Kampong Nangka Melanau Christian Cemetery

For many generations the Chinese and the Melanaus (once upon a time called Orang Sibu by the Brooke rulers) lived side by side . The Foochows lived in Sg. Merah and the Heng Huas lived in Sg. Teku. The Cantonese were alloted land in Sg. Salim. And the Hokkiens were the merchants who conducted their businesses in Pulau Babi and on the "island" (now Sibu Town).

When Rev James Hoover conducted his Sunday worship in Sibu a few "Orang Sibu" would drop by according to documents related to his work in Sibu.

the Roman Catholic Church evangelised amongst the Melanaus converting many of them (hence their burial place behind St. Teresa in Sg. Merah perhaps. There are indeed very few Melanaus who are MethodistsT


thus this cemetery along the Sg. Seduan must have been alienated to the Melanaus of Kampong Nangka to bury their dead as early as 1870's . These two headstones (belian wood) can vouch for this primary source of historical record. Recently the Melanau Community erected a shed to protect the earliest "headstones" of their community leaders of those early years.

Beautiful ceramic photo on a tomb in the cemetery. There was one man (Tang Ying kee) who was a specialist in making this kind of pictures in Sibu). A walk in this cemetery can reveal a great treasure chest of Melanau history.

The small river which is Sg. Seduan joins the Igan River further down from this point. This could have been the landing point of a Melanau funeral procession from Kampong Nangka which lies on the east bank of the Igan nearer Sibu.

Today the Melanau cemetery forms part of the Sibu Heritage Walk. But more beautification could make this truly a historical and remarkable cultural place!!

If the trees could speak they would tell the beautiful tales of the lives of the Melanaus who lived and traded in this area.