Sarikei is a town, and the capital of the Sarikei District (985 square kilometers) in Sarikei Division, Sarawak, east Malaysia. It is located on the Rajang River, near where the river empties into the South China Sea. The district population (year 2000 census) was 61,100. The population is culturally mixed, with mostly Iban, Melanau, Malay and Chinese predominating. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 768 pixel, file size: 202 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photo taken by Sarikei Time Capsule Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This is an alphabetical list of the sovereign states of the world, including both de jure and de facto independent states. ... Malaysia is a federation of 13 states. ... State motto: Bersatu, Berusaha, Berbakti State anthem: Ibu Pertiwiku Capital Kuching Ruling party Barisan Nasional  - Yang di-Pertua Negeri Abang Muhammad Salahuddin  - Ketua Menteri Abdul Taib Mahmud History    - Brunei Sultanate 19th century   - Brooke dynasty 1841   - Japanese occupation 1941-1945   - British control 1946   - Accession into Malaysia 1963  Area  - Total 124,450... Area is a physical quantity expressing the size of a part of a surface. ... To help compare different orders of magnitude and geographical regions, we list here areas between 100 km² and 1000 km². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... A time zone is a region of the Earth that has adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. ... // Malaysian Standard Time Malaysian Standard Time (MST) is a standard time used in Malaysia after Japan formally surrendered in Singapore after their occupation in British Malaya. ... -12 | -11 | -10 | -9:30 | -9 | -8 | -7 | -6 | -5 | -4 | -3:30 | -3 | -2:30 | -2 | -1 | -0:25 | UTC (0) | +0:20 | +0:30 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +3:30 | +4 | +4:30 | +4:51 | +5 | +5:30 | +5:40 | +5:45 | +6 | +6:30 | +7 | +7:20 | +7... Though DST is common in Europe and North America, most of the worlds people do not use it. ... ... Sarikei Division is one of the eleven administrative divisions in Sarawak, east Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. ... State motto: Bersatu, Berusaha, Berbakti State anthem: Ibu Pertiwiku Capital Kuching Ruling party Barisan Nasional  - Yang di-Pertua Negeri Abang Muhammad Salahuddin  - Ketua Menteri Abdul Taib Mahmud History    - Brunei Sultanate 19th century   - Brooke dynasty 1841   - Japanese occupation 1941-1945   - British control 1946   - Accession into Malaysia 1963  Area  - Total 124,450... The Rajang River is a river in East Malaysia, in northwest Borneo. ... Filipino name Tagalog: Luzon Sea Portuguese name Portuguese: Mar da China Meridional Vietnamese name Vietnamese: The South China Sea is a marginal sea south of China. ... The Ibans are a branch of the Dayak peoples of Borneo. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

The economy of the town is primarily agricultural, and Sarikei is famed for its pineapples and its pepper. The center of town has many old Chinese shophouses from the 1930s. It is also a major transportation hub for traffic on both the Pan Borneo Highway and the Rajang river. Anybody traveling by road or express boat from Kuching to Sibu must pass through Sarikei. Binomial name Ananas comosus The Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is a tropical plant and its fruit, native to Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay. ... Binomial name Piper nigrum L. Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. ... Pan Borneo Highway (Lebuhraya Pan Borneo), also known as Trans Borneo Highway, (Lebuhraya Trans Borneo), (Federal route for Sarawak and for Sabah) is a network of federal roads connecting Sarawak, Brunei and Sabah. ... Nickname: Location in Malaysia Coordinates: Country State Malaysia Sarawak Establishment Uncertain, granted city status in 1988 Government  - Mayors North: Abdul Hamid Mohd Yusoff South: Chong Ted Tsiung Area  - City 1,863 km²  (719 sq mi) Population (2006)  - City 579,900  - Density 322/km² (834/sq mi) Time zone MST (UTC... Sibu is a town, and the capital of Sibu District (2,229. ...

The most unusual feature of the bustling waterfront is a 3.6m high pineapple statue.

The town itself consists of a main road, Repok Road which is bisected by another road leading to the new development in Kampung Seberang.

