Flags Used in Sarawak from 1841 to Current Days

(Sarawak Flags since 1841)

Japanese Occupation of Malaya, North Borneo & Sarawak

(Japanese troops advancing through Malaya)



Throughout much of World War II,  British Malaya, North Borneo and Sarawak were under Japanese occupation. The Japanese Empire commenced the Pacific War with the invasion of Kota Bahru in Kelantan on 8 December 1941 at 00:25, about 90 minutes before the Attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii at 07:48 on 7 December Hawaii time, or 01:48 on 8 December Malayan time.

They then invaded the island of Borneo in mid December 1941, landing on the west coast near Miri in Sarawak; invasion was completed by 23 January 1942 when they landed at Balikpapan in Dutch Borneo on the east coast. During the occupation an estimated 100,000 people were killed.

Defence in Sarawak and North Borneo

The main objectives were the oilfields at Miri in Sarawak region and Seria in Brunei. The oil was refined at Tutong near Miri. Despite rich oil supplies, the Sarawak region had no air or sea forces to defend it.

Only in late 1940 did Air Chief Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham order the 2nd Battalion, 15th Punjab Regiment, a heavy 6-inch gun battery from the Hong Kong-Singapore Royal Artillery, and a detachment of 35th Fortress Company (Royal Engineers) to be positioned at Kuching. They numbered about 1,050 men. In addition, the Brooke White Rajah government also organised the Sarawak Rangers. This force consisted of 1,515 men who were primarily Iban and Dyak tribesmen. Altogether these forces were commanded by British Lieutenant Colonel C.M. Lane and was known as "SARFOR" (Sarawak Force).

After having heard of the attack on Pearl Harbor, on 8 December 1941, the Brooke government instructed that the oilfields at Miri and Seria and refinery at Lutong be quickly demolished.

Japanese landing and the battle

The main Japanese force, led by Major General Kiyotake Kawaguchi, consisted of units from Canton, southern China:

• 35th Infantry Brigade Headquarters
• 124th Infantry Regiment from Japanese 18th Division
• 2nd Yokosuka Naval Landing Force
• 4th Naval Construction Unit
• 1 platoon of the 12th Engineer Regiment
• 1 unit from the 18th Division Signal Unit
• 1 unit from the 18th Division Medical Unit
• 4th Field Hospital, 18th Division
• 1 unit from the 11th Water Supply and Purification Unit 

(The Japanese landing off the west coast of British North Borneo, 1942)

On 13 December 1941, the Japanese invasion convoy left Cam Ranh Bay in French Indochina, with an escort of the cruiser Yura (Rear-Admiral Shintaro Hashimoto) with the destroyers of the 12th Destroyer Division, Murakumo, Shinonome, Shirakumo and Usugumo, submarine-chaser Ch 7 and the aircraft depot ship Kamikawa Maru. Ten transport ships carried the Japanese 35th Infantry Brigade HQ under the command of Major-General Kiyotake Kawaguchi. The Support Force consisted of Rear-Admiral Takeo Kurita with the cruisers Kumano and Suzuya and the destroyers Fubuki and Sagiri.

The Japanese forces intended to capture Miri and Seria, while the rest would capture Kuching and nearby airfields. The convoy proceeded without being detected and, at dawn on 15 December 1941, two landing units secured Miri and Seria with only very little resistance from British forces. A few hours later, Lutong was captured as well.

Meanwhile, on 31 December 1941, the force under Lieutenant Colonel Watanabe moved northward to occupy Brunei, Labuan Island, and Jesselton (now called Kota Kinabalu). On 18 January 1942, using small fishing boats, the Japanese landed at Sandakan, the seat of government of British North Borneo. The North Borneo Armed Constabulary, with only 650 men, hardly provided any resistance to slow down the Japanese invasion. On the morning of the 19 January, Governor Charles Robert Smith surrendered British North Borneo and was interned with other staff.

