THE Sarawak government has been urged to consider merging the districts of Bau and Lundu to establish another division in Sarawak.
Serumbu assemblyman Miro Simuh said that both districts are currently within the Kuching Division, being the large division with the highest population density among all divisions in Sarawak.
“It would be beneficial, for the sake of better and more efficient administrative processes, to remove the districts of Bau and Lundu from the Kuching Division and form them under a single division.
“With Bau having more than 70,000 residents and Lundu with over 40,000 residents, it is time for them to be recognised as a division,” he said during the debate on the 2024 State Budget at the State Legislative Assembly sitting, on Thursday (Nov 23).
With this new status, Miro said that development planning involving infrastructure, social, and economic aspects could be coordinated more systematically, efficiently, and comprehensively.
Addressing education, he emphasised the urgent need to construct another secondary school in the Serembu constituency.
He said that the existing secondary school, SMK Paku, is overcrowded, accommodating more than 1800 students in two sessions, despite being designed for a capacity of 1,000 students.
“Due to a shortage of classrooms, certain classes have up to 45 to 50 students. Such a high student density will not allow the full achievement of educational quality.
“I propose that if the government plans to build another secondary school in the Serembu area, choose a location between Keranji and Tanjung Durian, as it is close to the main Bau-Kuching road and among densely populated areas in the Serembu region,” he said.
Touching on Bau Hospital, Miro said that numerous proposals and plans have been submitted to the federal government, but none have received a concrete response.
“Therefore, I request the Sarawak government to intervene, either to press the federal government or to use Sarawak government funds to upgrade the critical overcrowded Bau Hospital.
“The patient wards are insufficient, and the supporting equipment facilities are also inadequate, along with various other problems.
“Two days ago, the Hospital Director contacted me seeking assistance in obtaining a Computed Radiography (CR) machine because they are still using the old X-ray film technology that has been in use since the hospital opened in the 80s.
“So, we appeal to the government, both at the federal and Sarawak levels, to help resolve these issues,” he added.
