Sitiawan

Sitiawan (alternate spelling: Setiawan; origin: from Malay, a portmanteau of " ", meaning "Loyal Friend") is a region in the Manjung district of Perak, Malaysia.

The region covers an area of 331.5 square kilometers (128 square miles) and as of year 2000, its population was 95,920. Sitiawan town, the principal town of Sitiawan sub-district ("mukim"), is located at coord|4|13|N|100|42|E|.

History

Folklore mentions Sitiawan as Kampung Sungai Gajah Mati. It became a thriving Foochows (Chinese: Fuzhou) settlement of industrious migrants, mostly from the district of Kutien in Fuzhou, China.

According to legend, Kampung Sungai Gajah Mati (literally: "the village by the river where elephants died") is the place where two large elephants drowned after one of them, overladen with tin ore, got stuck in the mud of the Dinding River at low tide. Efforts to help save the elephant were in vain and everyone gave up and left. However, the second elephant refused to budge and hung on to its friend, resulting in them drowning together in the rising tide. Thus the "setia kawan" name was derived.

In the late 19th century, tin, together with rubber sheets, formed the main commodities of commerce. They were often carried by elephants and loaded onto waiting steamships destined for Penang. In the 1870s, when an outbreak of smallpox struck the settlement, and in line with the Chinese belief of naming a place to enhance its feng-shui, the locals chose to name the locality Setia Kawan -- the "loyal friend" -- to harmonise with nature and appease the dead elephants.

In September 1903, the settlement got a boost with the arrival of more than 360 Christian Foochows desperate to escape the poverty in Fujian. They were led by two Chinese pastors and settled down in what is today known as Kampung Koh. Most of these immigrants worked in rubber plantations in Sitiawan. The Foochows also built four wells, two in the 1930s and another two in the 1950s. These heritage wells still exist but are no longer used.

Chin Peng, who led the Malayan Communist Party for many years, was born in Sitiawan in 1924.

Development

Sitiawan grew from a small settlement with rubber tapping and latex processing as the main economic activity. The town was flanked by various Chinese settlements comprising mostly descendants of immigrants from the Kutien district of Fuzhou, China. The original settlers were encouraged by the British to plant rice. The settlers, however, found that paddy-planting is not suited to the soil of the region and so they changed to livestock farming, before discovering that the land was much better suited for rubber plantations.

The rapid development of the urban settlements saw the plantation and estate areas developed and converted into residential and commercial areas. In the 1980s, the large remainder of the rubber estates underwent mass conversion into oil palm plantations because prices of palm oil were better than those of rubber sheets and latex. Oil palm is also a much less labour intensive crop than rubber as rubber needs to be tapped regularly.

Tourism has not been a major economic activity, but the town centre derives some economic advantages from its close proximity to Pangkor Island which is a famous niche tourist destination.

The development of the town had been rapid in the 1990s. One of the main reasons was the establishment of the Royal Malaysian Navy's Naval Base in Lumut, approximately 10 km from the town centre. The Naval Base is currently the largest in Malaysia. The base has acted as a catalyst for the development of commercial activities in the town, serving both the residents of the base and sailors visiting from other countries.

Education

There are many schools in Sitiawan, such as Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Ahmad Boestamam, Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan Nan Hwa, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan ACS (Anglo Chinese School) Sitiawan. The first mentioned school is named after Ahmad Boestamam, an historical figure who helped to gain independence from the British.

SMJK Nan Hwa, was previously a private Chinese school which has been converted into a government partially subsidised school. It's 70th anniversary was celebrated on 1st September 2006 in SMJK Nan Hwa school hall. A thousand-person dinner was held at Ku Tien Association Hall to commemorate the auspicious day.

ACS, formerly an English school was founded by Chinese Christian missionaries. Its 100th anniversary was celebrated in 2003 and making it the oldest secondary school in Sitiawan. As of 2006 it is still standing strong even at the advanced age of 103. ACS is the first school in Manjung to set up a scout troop.

Fuzhou Heritage

Foochows heritage has been prominently identified with Sitiawan. The making of "mien siang" (with red rice wine), Kong piang buns and "goroow" (sweet and sour soup cooked with fish maw) are all part of the unique tradition which is a vital part of the daily living of the residents of Sitiawan, especially those in Kampung Koh today.

Modern Sitiawan

Recent intense development on transportation routes between Lumut, Seri Manjung and Sitiawan along the Dindings river have brought both prosperity and pollution to what was once a relatively quiet town. The primary industries within Sitiawan are rubber, palm oil, mineral ore, fishing and ship building.

Around the year 2000, Sitiawan residents began to be involved in swiftlet bird breeding activities.

External links

* [http://mpm.gov.my/ Majlis Perbandaran Manjung] (Manjung Municipal Council) website in Bahasa Malaysia.
* [http://pdt-manjong.perak.gov.my/ENGLISH/ Manjung Land and District Office] website.
* [http://www.sitiawan.org Sitiawan pictures.]
* [http://www.theteh.com/html/malaysian_mangrove_swamp_trip.html Photos of Mangrove Swamp 'Venice of Perak' (in Basaha Melayu: Taman Baya Bakau)]