After securing the oilfields, on 22 December, the main Japanese forces moved westwards to Kuching. The Japanese airforce bombed Singkawang airfield to prevent a Dutch attack. After a battle between the Japanese fleet and a Dutch submarine, the fleet approached the mouth of the Santubong river on 23 December. The convoy arrived off Cape Sipang and the troops in twenty transport ships, commanded by Colonel Akinosuke Oka, landed at 04:00, 24 December. Although 2nd Battalion, 15th Punjab Regiment resisted the attack, they soon became out-numbered and retreated up the river. By the afternoon, Kuching was in the hands of Japanese forces.

At about 16:40 on 25 December, the Japanese troops successfully captured Kuching airfield. The Punjab regiment retreated through the jungle to the Singkawang area. After Singkawang was secured as well on 29 December, the rest of the British and Dutch troops retreated further into the jungle southward trying to reach Sampit and Pangkalanbun, where a Dutch airfield at Kotawaringin was located. South and central Kalimantan were taken by the Japanese Navy following attacks from east and west. After ten weeks in the jungle-covered mountains, the Allied troops surrendered on 1 April 1942. Lastly, Sarawak fell into the hands of The Empire of Sun.



(Hinomaru Yosegaki - Japanese WWII Good Luck Flag)



History of Sarawak

(Sir James Brooke, 1803 – 1868)

Sarawak had been a loosely governed territory under the control of the Brunei Sultanate in the early 19th century. Sir James Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak (see figure on leftside) became governor of Sarawak on September 24, 1841 and was appointed Rajah by the Sultan of Brunei on August 18, 1842; originally this territory was just the western end of later Sarawak, around Kuching.

He ruled Sarawak until his death in 1868. His nephew Charles Anthoni Johnson Brooke became Rajah after his death; he was succeeded on his death in 1917 by his son, Charles Vyner Brooke, with a provision that Charles should rule in consultation with his brother Bertram Brooke.

The territory was greatly expanded under the White Rajahs mostly at the expense of areas nominally under the control of Brunei. In practice Brunei had only controlled strategic river and coastal forts in much of the lost territory, and so most of the gain was at the expense of Muslim warlords and of the de facto independence of local tribes.

The Brooke dynasty ruled Sarawak for a hundred years and became famous as the "White Rajahs", accorded a status within the British Empire similar to that of the rulers of Indian princely states. In contrast to many other areas of the empire, however, the Brooke family was intent on a policy of paternalism to protect the indigenous population against exploitation. They governed with the aid of the Muslim Malay and enlisted the Ibans and other "Dayak" as a contingent militia. They also encouraged the immigration of Chinese merchants but forbade the Chinese to settle outside of towns in order to minimize the impact on the Dayak way of life. They also established the Sarawak Museum, the first museum in Borneo.

In the early part of 1941 preparations were afoot to introduce a new constitution, designed to limit the power of the Rajah and give the people of Sarawak a greater say in government.

While the intention was clearly admirable, the draft constitution contained defects and improprieties, not least by reason of a secret agreement drawn up between Charles Vyner Brooke and his top government officials, by which he was to be financially compensated for this gesture out of treasury funds.

Japan invaded Sarawak and occupied the island of Borneo in 1941, occupying Miri on December 16 and Kuching on December 24, and held it for the duration of World War II until the area was secured by Australian forces in 1945. The Rajah formally ceded sovereignty to the British Crown on July 1, 1946, under pressure from his wife among others. In addition the British Government offered a healthy pension to sweeten the negotiations. His nephew Anthony continued to claim sovereignty as Rajah of Sarawak.

Before the Japanese invasion, the Brooke family that ruled the Kingdom of Sarawak, had been abroad in Australia. The one remaining member of the family, Donal Hudden, lost his life during the Japanese Occupation.

After the end of the Second World War, Anthony Brooke then opposed the cession of the Rajah's territory to the British Crown, and was associated with anti-secessionist groups in Sarawak. Anthony was banished from the country. He was allowed to return only seventeen years later, when Sarawak became part of the Federation of Malaysia.

Sarawak became a British colony (it was formerly an independent state under British protection) in July 1946, but Brooke's campaign continued. The Malays in particular resisted the cession to Britain, dramatically assassinating the first British governor. Sarawak was one of the main sites of the Indonesian Confrontation between 1962 and 1966. It became an autonomous state of the federation of Malaysia on September 16, 1963, despite initial opposition from parts of the population.