History and background

The early history of Sarikei can be traced as far back as the early 19th century. There are many historical events to show its existence. For example, Rajah James Brooke first visited Sarikei on 30^th April 1845. There were also resistance from the local people towards the Brooke’s administration, including the burning of Sarikei on 4.1.1856 and the Julau Expedition on 19^th June 1856, which was led by Sir Charles Brooke to counter the native resistance in Julau. Sir James Brooke Sir James Brooke (the most legendary person ever!!)(29 April 1803 – 11 June 1868) was born in Coombe Grove, near Bath, educated at Norwich School, England and became the first White Rajah of Sarawak. ... Sir Charles Anthony Johnson-Brooke, by Leslie Ward, 1899. ...

The establishment of Sarikei as a new Division was mainly based on security consideration. Datu Wilson Baya Dandot, The Deputy State Secretary (Planning and Development) in his article entitled: Sarawak’s Unique Administrative Identity: Establishment of Divisional, District and Sub-District Machinery For Enhancing Development Administration said that the establishment of Sarikei as the Sixth Division then was due to the security threats posed by the communist insurgency which was at its height at that time. It was felt that with the establishment of a new Sarikei Division the government would be able to concentrate and focus more in its efforts to contain and counter the security problem in the area^[1].

Also known as the "food basket" for the Land of the Hornbills, Sarikei started as a small village comprising the "Segalang" community and a few rows of Chinese shophouses. From a dead town, the once isolated and remote Sarikei has progressed and the people now enjoy infrastructural facilities and economic opportunities.

Infrastructure

Sarikei Map

Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 566 pixelsFull resolution (1500 × 1062 pixel, file size: 292 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Image taken from Sarikei District Council Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 566 pixelsFull resolution (1500 × 1062 pixel, file size: 292 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Image taken from Sarikei District Council Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License...

Healthcare

Medical needs are served by several hospitals and clinics. The main hospital is Sarikei Hospital, officially opened in 2006, costing RM250.4M^[2].^[3] There is also a polyclinic near the old hospital opposite the fire station. Clinics are also available within the town area like Dr. Yap, Dr. Jawi Masing, Dr. Sim and Dr. Wong Hua Seh

Education

There are several schools with decades of established history.

Primary Schools

• SK St. Anne Sarikei
• Kwang Chien Primary School (SK Kwang Chien)
• Methodist Primary School
• SK Abang Haji Matahir

Secondary Schools

• SMK St. Anthony Sarikei
• SMK Bandar Sarikei
• SMK Tinggi Sarikei

The government has also recently added several schools across Sungai Baji in the new development zone. Schools include a religious school (SK Agama Sarikei)

Libraries:

Sarikei Public Library situated at Jalan Kapur has a floor area of approximately 2,000 square meters at a cost of around RM3.5 million and was opened to the public on 1^st August 2003. It is one of the landmarks of the town given it's unique architecture which sets it apart from the other government buildings in the town.^[4]

Transport

• Water Transport: Sarikei Wharf Terminal. Terminal 1 is next to the the clock tower and the pineapple statue. Terminal 2 serves the bigger boats to Kuching.
• Land Transport: Sarikei Regional bus terminal located 1 km from town centre serves as the main hub for express buses to various destinations in Sarawak including Kuching, Sri Aman, Sibu, Bintangor, Bintulu and Miri.
• Taxis: Taxis available near the wharf terminals, the bus terminal as well as in the central taxi station at the first intersection of Jalan Repok.

Culture and Leisure

Attractions and Recreation Spots

Sebangkoi Country Resort is a popular place to visit for the local populace. What was once a simple waterfall has now emerged as a multimillon dollar development with landscaped gardens and accommodation.

Sarikei Wharf Esplanade is ideal for evening strolls and sunset watching. The sun sets in the west and that's the direction of the Rejang River's flow towards the river mouth at the South China Sea where it deposits its silt.

Sarikei Lake Park

Sarikei Merdeka Park is one of the latest additions to the local government's effort to turn Sarikei into a more aesthetic town. Built in 2004, it consists of a central courtyard framed by two gazebos and Zen balls. The park was built on what used to be the Pasar Tamu of the town.

Shopping Centre

There are 2-3 major shopping centres in Sarikei, namely Ngiu Kee and Everrise.

Religious Places

The main religions in the town are Christianity, Buddhism and Islam.

The town also have a fairly large population of Christians. The majority of the Christians belong to the Methodist denomination which have about four churches in the town area and surrounding residential areas. The Roman Catholic parish of St Anthony's in Sarikei has its church along Repok Road. The mission also runs two schools, St. Anthony's Secondary School and St. Anne's Primary School as well as a kindergarten, St. Clement's. Other Christian churches include the Anglican Church centre in the Nyelong Park Housing Estate as well the SIB (Borneo Evagelical Church).

