Incumbent: Wahab bin Haji Dolah (BN-PBB)
Last May 5, 2013 Election Result:
Wahab bin Haji Dolah (BN-PBB) 11,896 votes
Ajiji bin Fauzan (PAS) 1,747 votes
Majority 10,149 votes
Strategically located at the west-coast of Sarawak, the parliamentary constituency of Igan (P. 207) is represented by Datuk Wahab Dolah (BN-PBB) and covers the state constituencies of Daro (N. 43) and Jemoreng (N. 44) currently represented by Safiee Ahmad and Dato’ Murshid Diraja Dr Juanda Jaya respectively. As a sub-district of Matu in Mukah Division, it is no surprise that majority of the population in Igan are of Melanau ethnicity followed by Malays and other ethnicities.
It is also home to fishing villages well known for their seafood. Aside from marine produce, oil palm estates are also the residents’ source of income.
With the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) stretching from Tanjung Manis to Bintulu at the west-coast and reaching beyond the highlands of Tunoh and Baram inland, the parliamentary constituency has been experiencing various initiatives under the leadership of the Barisan Nasional (BN) Government. As Tanjung Manis becomes a major industrial port city and a key element in Malaysia’s global Halal Hub strategy, and Mukah with its easy access to all the key SCORE locations, Igan is an important part of SCORE’s development plan.
The development plan includes the improvement of road conditions to ease connectivity for rural residents as well as urban residents who travel by road to other parts of the State. In the past, the people of Igan had to travel far in a longer duration due to poorly maintained road conditions. However, through the development of SCORE areas in the west-coast of Sarawak, residents have been able to commute farther at a shorter time.
Under the 11th Malay s i a Plan (2016-2020), the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) had approved of the construction of a bridge over Igan River which will cost RM300 million. Once completed, the bridge will link Matu to Mukah and therefore, spur rural development in the surrounding areas. The construction of Batang Igan bridge is expected to begin this year.
In addition, new technology would be used to harden the peat soil in coastal areas involved in the coastal road project. Research on the new technology is being undertaken by Curtin University, Sarawak Campus. Although it is still a rural constituency, with SCORE being earnestly unwound and BN Government’s serious efforts to bring development to Sarawak’s rural areas, Igan can confidently look to the future as another growth centre in Central Sarawak.
