Marudi Pekan Marudi | |
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Town and district capital | |
![]() Baram Regional Museum (formerly Fort Hose) | |
Nickname: Claude Town (Brooke Administration) | |
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Coordinates: 4°11′0″N114°19′0″E / 4.18333°N 114.31667°E | |
Country | Malaysia |
State | Sarawak |
Division | Miri |
District | Marudi |
Government | |
• District Officer | Belayong Anak Pok |
Area | |
• Total | 21,634.0 km2 (8,518 sq mi) |
Population (2010 [1] ) | |
• Total | 90,100 |
Demonym | Marudian |
Time zone | UTC+8 (MST) |
• Summer (DST) | Not observed |
Postal code | 9805x |
International dialling code prefix | 085 (landline only) |
Vehicle registration plate prefix | QM (for all vehicles except taxis) HQ (for taxis only) |
Website | www.marudidc.org |
Marudi is a town in the Malaysian state of Sarawak, and is a part of the division of Miri. It is the seat of Marudi District, and is located on the banks of Baram River, about 100 kilometres (62 mi) upstream from the river mouth. Marudi was the administrative centre of the northern region of Sarawak before Miri was established in 1910. Marudi is considered as the cultural heart of the Orang Ulu, the highland tribes of Sarawak. It is also a transit gateway to Kelabit Highlands and Gunung Mulu National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. [2]
Up until 1882, the Baram area was ruled by the Sultan of Brunei. By that time, the Sultan was having a lot of trouble keeping these vicious tribes in the Baram region under control with their ongoing feuds and bloodletting. Towards the end of the 1800s, the conflicts and the growth of tribal territories had gotten dangerously near to his capital, endangering his personal safety. In this about 10,000 square miles (26,000 km2) domain, the Sultan's power had never previously been used. The Malays never traveled into the interior of Baram out of dread of the Kayan tribe's fury. [3]
Since of this, the Sultan was willing to give up control of the region when Rajah Brooke extended his rule into the higher regions of Baram in exchange for a one-time payment of six thousand dollars annually, which the Foreign Office in England approved since they thought it was a reasonable price for the transfer. [3] By 1883, the Sultan of Brunei (Abdul Momin) ceded the Baram region (including Miri) to Charles Brooke. [4] [5]
The fourth division of Sarawak was immediately created with the installation of Mamerto George Gueritz as the first Resident of the Division. A fort was built in at Marudi, 43 km (27 mi) to the east of Miri. [6] The area was then named Claudetown in honour of Claude Champion de Crespigny, Resident of the Third Division when he died in 1884, and it became the administrative centre of the division. The administration was helped by two junior officers, 30 rangers, and a few native police. [7]
Charles Hose became Resident of Baram District in 1891 and the fort in Marudi was renamed Fort Hose. As a result of his concerns about his people' savage practices, Charles Brooke resolved to put a stop to the headhunting and blood feuds permanently. He organised a competition amongst all the tribes and started cockfighting among them, but the losing tribes didn't take it well, and further fighting broke out. Boat-racing was chosen instead, and Resident Charles Hose designated Marudi as the venue for a regatta. [3]
In 1895 and 1896, the Brooke administration organised an expedition to Usun Apau Plieran to punish the Kenyah people (including the Badeng people, a sub-tribe of Kenyahs) living there, who were alleged to have been responsible for the deaths of a Malay, a Chinese trader, and several Iban people. In October 1896, Saba Irang, the headman of the Badeng people, came to Claudetown to seek refuge and make peace with the Brooke administration. Hose decided to organise a peace conference at his fort in April 1899 to “encourage the Madang (Badeng) to be loyal subjects and to ensure a friendly recognition by them by the Baram people". [8] The conference was attended by 6,000 people. [8] This peace conference also led to creation of the Baram Regatta, a long boat race competition among the natives that continues to be held in the present day. [9]
The town is the administrative centre of Marudi District, a district in the Miri Division of Sarawak, governed by Marudi District Council, which encompasses the districts of Marudi and Mulu, and small portions of the districts are under Miri City Council such as Ba'kelalan. [10] [11]