SARAWAK - The Land of the Hornbill

Sarawak has been described as Asia's " Best Kept Secret". Now the secret is out. Sarawak is the place for history, mystery, romance and exotic adventures. The land of the fabled White Rajahs, the hornbill and the orang utan, Sarawak is the largest State in Malaysia and by far the most exotic.

Sarawak is situated in the north-west of Borneo. East and borders Brunei, Sabah and Kalimantan, Indonesia. It is the largest state of Malaysia covering an area of 124,450 square kilometres (48,342 square miles) with a coastline 720 kilometres in length which accounts for about 37.5% of area of Malaysia. Its highest point is Gunung Mured, 2,438 metres, and has the longest river in Malaysia, Batang Rajang, which stretches over 640 kilometres.

Sarawak, with an average rainfall of over 200 inches per year, is an expansive network of rivers, rainforests, mangroves, swamp forests, mountains and has the world`s oldest limestone caves. Sarawak is a tropical country with an equatorial climate. It is hot and humid throughout the year with mean daily temperature ranging from 23° C during the early hours of the morning to 32° C during the day.

It experiences two monsoonal changes. The West Coast East Monsoon, which usually occurs between November to February, brings with it heavy rainfall.The South West Monsoon is usually less wet. Except for monsoonal changes, the climate remains fairly stable throughout the year. Annual rainfall varies between 330 cm to 460 cm for the greater part of the country.

Sarawak is one of the two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang (‘Land of the Hornbills’), it is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia; the second largest, Sabah, lies to the northeast.

The administrative capital is Kuching which has a population of 579,900 (2006 census; Kuching City South - 143,500; Kuching City North - 133,600; Padawan- 3rd Mile/ 7th Mile/ 10th Mile - 302,800). The name Kuching literally means ‘cat’ (kucing).

Major cities and towns also include Sibu (pop. 254,000), Miri (pop. 263,000) and Bintulu (pop. 176,800). As of last census (Dec 31, 2006), the state population was 2,357,500, though it is interesting to note that Sarawak is, like Sabah to the north, a multicultural state, with no ethnic majority.

Brief History of Sarawak rulling:
- Brunei Sultanate: Year 19th century
- Brooke dynasty: Year 1841
- Japanese occupation: Year 1941-1945
- British control: Year 1946
- Accession into Malaysia: Year 1963

Others Infomation:
- Area in total: 124,450 km²
- Population: 2,357,500 (2006 estimate)
- Density: 19.1/km²

Miri's Demographics

Miri's population consists of Chinese, Dayak, Malay, Melanau, Indian, Kayan, Kenyah, Kelabit, Iban, Bidayuh, Penan and other indigenous groups. Through this broad classifications, the races are further sub-divided into different tribes, each having their own particular areas of abode, occupation and language.

However, the commercial, industrial and technological advances, coupled with easy accessibility and a growing number of inter-racial marriages among locals, has shaped Miri into a potpourri of customs, traditions and beliefs inherited through the generations.

It would be a difficult task to differentiate one race from the other, for the general populace look similar, although some are a shade or two darker than others. It is interesting to note here that people of different creeds live side by side in full religious tolerance. Religious festivals of different races are celebrated by all citizens, while greetings, wishes and visits are exchanged. Although Bahasa Melayu is the national language, the people of Sarawak have their own dialect, which is rather like a Bahasa Sarawak-which has become the Lingua Franca for the general population.

During World War II (Decline and War)

(Wartime - Oilfield on fires during 1945's)

Realizing that war was imminent, the Brooke Government, under Sir Charles Vyner Brooke, conducted preliminary work to establish airstrips at selected locations throughout the country. These airstrips would be located at Kuching, Oya, Mukah, Bintulu, and Miri.

With no air or sea forces stationed in or around Sarawak, the British government encouraged the Brooke Regime to adopt a "scorched earth policy" in the event of a Japanese attack. Later, it was proposed to develop a Denial Scheme. Denial Schemes were in place to destroy the oil installations at Miri and Lutong.

