Mukah

Mukah lies at the mouth of the Mukah River on the coast of northern Borneo. It is associated with the Melanau people, whose communities have long lived along this coast. Sago, made from the pith of palms, is a staple food among the Melanau, eaten with fish and other accompaniments. Rivers and the sea link the coastal settlements with neighboring communities. A place called Melano appears among the tributaries named in a Majapahit text; the name refers to a broader stretch of Melanau country rather than necessarily to Mukah alone. The area later formed part of the coastal world influenced by Brunei. Its history belongs both to local communities and to the wider political and trading relationships of Borneo's shores.