Dalat, Sarawak
Encyclopedia
Dalat is the administrative town of the Dalat district in Mukah Division
, Sarawak
, East Malaysia
. It is situated by the Oya river. The district covers areas from Kg. Penat to Oya, and from Muara Sg. Kut to Ulu Baoh. There are 3 small towns, 23 villages and 22 longhouses in the district.
Church), a Methodist Church, a Chinese temple (age more than a century), a district mosque and etc. There is also a newly constructed waterfront. Unfortunately, there is only a bank in Dalat, RHB Bank
.
ethnicity making up 59.64% of the population. There are also Chinese
(4.73%), Iban
(33.09%), and others(0.07%).
According to the 2010 National Census
, Dalat has a population of 18,800, with 1.16% average annual growth rate compared to the census done in 2000.
to communicate here. There is a slight difference of the language between each villages, yet they can understand each other very well. Other languages such as Malay
, Sarawak Malay, Iban, Mandarin, Hokkien
and English
are also widely spoken.
, Christianity
(Roman Catholic, Methodist and SIB
), Buddhism
, Malaysian Chinese religion
and etc.
.
via Bintulu
and Mukah
.
The nearest airport is Mukah Airport. The locals however prefer to use either Bintulu
Airport or Sibu Airport to fly to Kuala Lumpur
particularly.
River transportation is still very vital in Dalat. There are speed boats connecting Dalat and Sibu
with a fee of MYR
20. The journey takes approximately 2 hours.
worms and the sago pearls. Also, there is a carnival named Karnival Balau (Balau is the Sago palm in Melanau language) which is held annually, and also a regatta, held few years once. Some major celebrations here are Christmas, Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Chinese New Year and the Kaul Festival. The Kaul Festival is celebrated on different dates for different villages.
Mukah Division
Mukah Division is one of the eleven administrative divisions in Sarawak, east Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. It was established on March 1, 2002 and it has a total area of 6,997.61 square kilometers....
, Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
, East Malaysia
East Malaysia
East Malaysia, also known as Malaysian Borneo, is the part of Malaysia located on the island of Borneo. It consists of the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, and the Federal Territory of Labuan. It lies to the east from Peninsular Malaysia , which is located on the Malay Peninsula. The two are...
. It is situated by the Oya river. The district covers areas from Kg. Penat to Oya, and from Muara Sg. Kut to Ulu Baoh. There are 3 small towns, 23 villages and 22 longhouses in the district.
Infrastructures
Dalat town has one secondary school which is SMK Dalat. Two other secondary schools are SMK Oya, which is located in Oya and SMK Batang Igan, which is located by the Igan river. There are quite a number of primary schools in Dalat. In fact, most villages have their own primary school. Dalat town also has a post office, district office, a hospital, a stadium (Stadium Perpaduan Dalat), a few blocks of shophouses, a Catholic church(St. BernardSt. Bernard
-People:*Saint Bernard of Clairvaux *Saint Bernard of Menthon *Saint Bernard of Thiron , founder of the Tironensian Order*Saint Bernard of Vienne *Saint Bernard degli Uberti -People:*Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153)*Saint Bernard of Menthon (923–1008)*Saint Bernard of Thiron (1046–1117),...
Church), a Methodist Church, a Chinese temple (age more than a century), a district mosque and etc. There is also a newly constructed waterfront. Unfortunately, there is only a bank in Dalat, RHB Bank
RHB Bank
RHB Bank Berhad is a bank based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It specializes in commercial banking, corporate and investment banking and international banking services...
.
Demographics
Majority of the people in Dalat District is of the MelanauMelanau
The Melanau are a people who live on the island of Borneo, primarily in Sarawak, Malaysia, but also in Kalimantan, Indonesia. They are among the earliest settlers of Sarawak, and speak a Northwest Malayo-Polynesian language .-Origins:...
ethnicity making up 59.64% of the population. There are also Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
(4.73%), Iban
Iban people
The Ibans are a branch of the Dayak peoples of Borneo. In Malaysia, most Ibans are located in Sarawak, a small portion in Sabah and some in west Malaysia. They were formerly known during the colonial period by the British as Sea Dayaks. Ibans were renowned for practising headhunting and...
(33.09%), and others(0.07%).
According to the 2010 National Census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Dalat has a population of 18,800, with 1.16% average annual growth rate compared to the census done in 2000.
Languages
Most of the people use the Melanau languageMelanau language
Melanau is an Austronesian language spoken in the coastal area of the Rejang delta on northwest Borneo, Sarawak, Malaysia and Brunei. There are several dialects—Mukah-Oya, Balingian, Bruit, Dalat, Igan, Sarikei, Segahan, Prehan, Segalang, and Siteng....
to communicate here. There is a slight difference of the language between each villages, yet they can understand each other very well. Other languages such as Malay
Malaysian language
Malaysian or Standard Malay is the official language of Malaysia and a standardized form of the Malay language of the Austronesian family. It is over 80% cognate with Indonesian and is spoken natively by over 10 million people...