The oilfields in British Borneo lay in two groups: one at Miri close to the northern boundary of Sarawak, and the other thirty-two miles north, at Seria in the State of Brunei. The crude oil was pumped from both fields to a refinery at Lutong on the coast, from which loading lines ran out to sea. Landings were possible all along the thirty miles of beach between Miri and Lutong and there was, with the forces available, no possibility of defending the oilfields against determined attacks. Plans had therefore been made for the destruction of the oil installations.

In the 1920s, these were the years when the Miri field began to decline. Exploration was carried out further and further afield. In 1926 an exploratory team had gone as far as Padang Barawa between the Sungai Seria and Sungai Barawa. Not much attention was paid to their findings then, but now with the Miri field declining the old maps and charts were taken out and studied again. The result was the discovery of Seria field in 1929. In the years that followed people, equipment and installations began to be moved from Miri to Seria although the field was not really developed till postwar. The refinery remained in Lutong, but Miri contributed less to it. By 1940 the field had produced just over one million barrels during the year. By then, however, the operators were less concerned with producing oil than with shutting the field in, in case of enemy invasion.

War found two opposing forces who tried to influence the flow of Miri oil. On one side were the Allies (and the Company), determined to keep the oil in the ground. On the other side were the Japanese, equally determined to get the oil out.

In December 1940 a company of 2/15th Punjab was sent to Miri for the protection of the demolition parties, and in May 1941 the rest of 2/15th Punjab was sent there to provide a garrison. This lone battalion consisted of approximately 1,050 soldiers under the command of Major C.M. Lane. These troops were entrusted with the destruction of Miri Oil Fields. It was to be known as the Miri Detachment.

In December 1941, The Brooke Government which had already heard of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor (on 7 December 1941) quickly ordered the complete and total destruction of the oil fields and airfields at Miri and Seria. Orders for the demolition of the refinery at Lutong and the denial of the oilwells reached the officer commanding at Miri on the morning of the 8th December, and by the evening of the same day the task was completed.

On the 19th December 1941 the Dutch flying boat X-32 from Tarakan Island sank the Japanese destroyer Shinonome (Cdr. Hiroshi Sasagawa) of 1,950 tons off Miri, while another flying boat X-33 damaged a transport ship. The destroyer could not take the pounding and went down with her entire crew of 228 officers and men.

Miri, a town in Sarawak located in northern Borneo, fell to 2,500 Japanese invaders on 17 Dec 1941, after two days of fighting. The small garrison of Dutch troops was no match for the Japanese.

Miri – From Where it All Began

THE FIRST: Drilling Well No.1 in Miri now affectionately called the Grand Old Lady, struck oil on 22 December 1910.

MIRI, declared as Malaysia’s newest city today, occupies a very special place in the history of Malaysia’s oil industry – it was here that oil was first struck in 1910. Possibly the earliest record of the existence of oil seepages in Sarawak’s Baram-Miri District was mentioned in the diary of the Baram district officer in 1882 when he wrote of what he called “the celebrated earth oil”.

Another diary entry in 1884 suggested that “the oil district near the mouth of the Miri River should be thoroughly searched and reported on”. In 1888, Dr Charles Hose, who became Baram district officer, took his predecessor’s suggestion to heart and began to explore these seepages himself, giving small rewards to locals who kept him closely informed of further discoveries. He soon compiled a map of the area showing no less than 28 oil seepages.

In 1907, retired but still convinced of the feasibility of commercial oil production in Miri, Dr Hose wrote to the then Rajah of Sarawak, Sir Charles Brooke, for permission to show his map and oil samples to the Shell company in London. Permission was granted and Shell was convinced enough to draw up concession negotiations with Brooke.

On terms “which were fair and satisfactory to both parties”, the areas in question were leased for 75 years from 1909 to Shell, then known as the Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Company Limited.

Shell’s chief geologist Dr Josef Theodore Erb visited Miri and carried out a geological survey of greater North Sarawak, which marked Shell’s earliest exploration for oil in Malaysia.

At this time, a number of Shell-owned and affiliated companies were also operating in British North Borneo, now Sabah. But Shell’s initial efforts met with little or no success. Shell then diverted its attention to Sarawak where Dr Erb was making considerable headway in pursuing Dr Hose’s conviction.

