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Encyclopedia > Kuching
Kuching
North City Hall Emblem
South City Hall Emblem
Nickname: Cat City
Kuching (Malaysia)
Kuching
Coordinates: 1°33′00″N 110°25′00″E / 1.55, 110.416667
Country
State
Malaysia
Sarawak
Establishment Uncertain
Granted city status in 1988
Government
 - Mayors North: Abang Mohd Atei Abang Medaan[1]
South: Chong Ted Tsiung [Deceased [2]]
Area
 - City 1,863 km²  (719 sq mi)
Population (2006)
 - City 495,996
 - Density 322/km² (834/sq mi)
Time zone MST (UTC+8)
 - Summer (DST) Not observed (UTC)
Flower: Allamanda
Website:North: http://www.dbku.gov.my/
South: http://www.mbks.gov.my/
Padawan: http://www.mpp.gov.my/

Kuching is the capital of the East Malaysian State of Sarawak. Kuching is the most populous city in the state of Sarawak and the fourth largest city in Malaysia[3].[4] Kuching was elevated to city status on 1 August 1988. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This article or section seems to contain too many examples (or of a poor quality) for an encyclopedia entry. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 273 pixelsFull resolution (3000 × 1025 pixel, file size: 117 KB, MIME type: image/png) Modified from Image:Malaysia states blank. ... Image File history File links Red_pog. ... This is an alphabetical list of the sovereign states of the world, including both de jure and de facto independent states. ... Malaysia is a federation of 13 states. ... State motto: Bersatu, Berusaha, Berbakti State anthem: Ibu Pertiwiku Capital Kuching Ruling party Barisan Nasional  - Yang di-Pertua Negeri Abang Muhammad Salahuddin  - Ketua Menteri Abdul Taib Mahmud History    - Brunei Sultanate 19th century   - Brooke dynasty 1841   - Japanese occupation 1941-1945   - British control 1946   - Accession into Malaysia 1963  Area  - Total 124,450... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning larger, greater) is the modern title of the highest ranking municipal officer. ... Area is a physical quantity expressing the size of a part of a surface. ... To help compare different orders of magnitude and geographical regions, we list here areas between 100 km² and 1000 km². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... Population density by country, 2006 Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. ... Timezone and TimeZone redirect here. ... // Malaysian Standard Time Malaysian Standard Time (MST) is a standard time used in Malaysia after Japan formally surrendered in Singapore after their occupation in British Malaya. ... -12 | -11 | -10 | -9:30 | -9 | -8 | -7 | -6 | -5 | -4 | -3:30 | -3 | -2:30 | -2 | -1 | -0:25 | UTC (0) | +0:20 | +0:30 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +3:30 | +4 | +4:30 | +4:51 | +5 | +5:30 | +5:40 | +5:45 | +6 | +6:30 | +7 | +7:20 | +7... Though DST is common in Europe and North America, most of the worlds people do not use it. ... ... |- style=text-align:center; background:lightgreen; !Species |- | style=padding: 0 . ... East Malaysia comprises Sabah and Sarawak East Malaysia consists of the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, located on the island of Borneo to the east, across the South China Sea from Peninsular Malaysia which is located on the Malay Peninsula. ... State motto: Bersatu, Berusaha, Berbakti State anthem: Ibu Pertiwiku Capital Kuching Ruling party Barisan Nasional  - Yang di-Pertua Negeri Abang Muhammad Salahuddin  - Ketua Menteri Abdul Taib Mahmud History    - Brunei Sultanate 19th century   - Brooke dynasty 1841   - Japanese occupation 1941-1945   - British control 1946   - Accession into Malaysia 1963  Area  - Total 124,450... is the 213th day of the year (214th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ...

Contents

Administration

The city of Kuching is located in the district of Kuching. The district covers an area of 1,863 square kilometres, and is one of three districts within Kuching Division. The district of Kuching is administered by three local governments. The administration of Kuching city is divided into two local governments and governed by two mayors. The northern section of Kuching is run by Dewan Bandaraya Kuching Utara (Kuching North City Hall) covering an area of 369.48 square kilometres. The southern section is administrated by Majlis Bandaraya Kuching Selatan (Kuching South City Council) covering a smaller but a more densely populated area of 61.53 square kilometres. There are those who believe that the divisions in power for the Northern (primarily Malay and Bumi residents) and Southern (primarily Chinese residents) districts came about due to ethnic reasons in the 1980s. There are also those who believe the administration is divided due to geographical reasons, as the Northern and Southern districts are linked by only two bridges spanning the Sarawak River. The third local government is Majlis Perbandaran Padawan or Padawan Municipal Council (formerly known as Kuching Rural District Council) which mainly administers the rural areas within Kuching district. It covers a large portion of Kuching district with an area of 1,431.82 square kilometres. Districts are known as Daerah or Jajahan (in Kelantan). ... Kuching Division is one of the eleven administrative divisions in Sarawak, east Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. ... Local governments are administrative offices that are smaller than a state or province. ... Sign in a rural area in Dalarna, Sweden Qichun, a rural town in Hubei province, China An artists rendering of an aerial view of the Maryland countryside: Jane Frank (Jane Schenthal Frank, 1918-1986), Aerial Series: Ploughed Fields, Maryland, 1974, acrylic and mixed materials on apertured double canvas, 52...


