Kota Samarahan

Last updated

Kota Samarahan
Muara Tuang
Chancellory Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.JPG
Unimas administrative building and Unimas square.
Seal of Kota Samarahan.svg
Nickname(s): 
Kota Ilmu
(Town of Knowledge)
Motto(s): 
Kota Ilmu Yang Sejahtera
(Prosperous Town of Knowledge)
Kota Samarahan
Location of Kota Samarahan in Sarawak
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Kota Samarahan
  Kota Samarahan in    Malaysia
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Kota Samarahan
Kota Samarahan (Malaysia)
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Kota Samarahan
Kota Samarahan (Asia)
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Kota Samarahan
Kota Samarahan (Earth)
Coordinates: 1°27′34″N110°29′56″E / 1.45944°N 110.49889°E / 1.45944; 110.49889
Country Flag of Malaysia.svg Malaysia
State Flag of Sarawak.svg Sarawak
Division Samarahan
District Samarahan
Establishment1800s (as Muara Tuang)
19 August 1983 (as Kota Samarahan)
Municipality status11 November 2016
Government
  Type Municipality
  BodyKota Samarahan Municipal Council
  ChairmanDato Peter Minos
Area
  Kota Samarahan407 km2 (157 sq mi)
Elevation
27 m (89 ft)
Highest elevation
810.2 m (2,658.1 ft)
Lowest elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Population
 (2010) [1]
  Kota Samarahan12,724
  Density31/km2 (81/sq mi)
 Sourced from the Population and Housing Census of Malaysia 2010. Census 2020 is currently in progress.
Demonym (none)
Time zone UTC+8 (MST)
  Summer (DST) UTC+8 (Not observed)
Postal code
94300
International dialling code prefix +6082 (landline only)
Vehicle registration plate prefix QC (for all vehicles except taxis)
HQ (for taxis only)
Website mpks.sarawak.gov.my

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. [2] Saramahan is the heart of Sarawak Malays which is majority of 56% .

Contents

The Kota Samarahan Municipal Council (MPKS) exercises local authority over Samarahan and Asajaya districts, as well as Sadong Jaya subdistrict.

As of 2010, the Kota Samarahan town has a total population of 12,724, and the population of all towns managed by Kota Samarahan Municipal Council is 85,495. [3]

Etymology

Samarahan District was known as Muara Tuang subdistrict and the town as "Muara Tuang" under the administration of Kuching Division before 1983. On 19 August 1983, Muara Tuang was elevated to a district status together with a name change to "Samarahan District". At the same time, the town in Samarahan District was also renamed to "Kota Samarahan". On 24 July 1986, Samarahan Division was created by combining the Samarahan, Serian, and Simunjan districts together. [4]

Kota Samarahan is known as Kota Ilmu (town of knowledge) after the first public university in Sarawak, the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) established in 1992. [5]

History

The Samarahan area became part of the Bruneian Empire in 1364 during the reign of the king Awang alak Betatar (who later changed his name to Sultan Muhamad after adopting Islam). [4] In 1853, Samarahan and Sadong areas were ceded to James Brooke by Sultam Omar Ali Saiffudin. In return, James Brooke had to pay 1500 dollars to the Sultanate as cession money. [4] The cession money was increased to 4500 dollars per year after 1861. [4]

Geography

Kota Samarahan is a suburb of the greater metropolitan area of Kuching. It is located about 30 km south east of Kuching. [6] The lands in Samarahan District are flat and consists of lowland and peat soil. [6]

Climate

Kota Samarahan has a tropical rainforest climate (Af) with heavy to very heavy rainfall year-round.

Climate data for Kota Samarahan
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Average high °C (°F)29.7
(85.5)
29.9
(85.8)
31.0
(87.8)
32.0
(89.6)
32.4
(90.3)
32.2
(90.0)
32.1
(89.8)
32.1
(89.8)
31.7
(89.1)
31.6
(88.9)
31.3
(88.3)
30.6
(87.1)
31.4
(88.5)
Daily mean °C (°F)26.1
(79.0)
26.2
(79.2)
26.9
(80.4)
27.5
(81.5)
27.8
(82.0)
27.6
(81.7)
27.3
(81.1)
27.4
(81.3)
27.1
(80.8)
27.1
(80.8)
26.9
(80.4)
26.6
(79.9)
27.0
(80.7)
Average low °C (°F)22.6
(72.7)
22.6
(72.7)
22.8
(73.0)
23.0
(73.4)
23.3
(73.9)
23.0
(73.4)
22.6
(72.7)
22.7
(72.9)
22.6
(72.7)
22.7
(72.9)
22.6
(72.7)
22.6
(72.7)
22.8
(73.0)
Average rainfall mm (inches)578
(22.8)
447
(17.6)
314
(12.4)
280
(11.0)
248
(9.8)
198
(7.8)
189
(7.4)
235
(9.3)
269
(10.6)
319
(12.6)
349
(13.7)
474
(18.7)
3,900
(153.7)
Source: Climate-Data.org [7]

