Mukah

Mukah (muːkəh), historically known as Muka[3] is a coastal town which serves as the capital and the administrative center of the Mukah Division since 1 March 2002.[4]

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

Mukah
Town and district capital
Other transcription(s)
 • Jawiموكه
 • Chinese沐胶
 • Tamilமுக்கா
Aerial view of Mukah Town
Aerial view of Mukah Town
Official seal of Mukah
Seal
Nickname: 
"The Melanau Heartland"
Motto(s): 
Mukah Maju, Rakyat Sejahtera
(Mukah Progressive, Prosperous People)
Mukah is located in Malaysia
Mukah
Mukah
   Mukah in    Malaysia
Mukah is located in Asia
Mukah
Mukah
Mukah (Asia)
Mukah is located in Earth
Mukah
Mukah
Mukah (Earth)
Coordinates: 2°53′46″N 112°4′43″E
Country Malaysia
State Sarawak
DivisionMukah
DistrictMukah
Malano Kingdom700 AD
Founded by James Brooke1861
10th Division of Sarawak1 March 2002
Division Office locationMukah
Government
 • TypeDalat and Mukah District Council
 • ResidentHajjah Hamdiah Binti Haji Bakir
 • MayorTn. Haji Kadir Bin Haji Jamil
Area
 • Mukah town2,536 km2 (979 sq mi)
Population
 (2016, projected[1])
 • Mukah town49,900 (District)
Time zoneUTC+8 (MST[2])
 • Summer (DST)UTC+8 (Not observed)
Postal code
96xxx
Area code(s)084 (landline only)
Vehicle registrationQS (for all vehicles except taxis)
HQ (for taxis only)
Websitewww.mukah.sarawak.gov.my

The district also covers an area of 2,536 square kilometres (979 sq mi) with a population about 49,900 in the Mukah town[5] and 18,800 in the Dalat administrative town of Dalat District.

It is located on the Borneo island, by the South China Sea, about 2 hours by road from the city of Sibu. Mukah is also accessible by air by MASwings from Kuching and Miri. The duration of both flights is about one hour. There are also speed boats connecting the town of Dalat (about 30 kilometres [19 mi] from Mukah) to Sibu. The speed boat trip takes approximately 2 hours.

Etymology
Masjid Setia Raja, Mukah

There are several versions of the origin of the name "Mukah". The word "Mukah" is similar to the Malay word "muka" which means face. It was said that the town was name after the face of a mysterious beautiful woman who helped three shipwreck merchants from Brunei.

Another version was that a beautiful face appeared on the surface on the sea to fishermen. However, these does not explain on why the town adopted a Malay name instead of a Melanau name as the majority of the population here are the Melanau people. The Melanau word for face is "jawai".[6]

Mukah town has statues of Ikan Merah (Red Snapper) and Udang (Prawn) that reflect the importance of the fishery industry to the town.[6]

History

The Melanau people is the earliest indigenous group living in Mukah. The earliest documentation of Mukah can be found in the annals of the Majapahit empire where a place known as "Melano" was paying tribute to the empire. The place was then became part of the Bruneian Empire in the 13th century. Mukah was later sold to the Raj of Sarawak in 1860.[7]

Batang Mukah Bridge, one of the most notable structures of Mukah.

In November 1862, the Rajah Muda rescued several civilians from the Moro Pirates after a pitched naval battle off the coast of Mukah. During the fighting, Brooke's steamer named Rainbow sank four prahus and damaged one other with cannon fire. Over 100 pirates were killed or wounded in the engagement while Brooke, the bishop Francis McDougall and their Sarawakian followers, were mostly unscathed.[8]

Government

Mukah and Dalat District Office is the governing body of the Mukah and Dalat districts, including the towns. The district office was established in 1947 as Native Local Authority (NLA). The district office then expands it power to Dalat, Oya, Balingian in 1981.[9]

Geography

Mukah town is located at the mouth of the Mukah River.[10] Mukah is located on peat land that is still covered by peat swamp forests.[11]

Climate

Mukah has a tropical rainforest climate (Af) with heavy to very heavy rainfall year-round.

Climate data for Mukah
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 29.9
(85.8)		 30.1
(86.2)		 30.9
(87.6)		 31.7
(89.1)		 32.1
(89.8)		 31.9
(89.4)		 31.8
(89.2)		 31.5
(88.7)		 31.4
(88.5)		 31.2
(88.2)		 30.9
(87.6)		 30.5
(86.9)		 31.2
(88.1)
Daily mean °C (°F) 26.1
(79.0)		 26.3
(79.3)		 26.8
(80.2)		 27.3
(81.1)		 27.6
(81.7)		 27.4
(81.3)		 27.1
(80.8)		 27.0
(80.6)		 26.9
(80.4)		 26.9
(80.4)		 26.7
(80.1)		 26.4
(79.5)		 26.9
(80.4)
Average low °C (°F) 22.4
(72.3)		 22.5
(72.5)		 22.8
(73.0)		 22.9
(73.2)		 23.2
(73.8)		 22.9
(73.2)		 22.4
(72.3)		 22.5
(72.5)		 22.5
(72.5)		 22.7
(72.9)		 22.6
(72.7)		 22.4
(72.3)		 22.6
(72.8)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 586
(23.1)		 425
(16.7)		 328
(12.9)		 188
(7.4)		 168
(6.6)		 190
(7.5)		 165
(6.5)		 230
(9.1)		 234
(9.2)		 264
(10.4)		 305
(12.0)		 498
(19.6)		 3,581
(141)
Source: Climate-Data.org[12]

