A lifeline for the old Kuala Dungun town

Kuala Dungun was once upon the time a busy town

during the Bukit Besi iron ore mining heydays of 1931 till its closure in 1973.

At its peak it had railway lines running from the Bukit Besi to Kuala Dungun

for transporting of iron ore and also passengers.

This new bridge linking Seberang Pintasan to Kuala Dungun

will according to plans laid out by the townplanners,

promise to bring back the old Kuala Dungun town to its glory days.

A fleet of fishing boats anchored at Dungun river mouth off Seberang Pintasan, view from the bridge..

Kuala Dungun from the new bridge.

A new food court in a tranquil setting waiting to be occupied.

The beautiful rocks of Seberang Pintasan viewed from here.

A view of Bukit Bauk from here.

The Dungun Museum was build in 1941 as the District Officer resident

and during the Japanese occupation it served as the much feared Kempeitai

(Military Police) office.

These 45 old wooden shop house of Kuala Dungun is classified as heritage building by the

Heritage of Malaysia trust and will have to be rebuild under specified plans.

This one is already being restored.

Mean while this one across the road is already in a crumbling dilapidated shape.

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Menumbok the gateway to Labuan

Pekan Menumbok will be a sleepy hollow on a dead end road
if not for being the gateway to duty free paradise Labuan island.
The lively hood of this small town which doesn't have a bank or petrol station
depends solely on the transport and related services
provided by the locals at the jetty
like vehicle ferry(to Labuan ),speed boat,taxi,car park,food outlets
and a small 5 room government rest house
besides fishing and agriculture.

There was a big plan during the last national election

to build a bridge to the island which is about 8km from here

which is of significant consequences to both the people here and on the island.

Many jobs will be lost here as the new road to the bridge will definitely

bypass this part of the town

and over on the island will see lots of happy faces

on the businessmen welcoming the influx of customers

but for the rest of the people here it will means crowded roads,lots of traffic jams,

lack of parking space and other social problems cause by visitors who come here

more for the cheap booze,smoke and entertainment.

Eventually a bridge will have to be build as development catches up in this part of Sabah.

Rush to board the 12 passenger 200hp speedboat

which will take you to Labuan in 20 minutes

or you can follow the slow vehicle ferry above

which will entertain you for about one half hour in airconditioned room

with a movie before you arrive.

Getting to Labuan

There goes the speedster.

The only row of wooden pre war shop house,

somewhere in the middle is a coffeshop

which serve the best 'mee soto' in town.

This is what you get when there isn't a petrol station around.

Sea creatures will welcome you here.


A direct translation will means punching the whole Sabah,

what a punch from this taxis which will bring you any where in Sabah.

A jetty for anglers.










Coconut trees by the river near the district office.



A wooden jetty at Kampung Laut Sekalong.





Thanks to my retired friend Awang Ku Chuchu

a malay of Brunei decent who lives both on the Labuan island

and here at Kampung Laut Menumbok on the mainland Sabah

for driving me around this lovely place.

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Sunrise at Anjung Ketam Labuan

This sunrise is taken at Anjung Ketam,
a seafood restaurant at Tanjung Aru Beach in Labuan.
The beach is muddy and is a fishing spot for local anglers.

















A neighbouring restaurant,Terumbu Warisan .





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Scenic Seberang Pintasan Dungun

Seberang Pintasan Dungun used to be a long journey by road
until a nice new bridge across the Dungun River was build recently.
There are a few nice and quiet scenic fishing village in the area
like Kampung Teluk Bidara and Kampung Balik Bukit.


A fishing boat anchored at the beach of Kampung Teluk Bidara.




The beautiful rocks formation awaits visitor here
like this one,shaped like a cannon waiting to fire,
accessible at low tide.










A fisherman going out to check on his 'bubu',
a fish trap placed some distance from the shore.
He will refill it with bait
and put some new shade over the trap to attract fishes into it
besides collecting trapped fishes.

A passing boat.


A small cave carved out by erosion.

The new bridge view from the rocks.


Bukit Bauk will never be far from here anymore.


Kampung Teluk Bidara.












Kuala Dungun is over the other side of the river.



Across this is the Teluk Bidara beach.

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