By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 5: Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Kakus branch chief Nelson Mujah Girie has proposed splitting Bukit Arip from the existing Kakus constituency through the creation of a new State seat, saying the move would provide fairer representation for rural communities across the sprawling Selangau parliamentary constituency.
In a statement today, Nelson called on the Election Commission (EC) to establish the new Bukit Arip constituency, saying the current electoral boundaries no longer reflect the geographical realities of the area.
“These figures clearly demonstrate the vast geographical scale of Selangau and the challenges of providing effective representation to communities separated by long distances, difficult terrain and limited accessibility,” he said.
Selangau has about 49,265 registered voters spread across approximately 9,193 square kilometres, covering the administrative areas of Tatau, Mukah, Selangau and Sibu, with more than 800 longhouses.
Within the parliamentary constituency, Kakus has about 23,955 registered voters across 5,701 square kilometres, while neighbouring Tamin has about 25,265 registered voters covering 3,492 square kilometres.
Nelson said rural representation should not be measured solely by voter numbers, but should also consider geographical size, accessibility, population distribution, infrastructure needs and the practical challenges of serving dispersed communities.
“A dedicated Bukit Arip constituency would ensure that the specific priorities of rural communities receive greater attention, particularly in areas such as road connectivity, basic infrastructure, agriculture, education, healthcare, flood mitigation and the sustainable development of Native Customary Rights (NCR) land,” he said.
He said stronger representation would also allow these issues to receive more consistent attention in policy formulation, budget allocation and development planning.
Nelson urged the EC to give the proposal fair and objective consideration, saying the creation of a Bukit Arip constituency would strengthen the voice of rural communities and improve the delivery of development and public services. — DayakDaily
