SARAWAK or the Land Of The Hornbills, is known as one of Asia's Best Kept Secret as this is a place for history, mystery, romance and exotic adventure no matter on land, hill, or water. Sarawak is the largest state in Malaysia, and is the home of the White Rajahs, the famous hornbills and the highly endangered orang utans.

Containing a rainforest that are the size of Austria, it provides the world's richest and most diverse ecosystem available on earth. Besides that, this is also the home to one of the world largest flower, the rafflesia. Living here in Sarawak is a biodiverse type to ethnics such as the Iban, Bidayuh and the Melanau. Famous for its longhouses, spending a night at that place will ensure that you will have an unforgetable moment in Sarawak, sharing the legends that are available here. Sarawak is known to have something for everyone, providing all sorts of entertainment and adventure available.

The Sarawak flag was adopted by the state government in the 1988 where it was first raised at the National Day parade in Kuching. The red color of the Sarawak Flag symbolizes the courage, determination, and sacrifices of the people in pursuit to attain the course of creating a model state. The yellow color denotes the supremacy of Law and Order while the black color means the rich natural resources and wealth of Sarawak. This nine pointed yellow star denotes the 9 division of people that lives in harmony in their quest to improve their quality of life.

WELCOME TO SARAWAK

Would you like to befriend an orang utan? Learn to use a blowpipe? Or maybe get married in a traditional tribal ceremony? You could do it all in one day in Sarawak. Perched on the northwestern edge of the exotic island of Borneo, Sarawak is literally quite unlike any other place on earth.

Start your holiday by spending a day or two in the capatial of Sarawak, Kuching. Here the Sarawak Tourist Association (STA), or the Visitors Information Centre (which also houses the National Park and Wildlife Booking Office) will provide you with all the brochures and advice you need to plan your stay.

You will find an astonishing variety of things to tempt you. Wonders of the natarual world. A rich and fascinating history. A patchwork quilt of more than thirty different ethnic groups. And also long, sandy beaches for water sports or more traditional beach holidays.

Despite being home to the world's oldest rainforest, travel around Sarawak is easy. Tourists are welcome everywhere and the people are all very friendly. English is widely spoken although the national language is Bahasa Malaysia. So, welcome and have a great time in the Hidden Paradise of Borneo!

Demographics of Sarawak

Sarawak's population is very diverse, comprising many races and ethnic groups. Sarawak has more than 40 sub-ethnic groups, each with its own distinct language, culture and lifestyle. This makes Sarawak demography very distinct and unique compared to its Peninsular counterpart.

Sarawak has more than 40 sub-ethnic groups, each with its own distinct language, culture and lifestyle. Cities and larger towns are populated predominantly by Malays, Melanaus, Chinese,Indians and a smaller percentage of Ibans and Bidayuhs who have migrated from their home-villages for employment reasons.

In general, there are six major ethnic groups in Sarawak: Iban, Chinese, Malay, Bidayuh, Orang Ulu, Melanau and several minor ethnic groups placed collectively under 'Others', such as Indian, Eurasian, Kedayan, Javanese, Bugis, Murut and many more. Unlike Indonesia, the termDayak is not officially used to address Sarawakian's native ethnicity

Malay

The Malays make up 23% of the population in Sarawak.Traditionally fishermen, these seafaring people chose to form settlements on the banks of the many rivers of Sarawak. Today, many Malays have migrated to the cities where they are heavily involved in the public and private sectors and taken up various professions.

Malay villages, known as Kampungs, are a cluster of wooden houses on stilts, many of which are still located by rivers on the outskirts of major towns and cities, play home to traditional cottage industries. The Malays are famed for their wood carvings, silver and brass craftings as well as traditional Malay textile weaving with silver and gold thread (kain songket). Malay in Sarawak have a distinct dialect which is called "Melayu Sarawak" (in some official cases, it is recognized as a separate language). The culture of Sarawakian Malay is also somewhat unique such as 'bermukun', Sarawak zapin, and 'keringkam' weaving.

In Federal Constitution, Malays are Muslim by religion, having been converted to the faith some 600 years ago with the Islamification of the native region. Their religion is reflected in their culture and art and Islamic symbolism is evident in local architecture – from homes to government buildings. In Malaysia, for statistical purpose, Javanese and Bugis including some other Indonesian-origin ethnics like Banjar are categorized under Malay ethnic group.

Iban

The Ibans comprise the largest percentage (almost 30%) of Sarawak's population. Iban is native to Sarawak and Sarawak has the highest number of Ibans in Borneo. Formerly reputed to be the most formidable headhunters on the island of Borneo, the Ibans of today are a generous, hospitable and placid people.

