Kuching | |
---|---|
Division Office location | Kuching |
Local area government(s) | Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Kuching North City Hall (DBKU) Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) Bau District Council (MDB) Lundu District Council (MDL) |
Area | |
• Total | 4,559.5 km2 (1,760.4 sq mi) |
Population (2010) | |
• Total | 705,546 |
• Density | 150/km2 (400/sq mi) |
Resident | Norleha binti Hj. Shariff |
License plate prefix | QK, QA |
Ethnicity | Chinese (33.9%), Malay (33.4%), Bidayuh (17.8%), Others (14.9%) |
Kuching Division is one of the twelve administrative divisions in Sarawak, Malaysia. Formerly part of what was called the "First Division", it is the center and the starting point of modern Sarawak. Kuching Division has a total area of 4,559.5 square kilometres.
Kuching Division consists of three administrative districts; Kuching, Bau and Lundu and two subdistricts; Padawan, and Sematan.
The population of Kuching Division (year 2010 census) was 705,546. This makes Kuching Division the most populated division in Sarawak. Most of the residents in Kuching Division live in Kuching District.
Kuching Division is a melting pot of Sarawak diverse multi-racial society. However, the ethnic composition of Kuching Division is somewhat different compared to the whole Sarawak. Malay and Chinese form majority groups in Kuching, while in the whole Sarawak, Iban and Chinese. Basically, it is traditionally a home to Chinese, Malay and Bidayuh people. Most Chinese are of Hakka and Hokkien descent while some are Foochow and Teochew. They live mostly at urban and suburban areas. Kuching Division has the highest number of Malay people in Sarawak. Most Sarawakian Malays originated from Kuching Division. They are scattered all throughout Kuching Division, with exception of rural areas of Padawan sub-district. Kuching Division is also a home to the largest Bidayuh community. Like Sarawakian Malays, most Sarawakian Bidayuhs are from Kuching Division. They form a majority group in Bau district of Kuching. Other significant minority in Kuching Division are Iban and Melanau. Most of them originated outside Kuching. However, the earliest Iban settlement in Kuching can be found at Kampung Siol Kandis, Petra Jaya, Kuching. Most Melanau people who reside in Kuching have assimilated into Malay society due to professing Islam. Some of them have no longer speak in Bahasa Melanau due to the assimilation. Kuching people also mainly speak Bahasa Sarawak which is similar to the Malaysia's official language of Bahasa Malaysia.
Administrative District | Total Population | Malay | Iban | Bidayuh | Melanau | Other Bumiputera | Chinese | Other Non-Bumiputera | Non-Citizen |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kuching | 617,887 (87.6%) | 220,333 (35.7%) | 67,367 (10.9%) | 76,403 (12.4%) | 3,932 (0.6%) | 8,473 (1.4%) | 225,998 (36.6%) | 5,295 (0.8%) | 10,050 (1.6%) |
Bau | 54,046 (7.7%) | 4,187 (7.6%) | 1,402 (2.6%) | 37,328 (69.0%) | 91 (0.2%) | 380 (0.7%) | 9,443 (17.4%) | 221 (0.4%) | 1,194 (2.1%) |
Lundu | 33,413 (4.7%) | 11,467 (34.3%) | 4,438 (13.3%) | 12,034 (36.0%) | 81 (0.2%) | 228 (0.7%) | 3,650 (10.9%) | 135 (0.4%) | 1,380 (4.1%) |
Total Kuching Division | 705,546 (100.0%) | 235,987 (33.4%) | 73,207 (10.4%) | 125,765 (17.8%) | 4,104 (0.6%) | 9,081 (1.3%) | 239,091 (33.9%) | 5,687 (0.8%) | 12,624 (1.8%) |
Kuching Division is a home to Sarawak capital city, Kuching. It is a centre of business, commercial, mixed industries, service sectors, education hub and tourism centre for Sarawak. Kuching relies heavily on its productive population to run its economy, rather than exploiting its natural resources.
