Sibu

Basic data

State :

Malaysia

State :

Sarawak

Coordinates :

2 ° 17 ' N , 111 ° 47' E Coordinates: 2 ° 17 ' N , 111 ° 47' E

Residents :

162,676 (as of 2010)

Time zone :

UTC +8

map

Sibu

Location in Malaysia

Sibu is a city on Borneo and the capital of the Sibu district in Sarawak . The city extends over an area of 129.5 square kilometers. It is located at the confluence of the Rajang and Igan Rivers , about 60 kilometers from the South China Sea and about 191.5 kilometers northeast of the state capital Kuching . The population of the city was 162,676 in 2010. The area was originally settled by the Iban . Today the majority of the population is of Chinese descent.

history

Sibu was settled by James Brooke in 1862 when he built a fort in the city to fend off attacks by the indigenous Dayak . A small group of Chinese Hokkien then settled around the fort to do business safely in the city. In 1901, Wong Nai Siong led a large-scale migration of 1,118 Chinese from Fujian Province to Sibu. This influx of Chinese resulted in Sibu being popularly known as the "New Fuzhou ". The first hospital in Sibu and the bazaars were built by the Brooke government. The Lau King Howe Hospital and a number of Methodist schools and churches were built in the 1930s. However, the city of Sibu was burned down twice, in 1889 and 1928, but was rebuilt afterwards. During the Japanese occupation of Sarawak in World War II , the Japanese settled new residents in Sibu in June 1942, and Sibu was renamed "Sibu-shu" in August 1942.

After the Japanese surrender in 1945, Sarawak was ceded to the British as a crown colony. This led to discontent among the young Melanau farmers in Sibu who were in favor of independence. As a result, the second British governor of Sarawak, Sir Duncan George Stewart , was murdered by Rosli Dhobi while visiting Sibu in December 1949 . Rosli was later hanged in Kuching Central Prison in 1950. Sibu and the Rajang Basin also became the center of communist activities from 1950 onwards, which continued after Sarawak's independence as part of Malaysia in 1963. A Rajang Security Command (RASCOM) was set up to curb communist activities in the area. The communist uprising in Sarawak was substantially contained in 1973 and later ended in 1990. Sibu was upgraded to a parish in 1981.

population

According to the 2010 Malaysian census, the city of Sibu (excluding the suburbs) has a total population of 162,676. Chinese (62.1%, 101,019) are the largest ethnic group in the city, followed by Bumiputra (35.01%, 56,949), foreigners (1.99%, 3,236) and Indians (0.37%, 598). The Chinese people speak various South Chinese dialects and Mandarin . Unlike other cities in Malaysia, the majority of the Chinese population in Sibu are Christian while other Chinese practice Buddhism , Daoism, and Confucianism . Some of the Iban in Sibu are Christians. Malays and Melanaus are Muslims .

Attractions

Sibu is the main tourist gate on Rajang with its small river settlements and its many traditional Iban and Orang Ulu longhouses. Major attractions in Sibu include Wisma Sanyan , the tallest building in Sarawak, Lanang Bridge (one of the longest river bridges in Sarawak) and the largest city square in Malaysia near Wisma Sanyan. The Lau King Howe Hospital Memorial Museum is the first and only medical museum in Malaysia. The Sibu Central Market is the largest market hall in Sarawak. Some more tourist attractions in Sibu are the Sibu Heritage Center, the Tua Pek Kong Temple, the Bawang Assan Longhouses, the Old Mosque in Sibu, the Jade Dragon Temple, the Bukit Aup Jubilee Park, the Bukit Lima Forest Park, the Sibu Night Market, the Borneo Cultural Festival (BCF) and the Sibu International Dance Festival (SIDF).

economy

In the early days, Chinese settlers in Sibu tried to convert the city into a rice growing center. However, this vision was not realized because the soil was unsuitable for growing rice. In August 1909, Charles Brooke agreed to the granting of land titles to Chinese farmers from Sibu and encouraged them to plant rubber plantations. Later timber cultivation and shipbuilding became important industries.

Infrastructure

The city has the Sibu Airport, built in 1994, and two smaller ports. The city of Sibu has two bus stations and is connected to other cities in Sarawak.