Sitiawan

For the federal constituency formerly represented in the Dewan Rakyat, see Sitiawan (federal constituency).

Sitiawan سيتياوان 实兆远 சிதியாவான்
District of Malaysia
Country	Malaysia
State	Perak Darul Ridzuan
Population  (2016)
• Total	156,234
Time zone	UTC+8 (MST)
Postal code	32xxx

Sitiawan

Sitiawan (alternate spelling: Setiawan; origin: from Malay, a portmanteau of Setia Kawan, meaning "Loyal Friend") is a region in Manjung District, Perak, Malaysia.

The region covers an area of 331.5 square kilometers (128.0 sq mi) and as of year 2000, its population was 95,920 and has risen to more than 150,000 by 2015. Sitiawan town, the principal town of Sitiawan sub-district (mukim), is located at 4°13′N 100°42′E.

History

Folklore mentions Sitiawan as Kampung Sungai Gajah Mati. It became a thriving settlement for industrious migrants from Foochow (Chinese: Fuzhou). They were mostly from the district of Kutien in Fuzhou, China.

According to legend, Kampung Sungai Gajah Mati (literally: "Dead Elephant River Village") was the place where two large elephants drowned after one of them, overladen with tin ore, got stuck in the mud of the Dinding River at low tide. Efforts to save the elephant were in vain and eventually, everyone gave up and left. However, the second elephant refused to budge and hung on to its friend, resulting in them drowning together in the rising tide. Thus the setia kawan (loyal friend) name was derived.

In the late 19th century, tin, together with rubber sheets, formed the main commodities of commerce. They were often carried by elephants and loaded onto waiting steamships destined for Penang. In the 1870s, when an outbreak of smallpox struck the settlement, and in line with the Chinese belief of naming a place to enhance its feng-shui, the locals chose to name the locality Setia Kawan—the "loyal friend" -- to harmonise with nature and appease the dead elephants. The name eventually became shortened to Sitiawan.

Another folklore mentions about the ancient tree that is located in Sitiawan, and how an old man's spirit is often found wandering around the tree. Nowadays, the ancient tree, located at the famous Shi Zi Lu (crossroad), has become a common area for people waiting for bus to travel around Malaysia. Instead of a spirit, a middle age old man nickname "Hei Ren" can be seen often selling bus tickets.

In September 1903, the settlement got a boost with the arrival of more than 360 Christian Foochows desperate to escape the violence against the Qings Dynasty.The Chinese Christians were attacked by the Boxer party also known as Yihetuan in Chinese 义和团 and the Qing Dynasty government support the cause causing mess in Fujian in 1901 also known as Boxer Rebellion. They were led by two Chinese pastors and settled down in what is today known as Kampung Koh. Most of these immigrants worked in rubber plantations in Sitiawan. The Foochows also built four wells, two in the 1930s and another two in the 1950s. These heritage wells still exist but are no longer used.

Chin Peng, who led the Malayan Communist Party for many years, was born in Sitiawan in 1924.

Climate

Sitiawan has a Tropical Rainforest Climate (Af).

Demographics

Sitiawan consist of 45.6% Chinese, 37.3% Malay and 16.9% Indian and 0.2% others.

Ethnic groups in Manjung , 2015 census
Ethnicity	Population	Percentage
Chinese	71,242	45.6%
Bumiputera	58,275	37.3%
Indian	26,404	16.9%
Others	312	0.2%
Total	156,234	100%

Precipitation

Sitiawan is one of the driest places after Kuala Klawang Town (Jelebu), Malacca City (Malacca) and Lubok Merbau (Perak) in Malaysia with average annual rainfall just a bit below 2,000 mm (79 in). Most of the time, the average rainfall is just above 100 mm (3.9 in) with October - November being wetter months while June is the driest month of the year.

In recent years Sitiawan has suffered from haze swept in by winds from raging open fires in Sumatra, Indonesia.

Economy

Sitiawan grew from a small settlement with rubber tapping and latex processing as its main economic activities. The town was flanked by various Chinese settlements composed mostly of the descendants of immigrants from the Kutien district of Fuzhou, China. The original settlers were encouraged by the British to plant rice. The settlers, however, found that paddy-planting is not suited to the soil of the region and so they switched to livestock farming before discovering that the land was much better suited for rubber plantations.

