Michael Poon, January 2006
Sibu (Sarawak) takes pride of its Christian beginnings in Huang Naichang (黄乃裳), a Foochow Chinese Christian who founded the city. There is however little study within the Christian church on this important Christian heritage in Malaysia. A welcomed exception is Zhu Feng's Christianity and Culture Accommodation on Chinese Overseas: The Case Study on Chinese Methodist Community in Sarawak (1901-1951). (基督教与海外华人的文化适应：砂拉越华人以美以会社区的个案研究）PhD thesis. Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2004.
The attached document written by Lin Shouyin （林守骃）Shiwu Liju. Xin Fuzhou Kenchang Xiaoshi (诗巫俚句: 新福洲垦场小史), bearing shelf mark DS597.37 L55 found in Yale University Divinity School Library, was part of the Archives of the Yeh Hua Fen Institute of Malaysian Studies (No. 86), that found its way to Yale. Yeh (叶华芬) was an Anglican priest in the Singapore-Malaysian Church in the 1940s to 1950s. The history is written in popular poetic style, in couplets of seven Chinese characters. Yale did not assign any date to this document. It is likely written in the late 1950s. Part II of the work (page 15) referred to events in Sibu on 1 June 1955. This work is valuable in depicting how the early settlers from China perceived their new-found land.
Zhu Feng's thesis gave a full bibliography of the history of Sibu. The following is a compilation of documents on Sibu in the National University of Singapore Library. This small work somehow escaped both the National Library and Zhu Feng., and is here available to stimulate interest in this Christian heritage in Malaysia.
I am grateful to Professor Paul Stuehrenberg and Mrs Martha Smalley of Yale Divinity School Library for the use of their excellent facilities in September 2005.
Download Shiwu Liju.
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Listing on Sibu in the National University of Singapore (compiled in December 2005)
Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia,
Singapore and Brunei. Official church directory. Singapore: Catholic News,
[1988]-
Christian Conference of Asia . Rural Youth Study Group. Rural youth in Asia:
report of the CCA Rural Youth Study Group, Sibu, Malaysia, 1976. Singapore: CCA,
1977.
Kiu, Mee Kuok. The diffussion of Foochow settlement in Sibu-Binatang area
Central Sarawak 1901-1970. Sibu, Sarawak: Sarawak Chinese Cultural Association,
1997.
Kong, Lee Fong. Pemilihan bahasa di kalangan peniaga Cina dalam domain jual beli:
kajian di Kampung Sungai Durin. Sibu, Sarawak, 1999.
Samsudin, bin Suhaili. Komuniti melanau bandaran: kajian kes di kampung Sentosa
Salim, Sibu, Sarawak,2000.
Sarawak Information Service. An introduction to Sibu and the Third Division. [Kuching
: Printed at the Govt. Print. Off., 1964].
Sarawak. Sibu Water Board. Annual report (Sarawak. Sibu Water Board). Annual
report. Sibu Water Board, State of Sarawak. Sibu: The Board.
Suara rapport. Sibu : Lembaga Pelabuhan Rajang, [19--]-
Ting, John Sik Kang, Chua, Chen Choon & Wee Kok Poh ed. Sibu of yesterday. Sibu,
Sarawak: Sarawak Chinese Cultural Association, 2002.
United Chinese Association, Sibu Division. 诗巫省华人社团联合会第七届第二次(1991)会员代表大会报告书.诗巫 :
诗巫省华人社团联合会, 1991.
Yeap Chong Leng, ed. Wong Nai Siong and the Nanyang Chinese: an anthology.
Singapore: Singapore Society of Asian Studies, 2001.
兴化莆仙公会 (诗巫, 柔佛). 诗巫兴化莆仙公会庆祝垦荒六十周年纪念刊,1912-1972. 诗巫 : 诗巫兴化莆仙公会, 1972.
刘世南, 黄生光, 许保德等编. 第二届世界福州十邑同乡大会纪念刊. [诗巫] : [诗巫福州公会], [1992].
刘世南,黄德荃,卢院光,刘子政主编. 诗巫福州垦场九十周年纪念特刊. 诗巫 : 诗巫福州公会, [1991].
刘子政. 诗巫劫后追记. 诗巫: 砂拉越华族文化协会, 1996.
刘贤任[等编]. 诗巫福州垦场八十周年纪念刊. 诗巫: 诗巫福州公会, [1980].
刘贤任主编. 垦荒七十年 / 诗巫福州公会垦荒七十周年大会编. 诗巫: [诗巫福州公会], 1971.
华人社团联合会 (诗巫, 砂劳越).诗巫省华人社团联合会第八届 (1992-1993)会员代表大会暨理事选举大会报告书. 诗巫: 诗巫省华人社团联合会,
1992.
华人社团联合会. 诗巫省华人社团联合会第七届(1990-1991)会员代表大会报告书. 诗巫: 诗巫省华人社团联合会, 1990.
华青团 (诗巫, 砂劳越). 诗巫省华青团第三届(1992-1993)团员代表大会暨选举大会报告书.诗巫: 诗巫省华青团, 1992.