List of city area in Kuching

Kuching North City Hall area

Kuching North City Hall Family Cat Statues
Kuching North City Hall Family Cat Statues

Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 189 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Mike I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 189 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Mike I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... The term Bako may refer to: Brigitte Bako, actress Paul Bako, baseball player Bako National Park Bako language Bako, Ethiopia Bakó, the Hungarian name for Bacău Bakersfield, California. ... Kuching City Centre is the main city area in both Kuching north and south in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. ... Petra Jaya is a main new city planned in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. ... Kuching City Centre is the main city area in both Kuching north and south in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. ... Mount Santubong (Malay: Gunung Santubong) is a mountain in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. ...

Kuching South City Council area

Kuching South City Council Cat Statue
Kuching South City Council Cat Statue

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Kuching City Centre is the main city area in both Kuching north and south in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. ... Padungan is a main city area in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. ...

History

Sir James Brooke
Sir James Brooke

Sarawak was a part of the Sultanate of Brunei 200 years ago but as a reward for its help in putting down a rebellion, it was ceded to a British adventurer called James Brooke who ruled it as his personal kingdom. Kuching was made his capital and headquarters. The Brooke family ruled Sarawak until the Japanese occupation in December 1941. Kuching surrendered to the Japanese forces on 24 December 1941, and Sarawak was part of the Japanese Imperial Empire for three years and eight months, until the official Japanese surrender on 11 September 1945 on board HMAS Kapunda at Kuching. From March 1942 the Japanese operated a POW and civilian internee camp at Batu Lintang, three miles (5 km) outside Kuching.[5] After the end of World War II the third and last Rajah, Sir Charles Vyner Brooke ceded Sarawak to the British Crown in 1946. Sarawak and the British Commonwealth fought an "Undeclared War" with Indonesia to keep Sarawak from being absorbed into Sukarno's Indonesia. The British gave Sarawak independence in 1963 and together with North Borneo, Sabah and Singapore, helped form Malaysia. Singapore became independent soon after. Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Sir James Brooke Sir James Brooke (the most legendary person ever!!)(29 April 1803 – 11 June 1868) was born in Coombe Grove, near Bath, educated at Norwich School, England and became the first White Rajah of Sarawak. ... HMAS Kapunda (J-218/M-218), named for the town of Kapunda in South Australia, was a Bathurst class corvette laid down by Poole and Steele at Balmain in New South Wales on 27 August 1941, launched on 23 June 1942 by Mrs. ... Batu Lintang camp at Kuching, Sarawak on the island of Borneo was a Japanese internment camp during the Second World War. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... A Raja (sometimes spelled Rajah) is a king, or princely ruler. ... Sir Charles Vyner deWindt Brooke (September 30, 1874–May 9, 1963) was the third and final white Rajah of Sarawak. ... The Commonwealth of Nations as of 2006 Headquarters Marlborough House, London, UK Official languages English Membership 53 sovereign states Leaders  -  Queen Elizabeth II  -  Secretary-General Don McKinnon (since 1 April 2000) Establishment  -  Balfour Declaration 18 November 1926   -  Statute of Westminster 11 December 1931   -  London Declaration 28 April 1949  Area  -  Total... Sukarno (June 6, 1901 – June 21, 1970) was the first President of Indonesia. ... For other uses, see Sabah (disambiguation). ...


Origin of name

The origins of its name have never been clear. "Kuching" does translate into "cat" in Malay [6], "kuching" is an old Malay spelling, whereas the new official Malay spelling today would be "kucing" but both of them are pronounced the same, in specific reference to the domesticated cat but it may actually be a variation of the Indian name for "port" - "Cochin". Kuching was first settled by Indian traders who set up base at Santubong. Artifacts of Hindu origin can today be seen at the State Museum. There are also strange artifacts found at Santubong which illustrate the area being visited by large, bipedal cats, possibly aliens of feline origin. This is the most likely origin for the name. Binomial name Felis catus Linnaeus, 1758 Synonyms Felis lybica invalid junior synonym The cat (or domestic cat, house cat) is a small carnivorous mammal. ... Look up Malay in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Mount Santubong (Malay: Gunung Santubong) is a mountain in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. ... This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ... Mount Santubong (Malay: Gunung Santubong) is a mountain in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. ...


The city has never been remembered for having a significantly larger population of cats when compared to others. In fact, the many cat statues, the Kuching Cat Museum and other association with cats have been part of a modern effort of tourism; many travel brochures refer to Kuching as "Cat City" or the "City of Cats". Otherwise, they hold no real meaning for the residents and are not considered by locals as romantic. Kuching Cat Museum is a cat museum in Kuching city of Malaysia. ...


