By DayakDaily Team
SIBU, May 27: Sibu is moving closer to achieving city status after increasing its financial reserves to RM47 million, up from RM19 million in 2019.
In a Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas) news, Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) chairman Clarence Ting said one of the key requirements for elevation to city status is a minimum reserve of RM50 million.
“When I became chairman in 2019, people often asked why Miri could be upgraded to a city but not Sibu.
“After reviewing the criteria, we found we were only short of two main requirements. The first was financial capacity, as the government requires at least RM50 million in reserves.
“This year, we have reached RM47 million. When I first assumed the role in 2019, our reserves stood at only RM19 million,” he said after launching WAK Sibu Festival 2026 calendar at the council headquarters in Wisma Sanyan on Tuesday (May 26).
Ting also noted that the second requirement, meeting a population threshold of 300,000, is gradually being fulfilled as Sibu continues to grow.
He stressed that strong financial standing remains crucial, as the government would be unable to support a city upgrade if a local authority lacks sufficient fiscal capacity.
On demographic changes, he said Sibu is undergoing a positive transformation.
Once regarded as a predominantly Chinese-majority town, Sibu is now becoming increasingly diverse, with growing representation from various ethnic communities, particularly the Iban population. — DayakDaily
