BY OTHMAN IBRAHIM
TANJUNG Embang has now become widely talked about, with its name being mentioned several times by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, in various meetings and official events, both within the state and abroad.
The name Tanjung Embang was highlighted when the Premier announced that the area had been selected as the proposed site for the construction of a deep-sea port and a new international airport for the Sarawak region.
It is understood that an allocation of RM100 billion will be set aside for the construction of these two mega projects. What makes this a source of pride is that the construction costs will be fully funded by the Sarawak government itself.
Previously, the name Tanjung Embang was not widely known. Only those living nearby were familiar with Tanjung Embang, its location, and its geographical features.
In fact, Tanjung Embang is the name of an island covering an area of 15,000 hectares in the eastern part of Kuching Division.
Since it was first explored around 300 years ago, the Tanjung Embang archipelago has been home to several villages, namely, Kampung Beradek, Kampung Tiang Api (originally known as Kampung Beradek Hilir), Kampung Semilang, Kampung Beradek Cina, and Kampung Sungai Pinang. These villages are located within the Kuching district and fall under the Demak Laut state constituency and the Santubong parliamentary constituency.
However, Kampung Sungai Pinang is gradually disappearing as many of its residents have migrated to other areas in search of better job opportunities.
To the north of Tanjung Embang, there are two more villages which are Kampung Beliong and Kampung Sungai Tanju which are located in the Samarahan Division.
The name Tanjung Embang was not well known at the time, as all the villages had their own names, such as Kampung Beradek, Semilang, Beradek Cina, and Tiang Api.The name emerged when two lighthouse towers were built in Kampung Beradek Hilir, near the Tanjung Embang coastline. These towers became known as the Tanjung Embang Lighthouse, which has been maintained by the Sarawak Marine Department since the 1950s.Due to the presence of the lighthouse towers in the area, Kampung Beradek Hilir was later renamed Kampung Tiang Api.
“The two lighthouse towers are still operational to this day, providing safety signals to ships entering or exiting the Sarawak River towards the South China Sea at night,” said a resident, Mahdi Mahiden.
Mahdi, who is now 83, is a former caretaker of the lighthouse towers at Tanjung Embang.His duty was to manually turn the lighthouse lights on and off at Tiang Api in Tanjung Embang.At that time, the process of operating the lighthouse lights was done manually. The signal lights on the lighthouse now function automatically without the need for human intervention.
The residents of Kampung Tiang Api are now excited following the announcement that Tanjung Embang has been proposed as the site for the construction of a deep-sea port and a new international airport for the region.
Most residents said they felt as if they were dreaming upon hearing the announcement that a deep-sea port and a new international airport would be built in the area.
“Let us all pray that the efforts to build the deep-sea port and international airport in Tanjung Embang will be smooth and eventually become a reality,” said Mahdi.
The Tanjung Embang area, covering 15,000 hectares, is located near Kuching City Centre, the Demak Laut Commercial Centre, Kampung Senari, Kampung Geobilt, Kampung Selabat, and Kampung Muara Tebas. However, these areas are separated by the Sarawak River.
The Tanjung Embang area is also located opposite Tanjung Po, near Muara Tebas. Its beautiful coastline is a popular spot for locals to relax, fish, and collect clams and ambal (mollusks).
Currently, the main occupations of the residents in the Tanjung Embang area include cultivating oil palm, mawar coconuts, and bataq coconuts, as well as growing cash crops.Additionally, some residents work as river fishermen and engage in the traditional production of gula apong (nipah palm sugar).
In addition, many young people from this area work in various factories or business establishments nearby, such as at the Demak Laut Commercial Centre and in Kuching City Centre.Furthermore, many residents from this area serve and hold important positions in various government and private agencies.
The community leader of Tanjung Embang, Bolhassan Ibrahim, stated that until the early 1980s, Kampung Beradek in Tanjung Embang was the heart of development and activities for residents in the area, especially those in Kampung Tiang Api and Kampung Semilang.
He said that in the early days of Kampung Tanjung Embang, or Kampung Tiang Api, residents engaged in small-scale agriculture, including paddy farming, cash crop cultivation, and coconut plantations.
According to him, Kampung Tiang Api was chosen as a farming area because it is relatively elevated and less prone to seawater intrusion. In contrast, Kampung Beradek and Kampung Semilang were frequently flooded during high tide phenomena at that time.
“However, residents of Kampung Beradek and Kampung Semilang are now living comfortably after a seawater barrier was built around the area in the late 1980s,” he said.
