Ba'kelalan
Encyclopedia
Ba'kelalan is a group of nine villages in the Bario Highlands of Sarawak
, Malaysia about 3000 feet (914.4 m) above sea level and 4 km from the border with Indonesian Kalimantan
. The villagers belong to the Lun Bawang
tribe. The villages are Buduk Nur, Long Langai, Long Lemumut, Long Ritan, Long Rusu, Pa Tawing, Buduk Bui, Buduk Aru and Long Rangat.
The name Ba’Kelalan is derived from the Kelalan River and Ba’ which means wet lands in the Lun Bawang language
. Its population is about 1500 but as many as 8000 call it home. In the cool mountain climate, temperate fruits such as apples, mandarin oranges and vanilla
are grown. The area also produces rice, and mountain salt is obtained from the nearby hills. The people in Ba'Kelalan are Christian, members of the Sidang Injil Borneo, and rice production has doubled since the prohibition of alcohol.
Ba'kelalan Airport
has flights to Bario and to Lawas
using 19-seater DHT aircraft. Road access is possible via a 125 km former logging trail from Lawas
using four-wheel-drive vehicles, but the road conditions can be particularly bad in the rainy season and the journey takes at least six hours. However, in September 2009 the federal government of Malaysia approved RM50 million for the first construction phase of a road from Lawas to Ba’Kelalan to facilitate access.
Tourism has increased in recent years: Ba'kelalan now has a 9-hole natural golf course, and the settlement is also the easiest point of access for visits to Kayan Mentarang National Park
in Krayan, Kalimantan
.
in Buduk Bui and Long Langai, and grow the prized, small-grained “Highland Adan Rice” with fine, sweet grains. This is unusual in the mountainous interior of Sarawak, where most communities can only grow upland rice
known as hill padi. Planting takes place each year in August and September, and harvesting starts in January.
It was in 1975 when the first apple cuttings were brought from the highlands of East Java
by a local boy, Andrew Balang Paran, but early planting faced problems and it was not until 1988 that the turning point was brought about, when help from two apple growers from Batu Malang in Indonesia
brought the 300 dying apple trees back to health using pruning
, fertilisers and chemicals. During the next two years 1000 more apple trees were grown, and in 1991 the first harvest was produced after an artificial "wintering" process in December 1990, when the leaves of the trees were removed.
Now seven varieties of apple are grown, of which the first three have produced fruit:
The 3ha orchard now has two thousand apple trees, and is run by 75-year old former pastor Tagal Paran, the elder brother of Andrew Balang Paran who brought the first cuttings to the village, and his 50-year old son Mutang Tagal. The trees bear fruit twice a year, normally in the middle and the end of the year. Following the initial success, they plan to plant 4000 apple trees. Most of the apples are transported to Lawas using the logging trail; some are sent to Kota Kinabalu
in Sabah
.
The first Apple Fiesta in Malaysia was held in Ba'Kelalan from 29 to 31 Mar 2007, and it has become an annual event and tourist attraction, based around the Apple Lodge in Buduk Nur. The third ran from May 10–13, 2009 and was entitled "Ba'Kelalan: The Heart of Borneo Escapade 2009". The event is run by Borneo Jungle Safari (BJS) Sdn Bhd with support from Tourism Malaysia
, Sarawak Tourism Board (STB), MASwings
and Sarawak Tourism Action Council (STAC).
enable the community to produce an average of 40 kg of salt per week. The salt water is brought to the village and evaporated in a tank above a wood-fired stove; they take it in turns to stir the tank continuously for about five days as the crystals form and until the last water has been boiled away. About twenty four families are currently involved in salt production alongside their other farming activities.
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
, Malaysia about 3000 feet (914.4 m) above sea level and 4 km from the border with Indonesian Kalimantan
Kalimantan
In English, the term Kalimantan refers to the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo, while in Indonesian, the term "Kalimantan" refers to the whole island of Borneo....
. The villagers belong to the Lun Bawang
Lun Bawang
The Lun Bawang is an ethnic group found in Central Borneo. They are indigenous to the highlands of East Kalimantan, Brunei , southwest of Sabah and northern region of Sarawak...
tribe. The villages are Buduk Nur, Long Langai, Long Lemumut, Long Ritan, Long Rusu, Pa Tawing, Buduk Bui, Buduk Aru and Long Rangat.
The name Ba’Kelalan is derived from the Kelalan River and Ba’ which means wet lands in the Lun Bawang language
Lun Bawang language
The language spoken by the Lun Bawangs belongs to the Malayo-Polynesian family. The first published material written fully in the Lun Bawang language is a translation of the Bible in 1982, which is called Bala Luk Do...
. Its population is about 1500 but as many as 8000 call it home. In the cool mountain climate, temperate fruits such as apples, mandarin oranges and vanilla
Vanilla
Vanilla is a flavoring derived from orchids of the genus Vanilla, primarily from the Mexican species, Flat-leaved Vanilla . The word vanilla derives from the Spanish word "", little pod...
are grown. The area also produces rice, and mountain salt is obtained from the nearby hills. The people in Ba'Kelalan are Christian, members of the Sidang Injil Borneo, and rice production has doubled since the prohibition of alcohol.
Ba'kelalan Airport
Ba'kelalan Airport
Ba'kelalan Airport is an airport in Ba'kelalan, a town in the state of Sarawak in Malaysia.-Airlines and destinations:-Incidents:* On 13 September 2008 a DHC-6 Twin Otter overshot the runway while landing. All fourteen people on board survived....
has flights to Bario and to Lawas
Lawas
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using 19-seater DHT aircraft. Road access is possible via a 125 km former logging trail from Lawas
Lawas
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using four-wheel-drive vehicles, but the road conditions can be particularly bad in the rainy season and the journey takes at least six hours. However, in September 2009 the federal government of Malaysia approved RM50 million for the first construction phase of a road from Lawas to Ba’Kelalan to facilitate access.
