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Simanggang

Coordinates: 1°14′7″N 111°28′11″E / 1.23528°N 111.46972°E / 1.23528; 111.46972
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For the state constituency represented in the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly, see Simanggang (state constituency).
Simanggang
Town and district capital
Aerial view of Simanggang and Lupar River
Aerial view of Simanggang and Lupar River
Official seal of Simanggang
Seal
Official logo of Simanggang
Towns of Sarawak
Nickname: 
Benak Town
Simanggang is located in Malaysia
Simanggang
Simanggang
Location in Malaysia
Coordinates: 1°14′7″N 111°28′11″E / 1.23528°N 111.46972°E / 1.23528; 111.46972
CountryMalaysia Malaysia
StateSarawak Sarawak
DivisionSri Aman
DistrictSri Aman
Division Office LocationSri Aman
Local area government(s)Sri Aman District Council
Population
 (2015[1])
 • Total
102,092
Postal code
95xxx
International dialling code prefix+6083 (landline only)
PresidentAnthony Abell Chendan
Websitewww.sriamandc.sarawak.gov.my
Sri Aman District Council

Majlis Daerah Sri Aman
Type
Type
History
Founded10 February 1963
Preceded byBatang Lupar District Council
Leadership
President
Anthony Abell Chendan
District Secretary
Tay Guan Huat
Motto
Berkhidmat
(Service)
Meeting place
Peti Surat 78, 95007 Sri Aman, Sarawak.
Website
sriamandc.sarawak.gov.my

Simanggang is a town and the capital of Sri Aman District and Sri Aman Division in Sarawak, east Malaysia. Located on the Lupar River, it is 193 kilometres (120 mi), a three-hour drive, from Kuching, the capital of Sarawak. It is a trade center for the timber, oil palm, rubber, and pepper of its mostly agricultural district.

Simanggang is famous for the benak, or tidal bore, of the Batang Lupar River.[2] The tidal bore comes in from the river mouth and fills up the river very rapidly in the course of about 10 minutes. The wave crest at Simanggang is up to two to three metres (7 to 10 ft) high. This is one of approximately 48 rivers and estuaries in the world where this phenomenon happens. What is special about Simanggang's benak is that it occurs every day, the only river in the world that does that.

There is a timetable at the river which has the time and dates for when the tidal bore will occur, but the really big ones occur only a couple of times a year. The author Somerset Maugham almost died at Simanggang during one of these tidal bores, an event commemorated the event in his short story The Yellow Streak.

Simanggang is also a gateway for tourists to the Batang Ai National Park, and cultural tours to the Iban longhouses along the rivers.

Etymology

[edit]

The town of Simanggang was known for the same name until 1973. Following the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in October 1973 between government of Sarawak and Communist members to end the armed conflict in southern Sarawak, the name of the town was changed to "Sri Aman" while the administrative division was renamed as Sri Aman Division in March 1974.[3] Sri Aman means "town of peace" in the Malay language.[4] In 2019, the town reverted to its old name "Simanggang" according to the wishes of the local residents. However, the administrative division retains its "Sri Aman" name.[5]

History

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Geography

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

Climate data for Simanggang
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 30.2
(86.4) 		30.4
(86.7) 		31.3
(88.3) 		32.0
(89.6) 		32.3
(90.1) 		32.2
(90.0) 		32.1
(89.8) 		31.9
(89.4) 		31.7
(89.1) 		31.7
(89.1) 		31.3
(88.3) 		30.8
(87.4) 		31.5
(88.7)
Daily mean °C (°F) 26.3
(79.3) 		26.4
(79.5) 		27.0
(80.6) 		27.4
(81.3) 		27.6
(81.7) 		27.4
(81.3) 		27.1
(80.8) 		27.0
(80.6) 		27.0
(80.6) 		27.1
(80.8) 		26.9
(80.4) 		26.6
(79.9) 		27.0
(80.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 22.4
(72.3) 		22.4
(72.3) 		22.7
(72.9) 		22.8
(73.0) 		23.0
(73.4) 		22.6
(72.7) 		22.2
(72.0) 		22.2
(72.0) 		22.4
(72.3) 		22.5
(72.5) 		22.5
(72.5) 		22.4
(72.3) 		22.5
(72.5)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 324
(12.8) 		252
(9.9) 		285
(11.2) 		281
(11.1) 		265
(10.4) 		198
(7.8) 		170
(6.7) 		261
(10.3) 		264
(10.4) 		292
(11.5) 		334
(13.1) 		405
(15.9) 		3,331
(131.1)
Source: Climate-Data.org[6]

Demography

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Sri Aman District Ethnic Statistic[7]
Total
Population 		Malay Iban Bidayuh Melanau Other
Bumiputera 		Chinese Indian Other
Non-Bumiputera 		Non-Citizen
64,500 16,418 37,666 457 154 379 8,614 70 120 622

According to the 2010 Malaysian census, Sri Aman has a total population of 64,500.[8] Indigenous people form the largest ethnic group in the city which consists of Iban, Malay, other indigenous tribes. This is followed by Chinese, non-Malaysians Indians, and Others.

