The New Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Building () is the current state legislative complex of

Sarawak Sarawak ( , ) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia. It is the largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia. Sarawak is located in East Malaysia in northwest Borneo, and is ...

, in

Kuching Kuching ( , ), officially the City of Kuching, is the capital and the most populous city in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Sarawak in Malaysia. It is also the capital of Kuching Division. The city is on the Sarawak Ri ...

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

. It houses the

Sarawak State Legislative Assembly The Sarawak State Legislative Assembly is the legislative chamber of the unicameral legislature of the Malaysian state of Sarawak; the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak forms the other part of the legislature. The Assembly is modelled after th ...

, where state assemblymen from all over

meet and preside over debates and passing of laws. The complex is at the north bank of the

Sarawak River The Sarawak River () is a river in Sarawak, Malaysia. It is an important source of water and transportation for the inhabitants in southwestern Sarawak. The river is also used for water-related sport activities such as the annual Sarawak Regatta ...

in between The Astana, which is the official residence of the

Yang di-Pertua Negeri In Malaysia, the Governor, officially Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Jawi script, Jawi: , ) is a constitutional title given to the head of state in States and federal territories of Malaysia, states without a ruler, namely: Penang, Malacca, Sabah and S ...

(Governor) of

, and Fort Margherita. The building was officially opened by the

Yang di-Pertuan Agong The King of Malaysia, officially ''Yang di-Pertuan Agong'' ( Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ), is the constitutional monarch and Figurehead, ceremonial head of state of Malaysia. The office was established in 1957, when the Federation of Malaya gained ...

(King) of Malaysia, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin of

Terengganu Terengganu (; Terengganu Malay: ''Tranung'', formerly spelled Trengganu or Tringganu) is a sultanate and States and federal territories of Malaysia, federal state of Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, ''Dāru l-Iman (c ...

, on 27 July 2009, followed by the Rulers' Conference in the building complex.

History

Sarawak state assembly under construction in 2008

The groundbreaking ceremony of the building was held in September 2004. The main project developers were Naim Cendera and PPES Works. The building was handed over to the Sarawak government in May 2009. The building cost RM 296.5 million to build. The opening ceremony of the building was held in July 2009 with a river float parade, fireworks, and the purchase of luxury cars which will be used by respective state government departments. The ceremony was attended by the

King of Malaysia The King of Malaysia, officially ''Yang di-Pertuan Agong'' ( Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ), is the constitutional monarch and Figurehead, ceremonial head of state of Malaysia. The office was established in 1957, when the Federation of Malaya gained ...

and broadcast live nationwide. The Sarawak government added the Darul Hana bridge across the Sarawak river near the building in 2017. In 2018, the Darul Hana musical fountain was added in front of the state assembly building. A 99-metre-tall flagpole was also added to the site in 2023 to commemorate the 60th year anniversary of Sarawak's position as a founding partner in the formation of Malaysia.

Architecture

The building has nine floors with a height of 114 metres, diameter of 30.9 metres, and an area of 760 square metres. The speaker of the state assembly, Dato Sri Mohd Asfia Awang Nassar, said that the building would last for 100 years. The cross-section of the building is designed like a nine-pointed star. The building is capped with a roof design similar to a Malaysian royal umbrella (''payung negara'' in Malay). The public viewing gallery is located on the ninth floor. The Sarawak state legislative assembly is located on the eighth floor. The state assembly members lounge is located on the 7th floor. Meanwhile, the lower floors house offices for the state assembly members, function halls, meeting rooms, an auditorium, and a

surau A surau is an Islamic assembly building in some regions of Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula, used for worship and religious instruction. Generally smaller physical structures, their ritual functions are similar to those of a mosque, they admit ...

. The state legislative assembly chamber can hold up to 108 members, each with their own office. It also has 142 seats for civil servants, a ceremonial hall accommodating 300 people, banquet hall with a capacity of 1,000 people, a car park for 315 vehicles, and a parade ground.Alt URL
/ref>

References

{{Malaysian state secretariat buildings Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Buildings and structures in Kuching 2009 establishments in Malaysia State secretariat buildings in Malaysia Government buildings completed in 2009

History

Architecture

See also

References