There are other theories which attribute the name to a fruit called "mata kucing" or "cat's eye"; it would seem that trees bearing this fruit used to grow in abundance by the river banks - where the city proper lies today. There is a hill in the heart of the old city called Bukit Mata Kuching which could have been as responsible.


Geography

Kuching is situated at the banks of the Sarawak River on the North-Western part of the island of Borneo. The longitude and latitude of Kuching is 01°33' N, 110°25' E. Sarawak River or Sungai Sarawak is the river in Sarawak state of Malaysia. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Kalimantan. ... Longitude is the east-west geographic coordinate measurement most commonly utilized in cartography and global navigation. ... Latitude,usually denoted symbolically by the Greek letter phi, , gives the location of a place on Earth north or south of the equator. ...


The climate in Kuching is tropical, moderately hot and receives substantial rainfall. The average annual rainfall is approximately 4,000 mm or 160 inches[7]. Kuching is the wettest city in Malaysia. The wettest times are during the North-East Monsoon months of November to February. The temperature of Kuching ranges from 20 °C to 36 °C but the average temperature is around 23 °C in the early hours of the morning and rises to around 32 °C in the mid afternoon. This temperature stays almost constant throughout the year if it is not affected by the heavy rain and strong winds during the early hours of the morning which would rarely bring the temperature down to 20 °C. The temperature would also rise to 38 °C under rare cases due to the haze caused by open burning from Indonesia during the dry season. The haze occurs annually around mid year in Kuching. The tropics are the geographic region of the Earth centered on the equator and limited in latitude by the two tropics: the Tropic of Cancer in the north and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere. ... Bold text[[ // [[Image:Media:Example. ...

Weather averages for Kuching
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C 34 34 35 36 35 36 36 35 35 34 34 33 36
Average high °C 29.6 30.0 31.0 32.1 32.7 32.6 32.3 31.7 31.5 31.9 31.4 30.5 31.44
Average low °C 22.7 22.9 23.0 23.2 23.4 23.0 22.8 22.7 22.3 22.8 22.7 22.8 22.86
Record low °C 20 19 20 21 20 20 19 19 19 20 21 20 19
Precipitation mm 692 537 362 265 238 202 185 211 274 343 367 479 4,155
Record high °F 93 93 95 97 95 97 97 95 95 93 93 91 97
Average high °F 85 86 88 90 91 91 90 89 89 89 89 87 89
Average low °F 73 73 73 74 74 73 73 73 72 73 73 73 73
Record low °F 68 66 68 70 68 68 66 66 66 68 70 68 66
Precipitation inch
Source: National Environment Agency, Singapore [8] Jan 2007

Demographics

Kuching is the 4th largest urban area in Malaysia, after Kuala Lumpur-Klang Valley, Ipoh and Johor Bahru. Nickname: Motto: Maju dan makmur (Malay: Progress and Prosper) Location in Malaysia Coordinates: , Country State Establishment 1857 Granted city status 1974 Government  - Mayor (Datuk Bandar) Datuk Abdul Hakim Borhan From 14 December 2006 Area  - City 243. ... Klang Valley is the area in central Selangor, Malaysia comprising Kuala Lumpur and its surroundings and suburbs naturally delineated by hilly areas and the Port Klang coastline. ... Nickname: Coordinates: , Country State Establishment Around 1880 Government  - Mayor Mohamad Rafiai Moktar Area  - City 643 km²  (248. ... Nickname: Motto: Berkhidmat, Berbudaya, Berwawasan (English: Servicing, cultured, visionary) Location in Malaysia Coordinates: Country Malaysia State Johor Establishment 1855 Granted city status 1994 Government  - Mayor Latiff Yusof Area  - City 185 km²  (72. ...


It was also voted as the healthiest and cleanest city in Malaysia, as well as in the World, which recognised and awarded by both United Nations (UN) and World Health Organisation (WHO) [9] and by the Alliance for Healthy Cities (AFHC) in Suzhou, China.[10] The foundation of the U.N. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ... This article is about the United Nations, for other uses of UN see UN (disambiguation) Official languages English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic Secretary-General Kofi Annan (since 1997) Established October 24, 1945 Member states 191 Headquarters New York City, NY, USA Official site http://www. ... For other meanings of the acronym WHO, see WHO (disambiguation) WHO flag Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Health Organization (WHO) is an agency of the United Nations, acting as a coordinating authority on international public health. ... Look up who in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Suzhou (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; ancient name: 吳) is a city on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Lake Taihu in the province of Jiangsu, China. ...