Tourism has increased in recent years: Ba'kelalan now has a 9-hole natural golf course, and the settlement is also the easiest point of access for visits to Kayan Mentarang National Park
Kayan Mentarang National Park
Kayan Mentarang National Park is a densely forested national park in East Kalimantan province, Borneo Island, Indonesia. The national park is named after a great dispersed Mentarang mountain trails plateau of Apau Kayan which covers the entire park from Datadian area in south region to Apau Ping...
in Krayan, Kalimantan
Kalimantan
In English, the term Kalimantan refers to the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo, while in Indonesian, the term "Kalimantan" refers to the whole island of Borneo....
.
Rice production
With water supply from the Kelalan river, the community have created well-irrigated padi fieldsPaddy field
A paddy field is a flooded parcel of arable land used for growing rice and other semiaquatic crops. Paddy fields are a typical feature of rice farming in east, south and southeast Asia. Paddies can be built into steep hillsides as terraces and adjacent to depressed or steeply sloped features such...
in Buduk Bui and Long Langai, and grow the prized, small-grained “Highland Adan Rice” with fine, sweet grains. This is unusual in the mountainous interior of Sarawak, where most communities can only grow upland rice
Upland rice
Upland rice is rice grown on dry soil. Most rice is grown in flooded rice paddies.- Introduction :Nearly 100 million people now depend on upland rice as their daily staple food. Almost two-thirds of the upland rice area is in Asia...
known as hill padi. Planting takes place each year in August and September, and harvesting starts in January.
Apple farming
Apple farming has been developed in Ba'Kelalan since 1990 and the town is now the first in Malaysia to grow the fruit successfully on a commercial scale.It was in 1975 when the first apple cuttings were brought from the highlands of East Java
East Java
East Java is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the eastern part of the island of Java and includes neighboring Madura and islands to its east and to its north East Java is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the eastern part of the island of Java and includes neighboring Madura and...
by a local boy, Andrew Balang Paran, but early planting faced problems and it was not until 1988 that the turning point was brought about, when help from two apple growers from Batu Malang in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
brought the 300 dying apple trees back to health using pruning
Pruning
Pruning is a horticultural practice involving the selective removal of parts of a plant, such as branches, buds, or roots. Reasons to prune plants include deadwood removal, shaping , improving or maintaining health, reducing risk from falling branches, preparing nursery specimens for...
, fertilisers and chemicals. During the next two years 1000 more apple trees were grown, and in 1991 the first harvest was produced after an artificial "wintering" process in December 1990, when the leaves of the trees were removed.
Now seven varieties of apple are grown, of which the first three have produced fruit:
- the 'Ba Kelalan Apple' or Manalagi, a Washington hybrid first produced in Indonesia, light green but turning yellow when ripe
- Rome BeautyRome appleThe Rome apple is a cooking apple originating near Rome Township, Ohio in the early 19th century. It remains popular for its glossy red fruit and for its utility in cooking.-Characteristics:...
, crunchy, sweet, sour tasting apple normally used for cooking - Tropical Beauty, a brilliant red oval apple, sweet but not as crunchy as Rome Beauty
- Lady Williams
- Epal Anna
- Kwanglin
- JonathanJonathan (apple)The Jonathan apple is a medium-sized sweet apple, with a strong touch of acid and a tough but smooth skin. It is closely related to the Esopus Spitzenburg apple.-History:There are two alternative theories about the origin of the Jonathan apple....
The 3ha orchard now has two thousand apple trees, and is run by 75-year old former pastor Tagal Paran, the elder brother of Andrew Balang Paran who brought the first cuttings to the village, and his 50-year old son Mutang Tagal. The trees bear fruit twice a year, normally in the middle and the end of the year. Following the initial success, they plan to plant 4000 apple trees. Most of the apples are transported to Lawas using the logging trail; some are sent to Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu , formerly known as Jesselton, is the capital of Sabah state in East Malaysia. It is also the capital of the West Coast Division of Sabah. The city is located on the northwest coast of Borneo facing the South China Sea. The Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park lies on one side and Mount...
in Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
.
The first Apple Fiesta in Malaysia was held in Ba'Kelalan from 29 to 31 Mar 2007, and it has become an annual event and tourist attraction, based around the Apple Lodge in Buduk Nur. The third ran from May 10–13, 2009 and was entitled "Ba'Kelalan: The Heart of Borneo Escapade 2009". The event is run by Borneo Jungle Safari (BJS) Sdn Bhd with support from Tourism Malaysia
Tourism Malaysia
Tourism Malaysia or Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Malaysia.Tourism Malaysia or formerly known as the Tourist Development Corporation of Malaysia , was established on 10 August, 1972...
, Sarawak Tourism Board (STB), MASwings
MASwings
MASwings Sdn. Berhad is a regional airline operating the Rural Air Services in East Malaysia. It took over the RAS previously operated by FlyAsianXpress. The first flight was on 1 October 2007,which is also the anniversary of the founding of Malaysia Airlines in 1972. Its headquarters are in Jalan...
and Sarawak Tourism Action Council (STAC).
Salt processing
Nearby salt water wellsSalt well
A salt well is used to mine salt from subterranean caverns or deposits by the use of water as a solution to dissolve the salt or halite deposits so that they can be extracted by pipe to an evaporation process that results in a brine or dry product for sale or use...
enable the community to produce an average of 40 kg of salt per week. The salt water is brought to the village and evaporated in a tank above a wood-fired stove; they take it in turns to stir the tank continuously for about five days as the crystals form and until the last water has been boiled away. About twenty four families are currently involved in salt production alongside their other farming activities.