Kuching Sungai Maong Dawn Aerial View

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Kuching Sungai Maong History by Mr Vincent Foo Hiap Khian • When my father retired from the services of The Borneo Company in 1948, we moved to a double storey wooden house situated at what was then generally known as Iamcha Kang in Hokkien. • The house faced North, literally a stone throw away from Green Road. Across Green Road was a track that led out to what was then Palm Road and across it was the Sarawak General Hospital. This lane has now grown into Jalan Sockalingam 1, 2 and 3. • Dr. Sockalingam had a clinic at Lanka Building, Khoo Hun Yeang Street. The site of his mansion is now occupied by Chonglin Plaza. The original owner was the Carrol family. Mr. Carrol was a famous sportsman who excelled in tennis, badminton, and billiards. His son, Neddy, allowed us to use part of the compound to play football. On this part of Green Road there were only a couple of houses up to Pisang Road. One of them belonged to the Mowe family. • A narrow lane led from Green Road over a metal sheet for about 12 metres where an even smaller track of 5 metres on the left led to our house. The lane led inwards how far I don't know because I never ventured further than 1 km from our house. Along the way were houses, some distance from each other, all of which were occupied by Chinese families. There was a Chin family that had a fish pond where I went for a swim once. It was about a kilometre from our house. • To the East of us up to the railway tracks on the northern and southern sides of Green Road were rubber gardens. These were interspersed with houses that were occupied by Chinese families except for two that belonged to Malays. • On the western side on the southern bank of Green Road up to Pisang Road rubber gardens also predominated except that there were fewer houses. Pisang Road West didn't exist then. Instead, there was a drain that was full of fighting fish. On the other side of the road, most of the houses were set generally nearer the road while the rubber trees formed a backdrop. • Nanas and Rubber Roads West were mere bicycle tracks then. Billian tree stumps jutted amongst carpet grass that grew beside the tracks. • There was a natural pool towards the end of Nanas Road West that we kids used as a swimming pool. The water there was dark brown just like the water in the drain on the southern part of Green Road. On the other side of the road, the water was clearer in colour. Fish such as ikan blau, batok, sepat and even small shrimps could be found there. The Chew family had several fish ponds. Their house was opposite ours on the eastern side of the lane that is now known as Jalan Sockalingam. When the ponds flooded during heavy rains, the fish escaped into the drain. In the opposite drain the same species of fish could be found with the addition of ikan kilik. It was black in colour. However, those caught in pools or drains in the rubber gardens that were some distance from the road were yellowish in colour. Also, they tended to be bigger. • Green Road then from its junction with Rock Road to its junction with Satok Road was a gravel road. It wasn't wide enough for a Mosquito bus and another vehicle to pass each other. Both had to encroach onto the road verge. Although it had street lights, they were set too far apart so the road at night was rather dark. Incidentally, it got its name from the fact that at one time it was a grass road. Charles Brooke ordered its construction because he loved to ride. Originally, it included Jalan Muhibbah. • The only part of Sungai Maong that I saw back then is that portion at Jalan Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce. It was spanned by a bridge that carried the railway line across to the 3rd Mile and beyond. It was wider then. Its water was dark brown. It looked eerie, although it appeared to be sturdy. • #sungaimaong • #borneocompany • #borneo • #sarawak • #kuching • #sgmaong • #stargarden • #skygarden • #kpgkudei • #satok • #stapok • #mrcarrol • #Chonglinplaza

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