Sunday, July 28, 2013

History of Sarawak

The history of modern Sarawak is closely related to the adventures of an Englishman, James Brooke after his adventure to Sarawak in 1839. With a boundary extending from Tanjung Datu to Batang Samarahan, Sarawak then was one of Brunei’s territories and was ruled by its Governor, Pengiran Mahkota. Politically, the country was in a state of turmoil with the natives constantly in rebellion against Brunie’s authority. To restore order, the Raja Muda of Brunei was sent but failed in his mission until Brooke returned the following year and offered his assistance. As a reward for his success in pacifying the revolts, Brooke was installed as first Rajah of Sarawak in 1841. Thus began the reign of the White Rajahs under the the Brooke family which was to last more than a century.
During the first few decades of his first rule, Brooke’s hold over the century was greatly challenged not only by problems like piracy, but also by the armed resistance by his subjects, particularly the natives. Some measure of law and order was achieved and administrative changes were introduced. By 1861, Sarawak has been further enlarged with the Sultan’s cession of all the rivers and lands from Sadong River to Kidurong Point. By 1864, it has been recognized as an independent State by both the United States and Britain. Further cession of territory occurred in 1868 with the reign of the second Rajah, Charles Brooke, so that by 1885 Sarawak’s frontier extended to the valley of the Trusan River. In 1890, the Limbang region was added and in 1905, the Lawas River area was purchased from the British North Borneo Company.
Foreign protection was sought as early as the reign if the first Rajah to ensure Sarawak’s political and economic survival and independence but it was only in 1880 that Sarawak was accorded British protection. With the decline in piracy and in a situation of relative political stability economic development gained momentum, This continued during the reign of the third Rajah, Charles Vyner Brooke, who succeeded Charles Brooke in 1917.
In 1941, a new constitution was granted by the Rajah which paved the way for self-governance by the people. Among others, the constitution specified the composition of the Supreme Council and Council Negeri. Before the enactment could be effected, however, the Japanese invaded and occupied Borneo. When Sarawak was liberated in 1946, the third Rajah declared his intention to cede Sarawak to Great Britain, a decision which was opposed by many especially the natives who formed what was known as the Anti-Cession Movement. However, the Council Negeri voted 19 to 16 in favour of cession and Sarawak became a British Crown Colony on July the 1st, 1946. Dissatisfaction mounted, resulting in mass resignation of the of 388 Malay civil servants and the assassination of the Second British Governor of the colony of Sarawak in 1949. The British reaction to this attack was swift and the protest movement virtually died by 1950. A number of the anti-cessionists continued their involvement in politics and won for the State its "second independence" by supporting the formation of Malaysia mooted by Tunku Abdul Rahman, the then Chief Minister of Independent Malaya. In 1963, Sarawak achieved its independence within Malaysia.
J
ames Brooke

 Charles Vyner Brooke


Sarawak Map

Evolution of Sarawak flag







Events happening at Sarawak

Events that have been happening in Sarawak have taken a lot of attention across the globe. many have come to Malaysia just for the event happening.



RAINFOREST WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL
The Rainforest World Music Festival is an annual three-day music festival celebrating the diversity of world music, held in KuchingSarawakMalaysia, with daytime music workshops, cultural displays, craft displays, food stalls, and main-stage evening concerts. It is now one of the largest musical events in Malaysia with a total weekend audience approaching 30,000. The festival features a wide range of performances from traditional music, to world fusion and contemporary world music. The festival emphasizes the use of traditional acoustic world instruments, although electric accompaniment instruments are common. Invited performers come from Sarawak, other provinces of Malaysia, and countries near and far. 


PESTA BENAK
Pesta Benak (Tidal Bore Carnival) in Sri Aman is one of the yearly activities in the Sarawak tourism calendar. The objective of Pesta Benak Sri Aman is to introduce Sri Aman town through tourism and encourage tourist from in and outside the country to visit Sri Aman. Apart from it, Pesta Benak is also to promote harmony among local community. During spring tide, normally on the third and eighteen day of the Chinese Lunar Calendar, tidal bores with high magnitude can be observed clearly. The ‘benak’ continues its journey another 30 km inland, ending near the small village of Engkilili.