The primary place of worship for the Muslims is the town mosque adjacent to the Hua Tai residential area.

Cuisine

The more famous local cuisine include:

• "Kam Pua noodles" (干拌面)
• "Erhng Zhou Ak": Duck roasted with a concoction derived from the byproduct of the red wine making process
• "Kompia" (光饼): a local bread. Best eaten hot.
• "Bien Niuk"(扁肉): The local version of the "wan tan".
• "Bek Ting Yuok": The soup of eight essences - nice, sweet, tasty and nutritious Chinese soup made of at least eight types of Chinese herbal materials. Usually cooked with pork leg or duck.

(note: the names are rendered in the Fuzhou dialect, which is often radically different from Standard Mandarin.) Fuzhou dialect (Chinese characters: 福州話, Foochow Romanized: Hók-ciŭ-uâ), also known as Foochow, Foochow dialect or Foochowese, is considered the standard dialect of Min Dong, which is a branch of Chinese mainly spoken in the Eastern part of Fujian Province. ... Standard Mandarin – also known as Standard Chinese or Standard spoken Chinese – is the official Chinese spoken language used by the Peoples Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), and Singapore. ...

Places to eat

Interesting places to eat in Sarikei include the two coffeeshops in the Nyelong Industrial Estate, which serve nice Kam Pua noodles as well as Prawn Noodles. Aik Seng coffeeshop, which is the most delicious meal, serves a mean Roti Kahwin, Nasi Lemak and an interesting version of Kam Pua noodles (the only "halal" kampua in town) and Hieh Lik coffeeshop, which houses the Ah Cheng eatery.

A Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and a local fastfood franchise called Sugar Bun serves the occasional craving for fast food for the local populace.

Photo Gallery

Taman Tasik Sarikei Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 771 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1440 × 1120 pixel, file size: 143 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photo taken from Sarikei District Council Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation...	Sarikei Wharf Terminal 1 Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 441 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 565 pixel, file size: 183 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) From sarikei time capsule Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version...	Sarikei New Hospital Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...	Sarikei Bus Station Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 468 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 599 pixel, file size: 179 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) From Sarikei Time Capsule Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version...
Sarikei Public Library[4] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...	Sarikei Merdeka Square Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...		Dewan Suarah Sarikei Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Famous person

• Syarif Masahor - Malay warrior and the Resident of Sarikei during White Rajahs era

Syarif Masahor (died ---- in Singapore) was a famous Malay warrior in Sarikei, Sarawak state, Malaysia during the Brooke White Rajahs era in that state. ... The White Rajahs refer to a dynasty that founded and ruled the Kingdom of Sarawak from 1841 to 1946. ...

External Links

• Sarikei Tourism
• Sarikei District Council
• Pejabat Residen Bahagian Sarikei
• Pejabat Daerah Sarikei
• Location map of Sarikei
• Sarikei Time Capsule

• Maps and aerial photos for 2°07′32″N 111°31′19″E / 2.1256, 111.5219Coordinates: 2°07′32″N 111°31′19″E / 2.1256, 111.5219
  • Mapping from Multimap or GlobalGuide or Google Maps
  • Aerial image from TerraServer
  • Satellite image from WikiMapia
  • Mapping from OpenStreetMap

Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

References

1. ^ Ministry of Urban Development and Tourism Sarawak.
2. ^ All Malaysian Info Website.
3. ^ Sarikei - A Transit Town To An Agriculture Growth Centre
4. ^ ^{a b} Sarikei Public Library.

v • d • e Sarawak
Divisions	Betong Division • Bintulu Division • Kapit Division • Kuching Division • Limbang Division • Miri Division • Mukah Division • Samarahan Division • Sarikei Division • Sibu Division • Sri Aman Division
Cities	Kuching (capital) • Miri
Towns	Asajaya • Ba'kelalan • Bau • Belaga • Betong • Bintangor • Bintulu • Dalat • Daro • Debak • Julau • Kanowit • Kapit • Kota Samarahan • Lawas • Limbang • Lingga • Lubok Antu • Lundu • Matu • Meradong • Mukah • Marudi • Pakan • Pusa • Saratok • Sarikei • Sebuyau • Serian • Selangau • Sibu • Siburan • Simunjan • Song • Spaoh • Sri Aman • Tanjung Kidurong • Tatau • Tebedu