“You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.”
Deuteronomy 28:3 (NIV)
[On the writing of Wallace’s famous ‘Sarawak Law’ paper…] “Before giving a general sketch of my life and work in less known parts of the Archipelago, I must refer to an article I wrote while in Sarawak, which formed my first contribution to the great question of the origin of species. It was written during the wet season, while I was staying in a little house at the mouth of the Sarawak river, at the foot of the Santubong Mountain. I was quite alone, with one Malay boy as cook, and during the evenings and wet days I had nothing to do but to look over my books and ponder over the problem which was rarely absent from my thoughts. Having always been interested in the geographical distribution of animals and plants…and having now myself a vivid impression of the fundamental differences between the Eastern and Western tropics; and having also read through such books as Bonaparte’s “Conspectus,”…giving a mass of facts as to the distribution of animals over the whole world, it occurred to me that these facts had never been properly utilized as indications of the way in which species had come into existence. The great work of Lyell had furnished me with the main features of the succession of species in time, and by combining the two I thought that some valuable conclusions might be reached. I accordingly put my facts and ideas on paper, and the result seeming to me to be of some importance, I sent it to The Annals and Magazine of Natural History, in which it appeared in the following September (1855). Its title was “On the Law which has regulated the Introduction of New Species,” which law was briefly stated (at the end) as follows: “Every species has come into existence coincident both in space and time with a pre-existing closely-allied species.” This clearly pointed to some kind of evolution. It suggested the when and the whereof its occurrence, and that it could only be through natural generation, as was also suggested in the “Vestiges “; but the how was still a secret only to be penetrated some years later.”
Source: Alfred Russel Wallace Website. Wallace’s 1905 book My Life.
Kuching City
1.0 Physical Characteristics
Kuching, Sarawak: Kuching proudly serves as Sarawak’s capital, boasting a vast metro area of 2,770 km2, including a city space akin to Vienna at 450 km2.
Population Snapshot: As of 2020, Kuching City is home to 612,000 residents, and this number is expected to reach 2.5 million by 2050.
Geographical Position: Situated in the southwest corner of Sarawak, Kuching shares a border with West Kalimantan and faces the South China Sea.
Distance of Kuching to major cities in Borneo Distance to Asia Pacific cities
| Destination | Distance (km) |
| Bandar Sri Begawan | 629 |
| Balikpapan | 786 |
| Banjarmasin | 718 |
| Hong Kong | 2,341 |
| Kota Kinabalu | 804 |
| Kuala Lumpur | 974 |
| Manila | 1,861 |
| Pontianak | 207 |
| Samarinda | 787 |
| Shanghai | 3,498 |
| Singapore | 721 |
| Taipei | 2,868 |
| Tarakan | 828 |
Climate and Geography:
- Located at 1.5° north of the equator.
- Annual rainfall of 4,116 mm.
- Average temperature of 31.7°C.
- Abundant rainfall supports lush tropical gardens and public parks.
- “Kuching” means “cat” in Malay, with a dedicated Cat Museum.
Historical Significance:
- Ruled by the White Rajahs, the British Brooks family, since 1841.
- In 1946, Sir Charles Brooks ceded Sarawak as part of the British Crown Colony.
- In 1854, Alfred Russel Wallace conducted a year-long research stint in Kuching, publishing the “Sarawak Law” on species evolution.
- The Sarawak State Museum, designed in the architecture of the Normandy Town Hall, commissioned by Rajah Charles Brooke in 1891.
- In 1870, Rajah Charles Brooke built The Astana, the Government House, as a wedding gift.
Local Traditions:
- Sea Dayaks, known for their bravery, practiced headhunting as a traditional career.
Unique Attributes:
- Capital city of Sarawak with abundant natural resources: timber, oil, and gas.
- Sparsely populated, vast land with abundant sunshine and rainwater.
- Central hub to the Asia Pacific region.
2.0 History
- Founded by the Sultanate of Brunei: 1827
- Settled by James Brooke: 1842
- Ceded to British Crown Colony: 1946
- Federation of Malaysia: 1963
Unique Historical Attributes:
- Former British Crown Colony with a well-established town planning.
- Strong government administration and a common law legal system.
- Recognised as the “Cat City” with profound historical and cultural ties to the British Brooks family.
