With a population of some 160,000, this once trading village is an ethnically mixed part of Sarawak, with Bidayuh, Iban, Malay and Chinese, and has grown to become an educational centre.
A major factor for its growth was the personal attention from former Sarawak chief minister Abdul Taib Mahmud, now the governor.
Taib as the PBB president also served as the Kota Samarahan MP for close to two decades, winning four times from 1990 to 2008, including winning unopposed in 1995 and 2004.
Despite its importance, opposition parties in Sarawak have hardly been interested to contest the seat, aware that Taib or any other BN candidate would win with ease.
That did not stop challenges to Taib, with Permas, PKR and PAS placing their candidates, a token resistance at best from the opposition.
In 2008, Taib made way for his son, Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Taib, who easily won and was appointed federal deputy tourism minister.
But Sulaiman, unlike his father, was not cut out for politics. He resigned abruptly as deputy minister and retired “mysteriously” from politics after only one term as MP for Kota Samarahan.
In the last general election, Rubiah Wang, a former teacher and district officer, contested the seat for PBB, defeating a PAS candidate with a thumping majority of 17,401 votes to become the first woman MP of Kota Samarahan.
The constituency currently comprises 65% Malay voters, 22% Dayak and 12% Chinese.
With the economic boom at their doorsteps, it appears that the electorate is generally happy, and PBB will again find here an easy victory.
Rubiah is also known to be a hardworking MP, and is often on the ground to attend to her constituents. Her teaching background has been a great help in her political career.
She is backed by three PBB colleagues who are state assemblymen in Asajaya, Muara Tuang and Stakan, all in the Kota Samarahan constituency.
PBB is expected to nominate Rubiah as a candidate for Kota Samarahan for a second term.
In the past, even straight fights could not dent BN’s stronghold here. If the opposition were to field their candidates in Kota Samarahan at the next polls and force a three-cornered contest, it would be even smoother sailing for BN/PBB.