Demography

According to 2007

Malays are 79 900 Ibans are 30 500 Bidayuhs are 4 500 Melanaus are 1 000 Others Bumiputeras are 400 Chinese are 14 000 Others (non Bumiputeras) 300 Non Citizens are 500

Local government

Kota Samarahan Municipal Council was set up in 2016 to administer Kota Samarahan including its surrounding areas such as Asajaya and Sadong Jaya districts. [6] Samarahan Divisional Resident Office was built after the Samarahan district was declared a division in 1986. [8]

Economy

Due to the vast availability of lowlands in the district, Malaysian federal government started Integrated Agricultural Development Area (IADA) in Samarahan since 1986. [6] [9] Amongst the crops planted are sweet lime, coconut, oil palm, and pineapple. Amongst the cash crops that are planted are: paddy rice, watermelon, sweet corn, and vegetables. [6] This programme helps in poverty reduction from 77% in 1986 to 19.5% in 2005 by using poverty line income (PLI) of RM 765 (US$ 201.3) per month based on Ninth Malaysia Plan in 2006. As of 2006, 40% of the average household income in this area was RM 1440. Assuming a yearly income growth rate of 3%, all the farmers in the IADA area would come above the PLI by 2022. [9]

There is a mini industrial estate near Tanjung Bundong village. [6] [10]

Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (SALCRA) set up its headquarters in Kota Samarahan. [11]

Transportation

Local Bus

Route No.Operating RouteOperator
3AB Kuching-Serian BusAsia
K10 Kuching-Kota SamarahanCPL
10A Kuching-Kota SamarahanBusAsia
10AC Kuching-Kota SamarahanBusAsia
K12Kuching-Kota Samarahan-Asajaya-Sadong Jaya CPL

Prior to 1990, the shortest means of access into Samarahan from Kuching was via a ferry at Sungai Kuap other than direct road access from Jalan Datuk Muhamad Musa which takes longer. The construction of a bridge has further shortened the road distance from between Kuching-Kota Samarahan to 11 kilometers. This new road, officially known as Kuching-Kota Samarahan Expressway, links Kota Samarahan with the major industrial areas of Pending, Demak Laut and Sama Jaya. This new road is currently undergoing some expansion in anticipation of increased traffic between Kuching-Samarahan due to the increasing population in Samarahan.

Other utilities

Education

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak was established in December 1992 with two faculties namely the Faculty of Social Science and the Faculty of Resource Science and Technology. In 1994, more faculties were added, including the Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development, the Faculty of Applied and Creative Arts, and the Faculty of Engineering. In 1995, the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences was set up, followed by the Faculty of Economics and Business in 1996. [12]

Universiti Teknologi MARA Kota Samarahan branch was given 883 acres of land to develop its campus. As of 2013, Campus 2 was built next to its old Campus 1. [13] [14]

Teachers' training institute Tun Abdul Razak campus was built in November 1999. [15]

INTAN Sarawak campus moved from Kuching to Kota Samarahan in August 2011. It serves as a training centre for government servants in customer service and administration. [16]

Kota Samarahan Industrial Training Institute (ILPKS) was established in 1999, by Department of Manpower under the Ministry of Human Resources. It provides vocational training for manufacturing sector. [17]

Medical facilities

Sarawak Heart Centre main building. Sarawak heart Centre, Kota Samarahan main building.jpg
Sarawak Heart Centre main building.

Sarawak General Hospital Heart Centre was set up in 2011 in Kota Samarahan, incorporating the department of cardiology from Sarawak General Hospital due to space constraints. In 2015, the centre is known as "Sarawak Heart Centre" after it was given administrative autonomy by the government of Malaysia. [18]

Kota Samarahan public health clinic is located 15 km away from Sarawak Heart Centre. [19]

Leisure and conservation areas

Retail

Building upon the entries of tertiary educational institutions, Sarawak Heart Centre, and large businesses in Kota Samarahan, the first shopping mall named the "Summer Mall" was opened in 2013. [20] This was followed by Aiman Mall in 2017, being the first suburban mall in Samarahan with retail space of over 140,000 square feet. [21] La Promenade Mall was opened in 2021, as part of the Hock Seng Lee (a construction company based in Sarawak) office tower located along the Kuching-Samarahan expressway. [22] The mall mainly caters to the La Promenade's luxury gated residential community developed by Hock Seng Lee. [22] Supermarkets in Kota Samarahan are: Farley, BB, Everwin, and EMART. [23]

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Sarawak is a state of Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Malaya, Sarawak is located in northwest Borneo Island, 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.

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