| Mukim Kuala Balai | |
| Settlement Type: | Mukim |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Brunei |
| Subdivision Type1: | District |
| Subdivision Name1: | Belait |
| Established Title: | Established |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Population As Of: | 2021 |
| Population Total: | 16 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone: | BNT |
| Utc Offset1: | +8 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postcode |
| Postal Code: | KDxx32 |
Mukim Kuala Balai is a mukim in Belait District, Brunei.[1] The population was 31 in 2016.[2]
The mukim could be named after Kampong Kuala Balai, one of the villages it encompasses.
The mukim borders Mukim Seria to the north, Mukim Labi to the east and south, the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the west and Mukim Kuala Belait to the north-west.
In the center of the Belait River, in Kampong Kuala Balai, the Belait people appear to have first settled. Eventually, some of them moved to Kampong Labi, Mukim Kuala Belait, and Kampong Mumong to cultivate rice and work for the government, commercial businesses, and oil companies. Some people continue to live in their traditional homes while getting married in other areas.[3] The village used to serve as the district's original historic administrative center. On the other hand, a new administrative center for the district was constructed at the mouth of the Padang Berawa (modern-day Seria) oil well after it was discovered.[4]
The main component in the preparation of ambuyat, ambulong (sago), was once processed by Kuala Balai (Long Pelai) locals. Haji Busu bin Ahmad, a former resident, gave a speech about the customary procedure and the history of the area at our first site, a defunct ambulong processing hut beside the Belait River. Kuala Balai, which was primarily made up of wetlands and riverfront, does not naturally lend itself to paddy formation. Due to this and the paddy fields in rural Labi, forefathers planted rumbia trees along the Belait River. According to Haji Busu, frequent ambulong and paddy trades have a history. When paddy wasn't in season, people of Labi frequently traveled by boat to Kuala Balai to create ambulong.[5] It was a thriving trading post where Damar resin and other jungle produce were exchanged for Chinese porcelain and different condiments. It was strategically located at the junction of two rivers. The sago palm was harvested from the banks of the Belait River and its tributaries, particularly Sungai Damit.
As of 2016 census, the population was 31 with males and females. The mukim had 4 households occupying 4 dwellings. The entire population lived in rural areas. As of 2016, Kampong Tanjong Ranggas is the only populated village in Mukim Kuala Balai. There are only a few scattered stilted buildings in various states of deterioration in the settlement (on the right side of the road). The country's largest community in the west used to be Kuala Balai.
As of 2021, the mukim consisted the following villages:
The Mumong bypass is approximately a 20-minute drive from the settlement on the Belait River's banks, and the freshly repaired gravel route should be accessible to any vehicles with a typical road clearance.
From the Kuala Belait Jetty, it takes 45 minutes by river to go to Kuala Balai by boat as the river served as its main thoroughfare.[9] A voyage required six hours of arduous rowing in a longboat, and bigger cargo-carrying boats used to travel up the Belait River when the population was large enough to maintain a school. The thick-stemmed palms may still be observed on the boat voyage to Kuala Balai.
A muslim cemetery sits within Kampong Kuala Balai.[10]