The houses of the Melanau people were built in rows on both sides of the Kemena River , mostly furnished by Nipah and Sago palms . Each house had its own shed projection into the entrance of the river , which was used for the processing of Sago palms . On 8 September 1867 , the first Sarawak General Council meeting ( now Sarawak State Legislative Assembly ) took place here . It was made up of 21 elected local community members ( five British officers and 16 Malay and Melanau local chiefs ) . The Council was formed by Raja Muda Charles Brooke under orders from Rajah James Brooke . The Council is the oldest state legislative assembly in Malaysia .