The Kuching Civic Centre Malay : Dewan Suarah Kuching ) is a major landmark in Kuching , Sarawak , Malaysia . The building was officially opened on 1 August 1988 following the proclamation of Kuching as a city status.
105-422: The viewing platform at the top of the futuristic Civic Centre tower offers the best all-round views of Kuching and the surrounding areas. The city and its hinterland, Mount Serapi , Mount Santubong and even the mountains of Kalimantan are visible on a clear day. This Sarawak location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a Malaysian building or structure
210-528: A Federal Territory in Malaysia on 16 April 1984. It was used to establish a centre for offshore finance in 1990. Since 2010, there has been some speculation and discussion, at least on the ground level, about the possibility of secession from the Federation of Malaysia because of allegations of resource mishandling, illegal processing of immigrants, etc. The Borneo States of Sabah and Sarawak joined
315-599: A bazaar. In 1941, the Brooke administration had a Centenary Celebration in Kuching. During World War II , Kuching was occupied by Japanese forces from 1942 to 1945. The Japanese government set up a Batu Lintang camp near Kuching to hold prisoners of war and civilian internees . After the war, the town survived intact. However, the last Rajah of Sarawak, Sir Charles Vyner Brooke decided to cede Sarawak as part of British Crown Colony in 1946. Kuching remained as capital during
420-668: A depth of about 3 km in water 9–45 m. The Central Luconia Gas Fields produce from middle to late Miocene carbonate platform and pinnacle reefs from 1.25 to 3.76 km deep and water depths 60-100m. Ethnicity in East Malaysia (as of 2010) The total population of East Malaysia in 2010 was 5.77 million (3.21 million in Sabah, 2.47 million in Sarawak, and 0.09 million in Labuan), which represented 20.4% of
525-405: A medium of instruction (primarily for wealthy and/or expatriate children), among other foreign language courses which can be found through the city. Kuching is one of the main industrial and commercial centres for Sarawak. Many state-level, national-level, and international commercial banks, as well as some insurance companies, maintain their headquarters and corporate offices here. The economy
630-589: A significant portion of the biodiverse Borneo lowland rain forests and Borneo montane rain forests . East Malaysia or the Borneo States comprise 2 of the 13 states, and one out of the three federal territories of Malaysia. Some parts of present-day East Malaysia, especially the coastal regions, were once part of the thalassocracy of the Sultanate of Brunei . However, most parts of the interior region consisted of independent tribal societies. In 1658,
735-519: A state-owned subsidiary, ICATS focuses on producing human capital for the hi-tech sector, especially for the development of the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy . The Sarawak State Library is the major information resource centre and provides information services for the public and private sectors. The library serves Kuching and its outskirts as the main depository of public records. In addition, it administers, monitors, and facilitates
840-474: A thousand people of other groups (1,022). The Chinese are made up of Hokkien , mainly in the urban areas and in the suburbs. Other Chinese subgroups consist of Foochow , Hainanese , Teochew , Cantonese , Hakka and Henghua . The Bidayuh, Dayak, Iban and Orang Ulu are mainly Christians (with some practising Animism ), while the Chinese practise either Buddhism , Taoism or Christianity ; most of
945-633: A total of 57 out 222 seats (25.68%) in the Malaysian parliament . Since 2014, Sarawak have been actively seeking for devolution of powers from the Malaysian federal government. In October 2018, both Sabah and Sarawak chief ministers met to discuss common goals in demanding from the Malaysian federal government regarding the rights stipulated inside the Malaysia Agreement . In December 2021, constitutional amendments were passed to restore
1050-569: A whole, to one of the 13 states in the federation. Since 2008, East Malaysia played a more significant role in the national political landscape. The loss of two-thirds majority of Barisan Nasional (BN) government in the West Malaysia caused the BN to rely on East Malaysian politicians to cling on power. After the conclusion of 2013 Malaysian general election , there was an increase in ministers and deputy ministers allocation for East Malaysia in
1155-533: Is 6 million (3,418,785 in Sabah, 2,453,677 in Sarawak and 95,120 in Labuan). The earliest inhabitants of East Malaysia were the Dayak people and other related ethnic groups such as the Kadazan-Dusun people. These indigenous people form a significant portion, but not the majority, of the population. For hundreds of years, there has been significant migration into East Malaysia and Borneo from many parts of
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#17327903378701260-1079: Is Universiti Malaysia Sabah Labuan International Campus, which has a branch in Sepanggar Bay, Kota Kinabalu. All prospective university entrants from Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan must sit the examinations of one matriculation college, Kolej Matrikulasi Labuan. UCSI University, Sarawak Campus , University College of Technology Sarawak (UCTS) Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (Sabah campus), International University College of Technology Twintech (Sabah campus), and Open University Malaysia (Sabah campus) have local private university branch campuses in East Malaysia. Curtin University, Malaysia and Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus are foreign university branch campuses in Sarawak. There are 4 teacher training colleges ( Malay : Maktab Perguruan ) in Sarawak, and 4 teacher training colleges in Sabah. The Pan Borneo Highway connects Sabah, Sarawak, and Brunei. The road has been poorly maintained since it
1365-574: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Kuching Kuching ( / ˈ k uː tʃ ɪ ŋ / KOO -ching , Malay: ['kutʃɪŋ] ) officially the City of Kuching , is the capital and the most populous city in the state of Sarawak in Malaysia . It is also the capital of Kuching Division . The city is on the Sarawak River at the southwestern tip of Sarawak on