It was officially announced on 13 October 2017, that the 43.2 kilometres (26.8 mi) road project that connects Miri with Marudi is far ahead of its initial 30-month timeline for completion. The road upgrade was supposed to be 12.53% finished by 25 September, however it is already 30.80% finished, or 18.27% ahead of schedule. The road link's poor state and increasing significance prompted the public to express great interest in its improvement, which started on 15 September 2016. [12] The roads that connect Miri and Marudi passes through plantations, and occasionally have just one lane. [2] The RM75 million Marudi bridge is anticipated to be finished by the end of 2024. [13]
Marudi is served by Marudi Airport (MUR) which is in the town. De Havilland Canada DHC-6s of MASwings fly to Miri up to nine times daily and serve Bario, Long Banga, Long Lellang, Long Akah and Long Seridan. The airport is a 10-minute (1 km; 0.62 mi) walk east from the centre. The airport and town center are only a short distance apart, a well-constructed pedestrian walkway runs beside the major route into town. [2]
According to SRB statistics, 66,174 passengers passed through the Marudi express boat passenger terminals in total in 2013. However, five years later, in 2018, there were just 3,171 passengers documented, and in 2021, there were none at all. In March 2021, the final express boat service was discontinued. Express boat services were reinstated in 2022 for Marudi and Sungai Tutoh, Baram, to give the locals there more transportation alternatives. [14]
In 2023, the crocodile population in Marudi enjoys intimidating and terrifying its human neighbors, particularly those who reside in riverfront settlements, given the decreased number of boats that travel the Baram River. Residents depend on these watercraft to get around when they resided in Baram. Back then, the river had once been packed with express vessels, sampans, and various other water vessels, and how it is now much quieter, which may be the reason why more crocodiles have been observed within villages, especially longhouses. [15]
Marudi has a tropical rainforest climate with heavy to very heavy rainfall year-round.
Climate data for Marudi | |||||||||||||
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Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 30.1 (86.2) | 30.0 (86.0) | 30.6 (87.1) | 31.2 (88.2) | 31.4 (88.5) | 31.4 (88.5) | 31.1 (88.0) | 31.1 (88.0) | 31.1 (88.0) | 30.8 (87.4) | 30.7 (87.3) | 30.5 (86.9) | 30.8 (87.5) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 26.7 (80.1) | 26.7 (80.1) | 27.0 (80.6) | 27.6 (81.7) | 27.7 (81.9) | 27.6 (81.7) | 27.3 (81.1) | 27.3 (81.1) | 27.3 (81.1) | 27.2 (81.0) | 27.1 (80.8) | 26.9 (80.4) | 27.2 (81.0) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 23.3 (73.9) | 23.4 (74.1) | 23.5 (74.3) | 24.0 (75.2) | 24.0 (75.2) | 23.8 (74.8) | 23.5 (74.3) | 23.5 (74.3) | 23.6 (74.5) | 23.6 (74.5) | 23.5 (74.3) | 23.4 (74.1) | 23.6 (74.5) |
Average rainfall mm (inches) | 287 (11.3) | 177 (7.0) | 195 (7.7) | 229 (9.0) | 254 (10.0) | 204 (8.0) | 178 (7.0) | 235 (9.3) | 240 (9.4) | 307 (12.1) | 328 (12.9) | 338 (13.3) | 2,972 (117) |
Source: Climate-Data.org [16] |
The majority of the structures in Marudi's grid-planned town center are multi-story shophouses. This is a typical example of urban planning in Malaysia prior to the emphasis moving to more dispersed suburban projects. [2] The town has its own fire station. [17]
The Chung Hua School was initially founded in 1926, originally within the temple's grounds. In 1926, the primary school welcomed its first students. With only fifteen students, the first headmaster was Goh Jing Chew, and the sessions were initially held in the rear of the tealple. The first wooden building atop a hill was finished in 1936. The wooden structure was destroyed in 1973 due to damage, and a new structure was built in its place. Sim Kheng Hong graced the inauguration ceremony on 4 November 1973. [18]
Fort Hose, a wooden fort built during the Brooke administration, [19] is situated near the town center and directly off the road that leads from the airstrip to the town center. The fort's construction was finished in 1891, and it stood until a fire destroyed it in 1994. The building that is seen now is a renovated model that debuted in 1997. Charles Hose is honoured by the fort's name. Today, the Baram District Museum is located within the fort. The location overlooks the Baram River. [2]