Name of Division Division area | Kuching 4,565.53 km2 | |||||||
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Name of District District area | Kuching 1,868.83 km2 | Bau 884.4 km2 | Lundu 1,812.3 km2 | |||||
Name of Subdistrict Subdistrict area | Kuching Proper 895.09 km2 | Siburan [note 1] 447.55 km2 | Padawan 526.19 km2 | Lundu 1,369.84 km2 | Sematan 442.5 km2 | |||
Seat of District/Subdistrict administration Settlement hierarchy | Kuching City | Siburan Bazaar | Teng Bukap Village | Bau Bazaar | Lundu Bazaar | Sematan Bazaar | ||
Local Government Note: Acronym and part of corporate colours | MBKS | DBKU | MPP | MD Serian | MPP | MDB | MDL | |
Local Government Name (Legal term in English) Title of CEO | Council of the City of Kuching South Mayor | Commission of the City of Kuching North Commissioner | Padawan Municipal Council Chairman | Bau District Council Chairman | Lundu District Council Chairman | |||
Local Government area | 61.53 km2 | 369.48 km2 | 1,431.82 km2 Note: This area is known collectively as the Padawan municipality | 884.4 km2 | 1,812.3 km2 | |||
Seat of Local Government Settlement hierarchy | Kuching City | Kota Padawan Bazaar | Bau Bazaar | Lundu Bazaar |
Parliament | Member of Parliament | Party |
---|---|---|
P192 Mas Gading | YB Tuan Mordi Bimol | PH (DAP) |
P193 Santubong | YB Dato’ Sri Nancy Shukri | GPS (PBB) |
P194 Petra Jaya | YAB Dato' Sri Fadillah Yusof | GPS (PBB) |
P195 Bandar Kuching | YB Tuan Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen | PH (DAP) |
P196 Stampin | YB Tuan Chong Chieng Jen | PH (DAP) |
P198 Puncak Borneo | YB Datuk Willie Mongin | GPS (PBB) |
Kuching Division is a centre of transportation sectors in Sarawak, with exception of river transportation. It has wide range of transportation services such as by air (via Kuching International Airport), land (via its vast road networks) and river.
More article at Kuching Transportation.
Kuching Division has the widest and most extensive road networks in Sarawak. Pan-Borneo Highway is a trunk road linking Kuching to the rest of divisions in Sarawak. Kuching Division is also a home to world-class convention centre, named Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK).
Kuching Division is home to the oldest golf course in Sarawak, which is Sarawak Golf Club. There are also various other golf clubs throughout Kuching Division. Sports amenities can be found at many parts in Kuching with Stadium Sarawak being the largest stadium in Sarawak while Stadium Perpaduan being the largest indoor stadium in Sarawak. Variety of sports and games can be observed being played in Sarawak. Most of them are state-level games and competitions.
Kuching Division offers wide variety of education regardless of level of education. There are countless public schools, including privileged school such as Sekolah Menengah Teknik (two of them), Sekolah Menengah Agama (three of them), Sekolah Menengah Sains and Maktab Rendah Sains MARA. Kuching Division also has two private international schools, namely Lodge School and Tunku Putra International School.
Kuching Division is also a higher education heaven. It has a lot of training institutions from medical schools, teacher training colleges, custom academy and the upcoming immigration academy. There are few private higher institution such as Swinburne University, Sunway College, SEGi College Sarawak, Masterskill College and ICATS . It is also within a reach to Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) and Universiti Teknologi MARA, both in Samarahan.
Kuching Division is also a popular destination for seeking better healthcare. People around Sarawak normally seek better medical treatment in Kuching Division due to its extensive medical facilities. It houses the biggest public hospital in East Malaysia, named Sarawak General Hospital and also one of only two heart surgery institution in Malaysia named Pusat Jantung HUS.
Private hospital does also make presence in Kuching such as Normah Hospital, located at Petra Jaya, Kuching, Timberland Medical Centre (situated in 3rd Mile area, Kuching), Kuching Specialist Centre (at Tabuan Laru, Kuching) and Borneo Medical Center (at Jalan Simpang Tiga, Kuching). Many private clinics open their business in Kuching making Kuching a perfect medical tourism hub.