He stated that due to the small population of Kampung Tiang Api, which was fewer than 50 people at the time, the village was placed under the administration of the community leader in Kampung Beradek, who was then known as the Village Chief Representative (WTK).
Those who previously held the position of Village Chief Representative were the late Sabli Kamar and the late Ibrahim Seman.
However, several years later, the position of Village Chief Representative was upgraded to Village Chief. Those who have been appointed as Village Chief include the late Ibrahim (before his service ended), Bolhassan Ibrahim (before being appointed as Penghulu), Sedi Nis, and currently, Kamal Masri, who holds the position to this day.
According to Bolhassan, for certain religious activities, including Friday prayers and Eid prayers for Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Hari Raya Aidiladha, residents of Kampung Tiang Api and Kampung Semilang have to go to the mosque in Kampung Beradek for their prayers.
“Similarly, children from Kampung Tiang Api and Kampung Semilang also attended primary school in Kampung Beradek. At that time, the school was known as Pudin Malay School before it was later renamed SK Kampung Beradek,” he said.
Currently, residents of all villages in the Tanjung Embang area are enjoying a more comfortable living environment, as the area is now equipped with various infrastructure facilities, including a continuous supply of clean water and electricity.
Meanwhile, the health clinic in this area is known as Klinik Kesihatan Tanjung Embang.
Currently, the population and number of houses in Kampung Tiang Api have increased. However, the number of residents, especially the younger generation, involved in agricultural activities remains small. This is because most of the villagers, particularly the youth, prefer to work in various public and private sectors in Kuching, especially in factories and business establishments in the Demak Laut area.
Additionally, some residents have migrated outside the area to follow their spouses or secure permanent jobs elsewhere.
Currently, Kampung Tiang Api has a surau, a playground, and a community hall that is still under construction. Meanwhile, Kampung Semilang has a newly built mosque and several other facilities.
The villages in the Tanjung Embang area will also benefit from development, as better village roads are set to be constructed soon.
Furthermore, a ferry terminal connecting residents to Tanjung Embang via Kampung Beradek is currently under construction in the Tanjung Tapang area.
A resident of Kampung Semilang, Ismail Enchet, 68, expressed his pride and welcomed the initiative to build a deep-sea port and an international airport in Tanjung Embang.
However, Ismail stated that while waiting for the two mega projects to be completed and fully operational, it is essential to continue with smaller development projects in Tanjung Embang, such as the proposed village road construction, the provision of ferry services, and the repair of the seawater barrier in Tanjung Embang.
“I am confident that these two mega projects (the deep-sea port and the international airport) will be built in our area. However, we hope that the proposed direct access route to the city centre will be expedited,” he said.
According to Ismail, transportation facilities such as a direct road or ferry service are crucial to help residents transport their agricultural produce, such as oil palm fruits, to the market.
Additionally, he mentioned that traveling by motorised boat can sometimes be dangerous, especially during the rainy season and strong tides.
Meanwhile, the Village Chief of Kampung Beradek, Kamal Masri, stated that the proposal to build the two mega projects in this area is clear evidence that the Sarawak government is committed to developing rural areas such as Tanjung Embang.
He stated that once the construction of these two mega projects begins, it will also establish a road network that will directly connect Tanjung Embang to urban areas and its surroundings.
The proposal to build a deep sea port and a new international airport in Tanjung Embang holds great potential in stimulating economic growth, enhancing infrastructure, and bringing social benefits to the local community.
Tanjung Embang is a large island surrounded by the sea and two rivers, namely the Sarawak River and the Samarahan River.
However, the Tanjung Embang area still lacks a direct route to connect with external areas such as Kuching City Centre and Kota Samarahan.
To reach the Tanjung Embang area, people can choose between two routes, one of which is taking a motorised boat across the Sarawak River for 10 minutes, from the Tanjung Tapang terminal near the Demak Laut Commercial Centre to the Balang terminal in Kampung Beradek.
Once they arrive at the Balang terminal, visitors can ride a motorcycle or any other vehicle to reach Kampung Beradek or Kampung Tiang Api, which is about eight kilometers away from the Balang terminal.
The second route is for people to travel through the Samarahan area by crossing the Samarahan River using a motorised boat from the Kampung Tajo terminal on the Samarahan side to the boat terminal in Kampung Beliong.
From Kampung Beliong, people can take a motorcycle or any other land vehicle to reach the Tanjung Embang area, which takes about 10 to 15 minutes.