Transport

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Local Bus or Bus Express remain unclear

[edit]
Route No. Operating Route Operator Remark
K25 Kuching-Sri Aman CPL

Other utilities

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Education

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Secondary school

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  • SMK St Luke (M)
  • SMK Sri Aman
  • SMK Simanggang
  • SMK Melugu
  • SMK ENGKILILI
  • SMK LUBOK ANTU
  • SMK LINGGA

Primary school

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  • SK Abang Aing
  • SK Melugu
  • SK Temudok Kem Pakit
  • SJK (C) Chung Hua Undop
  • SJK (C) Chung Hua Simanggang
  • SJK (C) Chung Hua Pantu
  • SJK (C) Chung Hua Lingga
  • SJK (C) Chung Hua Bangkong
  • SK St Lawrence Sabu
  • SK Sri Aman
  • SK Selepong
  • SK Engkilili

Healthcare

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Sri Aman II hospital main building.

Sri Aman II hospital started operation since September 2022.[9]

Leisure and conservation areas

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Fort Alice

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Main article: Fort Alice
  • Fort Alice side view.
    Fort Alice side view.
  • Fort Alice in 2010, before restoration work.
    Fort Alice in 2010, before restoration work.
  • Fort Alice in 2010. The fort has since been renovated and opened as a museum in 2015.
    Fort Alice in 2010. The fort has since been renovated and opened as a museum in 2015.

Fort Alice, built in 1864, is the oldest heritage building in Simanggang, constructed following the victory of Rajah Charles Brooke, the second Rajah of Sarawak, over Rentap, the last of the major Iban chieftains, in 1864. The Fort was named after Charles Brooke's wife, Margaret Alice Lili de Windt. It served as a defensive structure controlling the Lupar River.

The structure was built on a strategic hilltop position and had a commanding view of the river with cannons bearing down to stop any threats coming from upriver. It played a major role in suppressing piracy, slavery, and head-hunting, while encouraging trade and expanding the authority of the Rajah. Fort Alice was the Simanggang administrative center, housing various government departments and even a prison.

It was here Rajah Charles used to preside as judge settling disputes among the local Ibans during his many visits to Simanggang. It was built entirely of belian (ironwood) timber. Much of the timber used was taken from an earlier fort, Fort James Brooke, which had been built further upriver in Nanga Skrang. However, Fort James was built on lowland and was hard to defend, as was proven in 1853 when one of the Rajah's officers, Alan Lee, died in an attack by the Iban chieftain Rentap.

It was decided to dismantle Fort James and to rebuild it in a more strategic and more defensible site in Simanggang District (now Sri Aman Division). Thus Fort Alice was built. Most of the original structure remains substantially intact, but it is in an extremely dilapidated and run down condition and in need of urgent restoration work. Many articles have been written to highlight the sorry state of the grand old lady. Restoration for the fort had been done in April 2015 and been changed into a museum.

Notes

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  1. ^ "Sarawak: largest cities and towns and statistics of their population". The World Gazetteer. Archived from the original on 2013-02-09. Retrieved 2011-01-31.
  2. ^ Chanson, H. (2009). Environmental, Ecological and Cultural Impacts of Tidal Bores, Benaks, Bonos and Burros. Proceedings of the International Workshop on Environmental Hydraulics IWEH09, Theoretical, Experimental and Computational Solutions, Valencia, Spain, 29-30 Oct., P.A. LOPEZ-JIMENEZ, V.S. FUERTES-MIQUEL, P.L. IGLESIAS-REY, G. LOPEZ-PATINO, F.J. MARTINEZ-SOLANO, and G. PALAU-SALVADOR Editors, Invited keynote lecture, 20 pages (CD-ROM).
  3. ^ "Sejarah Sri Aman (History of Sri Aman)" (in Malay). Sri Aman Divisional office. Archived from the original on 19 June 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  4. ^ Howe Yong, Kee (2013). "3: The Sri Aman Treaty". The Hakkas of Sarawak - Sacrificial Gifts in Cold War Era Malaysia. University of Toronto Press. p. 70. doi:10.3138/9781442667976-005. ISBN 9781442667976. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  5. ^ Aubrey, Samuel (25 October 2019). "Abang Johari: Sri Aman town will revert to its old name Simanggang". The Borneo Post. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  6. ^ "Climate: Sri Aman". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  7. ^ "Total population by ethnic group, sub-district and state, Malaysia, 2010" (PDF). Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  8. ^ "Population Distribution by Local Authority Areas and Mukims, 2010" (PDF). Statistics Department, Malaysia. December 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 November 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  9. ^ "Sri Aman Hospital II operating smoothly, says Sarawak deputy minister". The Malay Mail. 15 March 2023. Archived from the original on 22 February 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
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