Peta pentadbiran Daerah Matu

Background

The early account of Matu’s administrative role in governing dated back to the Rajah Brooke’s era. It was the administrative centre serving the areas from Muara Rejang to Sarikei and Daro. When the British colonial government took over, Sarikei took over as the administrative centre for these areas.
Changes began taking shape after 1936. The population recorded in 1940 was only 3,000 comprising mainly of Melanau, Malay, Chinese and a minority of Indian and Arabic descents.

Once a remote area with almost no accessibility, Matu is now thriving with economic activities and infrastructure development. Previously under the political area of N24, Matu was upgraded to N32 after it was declared as full district under the charge of ADUN YB Datuk Abdul Wahab Haji Dollah.
With this new arrangement, Matu and Daro become two separate administrative entities. However, the level of cooperation between the different government departments and the communities of Matu and Daro remains close as before.

Population

Matu’s latest population is 13,024 of which 80% is made up of the Melanau community.

There are about 19 kampungs and longhouses in Matu. There include Kampung Tian, Jemoreng, Sekaan Besar, Sekaan Kecil, Kuala Matu, Beruan Mapal, Beruan Besar, Sok, Skim Lobak Balu, Kampung Lobak Balu, Berong, Pergau, Patau Baru, Patau Lama, Berjaya, Bawang, Alot, Tanjung Jol, Rumah Gangga and Rumah Edi.

Kampung Tian is the biggest with about 300 households and over 2,000 people. This is followed by Kpg Jemoreng with slightly over 200 households comprising over 1,300 people. Next comes Kampung Kuala Matu with about 160 households of over 1,000 people while the rest of the population is spread over the rest of the kampungs and longhouses found throughout the district. Matu has 2 pemancas, 7 penghulus and 47 ketua kaum.

Economic Activities

A majority of Matu’s population is engaged in the agriculture sector. Farming has been the traditional occupation of its people since Rajah Brooke’s time.
The vast expanse of fertile land in Matu has made it possible for the agricultural sector to gain a strong foothold in this area. With the completion of the road network in the late 90s, the government has opened up more land for development including commercial farming.

Sago

At one time, Matu was famed for its quality and delicious sago products. With this in mind, the government has identified several areas suitable for commercial sago farming. To date, about 1,001 ha is developed for sago cultivation.

Oil Palm

Almost half of the total area or 1,234 ha under agriculture is cultivated with oil . Developed as a commercial crop as early as 1989 by Felcra Gugusan Matu, oil palm cultivation involves more than 400 people from Kampung Sok, Kampung Sekaan, Tanjung Jol, Nangar, Pergau, Alud, Kuala Matu and Loba Balu. More areas are being considered for future development, as it is a major contributor to the agricultural sector in Matu.

Other crops/activities

Other crops include padi, coconuts, fruits, vegetables and other short-term crops. Oil palm production was about 5,224.01 metric ton or RM942.907.25 in revenue for 2002.

Other significant economic activities include the commercial rearing of cows/buffalos and sheep and the cultivation of tiger prawns and lobster. Fishing is still an important activity in this riverine community although it is more for self-consumption. Matu is popular for its dried and smoked fish, which are sold in bigger towns like Sibu and Sarikei.

Water and Electricity

About 90% of its households received electricity supply from SESCO and about 70% of the household get treated water supply from its source at Sungai Jemoreng.

This is a far cry from that time when the villagers had to rely on the electricity supply provided by a private electricity company and the streets lighted by gas lamps.

Development in Matu started as early as the 80s when Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr Haji Abdul Taib took over as Chief Minister in 1981. In line with his Politics of Development policy, development in the form of physical infrastructures and the setting up of government machineries further accelerated the overall development of the district.

Roads

A key component to development is a well-developed road system to link places and connect people. With this in place, economic improvement will naturally follow suit. A good road network improves communication and allows easy transportation of goods and people. It will spur economic development through increased trading activities, which will improve the livelihood of the rural community.

