AN INSIGHT INTO THE SIBU CENTRAL MARKET

The Sibu Central Market is, by far, the largest market in Malaysia. Apart from that, it is the best-managed market in Sarawak.There is an approximate of 1,100 hawker stalls in the market on week days and an additional 400 to 500 stalls on weekends when Ibans and Orang Ulus crowd the tamu (open-air market) with displays of their exotic food and fruits.

The market has a division of sections according to the goods sold by the hawkers. The main sections are the wet areas where hawkers sell fish and other seafood, slaughtered chickens and ducks, tofu, beancurd and beansprout.

At the dry section, there are all kinds of local and imported vegetables, fruits, dried fish and prawns, spices, handicraft, flowers and ornamental plants, sundry goods, drinks, homemade cakes, buns, titbits and other confectionery.

Hawkers selling live chickens and ducks at the dry section attract the most attention from tourists mainly due to the way they bundle up the feathery creatures. Each bird is wrapped up using newspapers, tied securely with nylon strings and displayed in neat lines for customers to choose.

Some stalls sell a large variety of kuih-muih.

Natives display a parade of their jungle products and handicrafts on the floor or low makeshift tables. Among the uncommon stuff sold are live sago worms, frogs, kasam (preserved fish, pork or venison), wild jungle ferns, young palm shoots and wild fruits. For more details, click here.

The first floor is occupied by food and drink stalls and stalls selling clothes and tailor-made items and shoes.

The food and drink stalls are no less attractive, with many of them offering the kampua, kompia, chendol, bubur buang panas and laksa, etc. Prices are competitive here because of the low rent. The portions you get here are normally larger than the ones sold elsewhere.

SMC has direct jurisdiction over the market under the Local Authority Ordinances and Local Council bylaws. The market is managed by the Market and Petty Traders Committee headed by an experienced councillor. The council issues hawker licences and provides security, cleaning and garbage-disposal services. Security guards together with the police would be on beat duty at the popular spot to look out for suspicious characters to shackle lurking pick-pockets preying on unsuspecting shoppers, especially tourists.

An adjacent multi-storey car park built by SMC provides shoppers a peace of mind as far as their cars are concerned when they shop or dine at the Sibu Central Market.

A sheltered area on the right hand side of the market allows sellers to sell seasonal fruits eg. durians, mangosteen, rambutans, etc. Heaps of fruits can be seen and to choose from.