, Sarawak Malay, Iban, Mandarin, Hokkien
Hokkien
Hokkien is a Hokkien word corresponding to Standard Chinese "Fujian". It may refer to:* Hokkien dialect, a dialect of Min Nan Chinese spoken in Southern Fujian , Taiwan, South-east Asia, and elsewhere....
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
are also widely spoken.
Religions
Main religions practiced in Dalat are IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
(Roman Catholic, Methodist and SIB
SIB
SIB can refer to:*The Worst Chilean graffiti crew that means "Somewere I Belong"* As SIB, a nick for Sibtain* As Sib, a town in Oman* Savings and Investment Bank, a failed bank on the Isle of Man* Scale-Index-Base byte used in x86 instruction encoding...
), Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
, Malaysian Chinese religion
Malaysian Chinese religion
Malaysian Chinese religion refers to religious beliefs of Chinese origin as practiced by the sizable Chinese minority of Malaysia. These beliefs and practices are heavily influenced by the three faiths practiced by Chinese communities, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism.According to The...
and etc.
Politics
Dalat, N.50 is represented at the State Legislative Assembly by Datin Hajah Fatimah Abdullah @ Ting Sai Ming, from Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu. She won the seat in the 10th State Election 2011 for the third time. For Parliament, Dalat district is under Parliament 213: MukahMukah
Mukah, Sarawak, Malaysia, is a coastal town which serves as the administrative center of the Mukah District in Mukah Division, Sarawak. It is located by the South China Sea, about 2.5 hours by road from the town of Sibu. Mukah is also accessible by air by MASwings from Kuching and Miri. The...
.
Transportation
Dalat is accessible by road. There are daily express bus services connecting Dalat and MiriMiri
Miri is a city in northern Sarawak, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. It is the second largest city in Sarawak, with a population of about 300,000, and the government administrative centre of Miri District in Miri Division....
via Bintulu
Bintulu
Bintulu is a coastal town, and the capital of Bintulu District in the Bintulu Division of Sarawak, Malaysia. It is about 650 kilometers from Kuching and about 215 kilometers from either Sibu or Miri....
and Mukah
Mukah
Mukah, Sarawak, Malaysia, is a coastal town which serves as the administrative center of the Mukah District in Mukah Division, Sarawak. It is located by the South China Sea, about 2.5 hours by road from the town of Sibu. Mukah is also accessible by air by MASwings from Kuching and Miri. The...
.
The nearest airport is Mukah Airport. The locals however prefer to use either Bintulu
Bintulu
Bintulu is a coastal town, and the capital of Bintulu District in the Bintulu Division of Sarawak, Malaysia. It is about 650 kilometers from Kuching and about 215 kilometers from either Sibu or Miri....
Airport or Sibu Airport to fly to Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
particularly.
River transportation is still very vital in Dalat. There are speed boats connecting Dalat and Sibu
Sibu
Sibu may refer to:*Sibu, Sarawak in Eastern Malaysia*Sibu Division*Sibu , an impact crater on Mars*Pulau Sibu, an island off the eastern coast of peninsular Malaysia*Sibu , name of a goddess in the Bribri tribe, in Costa Rica...
with a fee of MYR
Myr
The symbol myr was formerly used in English-language geology, and remains as the standard usage in astronomy, as a unit of one million years.It is an abbreviation for 'million years' and lower case is used in geology, while upper case is used in astronomy....
20. The journey takes approximately 2 hours.
Culture
The people here particularly the Melanaus are still practicing their culture. The Melanaus are famous for their traditional food such as umai, sagoSago
Sago is a starch extracted in the spongy center or pith, of various tropical palm stems, Metroxylon sagu. It is a major staple food for the lowland peoples of New Guinea and the Moluccas, where it is called saksak and sagu. A type of flour, called sago flour, is made from sago. The largest supply...
worms and the sago pearls. Also, there is a carnival named Karnival Balau (Balau is the Sago palm in Melanau language) which is held annually, and also a regatta, held few years once. Some major celebrations here are Christmas, Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Chinese New Year and the Kaul Festival. The Kaul Festival is celebrated on different dates for different villages.
Literature
- Heidi Munan's short story 'How Dalat Got Its Name' is published in the book Melanau stories(2005) Utusan Publications and also is used as a short story for English Literature for PMR level in the textbook "Literature Component For Lower Secondary; Short Stories for Form One".
- The Kut Canal and Medong Village also featured in the book Melanau stories(2005), in the story 'The Story of Kut Canal'.