The Sungei Merah Market

Sungei Merah was a new name given to Sg. Seduan (a tributary of the Igan River) probably by the Foochows who probably could not pronounce Seduan. However the new settlement also has the name of Sing Chu San, which could be a corruption of the name SEDUAn. 

Subsequently the bazaar which grew up as a result of the new settlements established by the Foochows who landed on its banks in 1901-1903 , led by Wong Nai Siong became known as Sg. Merah. And it is often called Sing Chu San (Sinuwang)

The Foochows were at first housed in attap hostels put up by the Sarawak Government under the orders of the Rajah. These immigrants given temporary accomodation and some facilities. They were later allocated with land in Ensurai and the surrounding areas. 1118 Foochow immgrants came between 1901 and 1903. Besides the new immigrants were also given some money which in the agreement they had to pay back to the Rajah. But after some difficulties (deaths, poor crops, conflicts)  of repayment, Rev James Hoover managed to get the Rajah to waive the repayments.

Sg. Merah began, slowly as a small bazaar with a few shops to serve the Foochow padi farmers and rubber tappers. A Church, Sing Ang Tong, the first Methodist Church in Sarawak, and later Kwong Ang Primary School, the first Methodist primary school in Sarawak also, were established by the Foochows. The river provided transport for the people to move more easily towards the Igan and the Rajang. It was a safe haven.

The Hin Hua immigrants came in 1912 and settled in the surrounding areas of Sg. Merah, and westwards towards Sg. Teku and Sg. Aup, and across the Igan in Penasut.

Sg Merah became a fusion of Foochow and Hin Hua bazaar. Within a small area, it has a Roman Catholic Church, a Hin Hua speaking church (Tien Doh Tong) and a Foochow speaking church (Sing Ang Tong) in the early days.

However the first proper MARKET, named Sungei Merah Market and the Pig Abattoir were only constructed in 1956 at a cost of RM45,000 and RM12,000 respectively according to the SMC website.

By then Sg. Merah Bazaar had a police station, a Chinese sin seh shop run by a lovely Foochow lady, two or three kompia and biscuit shops and a few sundry stores dealing with both the Ibans and the Chinese. People from as far as Bawang Assan came to Sg. Merah to do trading, especially in rubber and jungle products.



This market serves the people of Sg. Merah and its vicinity since 1956. Fresh meat, vegetables and fruits are sold in the front portion of the market. At the back portion of the market are small stalls serving cooked food like noodles, etc.

At first there were only two rows of wooden shop houses in Sg, Merah . It was only in the 70's and 80's that the shops were slowly renovated and many were rebulit in concrete. Two or three extra rows of concrete shop houses were added in the late 80's. By the 90's Sg. Merah became a bigger satelite town of Sibu. Business flourished and Sg. Merah became rather exciting after that.