DBKU: Giant ‘Ibu Pertiwi’ flag ‘rescued’ after falling into Sarawak River

KUCHING (Sept 3): The giant ‘Ibu Pertiwi’ flag, which was detached from the flagpole at Dataran Ibu Pertiwi here and fell into the Sarawak River during bad weather yesterday, was successfully retrieved late last night.

The Kuch­ing City North Commission (DBKU) in a statement said five security guards working at the Dataran Ibu Pertiwi managed to ‘rescue’ the flag at around 11pm.

DBKU also confirmed that a new flag has been installed at the Dataran Ibu Pertiwi this morning.

Heavy rains and strong winds yesterday evening caused havoc mainly in Petra Jaya area, uprooting trees and structures.

A video shared by local radio station showed the flag falling into Sarawak River, reportedly around 4.15pm.

The ‘Ibu Pertiwi’ flag, measuring 25 metres long and 12.4 metres wide, is one of Kuching’s main landmarks, flying from a 99-metre-high flagpole.

Additionally, the 99-metre tall flagpole at Dataran Ibu Pertiwi has been recognised by the Malaysia Book of Records (MBOR) as the tallest flagpole not only in Malaysia but also in the Southeast Asia.

The RM30 million flagpole was officially launched during the New Year countdown celebration at Kuching Waterfront on Dec 31, last year.

The project was funded by Petroleum Sarawak Bhd (Petros), Petronas, and Shell to reflect the development of the oil and gas industry in the state.