In Matu, a 38-km road linking the many villages in the district cuts down travelling time from several hours to about 30 minutes. This RM38.7 million-road project completed in late 90s now links villages, which were previously only accessible by boat. For example, Kampung Sok is now only walking distance from Kpg Sekaan and Matu can now be reached from Daro in less than 30 minutes.

The completion of the RM60 million Matu Igan road is another achievement for Matu. Completed in 1997, this 44-km road project using the Yugoslavia technology was implemented under the “Gerakan Desa Wawasan” project - a government programme to bring about development within a rural community. Like the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, this project is seen to provide hope that will bring about progress to Matu and Daro in full swing.

Education

Another important component to development is education. Understanding its importance the government is making efforts to ensure better education is available to the children in Matu. Currently Matu has 10 primary schools and 2 secondary schools. There are more graduates than ever before with the more academically accomplished students pursuing their further studies in bigger cities like Sibu, Miri, Kuching and Kuala Lumpur.

Although great emphasis is placed on secular education, religious instructions are no less important. Islam is the main religion of the Melanau community. It is believed that Matu is one of the first few districts that embraced Islam in Sarawak in the early 17th Century.

Other Facilities

In the early years of its development, Matu can only boast of a District Office and a police station.

Today, it has a hospital and three clinics in addition to the various key government departments such as Agriculture Department, Drainage and Irrigation Department, Public Works Department and the Matu-Daro District Council.

Other departments include Information Department, RELA, Education Department, Felcra Gugusan Matu Office, Sistem Telekom Malaysia and Sarawak Electric Supply Corporation (SESCO).

Matu also has a community hall, which was completed in 1997.

Tourism

Another potential in Matu is its tourism industry. Although it does not possess many established tourism products, Matu’s attraction lies in its nature’s beauty and rich cultural heritage. The Melanau, though small in number, has one of the most unique and interesting traditions and customs in Sarawak. One unique feature of Matu is its brackish river water that some people find appealing and interesting. Visitors can visit several tourist spots such Rumah Melanau Kampung Sok or the Telaga Penawar Kpg Jemoreng that offer home-stay programmes for those who wish to have a unique cultural experience of the Melanau community.

Administration

The administrative structure of the Matu District is headed by a District Officer, while its sub-district Igan is lead by an Administrative Officer . Divided into two parliamentary regions of P. 180 Kuala Rejang under YB Datuk (Dr) Effendi bin Norwawi and P. 186 Mukah headed by YB Datuk Leo Michael Toyad. Matu is under the electoral constituencies of N.32 Matu- (YB Datuk Haji Abdul Wahab bin Dollah) and N.44 Da1at (YB Hajjah Fatimah Abdullah).
The Matu District Office is the administrative centre for Matu District. It is located about 90 km from the Mukah Divisional Administrative Centre.

Matu – Into the world of Information Technology

The completion of the new roads connecting Matu to other parts of Sarawak means bringing Matu further into the mainstream of development. With improved accessibility, it becomes easier for the government to provide the basic amenities such electricity and water supply. Once these are in place, the task of introducing information technology is possible. Schools are equipped with computers and with more graduates available, the transfer of knowledge and skills is easier.

Indeed, a growing district like will benefit greatly from the use of Information Technology. Literacy in IT and the use of computers are necessary if Matu is to grow like the rest of the bigger cities in the State.

How to get there

Matu is accessible by land and water. It takes about 10 hrs to drive from Sibu. It is faster to travel via express boat to Daro from Sibu. Matu is about 30-min drive from Daro.

The drainage system has to be improved	Among government offices…ready to serve the people

One of the Melanau settlements in Matu	Matu town…to meet the people’s daily needs

“Leading Towards progressive and Prosperous Society”

Peneraju Kemajuan Dan Kesejahteraan Rakyat

District Mission

- Memberi Khidmat Berkualiti
- Mengurus Pembangunan Seimbang dan Mampan
- Menjadi Pengantara Yang Cekap dan Berkesan
- Mewujudkan Masyarakat yang berbudaya