Life in Bintulu
21
October
Most of the population in Bintulu are labours and contractors to companies dealing with liquid natural gas, timber, palm oil, and petroleum, while most of the town’s other businesses revolves around these four major industries.
Many come from other cities and states. Ang mohs are plenty here, most of them engineers and executive officers. Sometimes you’ll see ang moh travellers too, I don’t think the town center nor the zoo attracts them here. It’s the Similajau National Park perhaps.

People here call it Simi Lanciao (Local dialect, Hokkien of ‘What Cock?/Dick?’) National Park. I heard of its Golden Beach is renowned with silky smooth sand, but to see that particular part of the beach, you’ll have to take a 20-30 minutes boat trip. I’ve only been to there once and I was only there to survey the ground for a company BBQ party. They even charge RM10/head as entrance fee. But a friendly ‘runding’ (discussion) with the guard saved me RM10 and I promised him that I’ll be out in 30 minutes. I decided not to have the BBQ there because RM10/head would equal money for our BBQ food.
One thing I know about Bintulu is that, there’s not much people going online here. There’s not many who blogs. If you’re one of the few who blogs, please identify yourself so I could do a headcount. So far, I’ve only found one blogger who blogs about Bintulu and he’s not even a Bintulu-ian. dSaint has plenty of nice photos of Bintulu. kthxbai.

























1. Dancing Queen | October 21st, 2006 at 11:16 am
Bintulu is a dead place. Was living there for 2 1/2 years before moving to Miri. It was so boring and depressing. Miri is different. Glad we made the move.
Ya loh. We Bintulu people only know how to pray at the Tokong. To kill our boringness. GLAD Im a Christian.
I was having a hard time in my life for the past few months.. I decided to leave my town and looks for a new place to claim down and get a peace of mind, so i quite my job and fly to Bintulu.. yup I do got a peace of mind here in Bintulu but not for long .. I started missing my life with big Shopping Mall, a place to hang out for a nice cup of coffee, a noisy food court with lots of choice of food where you can choose your own fresh fish (seafood) to bbq it, grill it or steam it as u like….then I left Bintulu and go back to my town but I miss Bintulu so much then I fly back here..so here I am back to Bintulu again but I guess not for long
..
2. wuching | October 22nd, 2006 at 5:04 pm
sien now issit? so boring! come back to melbourne!
3. eN | October 23rd, 2006 at 3:05 am
haha… Create a new gang in bintulu then.
Post your newly installed HID headlights.
4. Alexallied | October 23rd, 2006 at 1:36 pm
Dancing Queen: Yeah, kinda. But if it’s for the job, then you’ve no choice. Miri’s a good place to live in though.
Wuching: Yeah, I wish I could. Gotta accumulate $$ first.
eN: Processing my pics. Soon to be up!
5. pink panther | October 24th, 2006 at 8:14 pm
really a boring life in bintulu la…sometimes really cant stand for everyday do the same things,not like miri…FxxK!!!haha,know who am i??
6. dsaint | February 27th, 2007 at 9:54 am
lol…. dude, i can’t even remember taking those pics. cool shitz….
7. Calvin | March 21st, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Yeah you’re right – not many people in Bintulu knows about blogs or online biz.
I’m from Bintulu and just came out with news site about Bintulu. You can see some of the photos I took at flickr.
here is my site – http://www.bintulu.org. It’s pretty news and still need a lot of redesign?
well i do
8. Shirley | May 30th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Hi Alex,
Well actually I want to come and work in Bintulu for three months sometime soon, say form September to December. Any suggestions? I was looking for a UK company, with a branch in Bintulu – that will be ideal, but any suggestions welcome! You seem to know a lot about Bintulu, can you send me some suggestions please? BTW, I am experienced in sales and training and love customer service- and I am english speaking, but not British.
Shirley
9. Alexallied | May 30th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Shirley,
I ran a business in Bintulu circa 2006-07, but I’ve since moved back to Miri. I wasn’t sure if there’s any company who would take someone to work for three months, but I think MLNG dealing with Liquid Natural Gas might need some contract workers.
As per your skills though, I think you should try out looking for jobs in Body Shop, a UK based company in Bintulu’s ParkCity Mall.
For more information on Bintulu, you can visit http://www.bda.gov.my
10. Shirley | June 4th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Thanks Alex
That is a great suggestion!
Ill try that.
Is Miri far from Bintulu? Could I live in Bintulu and drive everyday to Miri for work? the maps do not give a good idea of distances. Miri would also be ok for me.
BTW, what does the Body Shop do? Sounds like cosmetics and stuff, or bath pamper goodies. I really am determined, and could go for a month or two longer I guess. And what does the M stand for in MLNG? Thanks again, I wish it was not so difficult to get work over there! I really want the experience!
Shirley
11. Shirley | June 4th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
Silly or me! of course the M stands for Malaysia! I looked it up! Viva the net!
12. Tera | June 4th, 2008 at 11:47 pm
Shirley,
Bintulu-Miri is 3 hours drive. Nothing is in Bintulu if you don’t have family. It’s a place for people to settle down and go on the slowest life pace, seriously.
But it’s my home town, I’m glad to return day once a year.
Good luck with the new job!
P/s Why Bintulu?
13. shirley | June 6th, 2008 at 11:28 pm
Hi Tera
thank you for your response! I am feeling really down, because I was so excited to go to Bintulu, in Borneo, but I cannot get anything- it seems impossible to get legal work unless oyu have a very fancy Uni degree! why Bintulu? well, i have experience as a technical sales rep in a valve company – steam and process engineering, and there are oil and gas companies there, so it was suggested by an ex-colleague that that may be a good place to go to, and tehn it took my fancy. quite frankly I need a bit of quiet,boring and slow pace in my life! i am a South African, and have a bee in my bonnet! I always used to tease my husband and say I am the wild woman from Borneo when i woke up in the morning and my hair was all over the place! so its also for a bit iof fun, so I can sign my mail:’love form the wild woman IN Borneo!’ Sigh!
