SIBU: The organiser of Pesta Selangau will make the rafting challenge, which was introduced last year, its signature event this year.
Additionally, there will also be two new water events – kayaking and radio control boat race.
This was disclosed by Sibu Rural District Council (SRDC) chairman Sempurai Petrus Ngelai at a press conference on the festival held after a full council meeting here yesterday.
He said the trade fair for Pesta Selangau would run from April 28 to May 14. Moreover, he said he had been informed by his councillors that this year’s competition might be more challenging than before due to the low tide.
“The SRDC this time will emphasise on creating business opportunities for the local Selangau folk.
“The council, together with the event management operator, will also be conducting a survey on the economic impact from the festival. This survey is very important for us to assess and measure the impact of the festival in term of business returns to Selangau traders and business community,” Sempurai said, pointing out that similar surveys were conducted by the current event operator at other festivals like last year’s Pesta Kanowit where overall, the traders there earned RM1.48 million.
The Sibu International BASE Jump 2016, he added, earned RM1.01 million based on figures from Top Event Services Sdn Bhd.
“With this kind of impact survey, SRDC could make a proper plan in sustaining the festival and indirectly giving positive economic impact to the local business community and also the development of Selangau bazaar itself.”
Sempurai said organising the festival was not merely about ‘hosting an entertainment or a fiesta’.
“More importantly, it’s about the socio-economic impact from the festival itself, including its potential to become tourism attraction.
“As part of the calendar of events under the Visit Sibu Year 2017 campaign, I have high hopes for Pesta Selangau 2017 to be more successful and much grander than the one we hosted last year,” he said.
Sempurai said Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Joseph Entulu would officiate at the opening of the festival this May 12, while Assistant Minister for Arts and Culture Datuk John Sikie Tayai and Tamin assemblyman Christopher Gira would perform the closing ceremony on May 14.
On the Local Key Result Areas (LKRAs), he said SRDC would conduct a one-day seminar for all councillors and section heads at a hotel here this April 10 to incorporate the council’s strategic planning with the seven LKRAs under the Local Government Ministry for them to achieve within 2017-2018.
Meanwhile, Sempurai called upon all members of the public to be more serious in looking after the council facilities and preventing them from being vandalised.
He also advised them against indiscriminate dumping of industrial waste and rubbish outside the SRDC bin centre.
“It is very frustrating to receive the report from councillors stating complaints from residents about the rubbish that has not been collected by the scavenging contractor, when in fact the waste is being dumped outside the centre by irresponsible members of the public,” he said.
At the press conference, SRDC deputy chairman Robert Lau who also heads the council’s business and licensing standing committee, said they were pushing to get the night market set up at Sibu Jaya.
He told those interested to apply for trading licence to obtain the application forms, filled them and submit to the SRDC by April 17.
“They can obtain the forms at the council’s office in the town’s centre or in Selangau, of they can head to the SRDC library in Sibu Jaya,” he said.
Lau said SRDC would provide canopies and tables to the traders, adding that the current layout could accommodate 88 stalls.
“All the 100 applications (received so far) want to sell food and drinks. Actually we want more variety such as stalls selling toys, beauty and healthcare products, fruits, clothing, souvenirs, antiques, arts and crafts, as well as those for buskers,” he said, adding that SRDC would vet all the applications before making decisions.
On dengue, Lau disclosed that there were 17 cases recorded in this district, and 13 cases in Selangau as at February this year. There was an outbreak at Pulau Kerto area.
In his remarks to this, Sempurai said the council had been intensifying its campaigns including ‘gotong-royong’ (mass clean-up parties) to curb the spread of dengue.