Marudi Tua Pek Kong is situated within Marudi's commercial center. The temple has weathered three big fire catastrophes in the town's history without any damage. [20] Back then, Chinese businessmen arrived in Southeast Asia to do business, they erected a temple dedicated to Tua Pek Kong. This would be their regular meeting spot going forward. [21] The Baram River is just next to the temple. The lone Chinese temple in Marudi was constructed in 1891. Though relatively tiny in comparison to other Chinese temples in the area, the temple remains an essential component of the town. [2]
The Marudi Market is one among the sites along Jalan Kampung Cina. In the morning, the market is generally bustling with activity. [2] The ground floor is home to the neighborhood market. On the first level, there is a food court as well. The majority of the shops provide a variety of rice and noodle meals, coffee, and tea. [22]
According to Datu Dr. Penguang Manggil, the Marudi Waterfront expansion project and the first stage of a planned three-star hotel should be finished by 2025. The Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) will construct an RM35 million, 90-room hotel on the site of the former Marudi Rest House. The present waterfront, which was overflowing at the most recent Baram Regatta 2023, will be gradually extended to 1.5 km (0.93 mi), making it one of the longest in the state. The esplanade expansion and slope protection would cost around RM35 million each, according to the Department of Irrigation and Drainage. [13]
When Charles Brooke selected Marudi as the administrative hub for Sarawak's northern district after racial unrest in Baram, the town was then known as Claude Town. The locals enthusiastically embraced the offer made by the then-resident, Charles Hose, to hold a boat race between all the rival races in order to put an end to the carnage. In 1899, the Baram Regatta was initiated as a means of promoting peace among the many tribes. The event drew in over 6,000 participants from Baram, including Ibans, Kenyahs, Kayans, Narums, Melanaus, Malays, and Madangs. Since that point, the regatta has grown to be a yearly occasion that attracts visitors of all ethnicities from Baram and other places. [23] [9]
Sarawak is a state of Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is located in the region of East Malaysia in northwest Borneo, and is bordered by the Malaysian state of Sabah to the northeast, Kalimantan to the south, and Brunei in the north. The state capital, Kuching, is the largest city in Sarawak, the economic centre of the state, and the seat of the Sarawak state government. Other cities and towns in Sarawak include Miri, Sibu, and Bintulu. As of the 2020 Malaysia census, the population of Sarawak was 2.453 million. Sarawak has an equatorial climate with tropical rainforests and abundant animal and plant species. It has several prominent cave systems at Gunung Mulu National Park. Rajang River is the longest river in Malaysia; Bakun Dam, one of the largest dams in Southeast Asia, is located on one of its tributaries, the Balui River. Mount Murud is the highest point in the state. Sarawak is the only state of Malaysia with a Christian majority.
Sibu is a landlocked city located in the central region of Sarawak, Malaysia. It serves as the capital of Sibu District within Sibu Division and is situated on the island of Borneo. Covering an area of 129.5 square kilometres (50.0 sq mi), the city is positioned at the confluence of the Rajang and Igan Rivers, approximately 60 kilometres from the South China Sea and 191.5 kilometres (119 mi) north-east of the state capital, Kuching.
Miri is a coastal city in north-eastern Sarawak, Malaysia, located near the border of Brunei, on the island of Borneo. The city covers an area of 997.43 square kilometres (385.11 sq mi), located 798 kilometres (496 mi) northeast of Kuching and 329 kilometres (204 mi) southwest of Kota Kinabalu. Miri is the second largest city in Sarawak, with a population of 356,900 as of 2020. The city is also the capital of Miri District, Miri Division.
Charles Hose FRGS. FLS was a British colonial administrator, zoologist and ethnologist.
Tua Pek Kong is a Taoist deity in the pantheon of Peranakan folk religion practiced by ethnic Chinese in Malaysia, Singapore, and parts of Indonesia.
The Baram River is a river in Sarawak on the island of Borneo. The river originates in the Kelabit Highlands, a watershed demarcated by the Iran Mountains of East Kalimantan, which form a natural border with Sarawak. The river flows westwards through tropical rainforest to the South China Sea. The Baram River terminates in a delta, which is subdivided into two units: East Barma Delta of Middle-Late Miocene age and West Baram Delta of Late Miocene-Quaternary age. The western unit is composed of mudstones enriched in organic components which constitute substantial oil and gas reserves.
