Mukah
Encyclopedia
Mukah, Sarawak
, Malaysia, is a coastal town which serves as the administrative center of the Mukah District (2,536 square kilometers) in Mukah Division
, Sarawak
. It is located by the South China Sea
, about 2.5 hours by road from the town of Sibu
. Mukah is also accessible by air by MASwings
from Kuching and Miri. The duration of both flights is about one hour. There are also express boats connecting the town of Dalat (50 kilometers from Mukah) to Sibu. The express boat trip takes approximately 2 hours.
The Mukah hinterland was traditionally a major sago producing area. Of late however, most of the predominantly peat swamp areas that dominate the hinterland have been developed into oil palm plantations.
In November of 1862, Rajah Mudah
James Brooke
rescued several civilians from the Moro Pirates
after a pitched naval battle
off the coast of Mukah. During the fighting, Brooke's steamer
named Rainbow sank four prahus
and damaged one other with cannon fire. Over 100 pirates were killed or wounded in the engagement while Brooke, and his Sarawakian followers, were mostly unscathed.
. Other ethnicities are Chinese
, Iban
, Malay and others.
Amid the State Election 2011, Abdul Taib Mahmud revealed that the state government will conduct a comprehensive master plan study on the Mukah smart town model by the end of 2011. The study would incorporate infrastructure plans including the building of railways linking Mukah with Tanjong Manis Halal Hub and Samalaju New Township in Bintulu. He also officiated at the opening of the second phase of Mukah Biotech Economic Zone, covering an area of 10 ha.
He also revealed his vision to make Mukah a smart city.
The locals also recommend visitors to try a variety of ABC (Air Batu Campur) at the Medan Food Center.
) and Udang(Prawn
) that suggests the importance of the fishery industry to the town and the division wholly.
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, is a coastal town which serves as the administrative center of the Mukah District (2,536 square kilometers) in Mukah Division
Mukah Division
Mukah Division is one of the eleven administrative divisions in Sarawak, east Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. It was established on March 1, 2002 and it has a total area of 6,997.61 square kilometers....
, Sarawak
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...
. It is located by the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
, about 2.5 hours by road from the town of Sibu
Sibu
Sibu may refer to:*Sibu, Sarawak in Eastern Malaysia*Sibu Division*Sibu , an impact crater on Mars*Pulau Sibu, an island off the eastern coast of peninsular Malaysia*Sibu , name of a goddess in the Bribri tribe, in Costa Rica...
. Mukah is also accessible by air by 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...
from Kuching and Miri. The duration of both flights is about one hour. There are also express boats connecting the town of Dalat (50 kilometers from Mukah) to Sibu. The express boat trip takes approximately 2 hours.
History
Mukah is an ancient trading and fishing port, situated at the mouth of the Mukah River adjacent to the South China Sea. Historically, the town was an outpost of the Sultanate of Brunei. It became part of Sarawak in 1861. It is now the centre of Melanau culture, and the "Pesta Kaul" festival, celebrated by the local fishermen in April to appease the spirits of the sea, is one of the major events of the Melanau calendar. Just beyond the center of town is the Lamin Dana Water Village, which is a Melanau Cultural Center.The Mukah hinterland was traditionally a major sago producing area. Of late however, most of the predominantly peat swamp areas that dominate the hinterland have been developed into oil palm plantations.
In November of 1862, Rajah Mudah
Raja
Raja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna...
James Brooke
James Brooke
James, Rajah of Sarawak, KCB was the first White Rajah of Sarawak. His father, Thomas Brooke, was an English Judge Court of Appeal at Bareilly, British India; his mother, Anna Maria, born in Hertfordshire, was the illegitimate daughter of Scottish peer Colonel William Stuart, 9th Lord Blantyre,...
rescued several civilians from the Moro Pirates
Moro Pirates
The Moro Pirates, also known as the Sulu Pirates, were Muslim outlaws of the southern Philippines who engaged in frequent acts of piracy, primarily against the Spanish, beginning in the late 16th century...
after a pitched naval battle
Battle off Mukah
The Battle off Mukah was a naval engagement fought in 1862 between the navy of Sarawak and pirates. After the kidnapping of Sarawakian citizens some time before, their navy dispatched two small warships which encountered the pirates off Mukah on the northern coast of Borneo...
off the coast of Mukah. During the fighting, Brooke's steamer
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
named Rainbow sank four prahus
Proa
A proa, also seen as prau, perahu, and prahu, is a type of multihull sailing vessel.While the word perahu and proa are generic terms meaning boat their native language, proa in Western languages has come to describe a vessel consisting of two unequal length parallel hulls...
and damaged one other with cannon fire. Over 100 pirates were killed or wounded in the engagement while Brooke, and his Sarawakian followers, were mostly unscathed.
Demographics
According to the National Census 2010, Mukah has a population of 43,284. However, this is the population of Mukah district not Mukah town.The majority of the people is MelanauMelanau
The Melanau are a people who live on the island of Borneo, primarily in Sarawak, Malaysia, but also in Kalimantan, Indonesia. They are among the earliest settlers of Sarawak, and speak a Northwest Malayo-Polynesian language .-Origins:...
. Other ethnicities are Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
, Iban
Iban people
The Ibans are a branch of the Dayak peoples of Borneo. In Malaysia, most Ibans are located in Sarawak, a small portion in Sabah and some in west Malaysia. They were formerly known during the colonial period by the British as Sea Dayaks. Ibans were renowned for practising headhunting and...
, Malay and others.
Education
There are three secondary schools in the town; SMK Three Rivers, SMK St. Patrick and SMK Mukah. There is a newly opened MRSM Mukah. Also, there is Polytechnic Mukah and a small campus of UiTM here.Future Developments
The development of the Mukah Town Extension Phase 2 is on-going now. The extension includes 103 units of 3 storey shophouses and a 3 storey shopping complex(228,100 square feet). The phase 1 and phase 2 of the extension is completed. Once the shopping complex completed it will be the first and only shopping complex in Mukah and the division wholly.Amid the State Election 2011, Abdul Taib Mahmud revealed that the state government will conduct a comprehensive master plan study on the Mukah smart town model by the end of 2011. The study would incorporate infrastructure plans including the building of railways linking Mukah with Tanjong Manis Halal Hub and Samalaju New Township in Bintulu. He also officiated at the opening of the second phase of Mukah Biotech Economic Zone, covering an area of 10 ha.
He also revealed his vision to make Mukah a smart city.
Things to Do
The Lonely Planet web guide recommends 3 activities to be done while in Mukah. They are visiting Lamin Dana, the Melanau cultural center located in Kg. Tellian; visit the local market; and try the food at riverside hawker center.The locals also recommend visitors to try a variety of ABC (Air Batu Campur) at the Medan Food Center.
Good to Know
Mukah town even has statues of Ikan Merah(Red SnapperRed snapper (fish)
The red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus, is a fish found in the Gulf of Mexico and the southeastern Atlantic coast of the United States and, much less commonly, northward as far as Massachusetts. In Latin American Spanish it is known as huachinango or pargo...
) and Udang(Prawn
Prawn
Prawns are decapod crustaceans of the sub-order Dendrobranchiata. There are 540 extant species, in seven families, and a fossil record extending back to the Devonian...
) that suggests the importance of the fishery industry to the town and the division wholly.