Kota Bharu

Kota Bharu is a city in Malaysia, is the state capital and Royal City of Kelantan. It is also the name of the territory (jajahan) in which Kota Bharu City is situated. The name means 'new city' or 'new castle/fort' in Malay. Kota Bharu is situated in the northeastern part of Peninsular Malaysia, and lies near the mouth of the Kelantan River at . In 2005, it had an estimated population of 425,294, making it one of the largest towns on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. By 2009, it became by far the most populous town on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia with an estimated population of 577,301 and continues to increase to the estimated population of 609,886 in 2010 thus make it the most dense town on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Kota Bharu is at rank of 10th in the list of the largest cities in Malaysia.

This northeastern Malaysian city is close to the Thai border, and is home to many mosques. Also of interest are various museums and the unique architecture of the old royal palace (still occupied by the sultan and sultanah and off-limits to visitors but viewable from outside) and former royal buildings (which can be visited) in the center of town.

The City is served by Keretapi Tanah Melayu's East Coast Line at the nearby Wakaf Bharu Terminal Station, in the town of Wakaf Bharu across the Kelantan River to Stestn Railway Station and Sultan Ismail Petra Airport, located in Pengkalan Chepa.

Climate

Kota Bharu features a tropical rainforest climate. Kota Bharu does not have a true dry season as all 12 months sees on average more than 60 mm of precipitation. However, Kota Bharu experiences noticeably heavier rainfall from August through January. Also, in comparison to the rest of the year, Kota Bharu experiences slightly cooler temperatures between December and February, than it does during the rest of the year. The city sees on average about 2700 mm of precipitation annually.

History

Kota Bharu was established by Sultan Muhammad II of Kelantan in 1844 as Kelantan's capital.^[1] Before that, Kelantan capital was at Kota Kubang Labu. Kota Bharu also known as Kuala Kelantan before 1844.

Pantai Sabak, about 10 km from Kota Bharu, was the initial landing point of the Japanese invasion forces on 8 December 1941 in their Malayan campaign when they successfully engaged the British in jungle warfare^[2] and ultimately captured Singapore

Federal Parliament and State Assembly Seats

List of Kota Bharu district representatives in the Federal Parliament (Dewan Rakyat)

List of Kota Bharu district representatives in the State Legislative Assembly (Dewan Undangan Negeri)

Demographics

The city population has a overwhelming majority Malay population. The Chinese minorities are more prominent in Kota Bharu compared to other parts of Kelantan due to the fact that the Chinese usually reside in urban areas. Ranking Population Kota Bharu District (Jajahan)

Religion

Kota Bharu's population is 70% Muslim. With the remainder consisting of Buddhists and Christians. The Indigenous peoples which reside in the outskirts are generally practising Christians. The local Chinese community which are mainly urban practise mainly Buddhism. The local state government is helmed by the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, hence it has pursued a stricter form of Islam in the city and state, Kota Bharu was declared an Islamic City vis-a-vis Kota Bharu Bandaraya Islam. Morality police are ubiquitous here and apprehend people who engaged in acts perceived immoral. Kota Bharu is the most conservative city in Malaysia. The Jawi script is applied in streetnames and restaurants.

Social activities that do not contradict with the Islamic norm are allowed. Government offices and many stores are closed on Fridays and Saturdays, but the vibrant markets remain open except for Islamic prayer times. The conservative Kelantanese state government under PAS has implemented some Islamic laws. These include switching on lights in cinemas during screening time until cinemas were closed down and separate check-out counters in supermarkets for males and females and khalwat, the Islamic rule on proximity between males and females. However, these regulations only apply for Muslims only.

The Kota Bharu Municipal Council, the local government authority, discourage the wearing of indecent attire by female employees in retail outlets and restaurants.^[3] Those who are caught for dressing indecently may be fined up to RM 500. The definition of indecent dressing include "body hugging outfits which show off the body, blouses which show the navel, see through blouses, mini-skirts and tight pants."^[3]

Culture

The Kelantanese culture is a smorgasbord of Malay and Thai influences due to its geographical proximity with Thailand. The Chinese here are much more assimilated with local culture compared with other parts of Malaysia. Much of the food are spicy with rice as the primary staple as the local diet. Traditional dances like Mak Yong and Wayang Kulit were widely practised here but the practise was clamped down by the local authorities due to perceived Hindu Influences which is thought to contradict Islam.

Food

Nasi berlauk, Nasi Dagang and nasi kerabu are popular local cuisine. Kelantanese also have a liking for sweet cakes or kuih. These include apom, akok, lompat tikam, netbak, pisang goreng, curry puff and much more.

Shopping

The more famous shopping destination in Kota Bharu is Pasar Siti Khadijah (Kota Bharu Central Market), where many goods are sold. Most of the sellers are women. Next to Central Market is the nearly completed construction of Kota Bharu Trade Center (KBTC) which is considered one of the largest mall in Kota Bharu and has opened in August 2009. Parkson is the anchor tenant for this shopping mall. These two buildings are connected by an overpass on the second floor. Other shopping centers in Kota Bharu are KB Mall, Pelangi Mall, Kota Seri Mutiara, Pantai Timur, The Store and the new Nirwana Maju (at Bandar Baru Kubang Kerian). A new Tesco hypermarket has opened in 2008. Most of Kota Bharu's downtown shopping area is currently undergoing a major reconstruction and several multi-story shopping centers are in their early construction phases in this vicinity. By March 2010, a new Mydin Mall has been opened and located at Bandar Baru Kubang Kerian on the east. Other shopping complex will open soon is Mydin Mall, is located at Bandar Baru Tunjong on south of Kota Bharu. Giant Hypermarket also take place to be open in Bandar Baru Tunjong.

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Beaches

All major beaches in the Kota Bharu vicinity are currently prone to excessive erosion by strong surf. The community has been implementing wave breakers and tries to protect the shoreline by piling up massive amounts of boulders. Regular beach activity has become impossible as visitors frequent beaches further south. The most famous beach in Kota Bharu as a tourist attraction is Pantai Cahaya Bulan.

Wreck diving

Diving in Kota Bharu is a relatively new activity, with only one dive operator currently offering trips out to the Japanese Invasion Wreck (IJN Awazisan Maru). This Japanese transport ship was the very first vessel to sink in The Pacific War. There is a vast variety of marine life around the ship, most notably the giant barracudas that circle around. The wreck is only a 30 minute boat journey from the jetty, which is 10 minutes outside of Kota Bharu.

Sister city

Kota Bharu is twinned with:

• Kasaoka, Okayama, Japan^[4]

References

Gallery

External links

• Kota Bharu travel guide from Wikitravel
• MPKB-BRI website
• [Typical daily life in Kota Bahru, streetscene >Short Video attachment>][2]
• KB Backpackers > Local Tourism Website
• Dive The Japanese Invasion Wreck in Kota Bharu
• Vacation house in Kelantan