Because of their history as pirates and fishermen, Ibans were conventionally referred to as the "Sea Dayaks". The early Iban settlers migrated from Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo south of Sarawak, via the Kapuas River. They crossed over the Kelingkang range and set up home in the river valleys of Batang Ai, the Skrang River, Saribas, and the Rajang River. The Ibans dwell in longhouses, stilted structures with a large number of rooms housing a whole community of families.

An Iban longhouse may still display head trophies or antu pala. These suspended heads mark tribal victories and were a source of honour. The Dayak Iban ceased practising headhunting in the 1930s.

The Ibans are renowned for their Pua Kumbu (traditional Iban weavings), silver craft, wooden carvings and bead work. Iban tattoos, which were originally symbols of bravery among Iban warriors, have become amongst the most distinctive in the world. The Ibans are also famous for a sweet rice wine called tuak, which is served during big celebrations and festive occasions.

The large majority of Ibans practise Christianity. However, like most other ethnic groups in Sarawak, they still observe many of their traditional rituals and beliefs. Sarawak celebrates colourful festivals such as the Gawai Dayak (harvest festival), Gawai Kenyalang (hornbill, or the god of war festival), penuaian padi and Gawai Antu (festival of the dead).

It is interesting to note that there is also a thriving Iban population of between 30,000 & 40, 000 in Johor, found mostly in the area between Pasir Gudang& Masai on the eastern end of the Johor Bahru metropolitan area. Sizeable Iban communities are also present in Kuala Lumpur & Penang.

Chinese

Chinese people first came to Sarawak as traders and explorers in the 6th century. Today, they make up 24% of the population of Sarawak and consist of communities built from the economic migrants of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The first Chinese (Hakka) migrants worked as labourers in the gold mines at Bau or on plantations. Through their clan associations, business acumen and work ethic, the Chinese organised themselves economically and rapidly dominated commerce. Today, the Chinese are amongst Sarawak's most prosperous ethnic groups.

The Sarawak Chinese belong to a wide range of dialect groups, the most significant being:

• Hakka
• Hokkien
• Teochew
• Hainanese
• Foochow
• Puxian Min

Whereas Hakka is spoken predominantly by the farmers in the interior, Hokkien and Teochew are the dominant dialects spoken within the major trading towns and among early traders and businessmen. Hainanese (a.k.a. Hailam) were well known as coffee-shop operators, the Henghua are famous as fishermen. The notable difference between those who presided in West Malaysia is the common use of Cantonese. Mandarin however was and still is the unifying language spoken by all the different dialectic groups in both East and West Malaysia.

The Chinese maintain their ethnic heritage and culture and celebrate all the major cultural festivals, most notably Chinese New Year, the Hungry Ghost Festival and Christmas. The Sarawak Chinese are predominantly Buddhists and Christians.

Bidayuh

Concentrated mainly on the west end of Borneo, the Bidayuhs make up 8% of the population in Sarawak are now most numerous in the hill counties of Lundu, Bau, Penrissen, Padawan, Siburan and Serian, within an hour's drive from Kuching.

Historically, as other tribes were migrating into Sarawak and forming settlements including the Malays from the neighbouring archipelagos, the Bidayuhs retreated further inland, hence earning them the name of "Land Dayaks" or "land owners". The word Bidayuh in itself literally means "land people" in Biatah dialect. In Bau-Jagoi/Singai dialect, the pronunciation is "Bidoyoh" which also carry the same meaning.

The traditional community construction of the Bidayuh is the "baruk", a roundhouse that rises about 1.5 metres off the ground. It serves as the granary and the meeting house for the settlement's community. Longhouses were typical in the olden days, similar to that of the Ibans.

Typical of the Sarawak indigenous groups, the Bidayuhs are well known for their hospitality, and are reputed to be the best makers of tuak, or rice wine. Bidayuhs also use distilling methods to make “arak tonok”, a kind of moonshine.

The Bidayuhs speak a number of different but related dialects. Some Bidayuhs speak either English or Sarawak Malay as their main language. While some of them still practise traditional religions, the majority of modern-day Bidayuhs have adopted the Christian faith with a few villages embracing the Islamic faith as a minority group within the Bidayuh community.

Melanau

The Melanaus have been thought to be amongst the original settlers of Sarawak. They make up 6% of the population in Sarawak.

Originally from Mukah (the 10th Administrative Division as launched in March 2002), the Melanaus traditionally lived in tall houses. Nowadays, they have adopted a Malay lifestyle, living in kampong-type settlements. Traditionally, Melanaus were fishermen and still today, they are reputed as some of the finest boat-builders and craftsmen.

