Browsing through old photos gave me sudden inspiration to blog. It is about my hometown again. Sibu is a unique place. When I say ‘unique’, it means something extraordinary.
This is what you have to take to get to Sibu, gliding across the teh-see-peng Rejang River. It takes weeks to get to Sibu from Port Klang. But, if it is peak seasons like festive seasons when everybody balik kampung, you will have to take one of these:
This will take months due to the load that the boat has to carry. Well, at least better than the errant buses you get in West Malaysia that are not fit to operate. There is no speed limit on water, so no worries about the boat company’s unpaid saman. If you are still worried, go and book an Air Asia ticket but it will cost you more, a lot!
A few years ago, the Sibu Municipal Council (SMC), chaired by Datuk Robert Lau then, enforced a lot of new regulations throughout the town. It was a face lift for an ugly little town. People hated him for that because Sibu folks are so used to their old ways and do not like changes (well, you know how stubborn old people are). He did a great job because Sibu has since become cleaner, neater and more beautiful.
All that being said, they even erected some so-called image all over the town, like this:
Ugly duckling turning into a swan is how they describe the development of the town. Oh, that is not the only one in town. We have a lot more swan around the town.
Now, let me show you some useless erections in Sibu:
I have no idea what this is. It is erected at the location of the former Lau King How Hospital site, now the Phase 2 of Townsquare.
Giddy-up, horsey! This fountain, we have two of them, if I am not mistaken, decorated the dull Townsquare. Not long after they were completed, some idiots, thinking those are Wishing Wells, tossed coins into the fountain and blocked the whole thing. The SMC had to fork out money (our money leh!) to get those horses repaired.
If you go to the Townsquare now, these fountains are most probably covered with moss and rubbish. Well, they will only clean and operate it if there are any special occasions, which fall only 3-4 times a year…0.o!!!
I have no idea why these people love fountains so much. Feng shui? Did they hire Lilian Too to check the feng shui of the town? I don’t know:
They even have marble sphere as fountain to tell us that “We’ve got balls!”. We heard you, loud and clear! Now stop wasting our money!
A parking lot that looks like a shopping complex. Connected to our central market where parking our cars would be a lot easier when shopping at the market (good for house-wives/husbands). I am still wondering why must it look like a shopping center? Wasting our money again!
However there are a few erections buildings that have been there long before I was born. Sacred places like:
Sacred Heart Cathedral at Jalan Bukit Assek. The biggest church in town. Oh yes, that is my church. The ang moh priests here can speak Iban language quite fluently.
Tua Pek Kong, which is situated near the jetty, has been in this location since God-knows-when. There is a beautiful garden and an eatery right behind this temple. I come to this area once a year - durian season! Vendors with lorries full of fresh durian will lelong their durians at the parking lot beside this temple for RM3-5 per durian. Unlike the cut-throat West Malaysian vendors who sell durians for RM8-10 PER KILOGRAM!
And the erections buildings that we they are proud of:
Wisma Sanyan. Claimed to be the tallest building in Sarawak (really?), with 5 levels of shopping malls and government offices occupy the rest of the building. This place was previously a sports stadium. When I was in lower secondary school they demolished this place and erect build this building.
Our own tolled Lanang Bridge. Sibu folks, being the super kiamsiap species, kao peh kao bu (making a lot of noises) over the charge of RM3 (if I’m not mistaken) when crossing the river. This bridge will bring you to the other side of the river - to Sarikei, to Kuching, etc.
These are the few features that are truly Sibu. Foochow, kiamsiap, and loud are what they are famous for. Sibu pai kia is what we are famous for as well, they live among us. They are like ghosts - you don’t kacau them, they will not harm you but if your ass is itchy, God bless you, I run far far first! LOL 
Whoa, the swan & horses statue are simply beautiful! Marvellous~
Good lighting, I supposed…
ha ha, dun think they charge for the bridge yet
Read Bengbeng’s comment. They do. Where were you rotting all these while???
haha..sibu kiamsiap foochow paikia unite! *hands up*
*hands up* Ooopppsss!!!
That erection building is some sort like a memorial tomb, if I am not mistaken! Good one! Done a good job on promoting Sibu. To all of our Wawasan team, suo nei you ji be! Oops…
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Nice ‘greeting’ you have there - suo nei you ji be - long time didn’t hear that already.
Just in case you forgot, Robert Lau even wanted to change Sibu to SiEr (Swan)
Yes, I agree Sibuan are kiamsiap 
Yes, I missed that part out…Don’t want to put that in lah, later kena sue how? SiEr sounds like ‘dead swan’ in Mandarin that’s why they dropped it in the end…
That thing at town square phase 2 is a memorial for Malay’s wat I forgot dy… the Lanang Bridge is charged RM2 for passenger cars if i didn’t forget. Horsey fountain was donated by a rich businessman in Sibu… (hell I forgot his name.. staying here too long dy…) and that shopping complex lookalike car park.. it gives first 30 minutes free parking due to that nobody wanna use it… sibu ppl rather stop by de roadside n jamming traffic flow…
haha.. Sibu.. my sweet home town… when can I get back…
Thanks for the info. I am one of those people who stop at the road side and cause traffic jam also
Hahaha! Come back lah wei…
Clare,
Sibu has changed a lot leh I think. I haven’t been there for quite some time liao. hehe.