华青团 (诗巫, 砂劳越). 诗巫省华青团第二届(1990-1991)团员代表大会团务报告书. 诗巫: 诗巫省华青团, 1990.
华青团 (诗巫, 砂劳越). 诗巫省华青团第二届第二次(1991)团员代表大会报告书. 诗巫 : 诗巫省华青团, 1991.
天猛公拿督陈立训先生七秩华诞双庆纪念册.[s.l.] : [s.n.], [1983?].
彭城刘氏前山洋支谱. 诗巫: [s.n.], 1974.
房年胜. 从永安亭碑记追溯诗巫大伯公庙的历史. 诗巫: 砂劳越华族文化协会, 1993.
朱敏华. 诗巫广东垦场史. 砂劳越 : 砂拉越华族文化协会, 1998.
止翁刘贤任遗作.[s.l.] : [s.n.], [1986?].
沙捞越古晋诗巫太极健身学院. 沙捞越古晋诗巫太极健身学院第一十, 第十一周年纪念特刊.沙捞越 : 沙捞越古晋诗巫太极健身学院, 1972.
王全春. 涓流十年散记 (1987-1997). 诗巫 : 诗巫漳泉公会, 1998.
砂罗越会宁同乡会. 砂罗越会宁同乡会庆祝新广东垦场九十周年暨创会五十三周年纪念特刊,1901-1991.诗巫 : 砂罗越会宁同乡会, [1991].
砂罗越诗巫中华总商会会讯 = Sibu Chinese General Chamber of Commerce Sarawak Malaysia. 诗巫:
同会, 1982-1987.
砂罗越诗巫省华人社团联合会. 迈向2000年诗巫城市发展概念 Seminar Development Concept For Sibu Town Towards
the Years 2000. 诗巫 : 砂罗越诗巫省华人社团联合会, 1990.
程诚. 拉让江之夜. [诗巫] : [大华书店], [1964?].
程诚. 文学支店. [Sibu] : [出版社不详], [1952?].
蔡天佑主编诗巫兴化莆仙公会庆祝垦荒八十周年纪念, 1912-1992. 诗巫: 诗巫兴化莆仙公会, [1992].
蔡存堆. 漳泉人物小传. 诗巫: [出版社不详], 1996.
蔡存堆. 百年沧桑话诗巫. 诗巫 : 诗巫慕娘印务有限公司, 1994.
蔡存堆编. 诗巫华族史料集.诗巫: 砂劳越华族文化协会, 1992.
詹冠群. 黄乃裳传. 福州: 福建人民出版社, 1992.
诗巫中华总商会. 诗巫中华总商会会员名录，[1985].诗巫: 诗巫中华总商会, 1985.
诗巫中华总商会. 诗巫中华总商会成立十周年纪念新大厦落成开幕双庆特刊. 诗巫 : 诗巫中华总商会, [1978].
诗巫中华总商会. 诗巫中华总商会成立特刊. 诗巫 : 诗巫中华总商会, 1968.
诗巫五金入口商公会. 诗巫五金入口商会成立十五周年纪念特刊. 诗巫 : 诗巫五金入口商公会, 1977.
诗巫新闻日刊 [microform] : Sibu Chinese Daily News.新加坡: 新加坡国立大学图书馆, [19--?]
诗巫永安亭大伯公庙庆祝观音宝塔落成典礼特刊. [诗巫]: [诗巫永安亭大伯公庙], 1990.
诗巫海南会馆青年团. 海青之夜 / 第四届全砂[海青之夜]筹备会. 诗巫 : 诗巫海南会馆青年团, 1991.
诗巫漳泉公会金禧纪念特刊: 1937-1987.诗巫 : 同会, 1988.
诗巫省华人社团联合会. 儿童年 21.7.91-16.9.91 /诗巫省华人社团联合会妇女组主办.诗巫 : 诗巫省华人社团联合会, [1991].
诗巫省华人社团联合会. 诗巫省华人社团联合会妇女组第一届第二次(1991) 组员代表大会报告书. 诗巫: 诗巫省华人社团联合会, 1991.
诗巫省华人社团联合会. 诗巫省华人社团联合会妇女组第二届(1992-1993)组员代表大会暨选举大会报告书.诗巫: 诗巫省华人社团联合会, 1992.
诗巫省华人社团联合会. 诗巫省华团妇女组弟二届常年 (1993) 组员代表大会大会报告书. 诗巫: 诗巫省华人社团联合会, 1993.
诗巫省华青团. [美化诗巫，你我责任]运动. 诗巫 : 诗巫省华青团, [1990].
诗巫省华青团. 诗巫省华青团反毒运动周: 10.9.1988-16.9.1988. 诗巫 : 诗巫省华青团, [1988].
诗巫福州公会. 诗巫福州垦场六十周年纪念刊, 1901-1960.诗巫 : 诗巫福州公会, 1961.
陈立训[等编]. 诗巫福州垦场五十周年纪念刊, 1901-1950. 诗巫 : 诗巫福州公会, 1951.
黄耀民等编. 砂罗越古田公会双庆特刊成立六十周年暨会所落成纪念, 1928-1988. 诗巫: 砂罗越古田公会, 1989.