1470-761: Is a business hub and cultural centre for the Malay populace. The dialect of Malay spoken in Kuching is known as Bahasa Sarawak ( Sarawakian Malay Language), a subset of the Malay language . The local dialect in Kuching is different from that spoken or heard in Miri . Since the second-largest population in Kuching is made up of Han Chinese , the Chinese language is also commonly spoken, particularly Hokkien and Mandarin . Almost all residents are able to speak English. A number of specialty and private schools provide English as
1575-575: Is a member of UNESCO's Creative Cities Network under the field of gastronomy . Kuching is also the main gateway for travellers visiting Sarawak and Borneo. Kuching Wetlands National Park is located about 30 km (19 mi) from the city and there are many other tourist attractions in and around Kuching such as Bako National Park , Semenggoh Wildlife Centre, Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF), state assembly building , The Astana , Fort Margherita , Kuching Cat Museum , and Sarawak State Museum / Borneo Cultures Museum. The city has become one of
1680-485: Is administered by a mayor for Kuching South and a commissioner for Kuching North. The current commissioner for Kuching North is Datu Junaidi Reduan, who took over from Datuk Haji Abang Abdul Wahab Abang Julai on 31 August 2019 while Datuk Wee Hong Seng became the new mayor for the Kuching South in 2019, succeeding Dato' James Chan Khay Syn . The city obtained a city status on 1 August 1988, and since that it
1785-530: Is dominated by the primary sector , and currently by the tertiary-based industry , as the state government envisioned Sarawak being transformed into a more developed state by 2020. There are three main industrial areas in Kuching— Pending Industrial Estate (mixed and light industries), Demak Laut Industrial Park (mixed, light, and medium industries) and Sama Jaya Free Industrial Zone (hi-tech, computer and electronics industries). This
1890-494: Is especially prevalent in Sarawak because there are many large and long rivers, with Rajang River being the most used. Rivers are used by boats and ferries for communications (i.e. mail) and passenger transport between inland areas and coastal towns. Timber is also transported via vessels and log carriers down the rivers of Sarawak. The Labuan Ferry operates boat express and vehicle ferries from Labuan Island to Sabah , Sarawak and Brunei . Ferries have overtaken air travel as
1995-740: Is intended to boost the city's commercial and industrial activity, making it a major point of growth in East Malaysia , as well for the BIMP-EAGA (Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area). Kuching has hosted numerous national, regional and international conferences , congresses and trade fairs , such as the Malaysia Global Business Forum, Tomorrow's Leaders Summit, International Hydropower Association (IHA) World Congress, ASEAN Tourism Forum , and Routes Asia Conference. Furthermore, Kuching
2100-674: Is known as Kuching's oldest and most historical building, which exhibits collections of the indigenous races in Sarawak. Directly opposite the Sarawak Museum is the Borneo Cultures Museum which replaced the Tun Abdul Razak Hall. The Borneo Cultures Museum (opened on 9 March 2022) is a modern five-storey building with a distinctive architectural design that reflects Sarawak's unique traditional crafts and rich cultural heritage. While located right behind
2205-542: Is less populated and has fewer developed settlements than West Malaysia. While West Malaysia contains the country's major cities ( Kuala Lumpur , Johor Bahru , and Georgetown ), East Malaysia is larger and much more abundant in natural resources, particularly oil and gas reserves. In the pan-regional style, city status is reserved for only a few settlements, including Kuching , Kota Kinabalu and Miri . Various other significant settlements are classified as towns, including many with over 100,000 residents. East Malaysia includes
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#17327903378702310-511: Is located about 65 km from Kuching. Kuching has a tropical rainforest climate ( Köppen climate classification Af), moderately hot but very humid at times and receives substantial rainfall. The average annual rainfall is approximately 4,200 mm (170 in). Kuching is the wettest populated area (on average) in Malaysia with an average of 247 rainy days per year. Kuching receives only 5 hours of sunshine per day on average and an average of only 3.7 hours of sunshine per day in
2415-415: Is located in a suburb, Petra Jaya . There are 5 Members of Parliament (MPs) representing the five parliamentary constituencies and twelve state legislative assemblymen in the state legislature representing the twelve state constituencies in Kuching district. Kuching is the only city in Malaysia to be administered by two mayors; the city is divided into Kuching North and Kuching South. Each of these
2520-476: Is the Old Kuching Bus Terminal, which is only operating as some bus companies and drivers reportedly have been unwilling to use Kuching Sentral's newer facilities, due to undisclosed or unknown reasons. Other minibuses and carpool van services are also available in the city. Kuching, like most towns in Sarawak, has connections to other urban centres and settlements by water transport. Between
2625-591: The Batu Lintang camp , for POWs and civilian internees, 5 km (3.1 mi) outside Kuching. After the end of World War II, the town survived and was wholly undamaged. The third and last Rajah, Sir Charles Vyner Brooke later ceded Sarawak to the British Crown on 1 July 1946. During the Crown Colony period, the government worked to develop and improve the infrastructure on Sarawak. Kuching
2730-467: The Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM) reported that Kuching had a total population of 402,738. The metro city population (North Kuching, South Kuching, and Padawan ) consists primarily of Malays (146,067), Chinese (138,620), Iban (82,743), Bidayuh (20,065), non-Malaysian citizens (5,048), other Sarawak Bumiputras ( Orang Ulu ) (4,076), Melanau (1,840) and Indian (3,257), with around
