Thursday, June 28, 2007
When " Kemena River" ?
In 1867, the Italian botanist by the name Odoardo Beccari visited Bintulu . Throughout his writings he only referred to the main river in Bintulu as the "Bintulu" river. This begs the question" When did the name " Kemena River" as we now call the main river in Bintulu gained usage? This is an interesting problem that needs further research. Since when and who did change the name from "Bintulu" river to "Kemena" river? We know the meaning of Bintulu river viz from the meaning of "Bintulu". But what about Kemena? What does it mean?
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
More on Bintulu "KUBU"or fort.
Way back in 1867, an Italian botanist organised a truly ''wandering' and botanical expediton to this part of the world to study its biodiversity(today's term). In the same year he stumbled upon the fort at Bintulu. Locally called " kubu", the Bintulu fort then was in deplorable conditions having made entirely of wood. However it was his best hotel for the few nights and rainy days he spent in Bintulu,then a sleepy hollow.
To retract a bit, a few years earlier, the Sultan of Brunei had sold Bintulu area and its northern most point of Tanjong Kidurong for 6000 dollars to James Brooke. Presumably having failed to suppress piracy along the coastal regions of Sarawak and the persistence demand of James Brooke government for the establishment of security and rule of law to the local inhabitants so that trade with the British will not be hampered. And of course with their power entrenched here would permanently discourage the Dutch to extend their sphee of influence to the nortern strip of Borneo.
So the story goes, about this time the Illanun pirates of Mindanao in Southern Phillipines who frequented these areas were most feared by the " orang putih" or whiteman. New, bigger and faster boats or ships need to be purchased by the Brookes administration to play catchup and make the pirates run for dear life. As an example in 1862, a bunch of these Illanun pirates attacked present day Mukah. But The Raja Muda( Charles Brooke) managed to ward them off after a fight and of course by means of a new steamer called the "Rainbow". Good investment back then. However undeterred by this ruinous attempt, they reorganised themselves and gathered strength for an all-out attack on the Bintulu Melanaus.
This decison by the Illanuns proved fatal and a turning point for their murderous fortunes. Not waiting for the arrival of British warship and support the local Bintulu Melanaus took matters to their own hands. They came out in an equally stronger force and managed to fight off the pirates at the bay of Kidurong ( somewhere around the waters of present day Bintulu port area). After a resounding defeat in the hands of the Bintulu Melanaus, the Illanun pirates called it a day. Never again would they ply the coastal routes of Sarawak. Now you can say "Yes" to the Bintulu Melanaus!
Thus as it was conventional thing to do in those days, the British set up fort at Bintulu. Made entirely of wood, it stood there for a while and reflected a strong presence of British rule in northern Sarawak with Bintulu as the focal point of safety and governance.
By a little stretch of magination, you can feel the symbolism when the Sarawak flag was flown over the fort. Imagine for a while when Charles Brooke , the Raja Muda (and later to take over the reins from James Brooke), sending a prisoner of war to the Kayan chief named Oyong Hang slightly earlier in the year. The messenger( prisoner) brought home an ultimatum to his paramount chief viz A cannon ball and the Sarawak flag. The chief was required to choose either one. The ammunition of war to signify aggression or the flag for peace. Guess what? To the good luck of Raja Muda , the Kayans appeared at the doors of Skrang fort holding the flag. Hooray for now!.
Of course in later years, circa 1868, the fort was reconstructed and renamed Fort Keppel in memory of one of the most daring pirate busters of the Britsh empire and who happened to play a major part in suppressing piracy to the aid of James brooke in Sarawak as early as 1843. A check on the Britannica online, shows that Henry Keppel was later knighted as Sir Henry Keppel for his may successful exploits against pirates of the South China Seas, and in particular Sarawak.
Thus, my earlier post, mentioning the photograph of the fort taken in 1868.
What transpired in the walls of the fort in 1867?
History have recorded that the first ever democratic gathering was held in there. The first in the region, now called Malaysia.
Here we witnessed the first meeting of the "orang putih "residents and local communal chifefs.
