PKB MIRI

PKB MIRI updated their address.

1986. Inside an express boat. This was the chief transport to marudi, long lama, Tinjar.

Clinic at Long Banga
This clinic sits in between the original Saban village and a Kenyah village. Its service began in around 1990 and served by many Medical Assistants and Jururawat Masyarakats.

The image of the clinic is the back view of it.

Long Banga Today
The very little known village of the past has caught up a little with the modern times. It is reachable by road, and faster by air. You can use your handphones. There are homestays; 24 hours electricity. I am not sure about treated water.

The village has grown from two villages, that was initially separated by a government clinic. There is a bridge access to the primary school, the old suspension bridge has been replaced, a community centre behind the clinic and many other small isolated settlements nearby.

There have been government functions, notably the Prime Minster visit in 2012 and also a National World Leprosy Day celebration in 2014.

Long Banga (4)
A Primary School at Long Banga. Far, and remote, the school serves the children for the villages nearby. There are Penans, Sabans, Kenyahs and others too. Having completed the Primary school, the next secondary school will be at Bario (a whole 2 or 3 days walk of trekking). A few dedicated teachers live to tell their experience.

Long Banga (3)
Long Banga has two villages: one village where the Saban lives and the other which nearer the airport is where the Kenyahs live.
There is a primary school, a government clinic, a church and some sundry shops.
The said primary school is away from the village. There is a playing field, a basketball court, teachers quarters. The school has boarding facilities but for those staying in Long Banga itself would have to cross the river by walking along a locally built suspension bridge. This has been replaced by a more modern suspension bridge. There is also a community hall for social gatherings.
The village has changed much in character and size. The logging road leading into the village has changed all that. Now in 2020, the village has increased in size. From a mere 500 people, there may be about 1000 or more people there.
Photos to follow

Long Banga (2)
This is a view of the village taken in the mid 1980s. The people are entirely Saban, a small minority group. As in the photo, on the right is their small worshipping place. Further up at the background is a Primary School. This picture is taken from the clinic location.

There was hardly any access to the village at all, except by trekking and by small boats. The villages nearby include Long Lamai, Long Peluang and Long Beruang.

Today all the villages are reachable by road.

Long Banga (1)
Long Banga is a remote village in Ulu Baram. From Miri, by air, it is about 203 kilometres. A small aircraft (Twin Otter) will take about 1 hour to reach here. It was unreachable by roads until around the year 2000, via a logging road.

By road, it will take a full 12 hours to reach Long Banga from Miri.

Photos (courtesy from google earth map) to show location and distance of Long Banga and the village itself.

Lio Mato
This is a Kenyah village along Batang Baram. My work took me to many remote villages in Ulu Baram. To reach these remote villages requires motivation and effort. For my staff in Lio Mato, and also the school teachers, they know it would take them a full two days to reach Marudi by boat and two drums of petrol!
I had the privilege to visit Lio Mato by FDS. On a few occasions, by boat. The goals were to screen patients out there and to acknowledge our staff to see how they were coping.
The photo shows a Fort at the foreground and with the clinics in the centre and a school field. The longhouse, one of a few belian long houses destroyed by fire.
You may google Lio Mato in google map.

Long Moh
This is a village upriver along Batang Baram. A Kenyah village, it is quite isolated. At one time, it could be only be reached by longboat from Long Jeeh or Lio Mato and other nearby villages.

Below is a photograph of Long Moh (1995). A primary school is on the lower left (not in picture). To go this school, one has to cross a suspension bridge about 10 metres long. The clinic is in the middle of the photo (blue roof). And the village is the rest.

The nights and morning are much colder compared to the other villages (due to the hilly surrounding).

Long Loyang (4)
It is a pleasure to have community projects in the community. We were always well received by them.

The photo shows a gathering at night with the community of Long Loyang. It was our famed Wakil Kesihatan Programme. The night was filled with speeches, price giving, and ngajat. 🌹

Long Loyang (3)
It was visiting using a long boat to reach Long Loyang. A boat ride began from Lapok which is about 4 hours away (depending on the capacity of the outboard engine.

As in the photo, bigger boats have roofs over it to shade its passengers from the hot midday sun. Others are simply small open boats. Noticed that the river was at its lowest. Hence to reach the clinic (not in picture), one has to climb up..not easy for the those with knee problems..

Long Loyang (2)
With reference to the accompanying map (courtesy of googlemap), on the extreme right of the map is the clinic, just adjacent to it is the primary school with its field. On the extreme left is Long Batan. The remainder is Long Loyang. Long Loyang, like other villagers also had its share of being destroyed by fires a long time ago. But it has since been rebuilt.