The Raj of Sarawak, also the Kingdom of Sarawak or State of Sarawak, located in the northwestern part of the island of Borneo, was an independent state founded in 1841, in a treaty of protection with the United Kingdom starting from 1888. It was established from a series of land concessions acquired by an Englishman, James Brooke, from the Sultan of the Bruneian Empire. Sarawak was recognised as an independent sovereign state by the United States in 1850 and by the United Kingdom in 1864. The Kingdom is now the Malaysian state of Sarawak.
Bintulu is a coastal town on the island of Borneo in the central region of Sarawak, Malaysia. Bintulu is located 610 kilometres northeast of Kuching, 216 kilometres northeast of Sibu, and 200 kilometres southwest of Miri. With a population of 114,058 as of 2010, Bintulu is the capital of the Bintulu District of the Bintulu Division of Sarawak, Malaysia.
The Kenyah people are an indigenous, Austronesian-speaking people of Borneo, living in interior North and East Kalimantan, Indonesia and Sarawak, Malaysia.
The History of Sarawak can be traced as far as 40,000 years ago to the paleolithic period where the earliest evidence of human settlement is found in the Niah caves. A series of Chinese ceramics dated from the 8th to 13th century AD was uncovered at the archeological site of Santubong. The coastal regions of Sarawak came under the influence of the Bruneian Empire in the 16th century. In 1839, James Brooke, a British explorer, first arrived in Sarawak. Sarawak was later governed by the Brooke family between 1841 and 1946. During World War II, it was occupied by the Japanese for three years. After the war, the last White Rajah, Charles Vyner Brooke, ceded Sarawak to Britain, and in 1946 it became a British Crown Colony. On 22 July 1963, Sarawak was granted self-government by the British. Following this, it became one of the founding members of the Federation of Malaysia, established on 16 September 1963. However, the federation was opposed by Indonesia, and this led to the three-year Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation. From 1960 to 1990, Sarawak experienced a communist insurgency.
Tua Peh Kong Temple in Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia is the oldest Chinese temple in the town with a 7-storey pagoda with the temple history dates back to 1850s.
Long Moh is a longhouse settlement in the Marudi division of Sarawak, Malaysia. It lies approximately 551.6 kilometres (343 mi) east-north-east of the state capital Kuching.
Long San is a Kenyah settlement in the Marudi division of Sarawak, Malaysia. It lies approximately 530.4 kilometres (330 mi) east-north-east of the state capital Kuching.
Usun Apau Plieran is a remote abandoned Kenyah Jamuk, Badeng and Lepu Aga' village settled in 1860, Belaga district. To be exact, Usun Apau Plieran is located at the upstream of Sungai Plieran and Sungai Tiyut. The highest peak that close to this area are Bukit Busing 1300m and Mudung Batu Bora about 1450m. There are a few old longhouse sites in this area such as Long Metalon, Long Ampan Aing, Long Bora, Long Taa, Ka Laeh, Lidung Jelo and Lolau Mabo.
Lidung Jelo was an ancient remote Kenyah's longhouse settlement in the mountainous interior located by the Plieran river bank, Belaga division of Sarawak. There are many local fruit trees like durian, alim, terap, rambutan and langsat which still grows wild in these old settlement areas.
Chinatown is located at Padungan road, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. The most notable streets in the Chinatown are Main Bazaar and Carpenter Street.
The Klemantan people were a purported ethnic group indigenous to the island of Borneo. The term was established in Western literature by British scientist and colonial administrator Charles Hose in the early 20th century, but has since been rejected as an invented term of convenience that does not properly represent the people it claims to describe. Since then, the term has fallen largely out of use.
Bukit Mabong is a district, in Kapit Division, Sarawak, Malaysia.
Tua Pek Kong Temple is a Chinese temple situated right next to the Miri Fish Market in Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia. It is the oldest temple in the present-day Miri city.
Long Lama is a town in Marudi District, Sarawak state in Malaysia. The town is located at 143 km from Miri with a population of 1,500.