2835-662: The Federation of Malaya in 1957. Later on however, the then Federation merged with the self-governing State of Singapore and the British Colonies of North Borneo (now known as Sabah ) and Sarawak under the Malaysia Agreement as the States of Malaya, the Borneo States of Sabah and Sarawak, and the State of Singapore of the new Federation called Malaysia on 16 September 1963 , now known as Malaysia Day . Singapore left
2940-557: The Malay Archipelago , including Java, the Lesser Sunda Islands , Sulawesi , and Sulu . More recently, there has been immigration from India and China. The indigenous inhabitants were originally animists. Islamic influence began as early as the 15th century, while Christian influence started in the 19th century. The indigenous inhabitants are generally partisan and maintain culturally distinct dialects of
3045-411: The Malay language , in addition to their own ethnic languages. Approximately over one-tenth of the population of Sabah and Labuan, and almost a quarter of the population of Sarawak, is composed of local Chinese communities. The local Malay/Muslims consists approximately 13.6% in East Malaysia, with over two-thirds of Malay/Muslims in East Malaysia resides in the state of Sarawak, predominantly found in
3150-511: The Malaysian Cabinet from 11 out of 57 portfolios in 2008 election to 20 out of 61 portfolios. There had been no prime minister or deputy prime minister coming from East Malaysia until 2022, when Fadillah Yusof became the first deputy prime minister from East Malaysia. On several occasions, the federal government chaired its weekly cabinet meetings in Kuching instead of Putrajaya . As of 2012, Sarawak, Sabah and Labuan held
3255-652: The Mulu Caves within Gunung Mulu National Park . Its Sarawak Chamber is the largest (by area) known cave chamber in the world. The Gunung Mulu National Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in November 2000. Sabah's attractions include World Heritage Site Kinabalu Park (which includes Mount Kinabalu ), and Sipadan Island (a diving and bio-diversity hot-spot). Several oil and gas fields have been discovered offshore, including
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3360-554: The Sarawak State Museum . However, another source reported that Kuching was previously known as "Sarawak" before Brooke arrived. The settlement was renamed to "Sarawak Proper" during the kingdom's expansion. It was only in 1872 that Charles Brooke renamed the settlement to "Kuching". There was one unlikely theory based on a story of miscommunication. According to the story, James Brooke arrived in Kuching on his schooner Royalist . He then asked his local guide about
3465-558: The Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus , the only branch campus of Swinburne University of Technology outside Australia; Executive College ; and UCSI University, Sarawak Campus which houses the Faculty of Hospitality and Management. A polytechnic and community college, both known as Politeknik Kuching Sarawak and Kolej Komuniti Kuching are also located in the city. Other private colleges can be found through
3570-547: The Tua Pek Kong Temple . In the 1950s, the river became very shallow because of silt deposits in the river. The river was later filled to make way for roads. There is another theory that Kuching actually means "Ku" (古)- Old and "Ching" (井) - Well or "old well" (古井) in Chinese. During the Brooke administration , there was no water supply and water-borne diseases were common. In 1888, an epidemic broke out which later
3675-570: The Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences building situated next to the Sarawak General Hospital. The Sarawak State Government moved the last remaining public university campus ( Universiti Teknologi MARA ) from Kuching to Kota Samarahan in 1997 in a long-term initiative to transform Kota Samarahan into an education hub. Kuching is home to three private universities:
3780-584: The White Rajahs and currently the official residence of the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak ), and Fort Margherita. East Malaysia East Malaysia ( Malay : Malaysia Timur ), or the Borneo States , also known as Malaysian Borneo , is the part of Malaysia on and near the island of Borneo , the world's third-largest island. East Malaysia comprises the states of Sabah , Sarawak , and
3885-489: The 19th century, stated that the name was derived from a stream of the same name, called "Sungai Kuching" or Cat River in English. On page 64 of Bampfylde and Baring-Gould's 1909 'A History of Sarawak under its Two White Rajahs', it says: "Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, is so called from a small stream that runs through the town into the main river...." The stream was situated at the foot of Bukit Mata Kuching and in front of
3990-748: The Borneo Cultures Museum is the Islamic Heritage Museum . Other museums in Kuching include the Chinese History Museum , Kuching Cat Museum , Sarawak Timber Museum and Textile Museum Sarawak . Kuching is also home to the first ever planetarium in Malaysia, the Sultan Iskandar Planetarium which is adjacent to the Kuching Civic Centre . Interesting historical landmarks and sites of Kuching include The Astana (the former palace of
4095-817: The Chief Judge of Malaya, President of the Court of Appeal , and Chief Justice of Malaysia ). Compared to West Malaysia, political parties in Sarawak and Sabah started relatively late. This first political party in Sarawak emerged in 1959 while the first political party in Sabah emerged in August 1961. Sarawak held its first local authorities election in 1959 and did not have any directly elected legislature until 1970 . Sabah only held its first district council election in December 1962 and first direct election in April 1967. Both
4200-668: The Chinese have contributed heavily to the city's economy since their migration during the Brunei Sultanate period, after the discovery of antimony ore , and also during the Charles Vyner Brooke administration (who encouraged the immigration of the Chinese for planting black pepper ). Kuching's roads, thoroughfares and motorways are overseen by one of the two local councils, the DBKU ( Dewan Bandaraya Kuching Utara ) and MBKS ( Majlis Bandaraya Kuching Selatan ), or