There is a timber road that links Long Loyang to Lapok and thence Miri.

In the past the journey to Long Loyang was via a longboat which takes about 3 hours depending on the capacity of the outboard engine (from Lapok). The ride is comfortable with little ripples but no rapids at all. Today it just around 3-4 hours all the way from Miri by a 4-wheeler.

Long Loyang (1)
Welcome to Long Loyang. This village is the most furthest with a clinic facility of the Tinjar River. The other clinics along Tinjar River are at Long Teru, Long Teran and Long Jegan, In the 1960s, there was a mission and its clinic. After the mission ceased its services, the clinic was handed over to the Health Department, sometime in the late 1970s. The clinic served the villagers in Long Loyang itself (a homogenous Sebob population of around 1000 people) and also the villagers beyond Long Loyang.

Until 2008 or so, to go to this village, it took an arduous 6 hours (from Miri): 3 hours to Lapok and another 3 hours by boat from Lapok to Long Loyang. Travelling by road was hazardous - the road was not done yet. But in a boat, it was more relaxing. Today, the roads has much improved. It now takes about 4 hours or less by road.

Apart from the village itself, there is a school (primary), a clinic, and an agricultural station.

Just before reaching Long Loyang is Long Batan.

Photos to follow..

Type maps.google.com to view Long Loyang and the areas around there.

FLOODS
The whole of Miri Division is prone to annual flooding. The low-lying areas are affected and can disrupt social life for a period. This usually occurs at the end of the year.

Most severely affected are the areas where two rivers meet. Long Panai, Long Bemang, which seemed to make the headlines every time.

Villagers need not worry too much. The government is sensitive to all these and welfare aid is readily available.

All the clinics in Baram and Suai areas are not spared from this threat. But, of grave concern are our generator sheds. If they are underwater, they are as good as gone; difficult to restore back to normal.

Whoever needs the clinic services, all they need to do is to “paddle” to the clinic (by sampan, of course).

To the clinic staff, you may share some photos to “messenger” of Facebook so that I can display them.

Long Teran (2)
This shows a clinic at Long Teran. Small it seemed, this clinic had served the village well. Built sometime in 1989, it had since been replaced by another clinic around 2000 or so.

Long Teran
There are 3 villages at Long Teran: Long Teran Kiri, Long Teran Kanan and Long Teran Batu. I only remember that there were two ethnic group there namely the Berawan and the Iban. But I stand to be corrected.

There is an SK Long Teran (Kanan) and also a clinic between Long Teran Kiri and Long Teran Kanan. The clinic is a gotong-royong clinic way back from 1989. And had been served by many MAs and JMs. Thank you very much😍.

Like other villages near there, it is often affected by the perennial flooding, usually at the end of the year.

Long Jegan (2)
I first visited this Berawan village in 1989 after I was appointed the Medical Officer of Health Marudi. We drove from Miri by road to Lapok, then followed by an hour’s boat ride to tHis place.

The longhouse was a long, belian one with 40 doors. The other belian longhouses were Long San and Lio Mato. The function was women’s health. This was followed by the opening of a kindergarten there. The night was merry, filled dances and ngajat!

Unfortunately, disaster hit the longhouse. It was burnt to the ground only to be replaced with ordinary structures.

Long Jegan (1)
This is a Berawan village along the Tinjar river. There is a clinic and a primary school. This village is prone to flooding. The clinic may be underwater sometimes.

TINJAR RIVER
The Tinjar river is a major tributary of the Baram river. There others are Sungai Bakong and Sungai Tutoh, Sungai Silat and a few more smaller tributaries.

This river arise from the Dulit Range and carved out the hills to reach the Baram river, some 180 km downwards.

Express boats (passenger boats) from Marudi stops at Lapok (the gateway to Ulu Baram).

The Ibans live in longhouses before reaching Lapok. The Berawans live at Long Teran and Long Jegan. The Sebobs, Kenyahs live around Long Loyang and beyond. The Penans live in the more interior

As for the medical facilities, there are four clinics beside the river, which are numbered. They are KK Long Teru, KK Long Teran(1), KK Long Jegan(2), and KK Long Loyang (3).

Other photos to follow...

KK Ulu Teru
This is another clinic within the Tinjar area (refer to the map before this). This clinic serves the Ibans villages near to it.

Like KK Long Teru, it still has to depend on the generator for electricity and water supply from the village. In the past, rain water was collected in water tanks provided for domestic use.

To reach this clinic, one has to hire a land cruiser. And the route is from Lapok.

Logan Bunut
This is a freshwater lake in mid-Baram,about 160 acres in size. In terms of locality, it sits between two clinics I.e KK Long Teru and KK Ulu Teru. About six feet deep in most times, it dries up during the dry seasons, and even reduced to a stream!

