SIBU: The Sibu Rural District Council (SRDC) hopes to achieve greater heights with the reappointment of 19 councillors and appointment of 13 new councillors for the year 2023 until 2025.
Its chairman Sempurai Petrus Ngelai said with a mixture of professionals in various fields and government pensioners with education backgrounds, SRDC possessed a stronger team to be assigned to 27 zones under its jurisdiction.
“Experience and education wise, the councillors are good. I think it is high time every local government must have people who can contribute not only in the policy-making but to plan and execute development under the 12th Malaysian Plan,” Sempurai told a press conference here today.
The council has an area of 5,860 square kilometres under its jurisdiction, largely rural, which requires councillors to go on the ground and develop a good rapport with the people and return with feedback needed to improve its services.
The installation of the councillors will be held on Monday (April 3), witnessed by Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian who is also the State Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government.
Sempurai said the council would be focusing on seven visionary projects, namely the construction of SRDC’s own building in Sibu Jaya; Bukit Tunggal Transit Centre; an Olympic-sized Sibu Jaya swimming pool; upgrading of Pulau Dudong Road bypass; SK Dudong project; parking gazette; and open space urban garden project.
He said that the SRDC building project was vital as it needed to operate within its own jurisdiction as required by the law, instead of its present location at Wisma Sanyan, which fell under the Sibu Municipal Council’s jurisdiction.
According to Sempurai, Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg had also approved the Bukit Tunggal Transit Centre project located along the Pan Borneo Highway near Durin at a cost of RM16 million, with facilities such as a ‘tamu’ market (wet and jungle products market), hawkers centre, community centre, a performance stage and bus station.
“This will be the priority item under the mid-term review of the 12th Malaysian Plan. This is something we really need to do as the Sibu township is already congested on a daily basis with people coming from Kapit, Song, Kanowit, Sibu town itself and other areas as well,” said Sempurai.
He said SRDC would push for the construction of SK Dudong to cater to school children in Sibu Jaya and its surrounding area as the three existing schools, namely SK Sibu Jaya, SMK Sibu Jaya and SJKC Thian were too crowded.
Electronic car park fee collection would also be introduced in the Sibu Jaya township once its parking gazette had been approved by the State Government, he added. – BERNAMA
