Author: James Alexander Ritchie

NOMADIC PENAN IN IDENTITY CARD CRISIS

A New Sarawak Tribune Exclusive KUCHING : The future of at least 200 nomadic and semi-settled Baram Penan children living in the remote jungles along the Magoh-Tutoh watershed looks bleak because at least one of their parents is “stateless”. There are about 300 nomads from seven communities, namely, the Ba

A visionary’s political journey 1963-2013 (PART 8)

JAMES Ritchie has written 35 books and is planning to pen four more in the near future. Readers can, from excerpts of ‘Abdul Taib Mahmud: 50 Years in the News’, published by us on Wednesday and Sunday, get a glimpse of some exciting political events that had happened in Sarawak.

FREEZING OF TIMBER LICENCES – PART 6

THROUGH Sarawak’s own well-known, prolific author James Ritchie’s book “Abdul Taib Mahmud: 50 Years in the News”, readers can get a glimpse of some unpublicised yet significant political events in the State as well as the life of Sarawak’s 4th Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud, 81, who has spent his

A Visionary’s Political Journey 1963-2013 (Part 4)

THROUGH Sarawak’s own well-known, prolific author James Ritchie’s book “Abdul Taib Mahmud: 50 Years in the News”, readers can get a glimpse of some unpublicised yet significant political events in the State as well as the life of Sarawak’s 4th Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud, 81, who has spent his

Amazing Sarawak – PART 25

PART 25 Longest “Jalur Gemilang” flag Fourteen students from Queen’s Art Academy in Kuching created the nation’s longest flag, “Jalur Gemilang” to mark the 42nd National Day. To complete the flag, they stitched up 46 bales of cloth material, each measuring 40 yards in length, and used up 110 litres

Amazing Sarawak – PART 24

PART 24 Longest Christmas Yule Log Holiday Inn Miri successfully created the longest chocolate Christmas Yule Log in Malaysia, measured and verified at 101.7 metres long on 21 December 1998. The ingredients used included 1,800 eggs, 43kg of sugar, 24kg of butter, 12kg of baking powder, 24kg of shortening, 20kg

Amazing Sarawak – PART 18

  Part 18 First Prime Minister declared as Hero of Sarawak Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj was born naturally as a prince in Alor Setar, Kedah on 8 February 1903, as the twelfth child of Sultan Abdul Hamid Halimshah, the twenty-fourth ruler of Kedah. In 1951, Tunku

Amazing Sarawak – PART 17

First Famous Patriot and Freedom Fighter  Rosli bin Dhoby was born in Sibu in 1932 and was a student teacher, as well as an active member of the Sibu-based Malay Youth Movement (Gerakan Pemuda Melayu). At the age of 17, Rosli made history as he joined Rukun 13 to assassinate

Amazing Sarawak – PART 12

Pesta Kaul The Kaul is the most important festival of the Melanau year and symbolises the end and beginning of a calendrical cycle marked by the major monsoons affecting their lives and livelihoods as farmers and fishermen. Today, the Kaul has lost its ritual significance and has become a secular

Amazing Sarawak – Part 11

PART 11 First Islamic Congress The first Islamic Congress in Sarawak was held at a community hall in Jalan Haji Taha, Kuching from 3 to 5 May 1968. It was organised by Persatuan Kebajikan Islam Sarawak (PERKIS) and run by an executive committee chaired by Abdul Taib Mahmud (now Datuk