Yes, a LOT! The only thing that is not changing in Sibu is its people’s attitude a.k.a. kiamsiap-ness, vulgarity, rudeness, etc… Do come for a visit some time
car is RM6.00 for a return trip
u did a good job with this post
Oh, so I was right about the RM3 per trip thing
Thank you!
My, my, so much things have changed in Sibu. I didnt get to see all of these when I was back. Love your pictures. Well done~~. Take care!!! =)
You come at the wrong timing, Anne! Come during Raya, the town is lighted up at night…nice and beautiful. Can’t wait to see you this year end
I rather we have these erections than the arabian erections in east bolehland. At the least these are sort of artistic (try using lowest standard you have to judge here lah). LOL
Wah..now into foochow bashing ya. I tell you, you can run but you can’t hide.
Of course I won’t bash the Foochows, ‘coz I’m half Foochow. I’ve lived among them to actually confirm their typical Foochow-ness…so that was actually a compliment. LOL
Actually, the horsey fountain already been fiiled up with soil and they grew grass in it already. I been there when I was back home last sem break.
Another erection wasted…
Hehe… Clare, aper tu ‘kiamsap’? Sorry, aku punya vocab very limited. Can’t wait to see you too. Kalau aku balik, bawak aku jalan2x okie. Kiter jalan2x cari makan ala Chef Wan. Hehe. Pastu aku nak try hang punya sushi and jelly. =p I have yet to see the newly renovated St. E and Sacred Heart. Gee, where on earth was I hiding when I was back in Sibu. Haha, ingat tak kiter makan kat Sungai Antu (Sungai Antu ker Sungai Merah? I tak ingat lah)? Haha. Let me see, I went to my uncle’s place, the library, Wisma Sanyan, the wharf, the hospital, Pedada (belakang rumah lama aku), Sg Antu (hang bawak aku hari tu). Haha, the next thing I knew, I wanted to cepat2x balik KK, assignment tengah berlambak time tu. Anyway, send my regards to Robert Lau. Hehe.
Kiamsiap=kedekut=stingy
The place I brought you for breakfast is Sg Merah. Oh ya! I also want to see the new hall in St. E. Those bricks they use to build the hall, 10 of them belongs to me and 10 belongs to you. But we never get to use it. Sigh! I jarang see Robert Lau oredi, pasal dah naik pangkat… 
weiha, I never know monkey town so beautiful! U forgot to mention, you can buy very cheap banana there as well, eat till u vomit!
Haiyo, cannot mention all lah, later the Tourism Board got nothing to print on their brochure liao
hehe.. i’ll try to go back as soon as I got chance… then I wanna go visit u oh…
See how lor…
[…] Talk takes a fun look at her hometown Sibu. Share […]
Sibu is now famously known for many things except the decent things. Actually our monkeys went all over the world and collected all the different kinds of bananas and bring them back here for us to eat. Somehow not all the bananas tasted nice. We have to appreciate their effort for introducing what they know to us or else we will be swinging from the same old trees all the days of our lives. Of course in order for them to swing from Sarawak to other parts of the world they need a lot of energy and this extra energy comes in the form of a fruit that is called ringgit. So now with your brilliant photo taking, Sibu is transformed from an old monkey town to a modernised monkey town. As for us, let us be optimistic but at the same time make sure these playful monkeys are not up to tricks of their own. We need to chain them down and control them and let them off the chain when it is only necessary. What are some of the wasteful things these playful monkeys did ? Well, these playful monkeys actually don’t need the swans because there are no swans at all. When did these monkeys start believing in fengshui ? That is wasteful also. As for that ultra modern design for a carpark, that is just something so stupid and wasteful also. But the thing standing on the former Lau King Howe Hospital site is a must. We must remember the good things about our Sibu history. These monkeys need to go for a course that is called ringgit management.
Hahaha! The metaphor of monkey is really brilliant and hilarious at the same time. Yeah, those monkeys, not only in Sibu, should be forced to attend financial management course… Encore!
i just don’t like that all small small garden….if big big one, then is ok la…. :p
Hi! I haven’t heard that Su nei yu ji be for a long time either. Anyway, Sibu is my home town but I am working outstation. I love sibu but Just hate the so called politicians. they are all liars and with the sole aim to make themselves rich. They don’t care about the people.” M” is really one hell of a place for corruptors.
really like ur article..now i know sibu is a wonderfull places and also unique too lol…haha…too unique..ive been in semennjung for almost 7 years-but still im sibu’s ppl–but bcoz of lack time growing up in sibu–i didnt notice that sibu is that beautiful…but ur writting kut make it better..haha..