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.