THE appointment of mayors, municipal chairpersons, and district council heads in Sarawak is guided by strict, merit-based criteria, said Deputy Premier and Public Health, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian.
Addressing concerns over gender representation in local government leadership, Dr Sim clarified that appointments are based on experience, professional distinction, and the ability to represent community interests, rather than gender.
“Councillors must be Malaysian citizens who are ordinarily residents in Sarawak.
“They are appointed based on their experience in local government, those who have achieved distinction in their respective professions, commerce or industry, or individuals who have demonstrated the capability to effectively represent the interests of their community.
“These qualifications ensure that our local authorities are led by competent, experienced, and community-minded individuals who can contribute meaningfully to local governance and service delivery,” he said during his ministerial winding-up speech in the State Legislative Assembly today.
On strengthening technical capacity in local councils, he said that in 2019, the ministry deployed 42 additional technical officers, including 17 engineers (Grade J9) and 25 assistant engineers (Grade JA5), to various councils including the Simunjan District Council.
“The ministry will continue to optimise manpower and provide ongoing technical support to councils,” he said.
In addition, Dr Sim highlighted the development of a Samalaju workers’ parking facility, with the Bintulu Development Authority (BDA) identifying 94.46 acres of state land next to Taman Bilangan, Kidurong for the project. BDA is currently collecting data on the number of parking spaces required to determine the total capacity.
Dr Sim also spoke on the Traffic Warden Unit established by BDA in 2024 where the unit, under the Enforcement Section of Pejabat Perkhidmatan Perbandaran, currently has seven personnel trained under the Road Transport Act 1987 in collaboration with Royal Malaysia Police (RMP).
“The unit manages traffic during divisional and state events, with full collaboration with RMP expected by the first quarter of 2026,” he said.