4305-553: The Crown Colony period. After the formation of Malaysia in 1963, Kuching retained its status as state capital and was granted city status in 1988. Since then, Kuching is divided into two administrative regions managed by two separate local authorities Mohd Azri Bin Subohi. The administrative centre of the Sarawak State Government is located at Wisma Bapa Malaysia , Kuching. Kuching is a major food destination and
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4410-654: The Federal Territory of Labuan . The small independent nation of Brunei comprises two enclaves in Sarawak. To the south and southeast is the Indonesian portion of Borneo, Kalimantan . East Malaysia lies to the east of Peninsular Malaysia (also known as the States of Malaya), the part of the country on the Malay Peninsula . The two are separated by the South China Sea . East Malaysia
4515-766: The Federation of Malaysia as equal partners with Malaya and Singapore. Sabah and Sarawak retained their rights covered under the Malaysia Agreement of 1963 and their degree of autonomy compared to the other states in Peninsular Malaysia. For example, the Malaysian Borneo States have separate laws regulating the entry of citizens from other states in Malaysia (including the other East Malaysian state), whereas, in Peninsular Malaysia, there are no restrictions on interstate travel or migration, including visitors from East Malaysia. There are also separate land laws governing Sabah and Sarawak, as opposed to
4620-856: The Federation two years later in 1965 after being expelled by then the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman . Previously, there were efforts to unite Brunei , Sabah, and Sarawak under the North Borneo Federation but that failed after the Brunei Revolt occurred. The Borneo States retained a higher degree of local government and legislative autonomy than the States of Malaya. For example, both states have their own immigration controls, requiring Malaysian citizens from West Malaysia to carry passports or identity cards when visiting East Malaysia. The islands of Labuan were once part of North Borneo in 1946 before becoming
4725-544: The Hindoo shops you can buy silks from India , sarongs from Java , tea from China and tiles and porcelain from all parts of the world, laid out in picturesque confusion, and overflowing into the street. The Astana (Palace), which is now the official residence of the governor of Sarawak, was constructed next to Brooke's first residence. He had it built in 1869 as a wedding gift to his wife. Kuching continued to prosper under Charles Vyner Brooke , who succeeded his father as
4830-470: The Institute of Dynamic Management, Sarawak (conducting franchised programmes from Universiti Tun Abdul Razak ). The International College of Advanced Technology Sarawak or ICATS is an institution created as the state government's initiative to enhance technical and vocational training education among school leavers. The college was established from the former INTI College Sarawak facilities. Operated by
4935-686: The Kota Samarahan Municipal Council is known as Greater Kuching. Kuching is located on the banks of the Sarawak River in the northwestern part of the island of Borneo . The limits of the City of Kuching include all that area in Kuching District containing an area approximately 431.01 km (166.41 sq mi) bounded from Gunung Lasak (Mount Lasak) in Muara Tebas to Batu Buaya (Crocodile Rock) in
5040-542: The Malays and Melanau are Muslim , and a number of Hindus and Sikhs , with a small number of secularists , also exist around the city. There is a size-able population of non-citizens, who mostly come from the bordering Indonesian region of Kalimantan , most of whom are migrant workers. Since the British period, a small population of South Asians —notably, Pakistanis —have lived in the city, their livelihoods primarily
5145-479: The National Land Code, which governs Peninsular Malaysia. In December 2021, constitutional amendments were passed to restore the status of Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners to Malaya, with 199 members of Parliament backing the amendment bill without opposition. Apart from restoring Article 1(2) to its pre-1976 wording, the bill defines Malaysia Day for the first time and redefines the federation with
5250-467: The Rajah and his officers, that it reminded me of a box of painted toys kept scrupulously clean by a child. The Bazaar runs for some distance along the banks of river, and this quarter of the town is inhabited almost entirely by Chinese traders, with the exception of one or two Hindoo shops....Groceries of exotic kinds are laid out on tables near the pavement, from which the purchasers make their choice. At
5355-705: The Samarang oil field (1972) offshore Sabah, the Baronia oil field (1967) offshore Sarawak, and the Central Luconia natural gas fields (1968), also offshore Sarawak. The Baronia Field is a domal structural trap between two east–west growth faults , which produces from late Miocene sandstones interbedded with siltstones and clays at 2 km depth in 75 m of water. The Samarang Field produces from late Miocene sandtones in an alternating sequence of sandstones, siltstones and clays in an anticline at
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#17327903378705460-752: The Santubong peninsula following a series of survey marks as stated in the First Schedule of the City of Kuching Ordinance, 1988 . As a simplification of the legal statute, the Kuching city limits extend from the Kuching International Airport in the south to the northern coast of the Santubong and Bako peninsulas; from the Kuching Wetlands National Park in the west to the Kuap River estuary in
5565-407: The Tanah Puteh Port) in Pending . Kuching International Airport (KCH) ( ICAO Code: WBGG) is the main gateway for air passengers. The airport's history dates back to the 1940s and today the airport has undergone and is still undergoing many major redevelopments. The airport terminal is listed as the fourth busiest airport in Malaysia according to total passenger movements in 2013. Since 2009,