Demographics

In 2017, Mukah District had a projected population of 49,900.[1]

Economy

Sago processing and fishing are the two main economic activities in Mukah.[7]

Since 2008, Mukah is the economic centre of Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE).[13][14] Press Metal Sdn Bhd built its first aluminium smelting plant in Mukah in 2009.[15]

Transport

Air

In term of air connectivity, Mukah was served by Mukah Airport (STOLport) since 1960s.[16] Mukah Old STOLport airport was only able to accommodate an 18-seater Twin-Otter aircraft. The airport used to operate routes to Kuching and Miri.[17] An effort has been made to upgrade the Mukah airport.[18]

On 17 June 2021, the new Mukah Airport was opened and began to its operation to replace the previous Mukah short-release and landing (STOLport) functions.[19] The new airport can handle up to 264,000 passengers per year, as well as the new runway could indeed support turbine planes and helicopters.

Road

Mukah is linked to Selangau through the Mukah-Selangau road and to Bintulu through Mukah-Kuala Tatau road.[20][21]

Buses

Bus express to Dalat, Sibu and Bintulu are available.

Local Bus or Bus Express remain unclear
Route No. Operating Route Operator Remark
16 Sibu Mukah Lanang Bus, Rejang Bus

Other facilities

Education

Mukah Polytechnic (PMU) is the 20th and the third polytechnic in Borneo after Politeknik Kuching and Politeknik Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The PMU campus is built on a 100-acre site and is equipped with modern infrastructure and state of the art educational facilities.

PMU's first operation began at Sibu Technical Secondary School in 2004. The first intake of students was in the July 2005 session with pilot courses such as Certificate in Information Technology, Certificate in Civil Engineering and Certificate in Business Studies. Course offerings increased a year later where Diploma level courses were also offered by all five major academic departments.[22]

Maktab Rendah Sains MARA Mukah (MRSM) was opened in 2010. It is a boarding school that provides good quality education for selected secondary school students.[23] SMK St. Patrick, the oldest secondary school in Mukah town and division was established in 1905.[24] SMK Three Rivers was established in 1961 to serve the education needs of the people living in the Mukah, Oya, and Balingian river basins.[25] SMK Mukah was opened in 1999.[26]

Mukah Polytechnic

UiTM Sarawak Mukah campus was opened on 16 November 2015 in order to train enough manpower for Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE). Its campus is located 7.5 km (4.7 mi) from the town centre. Among the courses offered are Pre Diploma (Commerce and Science), Diploma in Business Studies, Diploma in Banking Studies, Diploma in Herbal Production, Diploma in Aquaculture and Diploma in Plantation Management.[27]

Centre of Technical Excellence (CENTEXS) Mukah was opened in 2020 and began to operate in 2021. The completion of the campus itself making it the fifth CENTEXS campus to be built outside of Kuching after Lundu, Dalat, Lawas and Betong.[28]

Future Developments

The proposed development project for Kolej Laila Taib (KLT) here commenced since 2017 and once completed, will add another institution of higher learning in Mukah. The KLT project is located adjacent to Politeknik Mukah (PMU), about one kilometre off Jalan Mukah-Oya, which is 7 km (4.3 mi) from town centre. Nearby PMU and the KLT project is Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Mukah Campus, 1.7 km (1.1 mi) away at the end of the same spur road.[29][30]

The site for the proposed Universiti Malaysia Sarawak’s (Unimas) Excellent Research Centre project is also located within the same area at the same spur road, about 300m from PMU and KLT project.

