Sibu Rural District Council (SRDC) / Angelia Anne Kuleh

The overall administrative regions Sibu Rural District Council with an area of 5,869.35 kilometre square after the entry of Selangau into SRDC custody in 2002. During the early day of the council, the SRDC split by ward system, where originally there were 22 wards. However, due to a specific review done on the border areas, wards 16 (the area near the border of Sibu Municipal Council) have been brought under the administration of Sibu Municipal Council in 1981. As well as wards 1, where the area known as the Igan Area also formally taken over by the Matu-Daro District Council in October, 1991. Therefore, the administration of SRDC has now been reduced to 20 wards, but the area is 25 times the size compared to the Sibu Municipal Council. Today, with the strength of 76 staff, SRDC oversee two (2) local administrative area of Sibu and Selangau which covers an area of nearly 6,000 square kilometres, with a total current population is nearly 60,000 people, consist of the Iban and other indigenous people in rural areas, while the Chinese people live in cities and other settlements along the Rejang River. In 1997, the council has required effort to achieve municipal status by 2010. In order to administer the rural areas, SRDC require strong cooperation of human resources, machinery and finance to provide effective services and understanding by the public and receive whatever positive changes brought by SRDC in an effort to bring development and improve people’s standard of living.