14. ernie | December 7th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
whoa…
a lot of stuff about bintulu.. happening!
i am from Bintulu, but i am residing in KL/PJ for 10 years now to pursue my other part of life story. did went back once a year for gawai, but really all i see is airport, kampung undevelop road, then my long house then a lil’ part of city then airport and am flew back to KL again.. i wish one day i could spend at a least more than a week..
15. kopisejuk | December 16th, 2008 at 1:26 am
im from bintulu…haha….bintulu definitely boring. but for ppl enjoy life like KL, bintulu is not for you. but if u r going to retired and wanted to have a peace and slow-aging life, then bintulu welcomes u….hahahaha
16. Steve | January 3rd, 2009 at 10:13 am
Anyone have any information on the Sabah-Sarawak Pipeline? I’m interested in working on the project and would appreciate any information. Thanks! Steve.
17. Sharon | March 2nd, 2009 at 4:05 pm
Yes….I agree with you lot that Bintulu is a boring place and is not a place for ppl who enjoy nite life especially. I hve been in bintulu since the 1st SMDS plant and thats anyone’s guess as to how long ago that was. Anyway, Ive gotten use to the “boring” life in Bintulu. Its becoming more or less my “hometown” now. Maybe because I have a family now?
18. poo | March 8th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
working in mlng. still trying to adapt to life here
19. Amanda lores | March 22nd, 2009 at 10:42 am
you all know? Bintulu now have a shopping complex. Bintulu specialit hospital have two now still in construction. and two more hotel stil in built.. Bintulu will make Parkson, Isetan shoping complex , also. Burger King, dunkin donat, secrect recepie. sushi king, starbucks , giant or tesco, toys R us and all the international things. Because !! Bintulu is oil town. it very slow to raise, but you all know.. have to be compastion,.. Bintulu got flight from international example from paris, rome , china, Miri does not experience touch by international departure. but miri only have transit to Hong kong last year rite?.. Plane touch down to bintulu is B747, B777 ,B737 ,and Airbus A330 when the opening of bintulu airport in 2003. now air asia is count by.. is airbus A320. Ok.. trying to preciate ut town and city. because we will recieve good things sometime..
Are there tuition schools in Bintulu? Which area is a good place to live in Bintulu?
yes they are good kindergarten. They dont torture your kids. Good place to live in? Answers: LONGHOUSE
20. Amanda lores | March 22nd, 2009 at 10:47 am
see ernie does!!
21. david | June 23rd, 2009 at 3:29 pm
How far is the airport from Bintulu town? Any good kidergarten?
22. chyan | June 29th, 2009 at 10:36 pm
Lived here my whole life. ==
Kinda boring with less place to go around.
=/
GO And Exercise
23. Amanda Lores | July 27th, 2009 at 9:28 am
Bintulu town to airport is just 15minutes away. There is have nice kidergarten. petronita Or Club house international school. Now, we can see that they Built new hotel and shoping complex. One of the mall will be start in this September. parkson , Starbuck and others. Just wait for the biggest suprise. otherwise. the airport will be international airport. Because B747 and B777 has landed here all the time from international arival. In every month…
Amanda,can you tell me which is farther to the airport,from town or bus express station in Medan Jaya?
Rick, bus express station should be nearer.
24. amanda lores | August 12th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
Well. B747 have landed at Bintulu. See how big bintulu now. There is Bintulu SC mall. The new one is still in progress. anyone would not goin to Miri anymore.
25. BorniNBiNtUlU | September 15th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Bintulu??? The best place on earth. Why? Die early, stress-free. Got many foreigners, people come all over the world. Why Bintulu Slowly develop? Because we’re not a part of SEMENANJUNG MALAYSIA. We don’t have many Muslim and most Bintulu people is Parti Keadilan or DAP or PKR. SO?? Of course lah kerajaan will not look twice at Bintulu. They just know how to suck money from us(oil), care not about its development. Thats why many young Bintuluans flee to work overseas. And tell me, working in Bintulu, does any of you working in Bintulu have much time to enjoy your life??? Of course not. We Work Work Work. Even teachers are working hard. God, even student have no time to rest, with all kelas tambahan, tuitions and etc .So, even if you build Mega Tera Giga Mall in Bintulu, only the pekedai will come. Our beach also very deadly. Everytime children dive there, whether they know how to swim or not, they’ll drown. We have a very powerfull current down deep in the sea.
26. beckham | October 30th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
bintulu is a nice place to die fast in peaceful manner…so borriiiiinggggggg here lah…
27. bintuluians | February 25th, 2010 at 8:05 pm
seriously…bintulu sucks big time. Seems like everything here is expensive (Sarawak) as compared to other parts of Malaysia. The local government here really knows how to suck money from the people.
Development wise, Bintulu is not the town where you could shop around. Even getting the necessities is tough.
Bintulu is known for its industrial area and palm oil plantation. Hence, there is nothing you can go around and see here. One more thing, the driver’s atttitude here is probably the worst in the world after India.
28. Nana | March 8th, 2010 at 2:17 pm
I agree with bintuluians. The drivers at bintulu are so terrible. They drove so slow at the right lane. So, I have to cut at the left land. What to do? I hope BDA can put a signage for these people to read “Sila berada di sebelah kiri jika tidak memotong”. I think I can drive proper & faster than them eventhough I’m from Balingian. Cowboy town…
I agree with you, slow drivers on right lanes are very annoying. This is the type of education you’ll get around here. The driving institutes here are more profit-oriented rather than serving their cause of educating the drivers.