Selangau

Selangau Pekan Selangau
Town and district capital
Other transcription(s)
• Chinese	实兰沟
Selangau Location in Malaysia
Coordinates: 2°31′26″N 112°19′27″E
Country	Malaysia
State	Sarawak
Division	Sibu
District	Selangau
Population  (2010 (district)[1])
• Total	24,412
District Officer	Inting@Enting Anak Nyami
Website	www.sibu.sarawak.gov.my

Selangau, Sarawak, (Malay: Pekan Selangau) is a small town located by the Pan Borneo Highway (Sibu-Bintulu Road). It is also located by Batang Mukah, a river which flows to the South China Sea. It is located approximately 74 km (46 mi) from Sibu city, 84 km (52 mi) from Mukah town and 134 km (83 mi) from Bintulu town. Selangau town is the administrative centre for the Selangau District.

Etymology

The name "Selangau" comes from the name of a river, which is one of the tributaries of the Mukah river.^[2]

History

The earliest settlement of Selangau town was near the Selangau river delta (near Nanga Selangau primary school today). Initially, the area was inhabited by the Beketan people before they were displaced by the Iban people from Kanowit and Lemanak river. The Beketan people then moved to Tatau District. Meanwhile, the Iban people inhabited the Selangau delta in the 1930s and 1940s. There were only four shophouses owned by Chinese and Iban people selling groceries at that time.^[2]

In the 1960s, after the completion of Pan Borneo Highway between Sibu and Bintulu, these residents then moved their homes to the present location beside the highway. Selangau was originally put under the administration of Mukah district. However, with the increasing number of traders coming to town, has raised the population of the town. In the 1970s, a representative was chosen to administer the town and act as an intermediary between the government and the people. Selangau also become a resting station for the people who ply the highway regularly.^[2]

In the 1980s, a great fire burnt down the wooden houses in the town of Selangau. After that concrete houses were built to replace the wooden houses.^[3]

Due to the rising population and the development of Selangau, it was declared as a new district on 1 March 2002 with the Selangau town acted as the administrative centre. The Selangau district is now put under the administration of Sibu Division.^[2]

Government

Sibu Rural District Council (SRDC) administers the Selangau town and district.^[4]

Geography

Buildings in Selangau

Selangau town is located at an intersection approximately 74 km from Sibu town, 84 km from Mukah town and 134 km from Bintulu town.^[5]

Climate

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

Climate data for Selangau
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	29.9 (85.8)	30.1 (86.2)	30.9 (87.6)	31.5 (88.7)	32.0 (89.6)	31.8 (89.2)	31.6 (88.9)	31.4 (88.5)	31.4 (88.5)	31.1 (88.0)	30.9 (87.6)	30.5 (86.9)	31.1 (88.0)
Daily mean °C (°F)	26.0 (78.8)	26.2 (79.2)	26.7 (80.1)	27.0 (80.6)	27.5 (81.5)	27.2 (81.0)	26.8 (80.2)	26.8 (80.2)	26.9 (80.4)	26.7 (80.1)	26.6 (79.9)	26.3 (79.3)	26.7 (80.1)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	22.2 (72.0)	22.3 (72.1)	22.6 (72.7)	22.6 (72.7)	23.0 (73.4)	22.6 (72.7)	22.1 (71.8)	22.2 (72.0)	22.4 (72.3)	22.4 (72.3)	22.4 (72.3)	22.2 (72.0)	22.4 (72.4)
Average rainfall mm (inches)	446 (17.6)	349 (13.7)	326 (12.8)	235 (9.3)	227 (8.9)	217 (8.5)	181 (7.1)	252 (9.9)	284 (11.2)	296 (11.7)	309 (12.2)	434 (17.1)	3,556 (140)
Source: Climate-Data.org[6]

Demographics

The population (2010) of the district is 24,412.^[1]

Economy

Selangau traders serve commuters along the Sibu-Bintulu trunk road on Pan Borneo Highway and workers from surrounding oil palm plantations with daily necessities.^[7]

Transport

Local Bus or Bus Express remain unclear

Route No.	Operating Route	Operator	Remark
16	Sibu Mukah	Lanang Bus, Rejang Bus

Selangau is the major stopover station for bus express. Selangau have accessibility of sea and land transportation via cars, trucks, bus and boats. Currently, it was accessed mainly on road as it used many times. Selangau included in Pan Borneo Highway project (WPC 08; Sg. Kua Bridge to Sg. Arip Bridge) and was managed by Lebuhraya Borneo Utara Sdn Bhd (LBU) as a turnkey contractor. The main purpose of this project is replacing the existing two-lane carriageway at the old road to new four-lane two-way carriageway, including a few new lanes and constructing of an interchange at Mukah junction and new bridges, including new Batang Mukah Bridge. The main contractor of this project is Musyati Mudajaya JV (MMJV) Sdn Bhd.

Other utilities

Education

SMK Ulu Balingian

SK Batu 36

Primary schools

• SK Ulu Sungai Arip
• SK Sungai Tau
• SK Sungai Sepiring
• SK Sungai Pakoh
• SK Sungai Kemena
• SK Sungai Buloh
• SK Sungai Bawang
• SK Sungai Arau
• SK Sungai Anak
• SK St Matthew Sekuau (M)
• SK St Mark (M)
• SK Penghulu Imban
• SK Nanga Tajam
• SK Nanga Selangau
• SK Nanga Kua
• SK Kuala Pelugau
• SK Kuala Lemai
• SK Iban Union
• SK Bukit Arip
• SK Batu 36
• SK Dijih Selangau
• SJK(C) Tong Ah

secondary schools

• SMK Ulu Balingian

Healthcare

The town is served by a health clinic, Selangau Health Clinic operated by the Ministry of Health.^[8]

Fire station

The Selangau Fire Department Station was built, serving the emergency services, such as drowning and fire. It was managed by Fire and Rescue Department and Ministry of Housing and Local Government. With its existing, it will reducing response time from Sibu Fire Station and Mukah Fire Station.

Culture and leisure

There is a weekend bazaar at Selangau where natives could sell their jungle produce to their customers.^[4] Pesta Selangau (Selangau Festival) is held every year. Among the activities during the festival are: rafting, kayaking, and radio-controlled boat race.^[9]

Federal constituency

The federal constituency represented in the Dewan Rakyat is Selangau (federal constituency).

References

1. "Laporan Kiraan Permulaan 2010". Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia. p. 35. Archived from the original on 27 December 2010. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
2. "Portal Rasmi Pentadbiran Bahagian Sibu (Sibu Division administration official portal)". Sibu Divisional Office. Archived from the original on 18 September 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2018. Alt URL
3. "山雨欲来风满楼．群师会聚实兰沟 (The coming storm in the Malaysian general election - candidates have assembled in Selangau)". 国际时报（砂拉越）[International Times (Sarawak)]. 17 April 2013. Archived from the original on 29 July 2018. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
4. Andy, Chua (17 October 2016). "Better organisation for Selangau Bazaar". The Star (Malaysia). Archived from the original on 22 September 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
5. Florence Genta (15 April 2018). "More developments in store for Selangau". New Sarawak Tribune. Archived from the original on 4 July 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
6. "Climate: Selangau". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
7. "SRDC councillors keen to improve Selangau". The Borneo Post. 17 October 2016. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
8. "Selangau Health Clinic in pressing need of haemodialysis machines". The Borneo Post. 24 October 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
9. "Consider making Pesta Selangau an international event". The Borneo Post. 15 May 2017. Retrieved 22 September 2018.

External links

• Laman Web Rasmi Pejabat Daerah Selangau