While the Melanaus are ethnically different from the Malays, their lifestyles and practices are quite similar. This is especially the case in the larger towns and cities where most Melanau have adopted the Islamic faith.

The Melanaus were believed to originally summon spirits in a practice verging on paganism. Today most of the Melanaus community is Muslim whilst some remained Christians, though they still celebrate traditional animist festivals such as the annual Kaul Festival.

Religions of Sarawak

Sarawakians practice a variety of religions, including Islam, Christianity, Chinese folk religion (a fusion of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and ancestor worship) and animism. Christianity is the largest religion in culturally and religiously diverse in Sarawak. Religion plays a significant role in nurturing the culture of decency and modesty among Sarawakians. It also reflects and strengthens the identity among various ethnics. For example, Islam reflects the identity of Malay, Chinese religions and Buddhism reflects the identity of Chinese and Christianity reflects the identity of most Dayaks, while some still practising animism.

Islam

slam is the second largest religion in Sarawak. 23% of Sarawak population are Muslim by religion.Many Muslims in Sarawak are ethnic Malays. All Malays are designated Muslim by the Malaysian Constitution. Malay culture contributes significantly to Sarawakian Muslim tradition as a whole especially for weddings, circumcision (coming of age ritual), 'majlis doa selamat', etc.

Other ethnic groups which have strong Islamic influence in their traditions are Melanau and Kedayan. Melanaus, depending on region or kampung they live in, are normally either Muslim or Christian (while very little practising pagan). Most of them live in Kuching, Matu, Mukah, Igan and Bintulu. The majority of Melanau people are of Muslim faith.

Kedayan, is another distinct ethnic from Malay and Melanau, but traditionally Muslim. Although small in number, they contribute to a majority of Muslim population in Sibuti and Bekenu district.

Administratively, Islam is under the authority of the state of Islamic Council, which is Majlis Islam Sarawak (MIS), a state government agency. Under MIS, there are various agencies dealing with various aspects of Islam such as Jabatan Agama Islam Sarawak (JAIS), Majlis Fatwa, Baitulmal Sarawak etc.

Although the population of Muslims has increased over the past 40 years, their rate of growth has not matched that of the Christians.Despite being the state with highest growth of Muslim population in Malaysia, Sarawak may have the highest growth of apostasy among Muslim converts in Malaysia

Muslims in Sarawak observe all Islamic festivals, such as Hari Raya Aidilfitri (Puasa), Hari Raya Aidiladha (Haji), Awal Muharram and Maulidur Rasul. All these celebrations have been commenced as public holidays in Sarawak. However, Israk Mikraj, Awal Ramadhan and Nuzul Quran, although observed, are not public holidays

Christianity

Christianity is the most popular religion in Sarawak. Sarawak is the state with the highest percentage of Christians in Malaysia. According to 2010 census, Christian make up 42.6% of total population of Sarawak. Major Christian denominations in Sarawak are the Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Methodists, Borneo Evangelical Church (or Sidang Injil Borneo, S.I.B.) and Baptists. Many Sarawakian Christians are non-Malay Bumiputera, ranging from Iban, Bidayuh, Orang Ulu and Melanau.

Denomination of Christians in Sarawak may vary according to their race, although this is not necessarily true. For example, most Chinese Christians are Methodists, most Ibans and Bidayuhs are either Roman Catholics or Anglicans, whilst most Orang Ulu are S.I.B.s. Church plays an important part in shaping morality of the communities, while some Christians view the church as a religious place. Professing Christianity has led to abolishing of some previous rituals by indigenous ethnics such as headhunting, improper disposal of dead bodies. Christians among indigenous ethnics have also embraced many Christian values such as preserving modesty and dedication to God.

Christianity has also contributed to the betterment of the education system in Sarawak. There were a lot of missionary schools built during 1950s to early 1980s. Christianity has gained popularity throughout Sarawak, transcending race and religion. Due to federalisation of the education system, most of these missionary schools have been converted into government national schools. Participation of the church in these schools has been reduced. The Malaysian government has allowed the schools to continue using religious symbols on school buildings and teaching Christian values to non-Muslim students.

Christians in Sarawak observe Christian festivals just like their counterparts in other part of the world, namely Christmas, Good Friday, Easter Monday and Ascension Day. However, only Christmas and Good Friday are public holidays in Sarawak.

DELICIOUS FOOD IN SARAWAK!

