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Author: Norqhaiziq Maharuf

Pirates of East Borneo

Pirates of Southwest Kalimatan The sea people were foreign migrants who established their communities along the coast. Their ethnic background was varied and considerably mixed. Among these was an important group called the Orang Laut, who settled in Kampong Palembang in Karimata Besar. Karimata Besar is an island in the

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March 14, 2026 No Comments

SukADANA & pONTIANAK IN 16 AND 1700’S

The History of Pontianak and Sukadana from ~1770-1820 We go to the east coast of Borneo Island and take a look at some of the history there. Riau was connected to the India-Sino-Southeast Asian trade network, also called the Maritime Silk Road. Through various ports, this network connected India, China

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March 7, 2026 No Comments

King of Borneo ?

King of Borneo Many references in Southeast Asian  history refer to the “King of Borneo”, but who was he? Prior to the arrival of James Brooke, one of the White Sultans of Sarawak in 1840, there was no group of people called “Malays”. The people were arranged by others according

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March 1, 2026 No Comments

All Creatures Great and Small #80

All Creatures Great and Small #80 Nasopharynx Cancer Nasopharyngeal cancer, a malignancy associated with the Bidayuh of Sarawak, is strongly linked to the Epstein-Barr virus. The virus is associated with initiating and  progression of the tumor. Epstein-Barr virus also stops the immune system from attacking the tumour. International Medical Journal,

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February 21, 2026 No Comments

Caves of Sarawak

This article was very difficult for me to translate from geological English to regular English. It seems like I was looking up every other word. Anyway, here is my attempt to explain the geology of the slice of hills just to the south of Kuching. Karst The swampy coastal plain

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February 10, 2026 No Comments

How to tell good Blue and white Porcelin from Fake

How to Spot Old Blue and White Porcelain Because of the countless fakes on the market, it’s important to know what signs might indicate genuine age. Keep in mind: only an expert or laboratory test can confirm authenticity, but these tips can help you decide whether your piece is worth

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February 1, 2026 No Comments

Migration of monkeys into Borneo

This essay was originally published in 2001 but was just reprinted in a book in 2026 at the ridiculous price of $149. Dr Brandon Jones was the author and his ideas on animal migration back and forth between Sumatra, Borneo and other parts of  Southeast Asia during the last two

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January 25, 2026 No Comments

Early Sabah Colonies

Colonies in Sabah Balambangan One of the earliest attempts to establish a foreign settlement in Sabah took place on Balambangan Island, off the northern tip of Borneo. The idea came from Alexander Dalrymple, a British official working for the East India Company. In the early 1760s, he made agreements with

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January 17, 2026 No Comments

All Creatures Great and Small #79

All Creatures #79 Sea Snails These sea snails live in the water along the coast of Sarawak, from the coastal areas to the deep oceans. They occur in large quantities and serve as food for commercial fish, seabirds, and whales. The piece is a comprehensive essay on the snail species

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January 11, 2026 No Comments

Early Visitors to Santubong

Early Visitors to Santubong 487-488 CE In the Song Shu (宋书 Liu Song History Annals), which was edited by Shen Yue (沈约, 441–513) during the Nan/Southern dynasty, are records concerning the Poli nation (婆利国). The Poli nation was considered Santubong. All records show the arrival of emmissarys from Poli to

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January 8, 2026 No Comments
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