The agenda looked pretty much like this:
a) To ask reparation from the Sultan of Brunei, who had earlier allowed the Sarawak flag to be insulted, by sending his tax collectors on Sarawak territory. The council to decide on the indemnity required from the Sultan of Brunei.
b) Any other communal matters.
To retract a bit, a few years earlier, the Sultan of Brunei had sold Bintulu area and its northern most point of Tanjong Kidurong for 6000 dollars to James Brooke. Presumably having failed to suppress piracy along the coastal regions of Sarawak and the persistence demand of James Brooke government for the establishment of security and rule of law to the local inhabitants so that trade with the British will not be hampered. And of course with their power entrenched here would permanently discourage the Dutch to extend their sphee of influence to the nortern strip of Borneo.
So the story goes, about this time the Illanun pirates of Mindanao in Southern Phillipines who frequented these areas were most feared by the " orang putih" or whiteman. New, bigger and faster boats or ships need to be purchased by the Brookes administration to play catchup and make the pirates run for dear life. As an example in 1862, a bunch of these Illanun pirates attacked present day Mukah. But The Raja Muda( Charles Brooke) managed to ward them off after a fight and of course by means of a new steamer called the "Rainbow". Good investment back then. However undeterred by this ruinous attempt, they reorganised themselves and gathered strength for an all-out attack on the Bintulu Melanaus.
This decison by the Illanuns proved fatal and a turning point for their murderous fortunes. Not waiting for the arrival of British warship and support the local Bintulu Melanaus took matters to their own hands. They came out in an equally stronger force and managed to fight off the pirates at the bay of Kidurong ( somewhere around the waters of present day Bintulu port area). After a resounding defeat in the hands of the Bintulu Melanaus, the Illanun pirates called it a day. Never again would they ply the coastal routes of Sarawak. Now you can say "Yes" to the Bintulu Melanaus!
Thus as it was conventional thing to do in those days, the British set up fort at Bintulu. Made entirely of wood, it stood there for a while and reflected a strong presence of British rule in northern Sarawak with Bintulu as the focal point of safety and governance.
By a little stretch of magination, you can feel the symbolism when the Sarawak flag was flown over the fort. Imagine for a while when Charles Brooke , the Raja Muda (and later to take over the reins from James Brooke), sending a prisoner of war to the Kayan chief named Oyong Hang slightly earlier in the year. The messenger( prisoner) brought home an ultimatum to his paramount chief viz A cannon ball and the Sarawak flag. The chief was required to choose either one. The ammunition of war to signify aggression or the flag for peace. Guess what? To the good luck of Raja Muda , the Kayans appeared at the doors of Skrang fort holding the flag. Hooray for now!.
Of course in later years, circa 1868, the fort was reconstructed and renamed Fort Keppel in memory of one of the most daring pirate busters of the Britsh empire and who happened to play a major part in suppressing piracy to the aid of James brooke in Sarawak as early as 1843. A check on the Britannica online, shows that Henry Keppel was later knighted as Sir Henry Keppel for his may successful exploits against pirates of the South China Seas, and in particular Sarawak.
Thus, my earlier post, mentioning the photograph of the fort taken in 1868.
What transpired in the walls of the fort in 1867?
History have recorded that the first ever democratic gathering was held in there. The first in the region, now called Malaysia.
Here we witnessed the first meeting of the "orang putih "residents and local communal chifefs.
The agenda looked pretty much like this:
a) To ask reparation from the Sultan of Brunei, who had earlier allowed the Sarawak flag to be insulted, by sending his tax collectors on Sarawak territory. The council to decide on the indemnity required from the Sultan of Brunei.
b) Any other communal matters.
Oldest dated Photograph- A.D. 1868
Thirty six gentlemen posing infront of the only fort built by the Brooke regime in Bintulu. Just above the fort entrance door are the words "FORT KEPPEL A.D. 1868". Apparently this is the oldest dated phograph I have of Bintulu.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Bintulu's Beatles mania days of the 60's
Those Beatles days in Bintulu!
