PETALING JAYA: Sibu is edging closer to achieving city status as the Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) improves its financial position, says its chairman Clarence Ting.
Ting said one of the key requirements for city status is a minimum of RM50 million in council reserves, with SMC currently holding RM47 million, The Borneo Post reported.
“When I started in 2019, we had RM19 million. Now we have RM47 million. We have to work very hard to make sure Sibu achieves city status,” he was quoted as saying.
Ting said although Sibu is close to meeting the financial requirement, the population benchmark of 300,000 remained a broader structural factor beyond the council’s direct control.
Sibu, in central Sarawak, currently has between 160,000 and 170,000 residents within its municipal boundaries.
Ting said public participation and development growth will play an important role in helping Sibu achieve city status.