Kota Samarahan, the declaration took place in Kota Samarahan by the then Chief Minister of Sarawak, Tan Sri Datuk Patinggi Haji Adenan bin Haji Satem. He was represented by his deputy, Deputy Chief Minister, Tan Sri Datuk Amar James Jemut Masing
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Sarikei Division
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Sarikei Division is one of the twelve administrative divisions in Sarawak, Malaysia. Sarikei Division contains four districts, Sarikei, Meradong, Julau. The early history of Sarikei can be traced as far back as the early 19th century, there are many historical events to show its existence. Rajah James Brooke first visited Sarikei on 30 April 1845, the establishment of Sarikei as a new division was mainly based on security consideration. It was felt that with the establishment of a new Sarikei Division the government would be able to concentrate and focus more in its efforts to contain, the population is ethnically mixed, with Iban, Melanau, Malay, Bidayuh and Chinese predominating. The majority of the live in Sarikei town. The economy of the division is mostly agricultural, Sarikei Division produces more pepper than any other divisions in Sarawak. It is also famous for fruits, especially pineapples and oranges, the timber industry, as elsewhere in Sarawak, is also a major component of the local economy. Sarikei is the centre of the division and it can be reached by land, water. One also can drive from Kuching to Sarikei or from Sibu to Sarikei
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Serian Division
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Serian is a town, and the capital of the Serian Division separated on 11 April 2015 from Samarahan Division, Sarawak, Malaysia. It is located about 40 miles from Kuching, sub-district headquarters towns are Siburan and Tebedu. The town is famous for its durians, which are popularly believed to be the best in Sarawak. This has prompted the Serian District Council to erect a giant monument to this king of fruits right in the middle of the market square. However, other such as the tiger and the buffalo statues seem out of place as there are no tigers or buffalos in this district. About 65% of the population are Bidayuh, the other main ethnic groups are Iban, Chinese, and Malay. There are many found in Serian District Sarawak. Ranchan Waterfall is the most famous one, located at about 5 kilometres from Serian town and is accessible easily by road, simuja Waterfall is another waterfall can be found in Serian but it was damaged badly by logging activities. It is located about 7 kilometres away from town, there is no proper road to the waterfall and visitors have to hike 1-2 kilometres from Serian-Sri Aman trunk road to get there. Tebedu, located about 50 kilometres away from Serian town on the Indonesia-Malaysia border, is one of two official land border crossings between Indonesia and Malaysia. Limestone formations and paddy fields can be seen along the way to Tebedu, other attraction points of Serian are Gua Tiab Bilanting which is situated at Kampung Pichin and also Bukit Parang which is located at the Borneo-Kalimantan border. Stores and shops are packed by mainly Bidayuh people returning home from Peninsular Malaysia, abroad or major towns on Gawai, official web page of Serian District Council
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Sibu Division
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Sibu Division is one of the twelve administrative divisions of Sarawak, Malaysia. It has an area of 8,278.3 square kilometres. The population of Sibu Division was 257,300, ethnically, the population was mostly Iban, Chinese, Malay, and Melanau. Sibu Division consists of three districts, Sibu, Kanowit, and Selangau, the economy is largely based on timber extraction from the extensive tropical rainforest. Processed wood products, rather than log export has been given priority by the government, agriculture is relatively minor, with oil palm and pepper the main products. Tourism, particularly ecotourism, is a component of the economy. The two major rivers in the Sibu Division are the Rajang River and the Igan River, before 1 June 1873, Sibu was known as Maling, named after the winding portion, Tanjung Maling, on the other side of Rejang River. Maling was a village with a few small and simple shop houses consisted of atap roof and wooden walls. Main population was Malay and Chinese was minority, in 1841 Sarawak was ruled by White Rajah, James Brooke. On 1 June 1873, the division was created and the division was named after the native rambutan because the division had a lot of native rambutan known as Buah Sibau in Iban language. In 1901 Mr. Wong Nai Siong led the first batch of Foochows from China to Sibu to open up the lands of Sibu for cultivation. Therefore, it was a year or a milestone in the history of the development of Sibu. Mr. Wong Nai Siong came to Singapore in September 1899, from there, he proceeded to West Malaysia, Sumatra and the Dutch East Indies. For six months he explored the places but failed to find a place for the immigration. In April 1900, Mr. Wong Nai Siong came to Sarawak, Mr. Wong explored the lower valley and upper reaches of the Rejang River. He soon discovered that the Rejang Delta was very fertile and particularly suitable for cultivation, so he decided to choose the area for opening up for cultivation. With that decision, Mr. Wong went to see the second Rajah of Sarawak, Rajah Charles Brooke, in those days of the Rajahs, Sarawak was sparsely populated with vast land yet to be developed, Mr. Wongs plan was timely and very much appreciated. So, when Mr. Wong Nai Siong went to see Sir Charles Brooke and explained to him his plan to lead groups of Foochows to open up Sibu for cultivation