Meanwhile, the proposed Giat Mara project nearby the CENTEXS project is scheduled to complete by November 2021.[31] Once completed, these projects are expected to propel this district to emerge as an education hub in the near future.[32]

Declaration of Mukah Division

State Executive Council, the demarcation of the Sibu Division and Sarikei Division Administrative areas to form the Mukah Division was effective on 1 March 2002. Regarding to this, the Mukah Division was declared as the Tenth (10) Division on 1 March 2002 by the Most Honorable Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud, Chief Minister of Sarawak. The recognition of Mukah as a Division has opened a new chapter in the administrative machinery of the state of Sarawak when it covers the entire coastal area in the central part of Sarawak. Thus, the declaration makes Mukah District as the administrative center and the capital of the division.[33]

Culture and leisure

Lamin Dana cultural Lounge is located at Kampung Tellian. It is a place where the residents of the village showcase their traditional arts, crafts, and authentic Melanau food.[34] A Melanau delicacy named Umai is one of the popular dishes in the town. It is a raw fish salad served with sago pellets.[35] Sago is the staple food for the Melanau people. They usually takes sago together with fish, Sambal, and Ulam.[7]

Mukah Kaul festival is held annually at the third week of April. It was a traditional ritual by the Melanau people for thanksgiving and continuation of good fortune by appeasing the spirits of the sea, land, forests, and farms.[36]

References
  1. "Population Statistics". Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  2. "Current local time in Mukah, Malaysia".
  3. "Borneo Map, 1945". Pinterest. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  4. "Portal Web Rasmi Pentadbiran Bahagian Mukah". mukah.sarawak.gov.my. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  5. "Portal Web Rasmi Pentadbiran Bahagian Mukah". mukah.sarawak.gov.my. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  6. "Face-to-face with Mukah coastal town". The Borneo Post. 3 July 2015. Archived from the original on 12 September 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  7. Diana, Rose (6 April 2011). "That binding man from Mukah". The Star (Malaysia). Archived from the original on 6 September 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  8. McDougall, Harriette (1882). "Chapter XVI. Illanun Pirates". Sketches of Our Life at Sarawak. London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (Project Canterbury). p. 204. Archived from the original on 6 September 2008. Retrieved 3 September 2018. Alt URL
  9. "Sejarah penubuhan (Founding history)". Majlis Daerah Dalat dan Mukah (Mukah&Dalat District Office). Archived from the original on 13 September 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2018. Alt URL
  10. "Face-to-face with Mukah coastal town". The Borneo Post. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
  11. "Resource Centre - Peat Swamp Development". Department of Irrigation & Drainage Sarawak. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
  12. "Climate: Mukah". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  13. "Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE)". Sarawak Manufacturers' Association. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  14. "Mukah, smart city, services hub, and R&D centre". Archived from the original on 7 February 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  15. "Welcome to Press Metal". Press Metal Sdn Bhd. Archived from the original on 3 March 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  16. "Mukah STOLport". Archived from the original on 4 March 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  17. "New airport for Mukah". The Star (Malaysia). 19 December 2009. Archived from the original on 10 September 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  18. Lian, Cheng (1 February 2015). "Fulfilling the wish list of Balingian's constituents". The Borneo Post. Archived from the original on 21 June 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  19. "Lapangan Terbang Baharu Mukah mula beroperasi hari ini". Sinarharian (in Malay). 17 June 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  20. "Vital Link". The Borneo Post. 9 June 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  21. Lian, Cheng (27 March 2014). "Shorter Mukah-Bintulu ride by 2016". The Borneo Post. Archived from the original on 6 August 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  22. "Pengenalan (Introduction)". Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia (Malaysian Ministry of Education). Archived from the original on 11 September 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  23. "Sejarah Penubuhan Maktab Rendah Sains Mara Mukah (Founding history of MRSM Mukah)". MRSM Mukah. Archived from the original on 11 September 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  24. "Bangunan baharu untuk SMK St Patrick (New building for SMK St Patrick)". Utusan Borneo. 1 June 2016. Archived from the original on 12 September 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  25. Eve, Sonary Heng (2 August 2017). "TYT invited to launch book on Three Rivers School". The Borneo Post. Archived from the original on 11 September 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  26. "Menaik Taraf Sekolah Luar Bandar Di Sarawak Sentiasa Menjadi Keutamaan (Upgrading rural schools in Sarawak is a priority)". Rakan Sarawak (Friends of Sarawak). October 2001. Archived from the original on 12 September 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  27. "Campus History". UiTM Sarawak Mukah Campus. Archived from the original on 5 September 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  28. "Centre of Technical Excellence (CENTEXS) - CENTEXS Mukah beroperasi tahun ini". www.centex-sarawak.my. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  29. "Mukah to emerge as education hub". New Sarawak Tribune. 23 October 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  30. "Kolej Laila Taib rancang buka cawangan di Mukah". www.utusanborneo.com.my (in Malay). 19 February 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  31. Udih, Duwin (19 October 2020). "Mukah Giat Mara centre begins construction work". New Sarawak Tribune. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  32. Udih, Duwin (23 October 2020). "Mukah to emerge as education hub". New Sarawak Tribune. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  33. "Declaration of Mukah as the tenth division in Sarawak, Malaysia". 24 January 2002.
  34. "Lamin Dana". Sarawak Tourism Board. Archived from the original on 17 July 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  35. Zora, Chan (23 March 2014). "Umai among Mukah's best known delectable and affordable dishes". The Star (Malaysia). Archived from the original on 8 February 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  36. "Mukah Kaul Festival 2018". Sarawak Tourism Board. Archived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
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