A view of the artificial lake formed by the Batang Ai Dam,around Lubuk Antu province. It is a popular tourist attraction.
LUBOK Antu is a typical small town in rural Sarawak. Located on the banks of the Batang Ai river, it has only two rows of old wooden shops, a hotel, a market and a sports centre. By lunch time, the market is shut, and the traders return to their longhouses and there is hardly a soul to be seen
Thanks to Batang Ai by-election to be held on April 7, over the past few days, Lubok Antu has been thrust into the spotlight.
As the only town in the constituency, it is now swarmed with folk from all over the state and more than 800 policemen.
Lubok Antu comes under the Batang Ai state constituency. This seat and the Engkilili state constituency make up the Lubok Antu parliamentary seat.
The town, which is about 300km from Kuching, however, does not have a bank. The local folks pay their bills at the post office or go all the way to Sri Aman, about an hour-and-a-half drive away.
There are seven rural clinics and two health clinics within the Lubok Antu district which covers 1,341 sq km.
The district has a population of 22,234 with the majority being Ibans, who make up 95per cent while the others are Chinese, Malays and Bidayuh.
There are 238 longhouses, a church, a Chinese temple and a mosque in the district.
The town generally comes alive in the morning when the market is in full swing and people come to buy all kinds of produce, especially the famous red tilapia fish found in the Batang Ai river.
Although Batang Ai has a hydro-electric dam that supplies electricity to Kuching and Sibu, many villages and longhouses that dot the area from the dam to the main bazaar of Lubok Antu have no electricity supply.
Thousands of residents still rely on diesel-powered generators, even as the power transmission lines from the dam, commissioned 25 years ago, run above their wooden dwellings.
Thanks to Batang Ai by-election to be held on April 7, over the past few days, Lubok Antu has been thrust into the spotlight.
As the only town in the constituency, it is now swarmed with folk from all over the state and more than 800 policemen.
Lubok Antu comes under the Batang Ai state constituency. This seat and the Engkilili state constituency make up the Lubok Antu parliamentary seat.
The town, which is about 300km from Kuching, however, does not have a bank. The local folks pay their bills at the post office or go all the way to Sri Aman, about an hour-and-a-half drive away.
There are seven rural clinics and two health clinics within the Lubok Antu district which covers 1,341 sq km.
The district has a population of 22,234 with the majority being Ibans, who make up 95per cent while the others are Chinese, Malays and Bidayuh.There are 238 longhouses, a church, a Chinese temple and a mosque in the district.
The town generally comes alive in the morning when the market is in full swing and people come to buy all kinds of produce, especially the famous red tilapia fish found in the Batang Ai river.
Although Batang Ai has a hydro-electric dam that supplies electricity to Kuching and Sibu, many villages and longhouses that dot the area from the dam to the main bazaar of Lubok Antu have no electricity supply.Thousands of residents still rely on diesel-powered generators, even as the power transmission lines from the dam, commissioned 25 years ago, run above their wooden dwellings.
Courtesy : NST
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