SERIAN: It may take several more years before the Serian District Council (SDC) can be upgraded to a municipal council.
According to its chairman Datuk Peter Minos, the district is still far from meeting the requirements set by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government.
He said to become a municipality in Malaysia, a local authority must typically have a population of over 150,000 residents and an annual revenue exceeding RM20 million.
Aside from that, the council must function as a developed, urbanised area with strong economic activity, infrastructure, and the capacity to manage sustainable development.
“The district currently falls short of the criteria required by the federal ministry, particularly in terms of population size and annual revenue.
“The population in Serian now is between 120,000 and 130,000. With another three townships coming up, one in Tebedu, one in Serian Town and one in Balai Ringin, that may bring about a sufficient population quota.
“However, this may take another five years,” he said in an interview with Sarawak Tribune today.
Minos noted that SDC annual revenue, which comes from rates, taxes, this and that doesn’t come to RM20 million a year, saying to be a municipality a district must have at least RM20 to RM25 million a year consistently for a number of years.
He said a municipal council has to be approved not only by the local ministry of local government but also by the federal ministry.
“I know because I was responsible for the upgrading of Samarahan District Council from a district to Samarahan Municipal Council,” he added.
Minos explained that apart from the two basic requirements, Serian does not have any university nor army camp, big housing estates or big businesses yet.
He said to be a municipality, the federal government will insist that the district must have, if possible, a tertiary institution.
“When I came in I thought I could turn the SDC into a municipality. But after I checked it, the population is not there, the revenue is not there, I was slow on it.
“When I was with Samarahan District Council, I managed to do it after six months because the population, the revenue, the university, the army camp, big residential estate and big businesses were there,” he said.
Minos pointed out that attaining municipal status is not merely a matter of prestige but also involves higher administrative standards, greater responsibilities, and improved infrastructure and services for residents.
Nevertheless, he expressed confidence that Serian has strong long-term potential due to its strategic location and ongoing development initiatives.
Minos said continued development efforts by the state government, along with private sector investment, will be crucial in accelerating the district’s progress.
“With sustained development and increasing economic activities, Serian will eventually reach the level required for municipal status. It is only a matter of time.
“For now, the council will continue focusing on strengthening basic infrastructure and services while supporting development that can help the district meet the necessary criteria in the future,” he said.