Reporting back to London, Dr Erb confirmed the existence of “numerous oil shows”. And in February 1910, after much investigation, the fixed the exploration site on the tip of Miri’s Canada Hill. His selection of Canada Hill to drill instead of the swamps where the seepages were obviously occurring caused quite a stir among local Miri residents. But it was nevertheless to be indeed an event of profound significance when Malaysia’s first ever oil well was drilled and oil eventually struck on Dec 22,1910.

Called Miri Well No. 1, and now affectionately known as the Grand Old Lady, the wooden derrick erected at 79m above sea level began to produce an initial 83 barrels per day under the laborious cable tool method – a system used by the Chinese as early as 221AD to trap underground salt. Between 1910 and 1957, 46 more onshore exploration wells were drilled in the Balingian and Baram Delta areas. By the time the last well was drilled in 1972, a total of 624 land wells had been drilled in the Miri field since the 1910 discoveries. Malaysia’s first oil well is today a state monument and one of Miri’s tourist attractions.

After the discovery of oil in Miri, Shell built Malaysia’s first oil refinery there in 1914. The refinery was relocated to Lutong on the outskirts of Miri in 1916. The year 1914 was also the year that Shell laid a submarine pipeline in Miri, a breakthrough in the technology of transporting crude to tankers out at sea. Encouraged by the discovery of the Miri land field, there was no looking back for Shell as it stepped up its exploration activities and covered the entire Sarawak land mass. The activity was extended to neighbouring Brunei, and – while the results in the rest of Sarawak proved disappointing – major discoveries were made in Seria, Brunei, in 1923.

By the late 1950s, Shell began to take the search for oil off Sarawak and Sabah. In 1960, the first mobile drilling rig ever used in Malaysia, Orient Explorer, arrived in Sarawak waters and began to explore off Baram Point. Advances in exploration and production technology were used to meet the special challenges of ocean environments. These efforts were rewarded by the discovery of Sarawak’s first offshore field, Baram, in 1963, which coincided with the year the state became part of Malaysia. Others followed suit – West Lutong, Tukau, Baronia, Betty, Bakau, Bokor, to name a few. The first offshore oil production began from West Lutong in 1968.

Putting its expertise to good use, Sarawak Shell pioneered the single buoy mooring system in 1960. The system, which dispenses with the need for deep-water harbour facilities, was later adapted and used throughout the world.

In 1965, Miri and its people became the first in Malaysia to enjoy all the convenience of piped gas, when Shell started a gas distribution system via the Miri Public Works Department and later through Sarawak Gas Distribution Sdn Bhd.

(Grand Old Lady in retirement in 1970's)



(Grand Old Lady around year 90's)



(Current days Grand Old Lady)

History of Miri (Since 1930)

Miri town center in the 1930's

The old Miri in the early 30's

 Like most cities, Miri has a rich history. What started out as a small settlement of fishing village, Miri is now a modern city, some one hundred years later. At the time of the spudding in of Well No.1, Miri was just a small rural kampong (village). Here are very detailed information on the growth and development of what we now call the Miri Resort City. This section is constantly being updated in sections. Please come back in the future for more information on the history of Miri.

The earliest officially recorded oil find in Malaysia was made in July 1882 by the British Resident of the Baram district in Sarawak. The oil was used by the local residents for medicinal purposes and later for lighting lamps and waterproofing boats. Commercial exploitation only began in 1910 when the Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Company, the forerunner of the present Sarawak Shell which was granted the sole right to explore for petroleum in Sarawak, struck oil in the town of Miri,(also a good name) marking the start of the Malaysian petroleum industry.

By the 1950s, attention turned to the seas as the onshore oil fields in Miri shows serious depletion. This was made possible by new improvements in offshore petroleum technology. Marine seismic surveys were carried out for the first time in Sarawak in 1954. The shift offshore began to show results in 1962 with the discovery of oil in two areas offshore Sarawak. Other finds followed in rapid succession. The first offshore oil platform was West Lutong, about 6 miles from shore.

The last onshore oil field was shutdown in early 1970s as oil production from offshore Miri started. Miri started developing very fast eversince the Parliament enacted the Petroleum Act which force Shell and Exxon to share their oil revenues with the people of Malaysia. It is by this time that Miri began developing its tourism and service industry.

