As of the 2010 Malaysian census , the population of the town of Bintulu is 114 @,@ 058 . Indigenous people accounted for the largest proportion of the town population ( 61 @.@ 2 % , 69 @,@ 782 ) , followed by Chinese ( 25 @.@ 0 % , 28 @,@ 512 ) , Non @-@ Malaysians ( 13 @.@ 1 % , 14 @,@ 939 ) , and Indians ( 0 @.@ 28 % , 319 ) . Among the indigenous groups , there are Iban ( 32 @,@ 992 ) , Malay ( 14 @,@ 945 ) , Melanau ( 14 @,@ 179 ) , Bidayuh ( 1 @,@ 598 ) , and other indigenous tribes ( 6 @,@ 068 ) . According to government sources , there are 229 Iban longhouses in the Bintulu District . The Ibans moved into Kemena and Tatau basins in the mid @-@ 19th and early 20th century with permission of the Brooke government . Other indigenous tribes that form the minority are Kayan , Kenyah , and Punan . The Chinese in Bintulu are mainly composed of dialect groups such as Hakka , Fuzhou , and Teochews . The Chinese have been living in the town of Tatau since the era of Bruneian Empire . Later , Fuzhou Chinese from Sibu moved in , dominating the timber and plantation businesses in Bintulu . There is also a large number of foreigners working there . Most of them come from Britain , Australia , the Netherlands , Germany , South Africa , New Zealand , Japan , China , the United States , and Indonesia .