The New Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Building ( ms, Bangunan Dewan Undangan Negeri Sarawak Baru) is the current state legislative complex of

Sarawak Sarawak (; ) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is located in northwest Borneo Island, and is bordered by the M ...

, 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 River ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

. 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 the ...

, 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 ( ms, Sungai Sarawak) 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 annu ...

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

Yang di-Pertua Negeri In Malaysia, the Yang di-Pertua Negeri ( in Malay) is a constitutional title given to the head of state in states without a Ruler, namely: Penang, Malacca, Sabah and Sarawak. This is in constrast to a Ruler () which is a constitutional title give ...

(Governor) of

, and

Fort Margherita Fort Margherita is an old fort constructed in 1879 by Charles Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak situated in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. The fort is an important landmark and monument in Sarawak's history which goes back to the Brooke Dynasty. The fo ...

. The building was officially opened by the

Yang di-Pertuan Agong The Yang di-Pertuan Agong (, Jawi: ), also known as the Supreme Head of the Federation, the Paramount Ruler or simply as the Agong, and unofficially as the King of Malaysia, is the constitutional monarch and head of state of Malaysia. The of ...

(King) of Malaysia,

Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Al-Wathiqu Billah Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin ibni Almarhum Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah ( Jawi: ; born 22 January 1962) is the 18th and current Sultan of Terengganu. He served as the 13th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the constitutio ...

Terengganu Terengganu (; Terengganu Malay: ''Tranung'', Jawi: ), formerly spelled Trengganu or Tringganu, is a sultanate and constitutive state of federal Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, ''Dāru l- Īmān'' ("Abode of Faith"). ...

, 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 Yang di-Pertuan Agong (, Jawi: ), also known as the Supreme Head of the Federation, the Paramount Ruler or simply as the Agong, and unofficially as the King of Malaysia, is the constitutional monarch and head of state of Malaysia. The of ...

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.

Architecture

The building has nine floors with a height of 27.7 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, its ritual functions are similar to a mosque, allow men and women, an ...

. 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