The Mysteries of Pulau Lakier We took a trip back to Pulau Lakier a few days ago. We had visited five years ago just before the pandemic. Pulau Lakier is an island located behind Santubong. To get there, go to the docks that take people to Bako National Park and
This essay was hard to figure out because of all the scientific terms involved. I have changed those terms to regular English so everyone can read it. I have also extracted those portions that relate to Borneo. We begin with portions of Pangea, the continent where every land mass was
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an essay about metal in Santubong. I wasn’t satisfied with it. My first question is how did the iron get into the soil. The answer is long and complicated worthy of a geo chemist and has to do with slate, soil, water and
Extreme Rainfall Forecast The results of this study showed that Borneo is expected to face a high-likelihood increase in extreme rainfall frequency within the central mountainous region experiencing the highest rise. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pce.2025.103959 Chinese Malay Mixed Marriages The findings revealed that Chinese Muslim converts in Sarawak tended to preserve a stronger
Here is part two of the two-part series on the slaves of Borneo. It was enjoyable researching and expanding our knowledge of this great island. Although most of the slave traders came from the Sulu area the ramifications were felt all across the archipelago. Some of the information are behind
I have always been curious about the slave raiders. However, most papers dealing with the subject, especially Sarawak, are behind paywalls with some costing $50.00 to download. I scoured the Internet, found four books in my library and discovered one paper which had information. AI and Wikipedia were not used
A Controversy on the Iron Industry at Santubong Ever since the rise of the Shang people in the Huang Ho basin in 1800 BC, bronze has been a Chinese precious metal. It consisted of a mixture of copper and tin or lead. In the 10th century BC, iron was discovered.
The Chinese Ibans The Iban ethnic group in Borneo Sarawak is divided into seven major clans: Sebuyau, Remun, Balau, Saribas, Ulu Ai/Batang Ai, Undup, and Rajang Iban. The Chinese Hakka and Teochew ancestry from Southern China, and Hokien from Fujian (also called Min) or Hokien Province came in the 18th
Here is part two in the collision between the Islam, traditional beliefs and the sea among the Bajau Sama people. There are very few articles, if any, that discusses the clash. Efforts to contact the authors have been fruitless. You can find part one on my website, BorneoHistory.net An example
Ceramics from a Sabah Shipwreck The ceramics from the Tanjung Simpang Mengayau Shipwreck off Sabah have been classified. The ship floundered during the northern Song dynasty(960-1127) off Kudat, Sabah. https://doi.org/10.26721/spafajournal.2l5br71rau Weather and South Kalimatan There have been significant changes in temperature over the past 40 years. The average temperature was
The Baju’s love of the sea, their pre-Islamic customs(adat) and Islam come together to form a belief system where they co-exist and, seemingly, are not in contradiction with each other. This is part one of two parts The Bajau or Bajo people are groups of nomadic people traditionally living on
For a change of pace, I present poetry from the kampongs along the Sarawak River. They are usually recited at gatherings of Malay people, where the men and women are seated separately. The ending of the first and third verse and the second and fourth verse must rhyme. The first