SARAWAK REGATTA
http://kuchingborneo.info/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/regatta.jpg
This annual event is the showcase of boat race with participation from various government agencies, private sectors and also participants from overseas such as Indonesia and Brunei. Other activities include displays of crafts and exhibitions by local entrepreneurs. The event include "Brooke Swim". kayaking and duck catching. Racing boats from the various villages around Sarawak will make it a grand affair and also a great occasion for families from outside Kuching to visit the city. Sarawak Regatta has been a premier event with a distinct historical and cultural significant. It was held as early as before 1872 and was organized as an annual event taking place during the New Year. Sarawak Regatta had recorded in 1872, that the annual Regatta that year washeld on 29th February 1872 at the Sarawak River infront of the Astana. The Europeon community in Sarawak and in the neighbouring countries were invited to the Astana. Keen competition were also recorded for the Rajah Cup. The boat "Sri Matu" built and manned by the melanaus, was reported as the winning boat. The Gazette records indicate that Regatta had been an important social event organized annually for social integration and goodwill for the people of Sarawak. The tradition of holding the annual Regatta in Sarawak River continued through the Colonial period and into the post-Malaysia period. During these periods the Regatta was organized by Resident and District Office with funds from the Government while the rest of the fund was raised through public donations



Saturday, July 27, 2013

Sarawak food

 There are 2 types of food that was originated from Sarawak, given by the name "Laksa Sarawak","Mee Kolok" and "Umai" . in this modern era these food are now everywhere in Malaysia. but, the original taste would be in Sarawak. the texture and aroma of mixing spices could make people having them more.


LAKSA SARAWAK 
Laksa Sarawak comes from the Malaysian state Sarawak, on the island of Borneo. It is actually very different from the curry laksa as the soup contains no curry at all. It has a base of Sambal belacan, sour tamarind, garlic, galangal, lemon grass and coconut milk, topped with omelette strips, chicken strips, prawns, fresh coriander and optionally lime. Ingredients such as bean sprouts, (sliced) fried tofu or other seafood are not traditional but are sometimes added.



MEE KOLOK
Mee Kolok is a type of noodle that is quite popular in the state of Sarawak . Many of the stalls around Kuching are providing or selling this Kolok Mee. Kolok Mee is usually served with soup and ketchup .For the first time this Kolok Mee taste of course you feel it is special and delicious as the use of yee mee / yee mee and mixed with slices of boiled meat like beef or lamb in advance is absolutely delicious. The services are available to be eaten as it serve or with soup gravy for this Kolok Mee.




UMAI
Umai is Sarawak's answer to sushi. its essentially a spicy seafood salad, made using raw fish or prawns. this dish has its origins in the melanau culture, an ethnic tribe in Sarawak. The melanau people pride themselves to be fisherman and umai is their staple food. these days. this tradititonal delicacy is not confined only to the Melanaus. Folks all over Sarawak enjoy a good serving of umai. Umai requires no cooking. All that is done is to marinate  raw fish slices in a concotion of fresh chillies, calamansi lime juice, shallots, ginger and salt. The fish is generally marinated till it turns white or opaque. As a result, the freshness of the fish is enhance by its zesty, tangy, spicy, and pungent accompaniments 


Museum Kuching Sarawak 


Kuching maintains several museums showcasing its culture and history. The Sarawak Museum, the oldest of its kind in Borneo, exhibits collections on the natural history of Sarawak. Directly opposite the Sarawak Museum is the Dewan Tun Abdul Razak which serves as an exhibition venue and the office of the Sarawak Museum Department. Located right behind Dewan Tun Abdul Razak is the Sarawak Islamic Museum.
Other museums in Kuching include the Chinese History Museum, the Kuching Cat Museum, the Sarawak Timber Museum and the Sarawak Textile Museum. Kuching is also home to the first ever planetarium in Malaysia the Sultan Iskandar Planetarium adjacent to the Kuching Civic Centre.
KUCHING WATERFRONT SARAWAK


The Kuching Waterfront is an approximately 1 kilometer long riverside stretching from the main hotel and commercial heartland of the city to downtown Kuching. The landscaped waterfront is dotted with food stalls, restaurants and benches and offers excellent views of The Astana, Fort Margherita and the New Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Building. The waterfront also features an observation tower, an open-air theater and musical fountains. The Sunday Market at Satok operates during weekends offers a large diversity of items for trade. The Kuching Civic Center offers a panoramic view of the city from a viewing platform during the day.