Kota Bharu (Jawi:كوت بهارو), 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. 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 Station, in the town of Wakaf Bharu across the Kelantan River to Kota Bharu Sentral and Sultan Ismail Petra Airport.

History

Kota Bharu was established by Sultan Muhammad II of Kelantan in 1844 as Kelantan's capital.

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 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

Kota Bharu has a majority Muslim population.

Culture

Islamic influence

On 1 October 2005, Kota Bharu was declared Kota Bharu, The Islamic City. This title is given to the city which observes Islamic principles in every aspect of daily life. The Azan (prayer call), can be heard everywhere, even in shopping malls. All activities in the city must be stopped for a while to respect the Azan.

One of the most significant Islamic influences is the prevalence of Jawi script (a modified form of Arabic script in writing the Malay language) in the names of streets, shops, signboards and restaurants. A unique thing as compared to other states in Malaysia is that even the signboards of the local Chinese premises bear the Jawi script besides the Chinese character and the compulsory Roman script.

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 Kelantan state government under PAS, a conservative Islamic party 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, which is applied only to Muslims.

The Kota Bharu Municipal Council, the local government authority, discourage the wearing of indecent attire by female employees in retail outlets and restaurants. 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 .

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. Other shopping complex will open soon are two of Mydin Mall, one is located at Bandar Baru Tunjong on south of Kota Bharu and the other one is located at Bandar Baru Kubang Kerian on the east. Giant Hypermarket also take place to be open in Bandar Baru Tunjong.

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.

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.