128-year-old prison in Kuching.

The little steel door leading into the prison or out to freedom.“This old central prison was constructed way back in 1882. While the state government sings along making Kuching a heritage city, many old structures are being demolished and soon this 1882 building will be demolish .

Built in 1882, the main prison building used to be 1st Rajah James Brooke's rest house before it became the city's first hospital.Old Kuching prison is even older than Pudu Prison in Kuala Lumpur.

The building, which only became a prison after the World War 2, was the site for the execution of Sarawak's first freedom fighter, Rosli Dhobi, 60 years ago.

Surrounded by sharp barbed wire and two-layer fencing, the 128-year-old prison on a small hilltop stood proudly overlooking the city’s busy streets and other structures built long after its time.

Door leading to women jail house...

 

Added to this, having been vacant since two years back, the prison is now covered with overgrown vegetation and has become a breeding ground for snakes, mosquitoes and other creepy crawlies.

Prisoner workshops carpentry & hand craft .......Prisoners are more  disciplined they  left behind beautiful work of art.

The jail officer just leave behind the shoes and Malaysia national flag..they should learn to respect the National flag.

The local politician say:

KUCHING: The old Kuching Central Prison should be preserved instead of being demolished, asserted Padungan assemblyman Dominique Ng. HISTORICAL VALUE: The state government is called to retain the Kuching Central Prison as a prison museum. He wondered why the authorities concerned did not preserve the site and worse still, started taking down the building.

I photographed this picture this evening (03:00pm 30/11/2010 Tuesday).

Hidden History@ Indian Mosque Lane in Kuching.

The India Street derives its name from the fact that it has always been a street occupied by the Indian Shops. Most of the Indians are from the southern and northern India. At first, it was called as the Kling Street in the 1850’s, but the Third White Rajah of Sarawak, Sir Charles Vyner Brooke changed the name to India Street in 1928.
In 1992, the street was closed to vehicular traffic and converted into a pedestrian mall.

 

INDIAN MOSQUE LANE

A small passageway (locally known as “Lorong Sempit”) that connects India Street Pedestrian Mall and Gambier Road.  A popular short-cut for shoppers who patronized the area. Built originally as the access to the Indian Mosque located between the Mall and Gambier Road. The doors and steps which marked the beginning of the passageway from the Mall side have been restored in their original state since early seventies.

Indian Mosque Lane is a narrow passageway locally known as "Lorong Sempit".This small lane lead to Gambier Road.The lane is so narrow that at section only one person can walk pass at anytime.

 

If you follow this passageway you'll pass a small Mosque hidden away in the middle of the city. The Mosque's structure has undergone many changes since it was originally built by Kuching's Indian Muslim community in the mid 19th century.

 

Outside view of Indian Mosque.

 

Photo Above - Masjid Bandar Kuching ( Masjid India - The Indian Mosque) is the oldest in Sarawak

 

The time for prayers is marked by the sounding of a drum, known locally as the ‘bedok’.(Photo Above) That drum has been in use for 50 over years.

The hidden history of Indian Mosque in Kuching.

Inconspicuously sandwiched between India Street Mall and Gambir Street,  the mosque covered an area of 16,004 square feet.

The mosque was built in 1837 by Indian Muslims from southern India. The originally walls and roof was made of nipah palms. In 1876, belian wood planks replaced the nipah palms walls. The name was changed to Masjid Bandar Kuching in the 1960’s from its original name Masjid India (Masjid Tambi).
Other than the Indian Muslim community, at that time when there was no road transportation yet, the

Malay Muslims from the costal villages also come to the mosque to pray and rest when they come to trade in the city.

In those days when there were no roads to the costal, the villagers travel by boats and would berth their sampans by the river beside Gambir Street wet market  and visit the mosque for prayers. Sometimes, they lodged in the mosque before returning to their villages. To this day, Masjid India provides shelter to tired travellers.

The time for prayers is marked by the sounding of a drum, known locally as the ‘bedok’. That drum has been in use for 50 over years.
Being in the heart of the city, it is a convenient place of worship for Muslims working in the area and shoppers  On a Fridays, the congregation could swells to over 1,000 while on ordinary weekdays some 400 gather for prayers.

