Pulau Kerto : Swampy Land

 Pulau Kerto was an island created out of sedimentation brought down from the source by the Rajang River for thousands of years.

When the Foochows were allowed to come as agriculturalists by an edit from Rajah Charles Brooke in 1901, the island of Kerto was probably not even named it.

I was told that the island was named by the Rajah when he came to visit. He asked a local Melanau what that island was famous for. The Melanau replied, :Kerto."

Kerto means mosquito larva. 

The Rajah thus named the island Pulau Kerto.

in the 1920's my grandfather wanted to buy a piece of land with lots of good water supply. Since Sg Merah had red water, he looked at Sg Bidut. and he finally chose Pulau kerto. a short boat ride across the Rajang River would not incur much financial expenditure. So he about land on Pulau Kerto with the Wong brothers. He started the Hua Hong Ice and Rice Mill with the Wongs. In time, they added crepe rubber processing to the huge complext.

He fixed rails from the jetty to the factory and he bought an boat to transport ice to Sibu town.

By 1930, the factory was making profits. He was right about the free use of river water and he had pipes and pump fixed to the jetty to supplly the river water for making of ice.The whole factory utilized lost of machinery which my grandfather fitted together with the help of my Grandmother Chong Chin Soon who was educated in English.

My grandparents were always grateful to the generosity of the Hoovers and their help. When my Grandmother Chong passed away, all my 5 aunts went to the Yuk Ing School as boarders where they gained a very good education. My youngest aunt Grace was the first Foochow girl from Sibu to graduate from an American univeristy (Kansas). She came back in 1958 and became the first woman Dean or Assistant Principal of Methodist Secondary School. Sibu.

A swampy land mass or small island caused by sedimentation brought down by a river , in Foochow is called Duong Njiu. It is a geographical feature.