5670-403: The Third Rajah of Sarawak. In 1941, Kuching was the site of the Brooke Government Centenary Celebration. A few months later, the Brooke administration came to a close when the Japanese occupied Sarawak . During the Second World War , six platoons of infantry from 2/15 Punjab Regiment were stationed at Kuching in April 1941. The Regiment defended Kuching and Bukit Stabar airfield from being
5775-465: The airport has grown rapidly with an increasing number of passengers and aircraft movement. It is the secondary hub for Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia while becoming the third hub for MASWings , which serves flights to smaller towns and rural areas in East Malaysia. The current court complex is located in Petra Jaya. It contains the High Court , Sessions Court, and the Magistrate Court. Another courts of Syariah and native were also located in
5880-456: The animal as a symbol of their city, and it features in statues as well as the municipal council's coat of arms - an example of heraldic canting . Some source also stated that it was derived from a fruit called "mata kucing" ( Euphoria malaiense ), a fruit that grows widely in Malaysia and Indonesia. There was also a hill in the city that was named after the fruit, which is called Bukit Mata Kuching. Harriette McDougall writing to her son in
5985-482: The app's services and coverage. Dewan Undangan Negeri Sarawak (DUN) - Pusat Hidupan Liar Semenggoh Orangutan 砂拉越州立法議會- 實蒙谷人猿猩猩野生動物中心 The main bus terminal is Kuching Sentral, opening in 2012, located in the south of the city—about 5 minutes' drive away from Kuching International Airport and 20 minutes from the city centre. The terminal serves as a starting point for long-distance trips to Brunei , Sabah , and West Kalimantan , Indonesia . Another bus terminal
6090-436: The banks of the Sarawak River, near the city centre, many 'tambang' (traditional roofed wooden sampan ) can be seen carrying passengers from one riverbank to another. For those staying along the river banks, it is a short way to getting to the city-proper. The wharf for express boats servicing transport to further areas such as Sibu and Bintulu , is located in the east of the city at the Sim Kheng Hong Port (formerly known as
6195-426: The centre of attention and development. Improvements included a sanitation system. By 1874, the city had completed several developments, including construction of a hospital, prison, Fort Margherita , and many other buildings. Charles Brooke's wife, in her memoir (My Life in Sarawak) , included this description of Kuching: The little town looked so neat and fresh and prosperous under the careful jurisdiction of
6300-434: The chief transportation mode on and off the island. Shipyards in Sabah and Sarawak build steel vessels for offshore supply, tug, barge and river ferries when compared to shipyards in Peninsular Malaysia that focus on building steel and aluminium vessels for the government as well as oil and gas companies. This makes the shipyards in Sabah and Sarawak more competitive and innovative in design, process and material, compared to
6405-414: The chief minister post in 1965 and later consolidated its power in 1967. In Sarawak, native Muslim party named Parti Bumiputera (which later regrouped into Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) held the chief minister post since 1970. In 1976, all the Sabah and Sarawak MPs (except 4 absentees) supported the Malaysian parliament bill which downgraded both the states from being equal partners to Malaya as
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#17327903378706510-427: The city of Kuching and the surrounding areas. While among Indian communities, unlike their fellows in Peninsular Malaysia where they are considered as one of the several major ethnic groups in Peninsula, their population in East Malaysia was quite tiny, consists just about 0.3%, with the majority of them resides in the urban areas such as Kota Kinabalu , Tawau , Labuan and Miri , in addition to Kuching. However,
6615-529: The city with most of the colleges are subsidiaries from universities and university colleges established in West Malaysia , such as SEGi College, Sarawak, Sunway College Kuching, Limkokwing Borneo , PTPL Sarawak , Wawasan Open University , Open University Malaysia , and Twintech College Sarawak. There are private institutions conducting franchised programmes from full-fledged universities (apart from running their own courses) such as SATT College (conducting franchised programmes from Universiti Teknologi MARA ) and
6720-497: The city's traffic continues to rise. As Kuching is located near the equator , potholes have the tendency to develop on the roads during the monsoon season , usually at the end of the year, due to coinciding with winter in the Northern Hemisphere . Roads leading outside of the city to the more rural regions were of a slightly inferior quality, with regards to maintenance, but are now being upgraded. Highway routes from Kuching include: There are two types of taxis operating within
6825-431: The city, such as the main public hospitals , public health clinics , other type of health clinics, mobile clinic, flying doctor service, village clinics, and 1Malaysia clinic . The main hospital is the Sarawak General Hospital which is the oldest hospital since 1923. Another hospital is Rajah Charles Brooke Memorial Hospital. Hospital Sentosa (Sentosa Mental Hospital), opened in 1958, provides psychiatric services for
6930-413: The city. The Sarawak Police Contingent Headquarters is located in Badruddin Street. There is only one district headquarters in the city, which is the Kuching District police headquarters located in Simpang Tiga Road. Kuching Prison Complex is located in Puncak Borneo Street. Temporary lock-ups or prison cells are found in most police stations around the city. There are many types of health services in
7035-416: The city: the standard taxis are the red-and-yellow painted automobiles. A slightly larger taxi, painted in blue, is available as well; these are more comfortable, but slightly more expensive (thus known as "executive taxis"). In 2014, a smartphone taxi-booking app called GrabTaxi was launched, making Kuching the fifth area (after Klang Valley , Cyberjaya , Putrajaya , and Johor Bahru ) to benefit from