The mosque also started the first religious school in Sarawak back in 1940’s. The Madrasah Islamiah remains in operation.

A committee Lembaga Amanah Khairat administrates the Masjid India, and whatever funds collected will be used to maintain the mosque. Funds for maintaining the mosque come from rent collected from 23 neighbouring shops owned mainly by Indian Muslims who sold groceries, spices, cloth and books. Two Chinese shopkeepers also operate their businesses in the area. These family businesses have been handed down through the generations.

Malaysia Day 16 September......

Malaysia Day 16th September,2010.
This year will see the first year of another National Holiday called Malaysia Day which will be celebrated on September 16 annually.This day commemorates Sabah and Sarawak joining Peninsular Malaysia as a nation of Malaysia.
The city of Kuching will host the first state level Malaysia Day celebration at Stadium Perpaduan(Indoor Stadium) on Sept 16.

 

Indoor Stadium in Kuching.

Stadium Perpaduan in Petra Jaya

Themed ‘1Malaysia: Menjana Transformasi’, hundreds of participants will turn up in traditional costumes in the spirit of unity and national integration.

Politic in Sarawak.....this opposition political party having they own version of Malaysia Day ,16 sept .

Raising of Malaysia & Sarawak flag by a small group of opposition party supporters at Padang Merdeka.

Bertuntung or Lighting Fiesta.

Lighting fiesta or better known as 'Bertuntung' which go on through the Syawal period see villages in Kuching,lighted with decorative lamp and traditional lamps.

Children is the most joyful people during the fiesta .Here you see the children preparing to light the traditional lamps.

This fiesta bertuntung  is held with aim of bringing back nostalgic feeling of how Hari Raya was  celebrated in the past.

The villagers would decorated the kampung(Village) and houses with kerosene lamps  and colourful decoration lamps.

Bertuntung  a traditional widely practised by the Malay Muslim community in Sarawak since the colonial era.

This is how the kerosene lamp look like,,,,Selamat Hari Raya.

Japanese Cemetery & Monument in Kuching.

During world war (WWII) the Japanese came and invaded Sarawak.

The gate to the monument & cemetery.

The monument.

This place is built to remember a group of Japanese fallen soldiers who invaded Sarawak during WWII.Some say to remember a Japanese fisherman staying in Kuching who fought during world war.It's good to know local history and place and just for info this cemetery is located just behind the telecom office in Batu Lintang.

My World Tuesday-A Day Trip to Annah Rais Village.

For virtual tour to other part of the world just visit the home page

HERE

 

Annah Rais belong to the Bidayuh tribe with over 80 families living in the long house.My research is that it had a written history of 175 years and unwritten of 500 years with 8 generation of Bidayuh who lived here.

Annah Rais Village is not far from the Sarawak/Kalimatan Indonesia border as I can see our Malaysian Immigration & Custom office is located there.

A Bidayuh maiden will serve  you a welcome drink  with  their local rice wine "TUAK".

Enter the Village & the long house.

 

Traditionally,the long house is one unit where many families occupy their own space in the divided only by manimal bamboo partition

 

The Head House.............

 

The Skull.........

Just don't miss the HEAD HOUSE...this is must visit house if you are at Annah Rais Longhouse .Perhaps 100 or more years ago head hunting was a common practice.They say the more head you collected meaning you are the most powerful person.

The villagers use traditional sugar cane crush to make sugar cane juice.

Annah Rais Village Hot Spring........

After the long house tour I went to the hot spring which is another 5 minutes drive from the village and followed by 3 to minutes walking through the jungle.

If you have chance to visit Sarawak , don't miss this little adventure ..just e mail me at uncleawang at G mail dot com.

Monochrome Maniacs-Indian Mosque in Kuching.

More Black & White photo HERE

One of the Sate's oldest Mosque is Indian Mosque or locally known as Masjid India or Masjid Bandar. This Indian Mosque which has been in existence since the 1850s.Its entrance is squeezed in the between old shophouses of little India selling species.

Photowalk-Kuching City.

The new Dewan Undangan Negri building is ready for the sitting of Malaysia Ruler's Conference.