The rapid development of urban settlements saw the plantation and estate areas develop, and eventually converted into residential and commercial areas. In the 1980s, a large remainder of the rubber estates underwent mass conversions into oil palm plantations, due to better yield and profits compared to rubber sheets and latex. Oil palm is also a much less labour-intensive crop when compared to rubber, as rubber needs to be tapped regularly.

Tourism has not been a major economic activity, but the town centre derives some economic advantages from its close proximity to Pangkor Island which is a famous niche tourist destination.

The development of the town had been rapid in the 1990s. One of the main reasons was the establishment of the Royal Malaysian Navy's Naval Base in Lumut, approximately 10 km from the town centre. The Naval Base is currently the largest in Malaysia. The base has acted as a catalyst for the development of commercial activities in the town, serving both the residents of the base and sailors visiting from other countries.

Located at the western coast of Perak with direct access to the Straits of Malacca, it is no surprise that port-related activities, marine services and industries play a major role. It's main port, Lumut Port consists of the Lumut Maritime Terminal (LMT) and Lekir Bulk Terminal (LBT) and it serves the surrounding regions and the state of Perak. LMT, a Royal Malaysian Customs Gazetted Port, is a river port, located along the banks of the Dindings River. The Terminal is an integrated common user port facility, and is International Ship Port Security code compliant. Since 1995, the Terminal has been improved and upgraded and its facilities have been extended to include additional open and covered storage. The main berth has been extended for another 280m in 2001, with the alongside depth of 12m ACD, resulting in a total overall linear berth length of 510m.

LBT is a deep water seaport, and with a natural depth of 20 metres, LBT is currently South-East Asia’s largest dry bulk unloading facility. The terminal is capable of berthing an entire range of vessels in Panamax and Capemax ships up to 165,000 DWT. LBT is designed to handle drybulk cargoes. It currently is a dedicated terminal to handle coal for Station Janakuasa Sultan Azlan Shah (TNBJ) in Seri Manjung.

An industrial zone, Lumut Port Industrial Park (LPIP), located within Lumut Port itself with direct sea,trade access, is home to various industries and companies. LPIP is home to companies such as Sapura Kencana Petroleum Berhad, an oilfield service company, Kencana Torsco Sdn. Bhd., B.I.G. Industrial Gas Sdn. Bhd., IMPSA, etc. In recent years, bio-diesel, oleo and palm-oil based companies have been set up due to the proximity to its raw material source.

A secondary jetty, located at Teluk Rubiah is built and managed by Vale Malaysia Minerals Sdn Bhd, a Brazilian mining giant. It was built as a transhipment hub for iron ore. The raw material is brought in from Brazil in gigantic 400,000 DWT bulk carriers some 360 metres in length. The Vale Jetty serves a maximum 90 million tonnes per annum of iron ore and functions as entry and exit points for all material including iron ore, sinter pellets, blast furnace pellets and pelletizing plant additives. The jetty is designed to bring in incoming iron ore from the largest bulk carrier of 400,000 DWT Valemax, and to export it with a maximum of 80,000 DWT panamax size vessel.

The project has been controversial due to environmental concerns. Fears expressed by civic groups and local residents concern the destruction of the environment, the livelihood of locals, particularly fishermen, and beach-side tourism. Nevertheless, the nearby Outward Bound School has alleged that part of the jungle is inaccessible to its teams. Other education and training institutions are also barred from entering the area.Consumer and environmental groups have joined in the condemnations with claims that the ecosystem of the area, formerly gazetted as a forest reserve, would be destabilised. The plant is located on a 450-acre site which was originally a Permanent Forest Reserve but the state government re-gazetted it to an ‘Industrial Zone’. The Perak Department of Wildlife and National Parks said that the area is rich in flora and fauna and protected under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. The site is surrounded by mature and regenerating natural primary forest whilst the bird life and mammals are protected by national and international laws. The area is also home to leopards, white-bellied eagles and the endangered palm plant, Phoenix paladosa.

Another major industry is its rich rubber latex resource, YTY Industry Sdn Bhd, a world leader in Nitrile Gloves production for examination and surgical use, TNB JanaManjung Sdn Bhd an independent power generation company, TNB's Sultan Aziz Shah Coal-Fired Power Plant and several other industrial manufacturing and mining companies.