KEK LAPIS SARAWAK

 Kek Lapis Sarawak is a layered cake, traditionally served in Sarawak, Malaysia on special occasions. In the Malay language, they are known asKek Lapis Sarawak, Kek Lapis Moden Sarawak, Kek Sarawak or Kek Lapis. They are often baked for religious or cultural celebrations such asEid ul-Fitr, Christmas, Deepavali,birthdays and weddings.

People in Malaysia practice an open house on festival day. A unique feature of Sarawak's open houses is the modern layered cakes.

Modern Sarawakian layered cakes were introduced to the people of Sarawak from Indonesia officially around 1988. The Indonesian version has been known since the Dutch colonial era; its most famous varieties are the Lapis Legit, a spice-flavored multilayered cake, and Lapis Surabaya.

In 2011, the history of Sarawak layered cakes once again change by a new generation (Sarawakian) of innovative natural layer cakes evangelist named Kek Lapis Qalas Qalas. By introducing modern design and traditional layer, coupled with new flavors which inspired from home-made inspiration,each layer is tastefully interlaced with various natural flavours in between the original recipe, modern taste and knowledge from their ancestor.

Sarawakian modern layered cakes can be divided into two categories: cakes with ordinary layers and cakes with patterns, motifs, or shapes. All must have at least two colors. The cake can be baked in an oven or microwave. The batter uses butter or vegetable oil, milk and eggs, and requires a strong arm or electric mixer to be properly prepared. The baked cake has a high, firm texture and the layers are fastened together with jam or a similarly sticky sweet substance. More detailed cakes often require special moulds to maintain the perfect layer thickness.

Spekkoek (also called Spiku in some cities in Indonesia) or more popularly called lapis legit in Indonesia is a Dutch-Indonesian layered cake. It was developed during colonial times in the Dutch East Indies and may have been based on Dutch cake recipes using local ingredients.[citation needed] The cake is the Indische (Dutch people that had lived for years if not generation in Indonesia during the colonial time) version of Baumkuchen and contain popular mix spices of cinnamon, clove, mace and anise. In Indonesia, the cake is very popularly known as lapis legit, which literally means (very) rich layer-cake. The cake is very rich for a 20x20cm size cake contains up to 30 egg yolks, half a kilo butter, and 400g sugar. The name of the cake is derived from its layered structure. This layered structured is achieved because of the many very thin layers of cake that are piled on the top of each other. A good lapis legit has more than 18 layers. This makes the baking of spekkoek a very labour-intensive process. The product is therefore a rather expensive delicacy: about EUR 20 per kg in 2010.[1] In Indonesia, a 20x20cm-sized spekkoek (or lapis legit) can cost up to IDR 400,000 (approx. EUR 12.5).

Spekkoek on sale in Indo (Eurasian) shop in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In Indonesia, spekkoek is enjoyed during Chinese New Year, Aidilfitri and Christmas celebrations. It is also served or given as gifts in many local festivities, sometimes in a birthday party and wedding. In the Netherlands, the sliced cake is traditionally served as dessert in rijsttafel.[2] The cake has a firm texture, similar to the one of a Baumkuchen in a baking plate but without a chocolate or sugar shell. Baking the cake requires much patience. Each thin layer is made by pouring a small amount of the batter from a small cup, baked one layer after another in the oven until golden with heat from the top. Cakes baked in electric ovens have a better taste as the cake can bake a lot faster gas is not recommended, but Dutch ovens with charcoal fire on top of the lid produces the best results. In some cases where clove buds or cardamon seeds are difficult to find, bakers use spekkoek powder as a replacement. Milling and mixing the spice before baking produces a cake with an excellent aroma. Actually the spice must be sieved into the flour at least 3 times as the spice is very fine and balls of spice will appear in the batter.

DELICIOUS FOOD IN SARAWAK!

LAKSA SARAWAK, KOLO MEE & UMAI

• Sarawak laksa (Malay: Laksa Sarawak) comes from the Malaysian state Sarawak, on the island of Borneo. It is actually very different from the curry laksa as the soup contains no curry at all. It has a base of Sambal belacan, sour tamarind, garlic, galangal, lemon grass and coconut milk, topped with omelette strips, chicken strips, prawns, fresh coriander and optionally lime. Ingredients such as bean sprouts, (sliced) fried tofu or other seafood are not traditional but are sometimes added.
• Umai is a local delicacy from Sarawak (raw fish salad). It is traditionally made with fish or prawns. It is a staple food for the Melanau ethnic group, especially the fishermen (I read somewhere that the fisherman would make umai from freshly caught fish on their boat for their lunch). It is sometimes nicknamed as "Sarawak sushi" due to the use of raw fish/seafood. 
• There can be only one logical choice – kolo mee, the ubiquitous tossed noodle that has become so much part of the city folks’ life.Kolo mee is a different kettle of fish altogether. It is ‘endemic’ to Kuching, and only in recent years has it spread to other towns in Sarawak. In fact, its popularity has spread to a few eateries in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur! However, kolo mee is still hard to come by in these cities, and Kuching natives working there often crave for its simple but unique taste.Somehow, kolo mee does not taste like the kolo mee they used to eat, unless it is eaten in Kuching.

