Plans to rezone Mukim Pengkalan Batu

THE Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) is planning to rezone Mukim Pengkalan Batu into four zones in order for village leaders to better and effectively manage the areas, the Minister of Home Affairs disclosed yesterday. Yang Berhormat Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Hj Badaruddin Pengarah Dato Paduka Hj Othman said the ministry will be introducing the zone concept where a number of less-populated villages would be merged and splitting up the densely-populate ones, while maintaining those with appropriate size of population. "The main purpose of this plan is to make the governing of those villages more effectively by village leaders according to the appropriate size of population," the minister said.

Speaking during the thanksgiving ceremony following the completion of rice harvesting at the Kampung Parit Community Hall, YB Pehin Dato Ustaz Hj Badaruddin said in implementing the rezoning plan which was based on the ratio of number of residents to one village head, would depend on the areas the villages were located; whether they were in the urban, sub-urban, or rural areas.

"For villages in urban areas the ratio is 1: 3,000, sub-urban is 1: 1,500 and for rural areas is 1: 1,000 people," said the minister.

He pointed out that Mukim Pengkalan Batu is categorised as a "town" (Bandar) or urban area. Eight out of its 14 villages have less than 1,000 people. Two out of the eight villages have residents under 500, and one less than 10.

"Mukim Pengkalan Batu is one of the mukims situated on the outskirt of the capital city which is undergoing progress. Other than having the facilities like schools, mosque, health spots and there is also a vast area of padi plantation and modern housing and shops," said the minister. He stated that the district has the potential to continue to thrive and grow as the residents of the mukim at the same time they also have the opportunity to advance themselves to become property owners and not merely be the license holders but the work being conducted by foreigners. Mukim Pengkalan Batu has 14 villages under eight ketua kampung with a population of 13,031. The Brunei Times