Public healthcare clinics and policlinic does also exist in Kuching Division. Most healthcare clinics are located at Kuching city outskirts and rural communal areas.
Kuching Division is a state headquarters for police and army in Sarawak. Various police stations and police beats can be found all over Kuching District. Military base of Penrissen houses the largest military base in Sarawak.
Kuching Division is the headquarters for many government agencies. For federal government agencies headquarters, most of them are located at Simpang Tiga (Bangunan Sultan Iskandar), Kuching while state government agencies headquarters are mostly scattered at various buildings in Petra Jaya, Kuching (Wisma Bapa Malaysia).
Sarawak is a state of Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is located in the region of East Malaysia in northwest Borneo, and is bordered by the Malaysian state of Sabah to the northeast, Kalimantan to the south, and Brunei in the north. The capital city, Kuching, is the largest city in Sarawak, the economic centre of the state, and the seat of the Sarawak state government. Other cities and towns in Sarawak include Miri, Sibu, and Bintulu. As of the 2020 Malaysia census, the population of Sarawak was 2.453 million. Sarawak has an equatorial climate with tropical rainforests and abundant animal and plant species. It has several prominent cave systems at Gunung Mulu National Park. Rajang River is the longest river in Malaysia; Bakun Dam, one of the largest dams in Southeast Asia, is located on one of its tributaries, the Balui River. Mount Murud is the highest point in the state. Sarawak is the only state of Malaysia with a Christian majority.
Kuching, 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 southwest tip of the state of Sarawak on the island of Borneo and covers an area of 431 km2 (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.
Sibu is a landlocked city located in the central region of Sarawak, Malaysia. It serves as the capital of Sibu District within Sibu Division and is situated on the island of Borneo. Covering an area of 129.5 square kilometres (50.0 sq mi), the city is positioned at the confluence of the Rajang and Igan Rivers, approximately 60 kilometres from the South China Sea and 191.5 kilometres (119 mi) north-east of the state capital, Kuching.
Bidayuh is the collective name for several indigenous groups found in southern Sarawak, Malaysia and northern West Kalimantan, Indonesia, on the island of Borneo, which are broadly similar in language and culture. The name Bidayuh means 'inhabitants of land'. Originally from the western part of Borneo, the collective name Land Dayak was first used during the period of Rajah James Brooke, the White Rajah of Sarawak. At times, they were also lesser referred to as Klemantan people. They constitute one of the main indigenous groups in Sarawak and West Kalimantan and live in towns and villages around Kuching and Serian in the Malaysian state of Sarawak, while in the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan they are mainly concentrated in the northern Sanggau Regency. In Sarawak, most of Bidayuh population can be found within 40 km of the geographical area known as Greater Kuching, within the Kuching and Serian Division. They are the second-largest Dayak ethnic group in Sarawak after the Iban and one of the major Dayak tribes in West Kalimantan.
Song is a town, and the capital of the Song District in Kapit Division, Sarawak, Malaysia. The district population was 20,046 according to the 2010 census. Song is situated by the banks of the Katibas River, a tributary of the Rajang River. It is an important stopover for river traffic going up the Rajang River.
Kanowit is a town and the capital of Kanowit District, Sibu Division, Sarawak, Malaysia, comprising 2,253.5 square kilometres. As of 2010, Kanowit's population is 28,985. It is built on the mouth of Kanowit River at the bank of Rajang River, approximately 174 kilometers from the coast of South China Sea. It takes 45 minutes to reach the town by land transport and an hour by boat from Sibu. The main ethnic groups are Iban, Chinese, Malay, and Melanau.
Samarahan Division is one of the twelve administrative divisions in Sarawak, Malaysia. Formerly part of the First Division, which included Kuching, it became a separate Division on 24 July 1986, with a total area of 4,967.4 square kilometres.
