Sabak Bernam

 

Overview

Sabak Bernam is a district in the North western region of Selangor spread over an area of 1,056 square kilometers. It forms the border between Selangor and Perak. The river Sungai Bernam, acts as a natural divider forming the boundary between the two states. Sabak Bernam is a coastal district with the Straits of Malacca onto its West. The principal town in this district is Sabak and other towns include Sungai Besar, Sekinchan and Sungai Ayer Tawar.

Its economy is primarily based on agriculture. It is well known for paddy fields and rice mills in Sekinchan, coconut plantations, palm oil plantations and fishing. Most locals are either fishermen or work in the fields. Aside from agricultural land there are also forest reserves and mangroves.

In this district where the bustle of city life is absent, history continues to remain and gives a feeling of returning to a traditional village atmosphere. Sabak Bernam District Museum has historical information such as The Agricultures Exhibition displaying various agricultural activities carried out that include paddy, palm, banana, coffee, rubber and cocoa cultivation and traditional agricultural equipment such as wooden mortar, goat nails, sickles and rice fan, The Fisheries Exhibition showcasing equipment such as nets, stakes, lulung, traps and tangguk in addition to the historical chronology of fishing in the area and The Heritage House Replica which provides valuable information on its history, important personalities and archaeological findings in the district.

Cycling along the dusty lanes between paddy fields, jungle trekking & bird watching in Hornbill Conservation Area Sungai Panjang, fishing & flying kites along the beaches of Bagan Nakhoda Omar and Redang Beach are some of the simple pleasures one can enjoy in this scenic district. Tourists eagerly visit Lubuk Pusing, a bottomless pool of murky water known to be a whirlpool that sucks everything down and observe while silat (ancient form of Malay martial arts) classes are in progress.

Amenities and Facilities

Other amenities and facilities include several primary and secondary schools, Tengku Ampuan Jemaah Hospital, multiple banks, bundle shops selling clothes at great bargain prices, mosques, police station, minimarts & hyper-markets, various oil stations and many restaurants. The seafood restaurants in Sekinchan draw in a lot of tourists.

Accessibility and Transportation

The best way to reach Sabak Bernam is by driving as it lacks efficient public transport facilities. From Kuala Lumpur, Lebuhraya Utara-Selatan can be used and via the exit onto LATAR, Federal Route 5 (main trunk road of the west coast) can be reached. This Federal Route has an interchange at Sungai Besar leading to Jalan Sabak Bernam-Hulu Selangor that can be used to travel within this district.