SIBU: Residents here have been reminded to not carry out open burning of any kind in view of the current dry spell.
Sibu Rural District Council (SRDC) chairman Sempurai Petrus Ngelai said although the air quality was still good despite forest fires in neighbouring West Kalimantan, the public should avoid open burning.
He also instructed the Standing Committee for Environment and Public Health under its new chairman, Kong Chek King, to come up with an action plan against this activity.
Separately, on the fixed RM300 monthly allowance for all councillors statewide, he said though it was a welcome move, the amount was hardly sufficient for a semi-urban and rural council like SRDC.
“The RM300 allowance plus meeting allowance are not enough for our councillors as we are a semi-urban and rural council,” he said at a press conference yesterday.
“We cover a big area of more than 5,000 sq metres with 300 longhouses and two townships of Sibu Jaya and Selangau Bazaar. We have only 31 councillors who need to spend to go to the ground,” he said.
Sempurai said due to its sheer size, SRDC needed the public to work closely with them by being their eyes and ears about issues that affect them.
“We need public assistance so that we can function more effectively.”
The team, he said, is made up of 16 new councillors while the rest were reappointed.
“We are a mixture of old and new faces. I have reminded senior councillors to guide the new ones.”
The council has already formed its standing committees. They included Environment and Public Health under its new chairman Kong Chek King; Public Works and Building (chairman David Entulu); Community Development, Sport, Culture and Youth (chairman Teo Boon Siew); Development, Planning, Finance and Resource Management (chairman Sempurai Petrus).