The population of 579,900 (2006 census; Kuching City South - 143,500; Kuching City North - 133,600; Padawan- 3rd Mile/ 7th Mile/ 10th Mile - 302,800) in the city is made up of a mixture of Chinese (220,400), Malays (207,000), Ibans (58,100) and some Indians and other ethnic groups. The Dayaks can be further categorized into Ibans, Bidayuhs, Melanaus and many others. The Chinese are made up of Fujianese (Hokkien) in the city areas and Hakka in the suburbs mainly. Other Chinese consist of Foochow (Fuzhou), Teochew, Hainanese, Cantonese, Henghua and others. Interracial marriages among ethnics in Kuching are also very popular. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Ibans are a branch of the Dayak peoples of Borneo. ...   (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Fu-chien; Postal map spelling: Fukien, Foukien; local transliteration Hokkien from Min Nan Hok-kiàn) is one of the provinces on the southeast coast of the Peoples Republic of China. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...   (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Fu-chou; BUC: Hók-ciÅ­; EFEO: Fou-Tcheou; also seen as Foochow or Fuchow) is the capital and the largest prefecture-level city of Fujian (福建) province, Peoples Republic of China. ... The Teochew are a subgroup of the Han Chinese people who primarily live in coastal eastern Guangdong in China, and represent one of the three major ethnic groups in the province. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Guangdong, often spelt as Kwangtung, is a province on the south coast of the Peoples Republic of China. ... The Henghua people are from Fujian Province, China. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Miscegenation. ...


The main religions of the peoples of Kuching are Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism and Islam. Malays practice Islam and all Malays are Muslim by definition. Chinese practice either Buddhism, Taoism or Christianity. Most aborigines are Christian except the Melanaus who are mainly Muslim. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... A silhouette of a Buddha statue at Ayutthaya, Thailand. ... Taoism (Daoism) is the English name referring to a variety of related Chinese philosophical and religious traditions and concepts. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ...


The majority of people in Kuching are capable of communicating in Bahasa Melayu (Malay Language) as well as English. English is widely spoken in Kuching despite the fact that it is not the first language for many people. The dialect of the Malay language spoken in Kuching is known as Bahasa Melayu Sarawak (Sarawakian Malay Language), which has lexical differences with the dialect spoken in Peninsular Malaysia. The Malay language, also known locally as Bahasa Melayu, is an Austronesian language spoken by the Malay people who are native to the Malay peninsula, southern Thailand, Singapore and parts of Sumatra. ... The Malay language (; Jawi script: ‎), is an Austronesian language spoken by the Malay people who reside in the Malay Peninsula, southern Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, central eastern Sumatra, the Riau islands, parts of the coast of Borneo, Cocos and Christmas Islands in Australia, and even in the Netherlands[1]. It... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...


On top of Malay and English, Kuchingites can usually speak his or her own ethnic dialect/language. An Iban can speak Iban, a Bidayuh speak Bidayuh and the Chinese usually several Chinese dialects, the most common are being Hokkien and Mandarin in Kuching. More recently however, Mandarin has supposedly become more widely spoken than Hokkien since it is well known by all other Chinese and is the language of instruction in Chinese vernacular schools. For the Bidayuhs, the dialect of Bidayuh spoken in one kampung/village may vary greatly with another kampung/village. It is also common to find people who can speak more than just Malay, English and their native tongue, not only due to the wide practice of mixed marriages but because of the close rapport amongst the people of Kuching. Mǐn N n (Chinese: 閩南語), also spelt as Minnan or Min-nan; native name B ; literally means Southern Min or Southern Fujian and refers to the local language/dialect of southern Fujian province, China. ... This article is on all of the Northern and Southwestern Chinese dialects. ... Mǐn N n (Chinese: 閩南語), also spelt as Minnan or Min-nan; native name B ; literally means Southern Min or Southern Fujian and refers to the local language/dialect of southern Fujian province, China. ...


A small minority however, speak English as their first language.


Filming Location

Kuching offers some of the world's greatest natural flora and fauna. With this, several international film makers have made their ways to Kuching and chosen Kuching as their filming location.


One of the more famous Hollywood movies, The Sleeping Dictionary financed by Fine Line Features has shot up the film here in 2000. Up to date "The Sleeping Dictionary" is probably the most well-known Hollywood production which was filmed in Kuching, Sarawak. ... The Sleeping Dictionary is a 2003 film by Guy Jenkin. ... State motto: Bersatu, Berusaha, Berbakti State anthem: Ibu Pertiwiku Capital Kuching Ruling party Barisan Nasional  - Yang di-Pertua Negeri Abang Muhammad Salahuddin  - Ketua Menteri Abdul Taib Mahmud History    - Brunei Sultanate 19th century   - Brooke dynasty 1841   - Japanese occupation 1941-1945   - British control 1946   - Accession into Malaysia 1963  Area  - Total 124,450...


