Delayed land titles, ageing healthcare facilities, unsafe school buildings and weak rural infrastructure continue to affect communities in Opar despite ongoing development efforts across Sarawak.
Opar assemblyman Billy Sujang said land surveying involving perimeter, agricultural and traditional lots remained unresolved in many rural areas, leaving residents waiting for land titles despite repeated discussions in the august House.
“Land issues are very close to the hearts of rural people because they involve economic resources, family inheritance, housing sites and the future of the next generation,” he said when debating on the motion of appreciation for the address by the Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar in the Sarawak Legislative Assembly today.
Billy said several villages in Opar had undergone land surveying under programmes involving the Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA) and the Land and Survey Department, but land titles had yet to be issued.
He also raised concerns over joint venture plantation projects under SALCRA and LCDA-PJP Pelita, saying many landowners had still not received land titles despite the completion of the first planting cycle.
On infrastructure, Billy said 243 applications submitted under the Additional and Late Applicant Fund (ALAF) programme for rural electricity supply between 2022 and 2025 were still awaiting approval.
“Electricity is not a luxury, but a basic right for every rakyat,” he stressed.
Billy also proposed a more inclusive housing loan scheme for rural residents living in individual village homes, particularly among Bidayuh, Salako and Rara communities, saying existing schemes mainly benefited longhouse residents.
In education, he highlighted safety concerns involving ageing buildings at SK Selampit in Lundu, claiming some structures were no longer suitable for classroom use due to termite damage.
He further called for the construction of a new Lundu District Hospital, saying the existing facility, which is over 60 years old, could no longer cope with current healthcare demands.
On public health, Billy warned that rabies remained a serious threat in Sarawak, noting that more than 90 human rabies cases had been recorded since 2017, including four deaths this year alone.
He also called for the restoration of scheduled bus services for the Kuching-Lundu and Lundu-Sematan routes, saying the lack of public transport had affected students, senior citizens, low-income groups and tourism activities.
At the same time, Billy welcomed the establishment of the Greater Kuching Coordinated Development Agency (GKCDA), describing it as a key initiative in accelerating rural infrastructure development.