7140-402: The demography of Sabah has been altered dramatically with the alleged implementation of Project IC in the 1990s. Citizenships are alleged to be granted to immigrants from Indonesia and Philippines in order to keep the UMNO ruling party in power. Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) has been conducted from 11 August 2012 to 20 September 2013. The outcome of the investigation was submitted to
7245-416: The destroyed by the Japanese. Defence was mainly concentrated on Kuching and Miri . However, on 24 December 1941, Kuching was conquered by the Japanese forces. Sarawak was ruled as part of the Japanese Empire for three years and eight months, until the official Japanese surrender on 11 September 1945. The official surrender was signed on HMAS Kapunda at Kuching. From March 1942, the Japanese operated
7350-486: The east. The Sarawak River generally splits the city into North and South. The highest point in the city is Mount Santubong on the Santubong peninsula, which is at 810.2 m (2,658 ft) above sea level, located 35 km north of the city centre. Rapid urbanisation has occurred in Greater Kuching and the urban sprawl extends to Penrissen, Kota Sentosa, Kota Padawan, Batu Kawah, Matang, Samariang, Siburan , Tarat, Kota Samarahan , Asajaya as well as Serian which
7455-429: The entire state and known as the second oldest hospital in Sarawak after the main hospital. Normah Medical Specialist Centre in Petra Jaya is the largest private hospital (with 130 beds) in Sarawak. In addition, three other large private health facilities are Borneo Medical Centre with (120 beds), Timberland Medical Centre with (100 beds), and KPJ Healthcare with (75 beds). Kuching Specialist Hospital located in BDC
7560-638: The federal court system in Malaysia. The Constitution of Malaysia provides that there shall be two High Courts of co-ordinate jurisdiction. The High Court in Malaya and the High Court in Sabah and Sarawak (formerly the High Court in Borneo). The current Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak is Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim from Sarawak. His office is the fourth highest in the Malaysian judicial system (behind
7665-480: The inclusion of Malaysia Agreement (MA63). Previously, only Merdeka Day (independence day of the Federation of Malaya) was defined, and the federation was defined merely by the Malaya Agreement 1957. The Constitution (Amendment) Act 2022 received royal assent on 19 January 2022 and came into force on 11 February 2022. With regard to the administration of justice, the courts in East Malaysia are part of
7770-594: The island of Borneo and covers an area of 431 km (166 sq mi) with a population about 165,642 in the Kuching North administrative region and 159,490 in the Kuching South administrative region —a total of 325,132 people. Kuching was the third capital of Sarawak in 1827 during the administration of the Bruneian Empire . In 1841, Kuching became the capital of the Kingdom of Sarawak after
7875-578: The major industrial and commercial centres in East Malaysia . The name "Kuching" was already in use for the city by the time Brooke arrived in 1839. There are many theories as to the derivation of the name "Kuching". It was perhaps derived from the Malay word for cat, "kucing", or from Cochin , an Indian trading port on the Malabar Coast and a generic term in China and British India for trading harbour. Some Hindu artefacts can be seen today at
7980-561: The month of January (wettest month of the year). The wettest times are during the North-East Monsoon months of November to February and the city's driest months are June through August. The temperature in Kuching ranges from 19 °C (66 °F) to 36 °C (97 °F) but the average temperature is around 23 °C (73 °F) in the early hours of the morning and rises to around 33 °C (91 °F) during mid afternoon. This temperature stays almost constant throughout
8085-410: The name of the town. The local guide mistakenly thought that Brooke was pointing towards a cat, and so had said the word "Kuching". However, ethnic Malays in Sarawak have always used the term "pusak" for cats (cognate with Filipino pusa ), instead of the standard Malay word "kucing" (cognate with Filipino kuting which refers to kittens). Despite this etymological discrepancy, Sarawakians have adopted
8190-468: The non-native population in East Malaysia mainly consisting of entirely Chinese. Political parties in Sarawak and Sabah were formed largely based on communal lines and can be categorised roughly into native non-Muslim, native Muslim, and non-native parties. With the support of the Malaysia federal government, native Muslim parties in Sabah and Sarawak were strengthened. In Sabah, the native Muslim party United Sabah National Organisation (USNO) first clinged on
8295-412: The northern and eastern coasts of Sabah were ceded to the Sultanate of Sulu while the west coast of Sabah and most of Sarawak remained part of Brunei. In 1888, Sabah and Sarawak together with Brunei became British protectorates. In 1946, they became separate British colonies. Sabah (formerly British North Borneo ) and Sarawak were separate British colonies from Malaya , and did not become part of
8400-667: The operations of 36 village libraries in the state funded by the National Library of Malaysia . Other public libraries in Kuching include the DBKU City Library and village libraries such as in Bandar Baru Samariang, Kampung Samariang Lama, and Taman Sepakat Jaya. Kuching maintains several museums showcasing its culture and history. The Sarawak State Museum is one of the finest museums in Asia and
8505-496: The other until 1840 when Pengiran Raja Muda Hashim , the Bruneian Prime Minister, offered to hand over the governorship of Sarawak to British adventurer James Brooke to acquire his help to defeat the rebel chiefs. Pengiran Raja Muda Hashim later ceded the territory to James Brooke as a reward for helping him to counter the rebellion. The rebellion was crushed in November 1840, and on 24 September 1841, Brooke
