Sibu Division is one of the twelve administrative divisions of Sarawak, Malaysia. It has a total area of 8,278.3 square kilometres, and is the third largest division after Kapit Division and Miri Division. The population of Sibu Division (year 2000 census) was 257,300. Ethnically, the population was mostly Iban, Chinese, Malay, and Melanau. Sibu Division consists of three districts: Sibu, Kanowit, and

Selangau Selangau, Sarawak, ( Malay: ''Pekan Selangau'') is a small town located by the Pan Borneo Highway (Sibu-Bintulu Road). It is also located by Batang Mukah, a river which flows to the South China Sea. It is located approximately from Sibu city, ...

. The economy is largely based on timber extraction from the extensive

tropical rainforest Tropical rainforests are rainforests that occur in areas of tropical rainforest climate in which there is no dry season – all months have an average precipitation of at least 60 mm – and may also be referred to as ''lowland equatori ...

. Processed wood products, rather than log export has been given priority by the government. Agriculture is relatively minor, with

oil palm ''Elaeis'' () is a genus of palms containing two species, called oil palms. They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. The African oil palm '' Elaeis guineensis'' (the species name ''guineensis'' referring to its co ...

and

pepper Pepper or peppers may refer to: Food and spice * Piperaceae or the pepper family, a large family of flowering plant ** Black pepper * ''Capsicum'' or pepper, a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae ** Bell pepper ** Chili ...

the main products. Tourism, particularly

ecotourism Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide fund ...

, is a growing component of the economy. The two major rivers in the Sibu Division are the Rajang River and the Igan River.

Early history

Before 1 June 1873, Sibu was known as "Maling", named after the winding portion, Tanjung Maling, on the other side of Rejang River. Maling was a small village with a few small and simple shop houses consisted of atap roof and wooden walls and floors. Main population was Malay and Chinese was minority. In 1841 "Sarawak" (the present

Kuching Kuching (), officially the City of Kuching, is the capital and the most populous city in the state of Sarawak in Malaysia. It is also the capital of Kuching Division. The city is on the Sarawak River at the southwest tip of the state of Sara ...

- Sarawak capital) was ruled by 'White Rajah',

James Brooke Sir James Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak (29 April 1803 – 11 June 1868), was a British soldier and adventurer who founded the Raj of Sarawak in Borneo. He ruled as the first White Rajah of Sarawak from 1841 until his death in 1868. Brooke was ...

. On 1 June 1873, the third division was created and the division was named after the native Rambutan because the division had a lot of native Rambutan known as "Buah Sibau" in Iban language. In 1901 Wong Nai Siong led the first batch of Foochows from China to Sibu to open up the fertile lands of Sibu for cultivation, a massive opening up of Sibu. Therefore, it was a landmark year or a milestone in the history of the development of Sibu. Wong Nai Siong came to Singapore in September 1899. From there, he proceeded to West Malaysia, Sumatra and the Dutch East Indies. For six months he explored the places but failed to find a suitable place for the immigration and settlement of his folks in China. In April 1900, Wong came to Sarawak and got the approval of the Sarawak Rajah to look for a suitable site for Chinese immigrants. Wong explored the lower valley and upper reaches of the Rejang River. He soon discovered that the Rejang Delta was very fertile and particularly suitable for cultivation. He decided to choose the area for opening up for cultivation. With that decision, Wong went to see the second Rajah of Sarawak, Rajah Charles Brooke, for discussions regarding the matter of opening up of land for cultivation. In those days of the Rajahs, Sarawak was sparsely populated with vast land yet to be developed, Wong's plan was timely and very much appreciated. When Wong went to see Sir Charles Brooke and explained to him his plan to lead large groups of Foochows to open up Sibu for cultivation, the Rajah immediately agreed. Both parties signed an agreement. The Chinese immigrants came in three batches. The first batch consisted of 72 people, the second batch 535, and the third batch 511, totalling 1118 people. Of the total, 130 brought their spouses and families, while the others were bachelors. After working in Sibu, nearly all the immigrants chose to settle down and made Sibu their new home. They were happy to settle down for a brighter future in Sibu.

Administration

Members of Parliament

References

External links

Sibu Online
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