Education

There are many schools in Sitiawan, such as Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Ahmad Boestamam, Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan Nan Hwa,Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Convent Sitiawan, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan ACS (Anglo Chinese School) Sitiawan,Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tok Perdana. The first mentioned school is named after Ahmad Boestamam, an historical figure who helped to gain independence from the British.

SMJK Nan Hwa was previously a private Chinese school which had been converted into a partially subsidised government school which uses the Chinese medium. Nan Hwa was founded in 1935 from the amalgamation of the High School section of 4 Chinese primary schools (Chung Cheng Primary School, Kuok Min Primary School, Uk Dih Primary School and Uk Ing Primary School) in the Sitiawan area. Ong Seok Kim was elected as first Chairman of the School Board in 1936 and again in 1946 to 1947. Its 70th anniversary was celebrated on 1 September 2006 in SMJK Nan Hwa school hall. A thousand-person dinner was held at the Ku Tien Association Hall to commemorate that auspicious day.

There are 24 Chinese primary schools and 5 Chinese secondary schools in the district. Of these, 5 schools were founded by Ong Seok Kim. They are SJK (C) Chung Cheng, Sitiawan in 1920, SMJK Nan Hwa (which split into Sekolah Tinggi Nan Hwa, Ayer Tawar Road in 1984) in 1935, SJK (C) Ping Min, Lumut in 1951 and SMJK Dindings, Lumut in 1953. Ong Seok Kim died in 1964. The following year, the Manjung community established the Ong Seok Kim Memorial Education Fund in his honour. The Fund offers scholarships and loans to students in the Manjung District, irrespective of ethnicity.

SMK Methodist ACS Sitiawan, formerly an English school, was founded by Christian missionaries back in 1903. It is currently a national school under Malaysian education system and subjects are taught in Bahasa Malaysia. Its 100th anniversary was celebrated in 2003 and it is also the oldest secondary school in Sitiawan. ACS is the first school in Manjung to set up a scout troop.

Fuzhou Heritage

Sitiawan is known for its strong Foochow heritage. Various traditional Foochow dishes such as Red Rice Wine Vermicelli, "Kompiang" or "Kong Piang" (traditional Foochow buns made with a type of unleavened flatbread stuffed with seasoned pork and baked in a clay oven), as well as "Go- row" (a thick sweet and sour broth cooked with fish maw) are served in Sitiawan restaurants and households alike. Traditional local produce such as red rice wine, and Foochow vermicelli continue to play a vital part in the livelihood of some families from Kampung Koh. Kampong Koh Sauce (M) Sdn Bhd makes one of the finest and widely liked chilly sauces.

Modern Sitiawan

Recent intense development on transportation routes between Lumut, Seri Manjung and Sitiawan along the Dindings river have brought both prosperity and pollution to what was once a relatively quiet town. The primary industries within Sitiawan are rubber and Rubber glove manufacturing, palm oil, mineral ore, fishing, prawn farming and ship building. Sitiawan is known for it Vietnam Farms, where patrons can enjoy some beer with the company of Vietnam lasses.

Around the year 2000, Sitiawan residents began to be involved in swiftlet bird breeding activities. This activity was partly attributed to the development of 2 major roads which indirectly "disconnect" Kampung Koh and Simpang Empat from traffics travelling to Lumut. All traffics were directed to the planned township of Sri Manjung. All local government administrative offices were also relocated to Manjung in recent years. This development renders shop and small business owners in Kampung Koh and Simpang Empat obsolete and there were many closures. The empty shop lots were later converted to culture swiftlets and at its peak 8-10 years ago, drove property prices up through the roof. There were also many new independent buildings built on farm started to mushroom which can still be seen from major roads leading to Lumut.

Sitiawan also is known for the Tua Pek Kong temple which is located about 15 minutes from the town, this temple has monumental statues and structure that are quite amazing. Lots of Chinese deities in a garden like atmosphere in a large compound facing the Pasir Panjang seashore.

External links

• Majlis Perbandaran Manjung (Manjung Municipal Council) website in Bahasa Malaysia.
• Manjung Land and District Office website.
• Sitiawan pictures.
• List of Factory Outlets in Sitiawan
• Photos of Mangrove Swamp 'Venice of Perak' (in Bahasa Melayu: Taman Baya Bakau)
• Official Site of Ong Seok Kim
• S.K. Ling Co