By Amanda L
KUCHING, Nov 12: Kota Samarahan could see its municipal council upgraded to a city hall in the next five to 10 years as its population continues to grow.
Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said Kota Samarahan’s population had grown from about 70,000 to 200,000 over the past decade, a rise that could eventually warrant an upgrade from municipal council to city hall status.
“In another five to ten years, Samarahan’s population growth will likely require a administrative upgrade from a municipal council to a full city hall (Dewan Bandaraya), reflecting the area’s rapid development,” he said at the Kota Samarahan Municipal Council’s (MPKS) 10th anniversary dinner at Imperial Hotel on Wednesday (Nov 11).
He pointed to changing residential trends as one of the factors behind the township’s rapid population growth, with more people from Kuching choosing to purchase homes and settle in Kota Samarahan.
“The situation has completely reversed: where people from Samarahan once went to Kuching for work and housing, today Kuching residents are moving out to Samarahan—especially those looking to marry, start families and buy homes,” he said.
Looking back at Kota Samarahan’s development, the Asajaya incumbent pointed out how far the township has come, evolving from the Kuching Rural District Council to the Samarahan District Council and finally culminating in MPKS.
He pointed out that the transformation is clearly reflected in Samarahan’s evolving skyline, now marked by multi-storey buildings and key institutions.
He added the scale of development in Kota Samarahan today would have been difficult to foresee decades ago, given the township’s significant expansion and the emergence of modern buildings and major institutions. — DayakDaily
