From the backwaters of history, Mukah has gradually emerged into an important coastal town with a future that is promising, writes GERARD JAIMIN.
MUKAH
was at one time one of the most prosperous towns in Sarawak, being the centre of
the booming sago industry in the early part of the last century.
Its
importance was enhanced by its position as a District administrative
headquarters of its surrounding area which included the smaller towns of
Balingian, Dalat and Oya as far back as the Brooke rule.
The
history of Mukah stretches beyond the birth of the state and was already an
important coastal trading town in the Brunei kingdom when James Brooke first
came to Sarawak in 1839.
Its
importance and prosperity owed much to its proximity to the sea, its abundant
sago palm trees and its mid position of the Brunei Sultanate's coastline.
Brunei
and Arab traders brought Islam to the pagan Melanaus of the area well before
Brooke Raj claimed the town as part of Sarawak. During the Brooke rule,
Christian missionaries moved in under the strict order by the Brooke government
that they could only convert the Likou (pagan Melanaus).
This
arrangement worked out well resulting in the Mukah and Dalat Melanaus' unique
religious composition of Muslims, Christians and Likous... a showcase of
religious harmony and tolerance.
Mukah
district covers the sub-districts of Balingian and Selangau while Dalat and Oya
come within the jurisdiction of the Dalat District.
The
coastal region of the Mukah district is populated mainly by the Melanau who have
embraced either Islam or Christianity in the past 50 to 100 years. A sizeable
percentage are still pagans who cling on to their animist tradition.
In
the interior region, the majority are Iban who are mostly farmers, while the
Chinese, who are found mainly in the town, are engaged in business activities.
According
to the latest census, the population of Mukah and Balingian are 40,533
comprising 16,212 Melanau, 20,821 Iban and 3,500 Chinese.
Education
One
of the most significant early development of the town was education brought by
the Catholic Church. By 1910 it had established the Sacred Heart vocational
school. Later it was changed to an academic school up to lower secondary level
and renamed St. Patrick's school.
Primary
schools were later established in the rural areas and in 1962 the government set
up the Three Rivers Secondary school to cater for the growing number of students
in the Mukah District.
This
early introduction of education to the town laid the foundation for the success
of the people there and today the Melanaus are among the most educated races in
Sarawak.
Decline
Being
heavily dependent on the sago industry, the fortunes of Mukah waxed and waned
with the fluctuations the price of the commodity. By the seventies when the sago
industry began to decline, the town slowly lost its vitality.
The
situation was compounded by poor accessibility to the town which mainly depended
on wooden coasters for its trade by sea while it was only connected by road to
Oya.
However,
Mukah is one of the first rural towns to be connected by air as its airfield was
built in the 1950s. Air travel is still the fastest, albeit limited, to the town
and the upgraded runway can accommodate a nine-seater twin-otter plane.
The
situation improved when the road linking the town to Sibu and Dalat was
completed, drastically cutting down travelling time to these places. Until then
travelling to these places entailed a long journey by bus first to Oya then by
boat first to Dalat then to Sibu.
Revival
With
its position as an administrative centre and its past prosperity, Mukah is in a
better position than many rural towns in the state as it is one of the first
rural towns to be equipped with basic infrastructure like electric and treated
water supply, schools and a hospital.
With
the construction of the coastal road network linking Mukah to other coastal
towns; Tatau, Balingian, Igan and Matu/Daro in the region, Mukah is poised to
regain its position as the commercial hub of the central coastal region of
Sarawak.
Apart
from the air link served by a 9-seater twin-otter aircraft, Mukah was only
accessible by river or sea transport in the early 80s.
“With
the present government policies to upgrade and create a new town nucleus and
spread out development to rural areas, this town will soon develop and progress
much faster”, District Officer of Mukah Abang Othman Abang Fata said.
Mukah
is blessed with a fertile hinterland and abundant resources from the open sea.
The people are also receptive to development changes. Their positive attitude
and willingness to participate in most programmes and activities undertaken in
the district have also contributed to enhancing the pace of development in Mukah.
“Major
facilities such as schools, electricity supply, telecommunication, hospital,
piped water supply and good road network are already in place and being utilised
by the local community here”, said the District Officer.
Under
the Seventh Malaysia Plan, various development projects had been implemented in
the district by the relevant government agencies to improve the socioeconomic
well-being of the rural people. Among them were the construction of drainage and
irrigation projects and creation of rural growth center (RGC) to upgrade the
living standard and increase their incomes of the rural population.
Mukah
also boasts of a new Police station complex costing RM19.1 million and a new
multi-million ringgit school building complex, comprising both primary and
secondary school, which is currently under construction.