“The little town looked so neat and fresh and prosperous under the careful jurisdiction of the Rajah and his officers, that it reminded me of a box of painted toys kept scrupulously clean by a child. The Bazaar runs for some distance along the banks of river, and this quarter of the town is inhabited almost entirely by Chinese traders, with the exception of one or two Hindoo shops…. Groceries of exotic kinds are laid out on tables near the pavement, from which the purchasers make their choice. At the Hindoo shops you can buy silks from India, sarongs from Java, tea from China and tiles and porcelain from all parts of the world, laid out in picturesque confusion, and overflowing into the street.”
Source: Wikipedia. Lady Margaret Brooks, “My Life in Sarawak”, 1913 book.
3.0 Economy
- Tourism:
- Gateway to Sarawak tourism.
- Attractions include wildlife, bird sanctuary, cave exploration, scuba diving, jungle trekking, rainforest music festivals, longhouse culture, river cruise, wetland, head-hunter trail, collection of insects and invertebrates, cultural tours to indigenous tribes, and history visits to the White Rajahs’ adventures.
- In 2018, Sarawak welcomed 4.4 million visitors, with 50% being international.
- Industry:
- Three industrial parks: Pending Industrial Estate (Light Industries), Demak Laut Industrial Park (Mixed Industries), and Samajaya Free Industrial Zone (Hi-Tech Industrial Park).
- Transportation:
- Kuching International Airport offers direct flights to major Asian cities, catering to 5.9 million passengers in 2019.
- Kuching Port Authority operates Pending Terminals (capacity: 2.9 million mt) and Senari Terminal (capacity: 7 million mt).
- Oil & Gas:
- Kuching Port Authority controls Biawak Oil Jetty, specializing in handling petroleum products.
- Agriculture:
- Diverse agriculture including tropical fruits, pepper, oil palm, coconut, livestock, and aquaculture.
- Commercial:
- Thriving commercial sectors encompass real estate, trading, shopping malls, financial services, and property development.
- Healthcare:
- Over ten public and private hospitals contribute to the healthcare infrastructure in Kuching.
Unique Economic Attributes:
- Abundant opportunities for tourism development, property development, and Special Economic Zone (SEZ) industries.
4.0 Language
- Common Languages:
- Malay, Chinese, and English are the predominant languages spoken in Kuching city.
Unique Linguistic Feature:
- The local Malay dialect in Kuching is known as Bahasa Sarawak.
- Notably, a significant portion of the residents is proficient in English, facilitating effective communication.
5.0 Investment Opportunities
5.1 New Migration:
- Projected population increase from 0.6 million to 2.5 million in 2050.
- Growth driven by new migrants, expatriates, and the labor force.
- New investment and business ventures as key drivers for employment opportunities.
- Expansion of the city area to a 30 km radius, including Santubong, Lundu District, Bau District, Siburan, and Padawan subdistrict.
5.2 Airport:
- Upgradation of Kuching Airport to accommodate the influx of tourists and new migrants.
- Anticipated annual visitors to reach 7 million by 2050.
- Kuching International Airport becoming a hub connecting to major capitals on Borneo Island.
5.3 Education:
- Five existing international schools, with an estimated need for 10 due to the influx of expatriates.
- Expected enrollment of around 12,500 foreign students.
5.4 Tourism:
- Tourism projected to grow from 4.4 million visitors in 2018 to 14 million by 2050.
- Need for 200 new hotels to accommodate the extra 10 million visitors annually.
- Untapped tourism themes and destinations offer vast opportunities for tourism revenue.
5.5 Infrastructure:
- Highway: New interstate highways connecting Kuching to Sibu, Bintulu, and Miri. International routes between Kota Kinabalu, Brunei, and Western Kalimantan.
- Rail: Introduction of Mass Transit Rail (MTR) in Kuching City.
- Water: New water treatment plants to cater to the city’s 2.5 million people.
5.6 Property Development:
- Residential: Planning for an additional 2 million dwellings.
- Commercial: Diverse-themed shopping malls for an influx of 7 million tourists.
- Healthcare: Development of retirement villages, serviced apartments for the aged, and nursing homes.
5.7 Special Economic Zones (SEZ):
- Aquaculture: Investment in prawn farming and marine fish, utilizing the long coastline facing the South China Sea.
- Agriculture: Focus on downstream food products, poultry, cattle, targeting export markets in India, China, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
- Cold Chain: Development for poultry, fishery, prawn, marine products, vegetables, and tropical fruits, majorly exported to North Asia, India, and the Middle East.
- Tourism: SEZ opportunities in the hotel industry, logistics, wildlife, caves exploration, rainforest jungle, and eco-tourism.