Got to have a copy of "OK Hit Songs " book. And the only place to purhase them was at "Nyiap Mui Bookstore". In the old days it was located at No.11, Law Gek Soon Road. A must stop if you are to purchase a copy of the "Dolphin Magazine", " Sarawak Tribune " and Borneo Literature Bureau school textbooks. If you have a copy of those song books with Nyiap Mui Bookstore stamp( " Chop" as what local Chinese businessmen call it) then you are hitting a goldmine. With both this combination you can now proof that you are really a seniour citizen of Bintulu!. Thanksfor the good life.
Down Memory lane. In the 1960's, ( that's about 100years after we were freed from the control of Brunei Sultans) we used to play on guitars and sing -a -long sessions the following Beatles numbers:
1) Paperback Writer
2) Michelle
3) Drive My Car
4) Nowhere Man
5) In My Life ( my favourite in later years}
6) Can't Buy Me Love
7) Day Tripper
8) Eight Days a Week
9) From Me to You
10) Help
11) I Feel Fine
12) I'll Follow the Sun
13) I'm Happy Just to Dance with You
14) I Should have known better
15) I Want to Hold Your Hand
16) Long Tall Sally
17) Norwegian Wood
18) Please Mr. Postman
19) P.S. I Love You
20) She Loves You
21) She's a Woman
22) Ticket to Ride
23) We can Work it Out
24) Yesterday
25) Penny Lane
26) Sgt. Peper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
27) Strawberry Fields Forever
28) When I'm Sixty Four
29) Lady Madonna
Got to have a copy of "OK Hit Songs " book. And the only place to purhase them was at "Nyiap Mui Bookstore". In the old days it was located at No.11, Law Gek Soon Road. A must stop if you are to purchase a copy of the "Dolphin Magazine", " Sarawak Tribune " and Borneo Literature Bureau school textbooks. If you have a copy of those song books with Nyiap Mui Bookstore stamp( " Chop" as what local Chinese businessmen call it) then you are hitting a goldmine. With both this combination you can now proof that you are really a seniour citizen of Bintulu!. Thanksfor the good life.
Down Memory lane. In the 1960's, ( that's about 100years after we were freed from the control of Brunei Sultans) we used to play on guitars and sing -a -long sessions the following Beatles numbers:
1) Paperback Writer
2) Michelle
3) Drive My Car
4) Nowhere Man
5) In My Life ( my favourite in later years}
6) Can't Buy Me Love
7) Day Tripper
8) Eight Days a Week
9) From Me to You
10) Help
11) I Feel Fine
12) I'll Follow the Sun
13) I'm Happy Just to Dance with You
14) I Should have known better
15) I Want to Hold Your Hand
16) Long Tall Sally
17) Norwegian Wood
18) Please Mr. Postman
19) P.S. I Love You
20) She Loves You
21) She's a Woman
22) Ticket to Ride
23) We can Work it Out
24) Yesterday
25) Penny Lane
26) Sgt. Peper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
27) Strawberry Fields Forever
28) When I'm Sixty Four
29) Lady Madonna
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Initial notes:Let this blog be my contribution to the history of Bintulu. For have not people of Bintulu notice a mango tree that stands tall and alone at the left side of the road as you enter the town using the old airport road. Perhaps you want to find out the history of this tree before it is axed?Do you know the meaning of Kidurong?Now the site of the largest LNG complex in the world(Yes,Hear Me The Whole Wide World) Kidurong- here in Bintulu! .Well let me give you a hint.It is named after an animal.Believe it?OK ,now in true historical fashion,can you referenced it?I mean what is the literature source,such that the story is credible and substantiated.
This is just a teaser.You can get the feel already.Picking up historical subjects can be really down to earth.Anybody is welcome to contribute as well.However be clear at the onset that this is a Bintulu history blog.Other towns are not welcome here.
This is just a teaser.You can get the feel already.Picking up historical subjects can be really down to earth.Anybody is welcome to contribute as well.However be clear at the onset that this is a Bintulu history blog.Other towns are not welcome here.
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