Plan
is also in the pipeline for the construction of a new government office complex
to meet this future progress, he said.
With
the completion of the 26km overland pipeline from Nanga Tingkat Ulu Mukah, the
there will be sufficient supply of treated water to cater to the needs of the
local consumers, and the perennial problem caused by saline water during dry
season will be solved.
Abang
Othman acknowledged that the private sector had been one of the major
contributors to development, especially in the setting up of oil palm estates,
and at present, a total of 125, 387 hectares are under oil palm cultivation. The
sector has provided vast employment as well as business opportunities to the
locals.
Sago
cultivation is one of the main economic activities of the Melanaus here, with
more than 21,000 hectares already planted with the crop by both by small holders
and plantation owners.
Although
the sago industry has long been established in Mukah, the farmers were only able
to experience increased production and income in the late 80s when the
government agencies took steps to improve the volume and quality of sago flour
production.
With
the setting up of PPES Sago Industries Sdn. Bhd. in 1989, a subsidiary company
of Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (S.E.D.C.), prices of sago logs have
appreciated considerably, reaching an all-time high of RM5.00 per log in the
early 90s. This price was obviously a far cry from the early 80s when a sago log
then would only fetch RM1.00.
To
enhance growth of the hospitality and services sector, steps are being taken to
develop the annual “Kaul” Festival and sport fishing off Mukah.
According
to Abang Othman, the site of “Kaul” celebration area will be developed into
an attractive place for picnickers, equipped with the basic facilities for
outdoor camping. lPlans are also in the offing to develop a live museum of the
local Melanau culture in Kampung Tellian.
A
businessman, Councillor Bobby Lim Chee Wee is optimistic of the future that lies
in store for Mukah, given the rapid pace of development and the Government’s
plan to turn Mukah into a major sport fishing centre.
“
The greatest development is on road transportation which has enabled people from
other parts of the State to have easy access to Mukah, and at the same time it
opens up vast business opportunities for the people here”, Lim said.
He
recalled the olden days when transportation of goods was mainly by coastal
shipping, and it could take up to two to three weeks for goods to arrive the
town. during the monsoon season when the sea was rough.
From
a sleepy town of 68 wooden shop houses prior to the major fire outbreak in 1989,
Mukah had expanded to a modern township of 220 shop houses.
Lim
commended the Mukah District Council for its efforts in maintaining and
upgrading the existing infrastructure and ensuring the landscape in the town
remain beautiful and clean.
Paramount
chief of the Melanau community here, Temengong Ali Suhaili, said: “The people
here are very receptive to development brought by the government and I am
grateful to the Government for the various development programmes that have
undoubtedly benefited the people.”
“If
we think back of the seventies and compare those times with the present, we
can’t help but acknowledge that many of projects and facilities we enjoy today
and the improved lifestyle of the people were undreamed of before”, he said.
On
the annual traditional Melanau “Pesta Kaul” celebration, Temenggong Ali said
he was grateful to the Government for including it in the Sarawak Tourism
calendar, saying this would enhance the image of the town and augur well for the
development of its hospitality and
services sector.
End
with 11 pictures. MH- mukah14.1 to mukah14.11
Captions:
Mukah1-The old wooden shop houses situated along the Mukah river where people
still flock to do their commercial activities.
Mukah2-
With this fish season on…the fish market is always a must for visitors to
Mukah town.
Mukah3-
District Officer Abang Othman Abang Fata…Mukah is endowed with rich fertile
hinterland and good fishing ground, co-operative and able human resources, this
will help make develop the town.
Mukah4-Tar-sealed
road… good road transportation network system the catalyst for development and
changes.
Mukah5-
The New township...planted with greenery’s by the local council is situated
about a kilometer from the old is fully accommodated with business activities.
Mukah6-
The Multi-million dollar Federal Project for Education… the New school complex
comprising primary and secondary school buildings is still being built behind
the New township.
Mukah7-
Ferry Point…Mukah connecting to the rest of the other divisions, the bridge
will be built crossing the Mukah river at this ferry point in the 8 Malaysia
Plan, to facilitate faster movement of traffics.
Mukah8-
New Mukah Police station costing RM19.1million complex at Jalan Oya.
Mukah9-
Enterprising fishermen youths selling freshly caught “Ikan Jamah” and Bawal
Hitam (Black Pompret) caught by the traditional fishing method “Panau” at
the market roadside.
Mukah10-
Councilor Bobby Lim Chee Wee, with road development transportation had been made
faster and business is on the increase
Mukah11
– Temengong Ali Suhaili, the people here are very receptive to development and
looking forward for more changes and progress to this town.
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