8610-640: The population of Malaysia. A significant part of the population of East Malaysia today reside in towns and cities. The largest city and urban centre is Kuching , which is also the capital of Sarawak and has a population of over 600,000 people. Kota Kinabalu is the second largest, and one of the most important cities in East Malaysia. Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, and Miri are the only three places with city status in East Malaysia. Other important towns include Sandakan and Tawau in Sabah, Sibu and Bintulu in Sarawak, and Victoria in Labuan. The 2020 estimated population
8715-595: The prime minister on 19 May 2014. The report was released on 3 December 2014 after 6 months delay. It stated that Project IC might have existed, which was responsible for a sudden spike in the state population. However, the report did not pinpoint any responsibility except for "corrupt officials" who took advantage of the system. East Malaysia currently has two public universities, namely Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS). Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) also has branch campuses in both states. Labuan's own institution of higher education
8820-652: The second largest airport in Malaysia, with an annual capacity of 12 million passengers – 9 million for Terminal 1 and 3 million for Terminal 2. There are frequent air flights by including Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and AirAsia between East Malaysia and Peninsular Malaysia. Other ports of entry to East Malaysia include Sibu Airport , Bintulu Airport , and Miri Airport in Sarawak, Sandakan Airport and Tawau Airport in Sabah. MAS also operates international flights to major cities in East Malaysia. The rural areas in Borneo can only be accessed by air or river boat. River transport
8925-498: The selling of clothing and spices . Other migrants who came during the British era included Bugis from the Dutch East Indies , and other peoples from neighbouring Dutch Borneo. Being a diverse, "melting-pot" city, interracial marriages (among those of different ethnic backgrounds) are common in Kuching, and the city itself is home to over 30 distinct ethnic groups. Besides being the capital city of Sarawak, Kuching
9030-409: The shipyards in peninsular Malaysia, where the big projects are dependent on government funding. The state of Sabah has been subjected to attacks by Moro pirates and militants since the 1960s and intensification in 1985, 2000, 2013. The Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZONE) and Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM) were established on 25 March 2013 to tighten security in the region. Since 2014,
9135-664: The state's Public Works Department . Roads overseen by the latter department are generally state roads or federal roads . Most major internal roads are dual-carriageways . Kuching is linked by roads to other towns within Sarawak, mainly by federal roads. The city is also famous for a number of roundabouts , including the oldest and largest one, the Datuk Abang Kipali Bin Abang Akip Roundabout. The roundabouts are typically landscaped and are efficient for handling traffic congestion . However, traffic lights are more commonly used now as
9240-507: The states were new and had little experience in organised, competitive politics. Therefore, there had been the appearance and rapid disappearance of political parties in Sarawak and Sabah within a short period of time, with some parties took opportunistic moves to form alliances without a definite loyalty to a certain political alignment. The ethnic composition of East Malaysia is also different from West Malaysia. The indigenous people in both Sarawak and Sabah do not form an absolute majority, while
9345-404: The status of Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners to Malaya, with 199 members of Parliament backing the amendment bill without opposition. Apart from restoring Article 1(2) to its pre-1976 wording, the bill defines Malaysia Day for the first time and redefines the federation with the inclusion of Malaysia Agreement (MA63). Previously, only Merdeka Day (independence day of the Federation of Malaya)
9450-506: The territory in the area was ceded to James Brooke for helping the Bruneian Empire in crushing a rebellion particularly by the interior Borneo-dwelling Land Dayak people who later became his loyal followers after most of them were pardoned by him and joined his side. The town continued to receive attention and development during the rule of Charles Brooke such as the construction of a sanitation system, hospital, prison, fort, and
9555-520: The total land area of Malaysia and 26.4% of the total area of Borneo , which is 50% bigger than Peninsular Malaysia at 132,490 square kilometres (51,150 sq mi), comparable with South Dakota or Great Britain . East Malaysia contains the five highest mountains in Malaysia , the highest being Mount Kinabalu at 4095 m, which is also the highest mountain in Borneo and the 10th highest mountain peak in Southeast Asia. It also contains
9660-572: The two longest rivers in Malaysia ;– Rajang River and Kinabatangan River . Banggi Island in Sabah and Bruit Island in Sarawak are the two largest islands that are located entirely within Malaysia. The largest island is Borneo, which is shared with Indonesia and Brunei . The second largest island is Sebatik Island , in Sabah, which is shared with Indonesia. Sarawak contains
9765-1134: The well-established and prestigious boarding schools in the city is Sekolah Menengah Sains Kuching, which is located at Batu Kawa and Sekolah Menengah Sains Kuching Utara, which is located at Matang Jaya. Other government secondary schools including some of the oldest and well known are SMK St. Joseph, SMK St. Thomas, SMK St. Teresa and SMK St. Mary as well as others like SMK Green Road, Kolej Datu Patinggi Abang Haji Abdillah, SMK Tun Abang Haji Openg, SMK Batu Lintang , and SMK Padungan . Kuching has 4 out of 14 Chinese independent schools in Sarawak. These are Chung Hua Middle School No. 1 (古晋中华第一中学), Chung Hua Middle School No. 3 (古晋中华第三中学), Chung Hua Middle School No. 4 (古晋中华第四中学) and Batu Kawa Min Lit secondary school (石角民立中学). There are also three international schools in Kuching, namely Tunku Putra International School , Lodge International School and Borneo International School. Other private schools in Kuching are Sunny Hill School and St. Joseph's Private Schools. There are currently no public university campuses in Kuching, apart from
