By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 9: The sheer size of Selangau’s two State constituencies is stretching local authorities’ ability to deliver public services, monitor infrastructure and respond to emergencies, says Dalat and Mukah District Council (MDDM) councillor Cr Augustine Manggam.
He said this was a key reason the proposed Bukit Arip State constituency should be prioritised in the Election Commission’s (EC) redelineation exercise following the increase in Sarawak’s State seats from 82 to 99.
P.214 Selangau, comprising N.59 Tamin and N.60 Kakus, spans 9,193 sq km and has more than 49,265 voters spread across over 700 longhouses.
Augustine said the scale of the area meant rural representation could not be assessed by voter numbers alone, as terrain, travel distances, road conditions and river access directly affected service delivery.
“Administrative agencies and local authorities face major challenges in coordinating public services, monitoring infrastructure and maintaining basic facilities evenly across such a vast area,” he said in a media statement today.
He said recurring floods in the Sungai Balingian area of Kakus further highlighted the need for closer representation and faster communication between communities, authorities and elected representatives during emergencies.
The proposed Bukit Arip seat, to be carved from parts of Kakus and Tamin, would allow development needs to be addressed more directly, particularly roads, clean water, electricity and telecommunications coverage, he said.
“This would ensure that projects reach every longhouse and that no community is left behind,” he said.
Meanwhile, Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) N.60 Kakus Division Youth Chief Dr Jawing Chunggat said the proposal should be viewed as a long-term investment in rural governance rather than simply the creation of another political seat.
He said Kakus alone covers 5,701 sq km with 23,955 voters, stretching from Long Beyak near Belaga to Lubok Bukut in Balingian and Pengkalan Lobang in Mukah.
Tamin, meanwhile, covers more than 3,492 sq km and has about 25,292 voters.
“Large areas with dispersed populations make it harder for elected representatives to give adequate attention to development initiatives,” said Jawing, who is also chairman of Kelab Belia Proaktif Lubuk Bukut.
He said the question was whether the existing representation could cope with the development expectations of Kakus and Tamin over the next 20 years.
“Electoral boundaries should serve the people, not the other way around,” he said.
Jawing said stronger representation would be crucial as Sarawak pursued rural development in areas including food security, agro-processing, tourism, digital commerce and entrepreneurship.
He urged the relevant authorities to seriously consider Bukit Arip, saying failure to strengthen rural representation could risk leaving remote communities behind. — DayakDaily
