The history of Dewan Undangan Negeri begins in Bintulu where the General Council had their meeting on 8th September 1867. The place where they had their meeting was a temporary wooden ramshackle building.
The legislative Assembly was first known and gazetted as General Council until 1903. Then it was renamed Council Negri till 1976. The name thereafter gazetted as Dewan Undangan Negeri.
The General Council had their second meeting in a place known as Fort Brooke in Sibu on 15th June 1969.
The meeting held in Sibu was the last so-called “outstation” venue as the third meeting of the General Council on 11th October 1870 was held at the Astana in Kuching.
The fourth place where the General Council had their meeting was in the Courthouse in kuching on 22nd July 1918. By this time it was already known as the Council Negri.
The fifth meeting venue for the Council Negri was Dewan Pembangunan Tun Abdul Razak where they had their 106th meeting on 28th December 1973.
From Dewan Pembangunan Tun Abdul Razak the Council Negri Meeting was moved to its new building, the Council Negeri Complex, which was officiated on 17th August 1976 by the Yang DiPertuan Agong. For the first time on 16th-17th December 1976,the Council Negri had their meeting in this new building. It was during this meeting that the Council Negri had its new name-the Dewan Undangan Negeri. For the last 33 years the Dewan Undangan Negeri had their meeting here.
The new Dewan Undangan Negeri Building
Now, it’s time they move to a new building, the new Dewan Undangan Negeri building which is located on the hill by the river.
- This building perched on the promontory on the pristine bank of the Sarawak river and nonchalantly nestled between the Astana and Fort Magharetta.
- It stands majestically as the most breathtakingly beautiful landmark of the State.
- The new complex will hold up to 108 honourable members. Presently, there are 71 assemblymen and assemblywomen statewide.
- It has nine floors with a height of 27.7 metres, a diameter of 30.9 metres and a total area of 760 square metres. The chamber where meetings are held is at the eighth floor.
- Each significant design of the building symbolizes the people’s sovereignty and the confluence of cultures of Sarawak’s beauty culture.
- The only DUN building in Malaysia whose official opening will be graced by Yang di-Pertuan Agong and attended by rulers and representatives of the various states.
