Kampung Medong, Sarawak

Kampung Medong is a village located within Dalat District in Mukah Division, Sarawak.[1] The village is located about 6.1 kilometres (3.8 miles) to the south of Dalat town.

Kampung Medong, Sarawak
Village
Kampung Medong is located in East Malaysia
Kampung Medong
Kampung Medong
Location in East Malaysia
Kampung Medong is located in Malaysia
Kampung Medong
Kampung Medong
Location in Malaysia
Coordinates: 2°41′07″N 111°56′04″E / 2.685292°N 111.934556°E / 2.685292; 111.934556
CountryMalaysia
StateSarawak
DivisionMukah
DistrictDalat
Population
 (2018)
 • Total
2,346
Time zoneUTC+8 (MST)
Postcode
96300

History

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Melanau tall house replica in Sarawak Cultural Village, Kuching

According to Dr. Jeniri Amir, a Melanau Historical and Culture researcher as well as author of the book, Masyarakat Melanau di Sarawak, Kampung Medong has existed since the days when the Melanaus used to live in tall longhouses. There were three tall longhouses in Kampung Medong, namely Lebok Sekayau, Lebok Dagen and another unknown. The tradition of longhouses began to be replaced by separate houses - similar to that of Malay villages - at the end of the 19th century following the villagers' conversion to Islam or Christianity and the Sultan of Brunei’s decision in surrendering the Rajang River until Tanjung Kidurong area to Rajah James Brooke in 1861 as threats and attacks from the enemy had lessened.[2] The last tall longhouse in Kampung Medong as well as the last on Oya River was abandoned in 1942 during the Japanese invasion.[3] The frame of Lebok Dagen existed until 1950, while one of the belian poles is still standing to date.[2]

Sub-division and population

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Kampung Medong is officially divided into three sub-villages namely, Kampung Medong Hilir, Kampung Medong Hulu and Kampung Medong Seberang.[1] In 2018, the total population of the village is 2,346 people.[1] Majority of the villagers are Melanau.[4]

Facilities

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Kampung Medong is equipped with basic infrastructure such as a health clinic, a community internet centre, a mosque - Masjid Al-Hidayah, a Catholic chapel - Chapel St. Peter, a national-type primary school - SK St John, and a firefighting volunteers’ team (Malay: Pasukan Bomba Sukarela - PBS) center.[5][6][7][8][9][10]

Economic activities

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Main economic activity of the village revolves around sago farming, processing of sago flour and sago-based food products.[11][12] One of four sago processing factories in Dalat district is located in Kampung Medong, Nge Seng Ngeng Enterprise with a processing capacity of 1,500 logs per day.[13] Famed "sago Medong" (sago pearl) are processed by women in sago cottage industry.[12]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Senarai Nama Kampung dan Rumah Panjang di Bahagian Mukah, Sarawak". data.sarawak.gov.my. 1 December 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  2. ^ a b Sarah Hafizah Chandra (9 February 2021). "Melanaus used to live in longhouses". New Sarawak Tribune. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  3. ^ Morris, Dr. Harold Stephen (1991). The Oya Melanau. Malaysian Historical Society, Sarawak Branch. p. 79. OCLC 28090265.
  4. ^ "Pesta Kaul serlah jati diri semua suku kaum Melanau di Sarawak" (in Malay). Utusan Borneo. 1 December 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  5. ^ "Klinik Kesihatan Medong". Ministry of Health Malaysia. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  6. ^ "Kampung Medong Hilir now has 130 PI1M members". The Borneo Post. 15 May 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  7. ^ "Senarai Masjid dan Surau" (in Malay). Biro Perkhidmatan Pendidikan Majlis Islam Sarawak. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  8. ^ "Melanau Catholics brace for the new Malaysian order". ucanews.com. 16 December 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  9. ^ Mohd Roji Kawi (5 February 2018). "Banjir: Enam sekolah ditutup di Sarawak" (in Malay). Berita Harian. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  10. ^ Jacqueline David (10 July 2022). "'First to the rescue'". The Borneo Post. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  11. ^ Conny Banji (28 August 2015). "Sago planters want subsidy reinstated". The Borneo Post. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  12. ^ a b Dr Siti Zanariah Ahmad Ishak, Malia Taibi and Khadijah Mohamad Tua. "Participation of the Melanau Women in the Cottage Industry of Sago-Based Food Products in Mukah, Sarawak". Academia. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  13. ^ "Dalat A Unique Melanau Charm". RAKAN SARAWAK BULLETIN. Retrieved 5 July 2019.