Kemena River

Kemena River
Kemena River seen from the Kemena Bridge
Native name	Sungai Kemena
Location
Country	Malaysia
State	Sarawak
Division	Bintulu
Physical characteristics
Mouth
• location	South China Sea
• coordinates	3°11′N 113°02′E
• elevation	0 m (0 ft)

Kemena River (Malay: Sungai Kemena) is located in Sarawak near the town of Bintulu, has played a significant role in the region's history and settlement patterns. Originally part of territory ceded by the Sultan of Brunei to the Brooke government in 1861, the river and its watershed became a focal point for migration and economic activity. From the mid-19th century, the Kemena area saw early Iban pioneers settle along its tributaries, drawn by reports of abundant, largely untouched land.

Geography

The journeys linking the Berawan and Kejaman communities required travel along tributaries of the Kemena River, including the Jelalong and Tubau rivers. These waterways formed important natural routes for movement through the region’s complex terrain, connecting otherwise distant and isolated indigenous societies in Sarawak.

The Kemena River estuary has faced significant siltation issues, prompting plans by the Sarawak government to construct wave breakers as part of broader efforts to manage coastal erosion and support the local fishing community. This initiative, announced in February 2024 by Abang Johari, is tied to ongoing research and future dredging works. The wave breakers are also intended to connect to Bintulu Port, and the state has called for federal cooperation in funding. These developments form part of Sarawak's Post Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030, aiming for integrated regional growth and environmental sustainability in the Bintulu area.

History

The Kemena River played a crucial role in prehistoric cultural exchange among indigenous groups in Sarawak. Kinship ties between the Berawan people in Tinjar and the Kejaman of the Belaga River involved challenging journeys that facilitated cultural transmission. Although such encounters were infrequent, they enabled the sharing of cultural practices, such as songs used in death rituals. Decades later, the Berawan still remembered songs learned from communities along the Kemena River, highlighting its lasting cultural significance.

The Kemena River area, including the town of Bintulu, was ceded to the Brooke government by Sultan Abdul Momin in 1861. Around 1866, Iban pioneers began settling in the Kemena watershed, particularly in the Pandan tributary, following earlier visits by Iban gatherers collecting forest products. By 1870, Iban groups had begun settling along the Kemena River near Bintulu, following earlier movements into nearby rivers such as the Balingian and Tatau.

Kemena River was once a key player in central Sarawak's trade network, linking Brunei with the upstream region of the Rejang River. Malay merchants dominated the pre-colonial riverine trade, which was safeguarded by the Sultan of Brunei. But with the Brooke government's development of Belaga station in 1884 and the imposition of control over settlement, Malay traders' grip on this system, like the Kemena, began to decline. The transfer of control created new openings for Chinese traders, who increasingly expanded inland from Kuching down Sibu and Kapit, and into interior locales like Belaga. Redirection of trade routes and dominion of administration was a revolution in the commercial fate of rivers like the Kemena.

Early settlers, led by figures from the Skrang River, obtained permission from the Rajah to move, but significant Iban migration to the area did not occur until around 1900. After Charles Brooke allowed unrestricted migration to the Kemena River, many Iban households and entire longhouses from various regions embarked on challenging journeys by boat to settle in Bintulu. These migrations involved considerable expense and risk, including incidents such as a schooner wreck near Bintulu, which resulted in the loss of passengers' belongings.

A huge Iban war party, reportedly numbering around 1,000 men from Mukah and Bintulu, advanced inland in March 1906 by ascending the Kemena River and then up the Jelalong River, towards the Tinjar area near Long Tisam. This action caught the authorities by surprise since Mukah and Bintulu had been under Sarawak government control for decades. The war party was just in time intercepted by Sarawak Rangers dispatched by the Resident at Bintulu and an attack on the local settlements was prevented. Following the interception, all Ibans were ordered to return home, but sixty men protested that they had legitimate business; they were thenarrested and fined. This raid caused a heightened sense of insecurity among Long Tisam's residents, the ultimate target of the raid, and underlined the importance of Berawan reunification in the region. The event drew attention to the continued strategic and cultural significance of the Kemena River as a route for mobility and warfare, recalling a history of earlier violent raids such as the Great Kayan Raids of 1806 and 1863.

Transportations and crossings

The Kemena Bridge, connecting Bintulu to Jepak, was projected for completion in 2023 and was considered a key infrastructure project to support Bintulu's ongoing transformation. According to Stephen Rundi Utom, the bridge represents a significant milestone in local development, facilitating better connectivity and symbolising Bintulu's emergence as a hub for industry, business, and tourism. Its construction aligns with broader regional development driven by industrial expansion in areas like Kidurong, Tanjung Batu, and Samalaju, supported by key infrastructure such as hydroelectric dams, ports, and an airport.

The Bintulu–Jepak cable-stayed bridge, currently under construction across the Kemena River, reached a significant phase in June 2024 with the installation of the mid-span form traveller on its eastern side. To facilitate this work, part of the Kemena River was closed for 48 hours from 10 to 11 June 2024. The closure allowed a barge to be anchored for the installation process, and public advisories were issued for safety around the site.

Pollution

Industrial activities along the Kemena River, particularly in its upstream sections, are dominated by shipyards and other industrial operations. These land uses contribute to changes in the river's environmental conditions, likely through runoff, sediment disturbance, and wastewater discharge. Downstream areas near commercial jetties are also influenced by similar activities, where the combined impact of industrial use and shipping is evident. Overall, the presence of these industries along the Kemena River suggests a significant role in shaping the river's ecological conditions.

In the Kemena region, land use has undergone significant transformation due to rapid development. Forests remain the dominant land cover but show signs of degradation, indicating extensive logging activity as a key economic driver. The landscape also includes areas used for swidden agriculture, with oil palm plantations expanding rapidly, especially along road networks. Industrial tree plantations are present but limited in extent.

References

Bibliography

• Karing, D.J.; Anggiani, M.; Cao, L.T.T.; El-Shaammari, M.H. (2023). "Occurrence of microplastics in Kemena River and Niah River of Sarawak, Malaysia". Tropical Environment Biology and Technology. 1 (1): 1–13. doi:10.53623/tebt.v1i1.220. Retrieved 10 July 2025 – via ResearchGate.
• Hon, J.; Samejima, H. (2019). "Rapid development and land-use change in the Kemena–Tubau–Lower Jelalong region". Anthropogenic Tropical Forests: Human–Nature Interfaces on the Plantation Frontier. Springer Nature: 41–70. ISSN 1879-7180.
• Metcalf, Peter (2010). The Life of the Longhouse: An Archaeology of Ethnicity. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-11098-3.
• Yao, Souchou (1997). Berger, Mark T.; Borer, Douglas A. (eds.). "The romance of Asian capitalism: Geography, desire and Chinese business". The Rise of East Asia: Critical Visions of the Pacific Century. Routledge: 221–240. ISBN 978-1-134-71914-3.
• Padoch, Christine (1982). Migration and Its Alternatives among the Iban of Sarawak. Martinus Nijhoff. ISBN 978-90-04-28729-7.