Sibu History, Malaysia

Have you ever read the history of Sibu, Malaysia? Many schools have history books that show Sibu, Malaysia. Hopefully you listened well when the lesson on Sibu, Malaysia was presented to you in school when you were a kid. But, if in that time you were not interested, and now you are, then you have come to the right place. This article attempts at presenting a bit of the town’s history.

 If you have never visited Sibu, Malaysia, reading a bit about its history will give you an insight into this historical place.

Today, Sibu, Malaysia holds a reputation of being a rough, frontier town on the riverside an also one of the most bustling towns to be found in East Malaysia. Originally, Sibu, Malaysia was called “New Foochow” after Foochow.

In the early 20th century, the immigrants that came from Fujian, China’s province, first settled in Sibu. This was done after an invitation from Rajah Charles Brooke. At that time, there were many ethnic groups who emigrated from China at that time. These immigrants included Heng Hua, Hokkien and many others. They have contributed a lot to a positive change in Sibu as they put a lot of effort into making a Sibu a greater place. The new settlement was located next to Melanau village that was first established in the 1850’s.

The Rajang River was becoming bustling with economic activity and this meant that Sibu had a very important role in the Brook administration that was a trading center between the vast upriver hinterland and the coast. This important role of the town is held even now.

In addition, in Sibu, you will find Sibu Fort. This is a historical monument because it was built in 1862 by Rajah Brooke. Sibu Fort was once a Race Course Road but it does not exist anymore.