Kota Samarahan, formerly known as Muara Tuang, is a town and the administrative seat of the Samarahan District in Samarahan Division, Sarawak, Malaysia. It is also a satellite town for Kuching due to its proximity to the city part of Greater Kuching area. The Sarawak government position Kota Samarahan as the medical and education hub of the state. Saramahan is the heart of Sarawak Malays which is majority of 56%.
Melanau or A-Likou is an ethnic group indigenous to Sarawak, Malaysia. They are among the earliest settlers of Sarawak. They speak in the Melanau language, which is a part of the North Bornean branch of Malayo-Polynesian languages.
Sarawak Malay is a Malayic language native to the State of Sarawak. It is a common language used by natives of Sarawak and also as the important mother tongue for the Sarawakian Malay people.
Padawan is a sub-district of Kuching District, Sarawak, Malaysia. The name is also used to refer to the local government in Sarawak, the Padawan Municipal Council, and to Bidayuh Village, which is also known as Kampung Padawan. The Jalan Padawan is the name of a road near mile 23 of Kuching-Serian Highway.
Petra Jaya National Secondary School is a public secondary school in Kuching, the capital of the East Malaysian state of Sarawak. As of 2015, the school has approximately 106 academic staffs and approximately 18 non-academic staffs. This school holds students from Peralihan to Form 6.
Sarawak's population is very diverse, comprising many races and ethnic groups. Sarawak has more than 40 sub-ethnic groups, each with its own distinct language, culture and lifestyle. This makes Sarawak demography very distinct and unique compared to its Peninsular counterpart. However, it largely mirrors to other territories in Borneo - Sabah, Brunei and Kalimantan.
Padawan Municipal Council is a local authority which administers Padawan municipality of the Kuching District, Sarawak, Malaysia. The agency is under the purview of Sarawak Ministry of Local Government and Community Development. MPP headquarters is located at Kota Padawan, at 10th mile away from Kuching city centre. The council aimed to improve infrastructure development and provide quality services to its residents besides preserving the environment.
Mukah (muːkəh), historically known as Muka is a coastal town which serves as the capital and the administrative center of the Mukah Division since 1 March 2002.
Sarawak exhibits notable diversity in ethnicity, culture, and language. The Sarawakian culture has been influenced by Bruneian Malays of the coastal areas. Substantial cultural influences also came from the Chinese and British cultures.
Sarawakian cuisine is a regional cuisine of Malaysia. Like the rest of Malaysian cuisine, Sarawak food is based on staples such as rice. There is also a great variety of other ingredients and food preparations due to the influence of the state's varied geography and indigenous cultures quite distinct from the regional cuisines of the Peninsular Malaysia. Sarawak is famous for its multi-ethnic population. As the homeland of many unique communities, Sarawak has a variety of cuisines rarely found elsewhere in Malaysia. The uniqueness of Sarawak well depends on its ethnic groups. Every native group in Sarawak has their own lifestyle, traditions, cultures and also foods. Sarawak cuisine is less spicy and has a subtle in taste. It uses fresh seafood and natural herbs like turmeric, lemongrass, ginger, lime and tapioca leaves. These ingredients are not only easily available, but also add a hint of aroma, texture and freshness to the delicacies. Food is one of the most cultural identities for native groups in Sarawak with each ethnic group having their own delicacies. Among the Iban, popular foods include tubu (stems), tuak and pansuh. The Malay have bubur pedas (porridge) and kek lapis Sarawak ; the Bidayuh have asam siok and sup ponas Bidayuh. The Melanau make tebaloi, sagu and umai and the Orang Ulu are known for garam barrio, kikid (broth), tengayen, and urum giruq (pudding).
Tebedu District is a district in the state of Sarawak, Malaysia. It is a part of Serian Division that consists of Serian, Siburan, and Tebedu districts. Before this, Tebedu District was a sub-district under Serian District which was then fully upgraded to a district in its own right. The majority of the population of this district is from the Bidayuh ethnic group.