Other famous Hollywood movies shot in (and around) Kuching included:

Year Title Distributer Director Actor
1987 Farewell to the King Orion Pictures John Milius Nick Nolte
Nigel Havers
Frank Mcrae
Marilyn Tokuda

Year: 2002 // May 9 - Actor Tom Cruise marries actress Mimi Rogers. ... Farewell to the King is a 1989 film directed by John Milius. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... John Milius (born April 11, 1944 in St. ... Nicholas King Nolte (born February 8, 1941) is a Oscar-nominated American actor, model, and producer. ... Image:Nigel Havers. ... Welcome Home is the second studio album by the American band Til Tuesday, released in 1986. ... Kristoffer Kris Kristofferson (born June 22, 1936) is an influential American country music songwriter, singer and actor. ... Kristian Levring was born in 1957 in Denmark. ... JJ Feild (often misspelled JJ Field) is an actor. ... Brenda Fricker (born February 17, 1945 in Dublin, Ireland) is an Academy Award-winning Irish actress. ... Olympia Dukakis (born June 20, 1931 in Lowell, Massachusetts) is an Academy Award-winning American actress. ...

The common link in the locations of these international productions is a Malaysian company named "Southeast Asia Film Locations Services" headed by a local Malaysian Chinese based in Kuching, Edgar Ong; whose partner, Chandran Rutnam (whose bases are in Sri Lanka, Berlin & Los Angeles) have jointly been instrumental in attracting these major studios and film producers to use Sarawak in Borneo as the backdrop. The Sleeping Dictionary is a 2003 film by Guy Jenkin. ... Jessica Marie Alba (born April 28, 1981) is an American actress. ... Robert William Bob Hoskins Jr. ... Brenda Blethyn OBE (born 20 February 1946) is an English Golden Globe winning and Academy Award-nominated film, stage, television and voice actress, and writer. ... Hugh Dancy (born 19 June 1975) is a British actor. ... This article is about the capital of Germany. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... State motto: Bersatu, Berusaha, Berbakti State anthem: Ibu Pertiwiku Capital Kuching Ruling party Barisan Nasional  - Yang di-Pertua Negeri Abang Muhammad Salahuddin  - Ketua Menteri Abdul Taib Mahmud History    - Brunei Sultanate 19th century   - Brooke dynasty 1841   - Japanese occupation 1941-1945   - British control 1946   - Accession into Malaysia 1963  Area  - Total 124,450... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Kalimantan. ...


Rutnam is an Oscar winner for his film "Indochine" (starring Catherine Deneuve) which won the Foreign Film Oscar in 1991. In 2007,another co-production "Water" (Dir: Deepa Mehta) was nominated for a Foreign Film Oscar. Indochine (Indochina) is a 1992 film in French and Vietnamese which tells the story of a young Indochinese woman named Camille. ... Catherine Deneuve (born Catherine Fabienne Dorléac) (French IPA: ), (October 22, 1943, in Paris, France), is an award winning French actress. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ... Impact from a water drop causes an upward rebound jet surrounded by circular capillary waves. ... Deepa Mehta ( दीपा मेहता ),(born 1950 in Amritsar Punjab, India) is a controversial Indian-Canadian film director and screenwriter who is based in Toronto and Delhi. ...


Besides Hollywood, Kuching is also a target film location for Hong Kong while Japan used to shoot a Japanese Series briefly in Kuching. Currently, Indian's Bollywood are also making their ways to Kuching to shoot up an adventure Bollywood movie. [11] This has indirectly attracted more Indian tourists to visit Sarawak because of the film. [12] ... Bollywood (Hindi: , Urdu: ) is the informal name given to the popular Mumbai-based Hindi-language film industry in India. ... State motto: Bersatu, Berusaha, Berbakti State anthem: Ibu Pertiwiku Capital Kuching Ruling party Barisan Nasional  - Yang di-Pertua Negeri Abang Muhammad Salahuddin  - Ketua Menteri Abdul Taib Mahmud History    - Brunei Sultanate 19th century   - Brooke dynasty 1841   - Japanese occupation 1941-1945   - British control 1946   - Accession into Malaysia 1963  Area  - Total 124,450...


