Mukah
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 Mukah
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| Coordinates: 2°53′46″N 112°4′43″E / 2.89611°N 112.07861°E | |||
| Division Office location | Mukah | ||
| Local area government (s) | Majlis Daerah Dalat & Mukah (MDDM) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 7,916.33 km2 (3,056.51 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2010[1]) | |||
| • Total | 43,284 | ||
| • Density | 5.468/km2 (14.16/sq mi) | ||
| Resident | Tuan Haji Saudi Bin Haji Narani | ||
| Walikota | Haji Ali bin Suhaili | ||
| Nickname | The Melanau Heartland | ||
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 city 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 (about 30 kilometers from Mukah) to Sibu. The express boat trip takes approximately 2 hours.
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[edit] 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 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.[2]
[edit] 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 Melanau. Other ethnicities are Chinese, Iban, Malay and others.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Future Developments
The development of the Mukah Town Extension Phase 2[3] 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.[4]
He also revealed his vision to make Mukah a smart city.
[edit] 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.[5]
The locals also recommend visitors to try a variety of ABC (Air Batu Campur) at the Medan Food Center.
[edit] Good to Know
Mukah town even has statues of Ikan Merah(Red Snapper) and Udang(Prawn) that suggests the importance of the fishery industry to the town and the division wholly.
[edit] References
- ^ "Laporan Kiraan Permulaan 2010". Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia. p. iv. http://www.statistics.gov.my/ccount12/click.php?id=2127. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
- ^ http://anglicanhistory.org/asia/sarawak/sketches1882/16.html
- ^ "Mukah Town Extension Phase 2, Mukah". Hock Peng Organisation. http://www.hockpeng.com.my/web2/node/359. Retrieved 2011-03-08.
- ^ "Study on Mukah soon". http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/4/11/sarawak/8456598&sec=sarawak. Retrieved 2011-04-11.
- ^ "Things to do in Mukah". http://www.lonelyplanet.com/malaysia/malaysian-borneo-sarawak/mukah/things-to-do. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
[edit] External links
- Laman Web Rasmi Majlis Daerah Dalat & Mukah
- Laman Web Rasmi Pejabat Daerah Mukah
- Laman Web Rasmi Pejabat Residen Mukah
- Mukah Polytechnic Website
- Mukah Kaul Festival on Virtual Malaysia Website
- Kaul Festival on STB website
- Mukah Pictures
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