View of DUN building from the waterfront.

The rehearsal of Sarawak river float event at Sarawak River.

The crowd at the rehearsal.

Let evening yesterday I have a chance to see the full rehearsal of the events at Kuching waterfront.On the 27th July,2009 Sarawak will create new history,the official opening of the new Sarawak DUN building by the King(The Yang di pertuan Agong).In the evening there will be a special regatta and Sarawak river float 2009 to commemorate the official opening and the sitting of Malaysia Ruler's Conference in the City.

Revisiting Damai Santubong,Pasir Pandak,Kampung Buntal,Lundu and Sematan.

The attraction is the sea itself for our two friends Mr& Mrs MOOO....
Sorry no work today..I'm on holiday.
The seas in Sematan the westermost tip of Sarawak near the border with Indonesia West Kalimatan .

One of the Island in Sematan.
Sematan half an hour drive from Lundu were a popular holiday resort.To-day the hobby fisherman are heading for Sematan,eager to catch the big fish.
Fresh seafood when the boat come in from the sea and crabs are cheap in Sematan.

This way to the beach................and atrractive beaches near by.There are some beach huts and chalets but they are overpriced for basic facilities they offer.
Sematan beach.

Welcome and Selamat Datang to Sematan.

Sematan is a natural charm and offers the beauty of it's people and landscape and the seas.
Souvenir and local handycraft can be found at flea market in Sematan.
Happy Holiday to a group of scooter club from Kuching on convoy to Sematan.

The junction of the road to Lundu and Sematan.Visitors come to Lundu and Sematan for Sun,Sand and Sea.

To the Malay Kampung in Lundu.Lundu is a sleepy up-country town comprising a few rows of sophouses,a small market,government building and some attractive kampung houses,inhabited by very friendly residents.
Prawn,cuttlefish and Ikan parang crackers are widely sold at a very reasonable prices in Kampong stall .All this crackers are locally produce by villagers.
Local cookies,biscuits and cakes are among the best buy in local market Lundu.

Pasir Pandak beach.
Pasir Pandak kampung which are surrounded by small rolling hills,cocunut groves and durian orchards.

Rich Dad in Pasir Pandak

Poor Dad of Pasir Pandak.

Pasir Panjang fishing village
Pasir Pandak fishing village.Pasir Pajang and Pasir Pandak are two beach-side kampung.

The Green Paradise Cafe at the enterance to the Santubong Mountain Treks and offers rice and noodle dishes in a pleasant jungle setting.

Scooter for rent::::Maybe Rm30 perday excluding helmet and no insurance coverage.Our tourist riding the scooter in Santubong Village.

Childrens enjoying the cool water of forest pool.

Pasir Pandak Cowboys

Home stay along Jalan Sultan Tengah.
UMNO flag in Kampung Buntal.
Selamat Datang and Welcome to Kampung Buntal.

Interesting coastal village(kampungs) in the Santubong Peninsula.Buntal a Malay fishing village just off the Kuching-Santubong road,is famous for the seafood restaurants .Most of the seafood restaurants belong to Ah Kau,Along or Ah kong and my advise to Muslim friend please look for seafood stall belong to Ahmad,Ali,Bujang senang and Mak minah.
Our PAS members here can help you to look for Halal seafood restaurants in this village.

The junction to Kampung Buntal and Santubong off Jalan Sultan Tengah.
Ever wonder where the Jalan Sultan Tengah come from? According to the legends of Sarawak by Chang Pat Foh(1999),when Sultan of Brunei took over control of Sarawak,Sarawak Malay had already established their settlements in Santubong where Datu Merpati Jepang was the leader.Based on the history of Brunei there was a strong indication that Santubong was the first capital of Sarawak in the late 16th century when Sultan Tengah Ibnu Sultan Muhamad Hassan,the secong son of the third Sultan of Brunei,become the first and last Sultan of Sarawak.In 1641.Sultan Pengiran passed away at Buaya and was buried at Santubong.To-day,this mausoleum is located at the junction of Jalan Sultan Tengah and Jalan Santubong.It was restored and declared as a historical monument n Sarawak.

Happy holiday ....................................................