Manyin (second right) and others enjoy a ‘silat’ display performed by young exponents of the martial art at Kampung Tebakang Melayu.
SERIAN: The first Resident for the new Serian Division will most definitely be appointed this year, said Infrastructure Development and Communication Minister Dato Sri Michael Manyin Jawong.
He explained that the appointment was being delayed until Dec 1 pending the completion of the Resident’s Office.
The Resident’s Office building will be built next month at a cost of over RM3 million by extending the current District Office here, and the contractor is expected to complete it within four months.
“As far as candidate for the Resident’s post is concerned, that one is not for me to announce. But we are already identifying a few people not just for the post of Resident, but also two Deputy Residents and one district officer for the new district of Tebedu,” he told reporters after he opened the Tourism and Culture Ministry, Sarawak’s Hari Raya Aidilfitri gathering at Kampung Tebakang Melayu Homestay on Sunday night.
The elevation of Serian as the 12th division of Sarawak was announced by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem during the Pesta Birumuh at Serian mini stadium on April 11.
Manyin, who is also Tebedu assemblyman, has been credited as the person who had been leading the effort to get the division status for Serian which is now the first and only Bidayuh-majority division in the state.
On a related matter, Manyin said buildings and facilities worth more than RM100 million will be built to facilitate administration of Serian Division.
“Once the Resident comes in, we will have to start by putting up blocks for federal offices and state offices such as the Land and Survey Department, Agriculture Department, Public Works Department, judiciary courts and so on just like the other divisions.
“In terms of dollars and cents, there will be millions of ringgit coming into Serian … That is a gift for the Serian people,” he said.
Earlier, in his speech, Manyin said all villages in the Tebedu state constituency are now accessible by road while the people also get to enjoy other comforts of modern living such as mobile phone coverage.
He described Kampung Tebakang Melayu as his ‘fortress’ as the village consistently delivered 85 per cent of its votes for him during state elections.
The situation could be different next election if the new state seat of Bukit Simuja – which extends up to Tebakang Melayu – is approved, he added.
He also shared his experience during his previous 14-month stint as state minister in charge of tourism, during which Singapore’s Tiger Air had flights to Kuching and Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) used to have an office in Seoul.
However, Tiger Air has stopped flying to Kuching and STB hasclosed its Seoul office while efforts to get a Korean company to run a golf course in Kuching also did not materialise, stated Manyin as he described the time as minister in charge of tourism as a “fun but difficult task”.
Present at the Hari Raya gathering were Assistant Minister of Tourism Datuk Talib Zulpilip, Permanent Secretary to the Tourism Ministry Datu Ik Pahon Joyik and Tourism and Culture Ministry’s Sarawak director Suriya Charles Buas.
Talib, in his short speech, described Tebakang Melayu as a living model of 1Malaysia where the Malays live in harmony with the neighbouring Bidayuh and Chinese settlements.
He also called on the village folks to continue supporting Manyin for his many contributions to the village.