DELICIOUS FOOD IN SARAWAK!

Sarawak Spicy Porridge - Bubur Pedas
Bulan Ramadan is approaching and most of our Muslim brothers will think of breaking fast by having a bowl of bubur pedas. Bubur pedas is claimed to be an uniquely Sarawak Malay delicacy but apparently it is a Malay delicacy that is popular in the entire West Borneo include places like Sambas and Potianak, Indonesia. It is usually served during the month of Ramadan. Some special spice mix is required to make its unique flavor. It is an extremely popular dish among Malay households as one blog writer describe that the number of recipe available is the same of the number of Malay grandmothers (nenek) meaning every household have their unique recipe and all claims that theirs is the best! 

• Forest ferns have a special place in the diet of the people, with the two most popular ferns used as vegetables being midin and the fiddlehead fern (pucuk paku). Midin grows wild in the secondary forests and is peculiar to the state. It has curly fronds and is very crunchy even after it has been cooked. Rural dwellers have always considered the fern a tasty, nutritious vegetable and the jungle fern’s rise from rural staple to urban gourmet green occurred in the 1980s with the increased urban migration of the Iban, Orang Ulu and other groups.
  
  Today, the fern is widely available in markets. It is enjoyed by all and many eateries have the fern on their menu, often stir-fried with sambal belacan. Unfortunately, the fern does not travel well as it only stays fresh up to two days after harvesting so Sarawak is largely the only place to try midin dishes.

DELICIOUS FOOD IN SARAWAK!

• Ikan Terubuk Masin (Salted Terubuk Fish)
• The busiest section at the Satok weekend market in Kuching, Sarawak is at the fish section, and there is only one fish that everyone is interested in – terubuk. It’s known mostly for its bones – loads and loads of fine bones criss-crossing – but those in the know patiently pick through because the reward is firm, tender, fatty, sweet flesh. It’s also found in Peninsular Malaysia, but terubuk is synonymous with Sarawak.

• MEE BELACAN SARAWAK
• Belacan is a Malay word referring to fermented shrimp paste that's compressed into cubes or little cakes. For these with exotic tastes, Belacan Mee Hoon is a soupy dish containing mee hoon, bean sprouts and squid. In some instances a century egg ( preserved egg ) is added. A belacan gravy is then poured over these ingredients. This is not a dish for the faint hearted as the gravy while being slightly spicy and thin in consistency , is also very strong in aroma though delicious.

SARAWAK EVENT

SARAWAK REGATTA

An annual event organized by Kuching Resident Office. The event is the showcase of boat race with participation from various government agencies, private sectors and also participants from overseas such as Indonesia and Brunei. Other activities include displays of crafts and exhibitions by local entrepreneurs.Sarawak Regatta has been a premier event with a distinct historical and cultural significant. It was held as early as before 1872 and was organized as an annual event taking place during the New Year. Sarawak Gazette had recorded in 1872, that the annual Regatta that year was held, on 29th February 1872 at the Sarawak River infront of the Astana. The European community in Sarawak and in the neighboring countries were invited to the Astana - for breakfast - before the race. Keen competition were also recorded for the Rajah Cup. The boat 'Sri Matu' built and manned by the Melanaus, was reported as the winning boat.The Gazette records provided the indication that Regatta had been an important social event organized annually for social integration and goodwill for the people of Sarawak. Prominent political figure, the late Tan Sri Datuk Amar Ong Kee Hui, recorded that Rajah Charles Brooke used to send his yacht Maimunah1 to outstation to bring in the various Tuan Residents to join in the social event.The tradition of holding the annual Regatta in the Sarawak River continued through the Colonial period and into the post-Malaysia period. During these periods the Regatta was organized by Resident and District Office with funds from the Government while the rest of the fund was raised through public donations.The day programme include races for traditional longboats, dragon boats and other activities, like the running of totolizers, climbing greasing poles, catching ducks and pillow fights. Racing boats from outstations made it a grand affair and also a great occasion for families from outside the State Capital to visit Kuching town.