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Kuching, often known as the City of Kuching, is the capital and largest city of the Malaysian state of Sarawak. It serves as the division’s capital as well. The city, which has a total population of 325,132, is located on the Sarawak River at the southwest corner of the Borneo island’s state of Sarawak. It has an area of 431 square kilometers (166 square miles) and is home to about 165,642 people in the Kuching North administrative region and 159,490 in the Kuching South administrative region.
In 1827, Kuching served as Sarawak’s third capital under the rule of the Bruneian Empire. Kuching was designated as the Kingdom of Sarawak’s capital in 1841 after James Brooke was granted control of the region in exchange for his assistance in quelling a rebellion, particularly by the Land Dayak people of interior Borneo, who later turned out to be his devoted supporters after being granted amnesty and siding with him. During the reign of Charles Brooke, the town continued to receive attention and development, including the building of a sanitary system, hospital, prison, fort, and a marketplace. The Brooke government celebrated its centenary in Kuching in 1941. Japanese troops seized Kuching during World War II from 1942 until 1945. Near Kuching, the Japanese authorities established the Batu Lintang camp to house both civilian internees and prisoners of war. The town was unharmed after the conflict. However, Sir Charles Vyner Brooke, the final Rajah of Sarawak, made the decision to transfer Sarawak to the British Crown Colony in 1946. During the Crown Colony era, Kuching remained the capital. Kuching kept its position as the state capital when Malaysia was established in 1963, and in 1988 it was given city status. Since that time, the city of Kuching has been split into two administrative areas that are overseen by two different local governments. At Wisma Bapa Malaysia in Kuching, the Sarawak state government’s administrative hub is situated.