Future & On going developments

  • Boulevard Shopping Complex - A new regional mall located along Jalan Datuk Tawi Sli in the 4th Mile area, the major tenant are Boulevard Department Store & Hypermarket, with some 720,000 sq ft (67,000 m²) of net lettable area, which will be the largest one-stop lifestyle mall in the state. It expected to be completed by 10 October 2007, phase I of the mall will be open on December 2007, while phase II of the mall will be ready in November 2008. [13]
  • Dewan Undangan Negeri - A new Sarawak State legislative assembly complex. [14]
  • Federal Administrative Center - A new Federal Administrative Center will be establish in Matang area, costing RM2 billion to build, it expected to be completed by 2025.
  • Grand Centro - The biggest shopping complex cum hotel apartment project in King's Centre, Kuching, with some 1,200,000 square feet (110,000 m²) of gross building area. [15]
  • Green Heights Mall - Kuching's first suburban neighbourhood small mall, with an international cold storage market, with some 4,000 m² of leasable space, will be open on early 2008. [16]
  • Imperial Hotel Apartment - The building is consists together with Boulevard Shopping Complex, the hotel apartment will offering up to 700 units of rooms. It expected to be completed by June 2009, will be open on December 2009.
  • Isthmus Hypermarket Mall - The mall is part of the Kuching City Extension plan, will house a hypermarket & retail shoplots all under one roof, and when completed it expected to be the largest shopping mall in the region.
  • Kuching Tower - A 315 rooms 5-star hotel cum office complex, standing 39-storey or 150 metres tall, will be Borneo tallest building. [17]
  • Matang Highway - This RM314.6 million project covers the construction of a 2-lane, dual-carriageway road, a gateway bridge over the Selang Rambungan River and a minor bridge over the Matang Sebubut River. Construction of this highway commenced in July 2002 and is targeted for completion in May 2007. Upon completion, the road will enable direct Kuching-Lundu access, thereby relieving congestion on the existing Matang Road.
  • Mudajaya New Township - The project comprises a new satellite township to be built on 265 acres (1.1 km²) of land. The township will be a self-contained township comprising apartments, condominiums, shophouses, shopping complexes, offices, private hospital, public and private schools and college, wet and dry markets, recreational park, town squares, sports and swimming facilities, bus terminal, police station, entertainment centres and hawker centres. The entire project is expected to be completed by 2015 and is expected to generate a total Gross Development Value of more than RM1 billion. [18]
  • Novotel Interhill Kuching - An international 388 rooms 4-star hotel cum 3-storey up-market shopping centre, with about 140,000 sq ft (13,000 m²) of retail space, It will be a 23-storey building with 2 underground basements. [19]
  • One TJ - Sarawak first ICT shopping mall will be develop in the Heights Drive commercial centre, with some 67,500 sq ft (6,270 m²) of leasable area, it expected to be completed by mid-2008.
  • Plaza Merdeka - A brand new CBD shopping mall with 350,000 sq ft (33,000 m²) of nett leasable area (built up - 550,000 sq ft (51,000 m²)) plus a 290 room Boutique hotel complex (built up - 175,000 sq ft (16,300 m²)) located in the historic heart of Kuching, it expected to be ready in mid-2010.[20][21][22]
  • Samariang Mall - A new 3-storey shopping mall located in Bandar Baru Samariang new township.
  • Sarawak Convention and Exhibition Centre [23]
  • Sarawak International Medical Centre
  • The Spring - The largest lifestyle shopping mall in the state, situated in Kenyalang, will be open on early 2008, covering some 420,000 sq ft (39,000 m²) of net lettable area (built up - 1.2mln sq ft), the anchor tenant is Parkson Grand Department Store. [24]
  • University Malaysia Sarawak - UNIMAS will have its new campus in Samarahan Division or near the old campus of UNIMAS, it spread out to 2,000 acres (8 km²) of area, the project costing RM1.5 billion, it expected to be completed by 2015.

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Kalimantan. ... Information technology (IT) or information and communication technology (ICT) is the technology required for information processing. ... The Sarawak Convention and Exhibition Centre is located in Kuching, Sarawak, East Malaysia. ...

Education

Kuching is home to the international campus of Swinburne University of Technology, a branch of a major university from Melbourne, Australia. The campus, known as Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, now currently in expansion, is not the only university in Kuching city. Branch campuses of UNITAR and UNIMAS's Medical College are located in Kuching. (Technically, the campuses of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) and UiTM are in the Samarahan Division). The Polytechnic of Kuching is located at the further end of Matang Road in the Serapi Mountain which provides further education at the diploma and certificate levels. Swinburne University of Technology is a university based in a number of campuses in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. ... This article is about the Australian city; the name may also refer to City of Melbourne or Melbourne city centre. ... Swinburne University of Technology (Sarawak Campus) is an international branch campus of Swinburne University of Technology (Melbourne, Australia) located in Sarawak, Malaysia // Swinburne Sarawak was established in August 2000, operating in partnership with the Sarawak Foundation and the Sarawak Higher Education Foundation. ... Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) was officially incorporated on 24 December 1992. ... Samarahan Division is one of the eleven administrative divisions in Sarawak, east Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. ...

Swinburne Sarawak Campus
Swinburne Sarawak Campus

Private education in the city comes in the form of various private colleges as well as training institutes. Notable examples include King Business Institute, IBMS, Inti College, SeGI College, Taylor College, Chermai College, PTPTL College as well as Stamford College to name a few. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1280 × 960 pixel, file size: 73 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Mike I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1280 × 960 pixel, file size: 73 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Mike I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ...


For primary and secondary education, like other towns in Malaysia, Kuching has it equal shares of the 'sekolah kebangsaan'(National type schools), Chinese schools, mission schools, several international school and minus the Indian School. The mission schools were founded by foreign Christian missionaries during the Colonial occupation. Most Chinese schools were built and continuously sponsored by the rich Chinese businessmen. The older sekolah kebangsaan were formerly Malay schools which were converted by the Ministry of Education into day school. All schools are now under the charge of the Ministry of Education.