9870-442: The year if it is not affected by the heavy rain and strong winds during the early hours of the morning which can bring the temperature down to 19 °C (66 °F), but this is very rare. The term "Kuchingite" has been used to describe the people of Kuching, although it is not official. However, the simplest way to call the people of Kuching is only by "orang Kuching", which means "people of Kuching" in English. In early 2022,
9975-782: Was administered by Kuching North City Hall (DBKU) and Kuching South City Council (MBKS). The city is defined within the borders of what is the Kuching District . With an area of 1,868.83 km (721.56 sq mi), it is the most populous district in Sarawak. The area then subdivided into two sub-districts, namely Kuching Proper and Padawan. Kuching Proper included the city area and northern part of Padawan municipality (e.g. Batu Kawah , Matang Jaya ), while Padawan sub-district (southern part of Padawan municipality) included Kota Padawan, Teng Bukap and Borneo Highlands (Mambong). The combined area of Kuching North City Hall, Kuching South City Council, Padawan Municipal Council, and
10080-590: Was appointed as the Governor of Sarawak with the title of Rajah . It was not announced until 18 August 1842, following Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II 's ratifying the governorship, and requiring Brooke to pay an annual sum of $ 2,500 to the Sultan. Since that time, Kuching became the seat of the Brooke government. The administration was later continued by his nephew, Charles Brooke . As an administrative capital, it became
10185-490: Was built. The narrow road is dark at night without any street lights and there are many danger spots, sharp bends, blind spots, potholes, and erosion. However, federal government funds have been allocated for the upgrade of the highway, which will be carried out in stages until completion in 2025. The major airports in East Malaysia are Kuching International Airport , Labuan Airport and Kota Kinabalu International Airport . Kota Kinabalu International Airport has also become
10290-674: Was chosen as a permanent host for the biennial ASEAN International Film Festival and Awards (AIFFA). These events are normally held at the Borneo Convention Centre . Kuching Port Authority (KPA), established in 1961, started its operations at Tanah Puteh Port (Sim Kheng Hong Port) in 1975 with an annual capacity of 350,000 tonnes. Its operations have since been shifted to Pending and Senari terminals, with an annual capacity of 2.9 million tonnes and 7 million tonnes, respectively. KPA also controls Biawak Oil Jetty, which handles petroleum products. Historically,
10395-508: Was declared as "City of Unity" by One Malaysia Foundation for racial harmony that existed in the city because of cross-racial marriages, multi-racial schools, fair scholarship distributions, and balanced workforce patterns. As a capital of Sarawak, Kuching plays an important role in the political and economic welfare of the population of the entire state as it is the seat of the state government where almost all of their ministries and agencies are based. The Sarawak State Legislative Assembly
10500-419: Was defined, and the federation was defined merely by the Malaya Agreement 1957. The Constitution (Amendment) Act 2022 received royal assent on 19 January 2022 and came into force on 11 February 2022. The landscape of East Malaysia is mostly lowland rain forests with areas of mountain rain forest towards the hinterland. The total area of East Malaysia is 198,447 km , representing approximately 60% of
10605-458: Was in high demand in the market of nearby Singapore. A Dutch report mentioned that there lived about a hundred Malays and three houses of Chinese in the area shortly before the founding of Kuching. The arrival of Mahkota was not popular with the local Malay chiefs, whose autonomy was restricted by Mahkota's increasing tax and labour demands. The chiefs moved upriver, allied with Dayaks, and rebelled against Brunei. Neither side could gain an edge over
10710-530: Was known as "Great Cholera Epidemic". A well situated in the present day China Street in Main Bazaar helped to combat the disease by providing clean water supply. Due to increased demand for a water supply, the role of the well was later replaced by water treatment plant on the Bau Road. Sarawak was part of the Bruneian Empire since the reign of the first Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Muhammad Shah . Kuching
10815-470: Was revitalised as the capital of Sarawak under the British colonial government . When Sarawak, together with North Borneo, Singapore and the Federation of Malaya , formed the Federation of Malaysia in 1963, Kuching kept its status as the state capital and was granted a city status on 1 August 1988. Kuching experienced further development throughout the years as the state capital. On 29 July 2015, Kuching
10920-708: Was scheduled to open its operation to the public in 2020, with a 70-bed capacity. In the city, all schools under the National Education System (government education institution category), are managed by the Kuching Combined Education Office ( Pejabat Pelajaran Gabungan Kuching ). There are many government or state schools in and around the city. Like other Malaysian schools, schools in the city are divided into four levels of education — pre-school, primary, secondary (lower and upper) and post-secondary (excluding tertiary). Among
11025-432: Was the third capital of Sarawak, founded in 1827 by the representative of the Sultan of Brunei, Pengiran Indera Mahkota . Prior to the founding of Kuching, the two past capitals of Sarawak were Santubong, founded by Sultan Pengiran Tengah in 1599, and Lidah Tanah, founded by Datu Patinggi Ali in the early 1820s. The founding of Kuching was spurred by the discovery of antimony ore at the upper Sarawak river in 1924, which
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