02-05-2025
First-ever Mr Sarawak Douglas Jerukan champion passes away
Photo from the family album of Douglas (centre), flanked by Catherine and Desmond, taken after he was presented with the ABS state award in 2011.
KUCHING (May 2): Douglas Jerukan @ Jarukan Kanyan, the first-ever winner of Mr Sarawak bodybuilding championship, passed away on Thursday (May 1) at Sibu Hospital.
He was 87 years old.
According to the eldest son Desmond Jerukan, his father was admitted to the Emergency Unit on April 14.
'The cause of death was sepsis and multiple organ failures.
'My father's official date of birth was recorded as Dec 31, 1939, but there's a story behind this.
'The administrators at the time did not have the exact date, so they used the end of month for the year. Dad could have been older,' said Desmond, who is deputy permanent secretary for the Ministry of Public Health, Housing and Local Government Sarawak.
Douglas obtained primary school education in Bawang Assan in Sibu, and secondary school education at Batu Lintang in Kuching. After that, the Iban youth obtained a Colombo Plan
Scholarship (1958-1961), and went to Christchurch Technical College and Canterbury Teachers College in New Zealand in 1958, and graduated as a trade instructor in 1961.
It was during this college time that Douglas entered bodybuilding. He won the title of Mr New Zealand and also the 'Most Muscular Man Award' at the 1961 National Weightlifting Championships in Dunedin.
He entered Mr New Zealand at the special request of the Canterbury team manager.
Douglas continued bodybuilding upon returning to Sarawak.
He was crowned the first Mr Sarawak champion at the inaugural competition held in Sibu in 1963.
Photo of Douglas taken after he won the overall championship title of the first Mr Sarawak
Competition, held in 1963.
Douglas later joined the Sarawak Education Service from 1962 to 1994 and since then, he had held various positions – beginning with his first posting at Kanowit Secondary School (now SEDAYA) in 1962, where he continued to serve until 1967.
Douglas had been the principal of SMK Kapit from 1968 to 1970, SMK Julau, SMK Nangka in Sibu, and also at SMK Vokasional Sibu.
He had also served as a Kanowit District Education Officer in the late 1970s, where later on, he became Group Supervisor of Schools under Sibu Division Education Office.
Douglas was appointed an independent director of CCK Consolidated Holdings Bhd on March 20, 2002, and retired from this position on Dec 7, 2012.
He had previously served as a board member of Rejang Port Authority, in Sibu.
In 2011, Douglas was honoured with the Ahli Bintang Sarawak (ABS) award from the Sarawak Government, and in 2023, Sarawak Bodybuilding Association honoured him with the 'Sarawak Bodybuilding Icon Award'.
He is survived by his wife of more than 50 years, Catherine Abit, their four children, and three grandchildren. bodybuilding Douglas Jerukan Mr Sarawak passed away