The two International Schools are Lodge School[1] and Tunku Putra. These were built to cater to the children of expatriates and parents who wish to have an English-based education for their children.


Transportation

Roads within the town are of a reasonable standard, though traffic congestion often leads to long tailbacks during rush hour, and especially on Saturday mornings. Due to that Kuching is located near the equator, expect potholes to develop on the roads during the monsoon season (usually around the end of the year, coinciding with winter in the northern hemisphere). Roads leading outside of Kuching to the interior are of a slightly more dubious quality but are being upgraded from time to time, although the main resort roads (e.g. leading to Damai) are also reasonable.


Transport by taxi is reasonable but it is usually difficult to flag down one on the street since there are only popular amongst tourists. One can get a taxi from the taxi stand near the corner of the Electra House/end of India Street, in front of hotels or by contacting them through the telephone. Intrepid back-packers can try the public transport by antiquated, smoky, non-airconditioned buses or the 'van sapu' (mini-van converted into mini-buses) which offer cheaper mean of getting to places. Air transport is served by nearby Kuching International Airport, currently the subject of several expansion projects. Those trying to get a birdeye view of the City, has the option to hire a helicopter or small planes from the Hornbill Skyway. Kuching International Airport (IATA: KCH, ICAO: WBGG) (KIA) is Sarawaks main international airport and is situated 11 km (6NM) south of the city of Kuching. ...


Kuching is served by several major bus companies. Among others, Chin Liang Long Motor Vehicle Co. (traditionally blue) serving Kuching South, Matang Transport Company (yellow and orange) serving Matang-Kubah and Petra Jaya Transport Company (Black, yellow and red strips) serving Kuching North. The Sarawak Transport Company (traditionally green) and Bau Transport Company (Red) have routes from Kuching to other smaller towns. A large portion of the buses in service are antiquated and not air conditioned. The fares are low. Although, the routes are poorly documented, the stops have no names and the buses not well known for being punctual - it is not difficult to get to places because Kuching is a friendly City and most of the people are able to communicate in simple English for directions. For tourists and tourists only, the State Ministry of Tourism has provided bus shuttles to transport tourists around Kuching.


Road signs adhere to the Road Sign Standards issued by the Ministry of Transportation. Kuching is also famous for its many large traffic circles or roundabouts. The roundabouts are efficient at handling medium scale traffic. However, as traffic continues to rise in Kuching several roundabouts have given way to traffic lights and over and underpasses.


Kuching, like most towns in Sarawak, is connected to each other by water transportation. Between the banks of Sarawak River, near the City Centers, many 'tambang' (small boats) can be seen commuting the people. For those staying along the river banks, it is a faster mean of getting to the other side where the commercial centres are located. The Wharf for express boats to further away places is now located near the Sim Keng Hong Port or known to the elderly local as Tanah Putih Port.


List of highways in Kuching city

Kuching-Serian Highway, Federal Route is a major highway in Kuching and Samarahan Division, Sarawak, Malaysia. ...

Tourist attractions

The old Sarawak Museum was built by Rajah Charles Brooke in 1891 and modelled on a town hall in Normandy
The old Sarawak Museum was built by Rajah Charles Brooke in 1891 and modelled on a town hall in Normandy

Within the town, there are several museums such as the well-known Sarawak Museum, Chinese Museum, Cat Museum, etc, which are definitely not to be missed when visiting Kuching. Interesting landmarks and sites are the Astana (the Rajah's former palace), Fort Margherita, Tua Pek Kong temple and Main Bazaar. The Kuching waterfront, which is really a riverside esplanade, is situated right next to the main hotels and commercial heartland of the city, and offers a pleasant walk in the evening. When you are tired of strolling, the old shops on the opposite side of the waterfront will gladly sell you all manner of 'antiques' and tradecraft. Image File history File linksMetadata Old_Sarawak_Museum. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Old_Sarawak_Museum. ... The Sarawak Museum is the oldest museum in Borneo. ... The Sarawak Museum is the oldest museum in Borneo. ... Tua Pek Kong (Chinese : 大伯公, Da Bo Gong) is one of Malaysian Chinese Gods. ...


Some other interesting areas near the centre of town include Padungan Street, which is the main Chinatown area of the city. Shops here appear virtually unchanged from 20 years ago, and offer fascinating insights into life as it was then. Meanwhile, Carpenter Street and India Street still maintain their olde world charm, though the relentless process of globalisation is slowly encroaching. The old Courthouse building forms the link between Carpenter Street and India Street, and is well worth a quick stroll as you re-live the faded colonial splendour (now restored and modernised). The many well-manicured parks dotted around the city are also great to visit.


Cuisine

Kuching Kolo Mee
Kuching Kolo Mee

Kuching has a number of notable local dishes served at hawker stalls: Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x683, 96 KB)Photo taken by Kenny Sia of kennysia. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x683, 96 KB)Photo taken by Kenny Sia of kennysia. ...