In 1989, the vision for Miri to become a city was mooted. The proposal received the blessing of Sarawak state government in 1993. A public forum was held in 1994 and a grand signature collecting campaign was organised in 2004 and more than one-third of the population in Miri had put down their signatures in support of the government's efforts for Miri to obtain city status. Miri had the city blue-print drawn up in the early 2000s, while the government together with the private sector had managed to fulfill the Federal Government's ten main criteria of becoming a city. The Sarawak State Government approved the then Miri Municipal Council's application for Miri to be elevated to a city and concurrently the Council to be upgraded as Miri City Council on 20 May 2004.

The Federal Government approved its application on 16/3/2005. The Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak made an order on 12 May 2005 on the establishment of Miri City Council. The King of Malaysia, Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Di-Pertuan Agong XII issued the Instrument for conferment of city status of name Miri City Council on Miri Municipal Council with full jurisdiction on Miri City on 13 May 2005. The appointment of Mayor, Deputy Mayor and City Councillors of Miri City Council was published on Sarawak Government Gazette on 19 May 2005. On 20 May 2005, the official proclamation of Miri City and appointment of Cr. Dato Wee Han Wen as first Mayor of Miri City Council were held at Miri and this was then followed by city day celebration. Now, 20th May every year is the Miri City Day.

Introduction of Miri City (Sarawak, Malaysia)



 Miri is a city in northern Sarawak, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. Miri is home to a population of about 300,000 people and is thus the second largest city in Sarawak. It serves as the government administrative centre of Miri District (4,707.1 square kilometers) in Miri Division of Sarawak. Miri was elevated to city status on May 20, 2005 and it is the 10th city in Malaysia (Kuching has 2 cities) and its local authority i.e. Miri City Council is the 10th city council in Malaysia.

Miri is the birthplace of Sarawak's petroleum industry, which remains the major industry of the city. The first oil well was drilled by Shell in 1910, and is now a state monument and one of Miri's tourist attractions. Shell also built Malaysia's first oil refinery in Lutong, a suburb of Miri in 1914. Recently, vast oil reserves were discovered just offshore northeast of the city. Miri has grown phenomenally since oil was first discovered in the early 1900's, burgeoning into the modern and dynamic business, commercial and educational centre it is today.

The city's other major industries include processed timber, oil palm production, and tourism. The world famous Gunung Mulu National Park with the Sarawak chamber, a half an hour flight from the city, is one of the favourite eco-tourism destinations. Miri is also the main tourist gateway for the Loagan Bunut National Park, Lambir National Park and the Niah Caves at the Niah Caves National Park. Miri is lately known for its exotic coral reefs as well.

The successful discovery of offshore oil in the 1970s triggered a fresh development boom in Miri; luxury hotels were built, more houses constructed and new shopping centers and industrial estates established. Miri ranked as the second most important commercial town in Sarawak after Sibu town. The shift offshore began to show results in 1962 with the discovery of oil in two areas offshore Sarawak. Other finds followed in rapid succession well into the 1970s. When production levels reached 95,000 barrels a day, Petronas, the Malaysian National oil company, made Lutong the hub of oil production activities in Miri.
Tourism thrives -  Miri came to be known as "Sarawak's Northern Gateway". In the mid-nineties, development plans for rapid changes and concentration on tourism to boost the commercial sector calls for the Oil Town to be elevated to a City status - the first city in Malaysia to do so.

( Coordinates: 4°23′34.74″N 113°58′49.08″E / 4.3929833, 113.9803 )

(Night view of Miri City from Canada Hill)

(Aerial View of Miri City)

(Satellite View of Miri City)

Blog Update Under Constructions

Hi all, it's been quite a a long time this blog has not been updated. However, we have taken over this blogspot domain blog from the previous blogger and hope that we'll continuously to bring you more interesting content of Miri, Sarawak.

In briefly, we'll change the design layout & etc, then will re publish the previous post which we've notice some of the picture are not viewable and will update new picture insertion. Then we are ready to go with a start of article post soonest.

Update under constructions at the moment. Please bare with us for more exciting things coming up, see you again soonest..!