By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 6: The nearly 400km journey from Ulu Siong to Long Beyak, involving former logging roads and plantation routes, highlights the geographical challenges faced by Selangau and the need for a new Bukit Arip State constituency, says Selangau District Pemanca Mathew Belawan.
He said the long distance between communities reflects the difficulties faced in delivering government services across Selangau, where accessibility remains a major challenge due to its vast terrain.
“The journey can reach almost 400km, and not all routes are paved, with some still involving former logging roads and plantation roads,” he said in a statement today.
Mathew said the Election Commission (EC) should consider geographical factors and accessibility challenges in the ongoing Sarawak constituency redelineation exercise, rather than focusing solely on voter numbers.
“EC should not only look at the number of voters. The reality of Selangau’s geography is very different compared with many other areas and this must be assessed comprehensively,” he said.
His call comes amid ongoing discussions over Sarawak’s redelineation exercise, following a purported leaked document in March that listed Bukit Arip as one of the 17 proposed new State constituencies under Selangau.
However, a separate leaked EC proposal that surfaced earlier this month outlining the proposed new Sarawak State seats showed no changes to the existing Selangau parliamentary boundary, raising concerns over whether the area’s geographical challenges and representation needs have been adequately addressed.
Mathew said the proposed Bukit Arip State constituency, which would comprise parts of the existing Tamin and Kakus constituencies, was necessary to improve administration and ensure more effective service delivery to the people.
He said Selangau parliamentary constituency covers about 9,193 sq km, making it the third-largest parliamentary constituency in Sarawak after Hulu Rejang and Baram, but remains served by only two State constituencies.
“Kakus State constituency alone covers about 5,701 sq km, while Tamin constituency covers around 3,492 sq km,” he said.
He pointed out that Tamin covers interior areas from Ulu Oya, Ulu Selangau, Pasai Siong to Kemena, while Kakus stretches from Long Beyak near Belaga, Ulu Kakus and Ulu Anap to Arip and Bawan Balingian.
Kakus also spans three administrative divisions — Bintulu, Sibu and Mukah — and involves several local authorities, including Dalat and Mukah District Council, Bintulu Development Authority and Sibu Rural District Council.
“How can elected representatives provide comprehensive attention to the people when the area that needs to be covered is so large, with more than 800 scattered longhouse communities across Selangau?”
“These challenges may not be experienced by many other State or parliamentary constituencies. This is why Selangau needs an additional State constituency to ensure administration and delivery of services to the people become more effective,” he said.
Mathew stressed that Bukit Arip was not merely about creating another electoral area but was also aligned with the region’s future development potential.
He said projects such as the Pig Farming Area (PFA) in Sungai Selabi and the planned Rest and Recreation (R&R) facility in Sungai Arip, together with development under the Mid Rejang Regional Development Agency (MiRRDA) and Sibu Economic Zone, were expected to drive economic growth in the area.
“If development continues to grow, the administrative system must also be strengthened. Bukit Arip is no longer a proposal that can be postponed, but a necessity that should be considered to ensure development can be managed more effectively while safeguarding the interests of Selangau’s people,” he said.
For the record, Selangau parliamentary constituency has about 49,265 voters as of January 2026 and is the third-largest parliamentary constituency in Sarawak after Hulu Rejang and Baram.
Mathew noted that Hulu Rejang and Baram currently comprise three State constituencies following the previous redelineation exercise approved by the Dewan Rakyat in December 2015, while Selangau remains with only two. — DayakDaily