If you love boat ride, an alternative is to take an express boat and stop at Long Teru village. From there, hire a boat and along the tributary (Sungai Teru), you can reach the lake. The ride is a 40-minute slow as the outboard engine is 10 or 15 hp. Part of the problem is due to the dead woods and undergrowth in the river bed. Once you reached the gigantic freshwater lake, it is “out-of-the-woods” feeling. The majestic lake is in front of you. it takes another 1/2 hour to reach the rest house. You may stay there for the next few days, if you wish. Enjoy the birds chirping, not sure if fishing is allowed. But definitely, you will enjoy the fresh air.

From this resthouse, a vehicle can go to Long Lama, Ulu Teru or back to Miri via Lapok, all by road.

Visit sarawaktourism.com for more information.

Long Teru (2)
When the Health Office plan for a facility in any area, it takes into consideration the villages they serve. As the clinic is truly a riverine clinic, it serve the villages between Lapok (described in the earlier posting) along the Tinjar River. The villages are all Iban except for Long Meligam which is a Penan village.

Long Teru (1)
This is an area along the Tinjar River. This place is accessible only by boat. But I guess, times have changed.
At present, one can drive to Long Teru ( located to the right of river) from Lapok. But not in those earlier days. From Marudi, an express (a passenger boat) would take you to this place which was about 3 hours. Or from Lapok, it takes about 40 minutes to reach there by boat.
At this area, there is a Primary School, a clinic, and an agricultural station (closed now). There was a small bazaar of three-four wooden shop lots (no longer).
The location of this clinic along the river was such that after the boat has passed through (from Lapok), you can get ready in about 10 minutes to go to the other side. This photo illustrates best about its position.
More to follow after this...

Ba’Kelalan
This is an area north of Bario within the Tama Abu Range. By helicopter from Bario, it is about 1/2 hour. Otherwise, one has to go to Lawas and after that a four-wheel vehicle will take you there across challenging logging tracks about 150 km long.

A clinic is there. I escorted a VIP to get to this village via helicopter. Cool at night and warm in the afternoons, this isolated, scenic and idyllic area in the highlands is inhabited by the Lunbawangs. It is another refreshing place to go to.

Pa Dalih
This is a Kelabit village, south of Bario. With about 5 families, there is a primary school, a clinic. There is also a homestay.

Before 2000, this village could only be reached by an 8-12 hour trekking from Bario. Today, after the construction of a logging road from Long Banga to Miri, via Pa Dalih, the journey to Bario takes only about half an hour.

Temperature-wise, it is cool at night and warm in the afternoons.

Once a while, it is good to go to this village to cool off.

BARIO
Bario is an area above 3,000 ft which is deep into the interior and can be reached by Maswings (1-hour flight from Miri) or by land (12 hours from Miri).
Bario country is essentially a homogeneously Kelabit community and there are 12 villages there. The area can be considered a plateau. It takes about an hour to walk from each village to the other. This makes the Kelabit people generally healthy because of their walking.
The aircraft has to ascend to around 4,000 feet before it enters a "gap" into Bario. The first thing you see below is numerous padi land. It is a breathtaking view, really.
Night temperatures are in the region of 16 degrees C and day time temperature is around 27 degrees C.
It is worthwhile to visit Bario. There are homestays, lodges and transport to take you around the area. I mentioned Pa Dalih earlier on, hence go back to that posting.
If you love trekking, then Bario is the place.
(Photos to follow)

AIR TRAVEL IN MIRI-MARUDI
There are a few remote places in Baram that warrant air travel. Such places are located in Bario, Long Lellang, Long Seridan, Long Banga, Long San and Mulu. It takes a full 1 hour by air from Miri to Bario or Long Banga. Maswings provide this service. The Twin Otter aircraft can seat 14 people maximum for this purpose.

To have proper roads are near impossible because driving will take you across streams, rivers, hills and mountain ranges. It easily takes 12 hours to Bario, Long Bangga (the two furthest villages in Baram), and less for the other villages mentioned.
However, travelling by road is made possible because of the logging roads (see earlier photos). But, travel at your own risk.

Map and Photos to follow.

Trekking in the jungle
The trek from Bario to Pa Dalih takes about 8-12 hours, depends on how fast one walks.
As in the series of photos accompanying this posting, the trek took us in the open land initially, later across rivers and streams. Bamboo bridges are common. The trekking is cool, because of the high altitude. We reached Pa Main, where we rested briefly. The other was Long Dano, a village about 2 hours walk from Pa Dalih. At some parts, we were greeted by rain, and of course, leeches--on the ground or on the leaves. Unforgettable experience!