  • Kuching 'Kolo mee' or 'koh-loh mein' (egg noodles, flash-boiled and then served with (classically) garlic, shallots, minced pork, white vinegar, pork oil or in some cases peanut oil and sliced barbecue pork also known as "char siew")this is a widely popular dish with the local population.
  • Sarawak Laksa (a spicy coconut prawn paste-based broth served with rice vermicelli, egg, prawn, chicken, deep fried tofu and occasionally clams)
  • Tomato Sauce Mee (crispy noodles served with tomato sauce, vegetables, and meat) or Tomato Sauce Kuay Teow (flat rice noodles) are the most well-known hawker dishes served.
  • Bubor Cha-cha, a concentrated mixed syrup of sago, agar-agar and sweet potatoes.
  • Kueh-Chap, Flat rice noodles served with pig entrails, tofu and egg.

Custom ordered dishes (usually called the "special") are available on request. Most hawker stalls serve a variety of these three dishes, but locals often debate vigorously as to where to find the best variety. Visitors should be aware that portions are half of what is usually commonly found at Chinatowns in the West. A barbecue in a public park in Australia A barbecue on a trailer at a block party in Kansas City Pans on the top shelf hold hamburgers and hot dogs that were grilled earlier when the coals were hot. ... ChaShu or Char Siew is a cuisine made by pork. ... Shahe fen (Chinese: ; pinyin: shā hé fěn), colloquially called he fen (河粉), is a type of wide Chinese noodle made from rice. ...


Kuching has some very good local restaurants, often run by the Chinese residents serving prime local shellfish. Prices are usually very reasonable. While global chain outlets (McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf) are ubiquitous in the prime commercial complexes, a local fast food chain "Sugarbun" also serves a variety of Malaysian food in a more Western (plastic trays, brightly-lit menus, uniformed staff) style. McDonalds Corporation (NYSE: MCD) is the worlds largest chain of fast-food restaurants, primarily selling hamburgers, chicken, french fries, milkshakes and soft drinks. ... KFC (full name Kentucky Fried Chicken) is a division of Yum! Brands, Inc. ... Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is a Los Angeles-based coffee chain founded by Mona and Herbert Hyman, one of the oldest and largest privately-held chain of specialty coffee and tea stores. ...


Arts, Entertainment and Culture

Kuching is also noted for creative local bands which successfully crossed over from the independent scene to the mainstream such as Old Automatic Garbage, The Times and Nice Stupid Playground. There are many more local independent bands that are active in the circuit and Kuching is also known as the 'indie rock capital' of East Malaysia. Local entertainment personality/musician/TV host Jason Lo is also a Kuching native. OAG, also spelt O@G, also known as Old Automatic Garbage or Orang Asia Genius, are a Malaysian pop and alternative rock band. ... The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom since 1788. ... Jason Lo is a Malaysian music artist, music producer, DJ, and media personality. ...


The "Ong" Family name is well-represented in Kuching as local boys made good in the international arena of painting, fashion and film making. The pioneering Ongs have a combined total of 5 roads named after them in the city: namely, 1) (Ong) Ewe Hai Street 2) Ong Tiang Swee Road 3) Ong Kwan Hin Road 4) Ong Hup Leong Road 5) Tan Sri Ong Kee Hui Road


Ramsay Ong was a pioneer and at the vanguard of the "Batik painting" movement in the early 1970s and is world renown with his paintings in art museums all over the world. Today he has his own art gallery called "Artrageously Ramsay Ong" at Main Bazaar Kuching.


Edric Ong, an architect by profession is the world's foremost expert in Iban textile fabric designs. He also designed the famed Sarawak Cultural Village amongst others. He designs fashion and art pieces which have won many UNESCO awards for design and has his own "Edric Ong Gallery" at 12 Ong Kwan Hin Rd.


Edgar Ong is instrumental in bringing many film projects to Sarawak (and Sabah) both as film locations scout, film production manager and producer. He has successfully promoted Sarawak as a unique film location since 1987. The world famous "Rainforest World Music Festival" held here every July since 1988 was the brainchild of Edric & Edgar Ong, together with Canadians Randy Raine-Reusch and Robert Basuik who jointly initiated and founded the Fest in late 1987. Through the auspices of Society Atelier Sarawak it was eventually handed over to the Sarawak Tourism Board to organise and run.


External links

Wikitravel is a project to create an open content, complete, up-to-date, and reliable world-wide travel guide. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

References

  1. ^ North Kuching New Mayor
  2. ^ KCH South Mayor Chong Died
  3. ^ Sarawak Government Official Website.
  4. ^ Malaysia Cities Ranking
  5. ^ Ooi, Keat Gin (1998) Japanese Empire in the Tropics: Selected Documents and Reports of the Japanese Period in Sarawak, Northwest Borneo, 1941-1945 Ohio University Center for International Studies, Monographs in International Studies, SE Asia Series 101 (2 vols)