The whole area of Sibu Rural District Council lies within the Sibu District Administrative Region, measuring approximately the perimeter size of 5,869.35 sq. kilometers with the recent hand over of Selangau area into SRDC. In the early days, ever since it's experimental formation, the area of Sibu Rural District Council was divided into wards system, which orginally comprised of twenty-two (22) wards. Somehow or rather, due to the specific review of the demarcation of boundary, Ward 16, the adjacent area which lies next to the border of outskirt of the then Sibu Municipal Council area was officially vested into Sibu Municipal Council Administraive jurisdiction in 1981. Similarly Ward 1, which was commonly known as Igan area was then handed over officially to the Administrative authority of Matu-Daro District Council in October, 1991. Thus, Sibu Rural District Council is existingly left with only twenty (20) wards and in comparison, the area size is approximately about 25 times larger the present area of Sibu Municipal Council.
 

GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATIONS

Generally, the natural landscape of SRDC area is made up of a gentle hill slope to the north-west, a vegetation much of the secondary forest. Shifting cultivations to plant conventional crops such as padi are still being practised at only a moderate scale beside the planting of pepper, cocoa and local fruit trees on part of the low-projecting plateau and flat-plain. To the south and south west, the Rejang basin are rapidly intercepted by numerous samall tributaries. The vegetation is fairly made-up of both primary and secondary forest, lying on most of the coastal and down-river lowland. Apparently as you navigate along the mightly Batang Lassa and Batang Igan, you can always notice a long stretch of 'nipah' palm growing aggressively reflecting a common feature of muddy and swampy peat soil area. This part of the region which once left idle has nowadays been drained-out by the machine-made cannels at a few hundred meters length accessible to some parts of the interior. A noble cause implemented by the Drainage and Irrigation Department, had benifitted the local residents to plant crops, such as Japanese orange, local "Bintangor' orange, maize, vegetables, tapioca and fruit trees along the stretch of low-dried land.

Of-course, the feature of the nearby areas along the stretch of Batang Rejang, Batang Igan dan Batang Lassa have tremendously being shaped by the setting-up of down-stream wood-processing industries, ship-yard manufacturing industries and sago-moulding factories.
 

POPULATION

Based on the statistic data in 2000, the total number of resident residing in Sibu Rural District Council area was recorded approximately at 80,000. Areas along the river banks and road-sides are much more densely pupulated compared to some parts of the area which are yet accessible by public transportations. Perhaps, convenience communication networks and job apportunities at the industrial sectors have precipitated to attract the population growth. Most part of the areas along the down-rivers of Batang Lassa, Batang Igan, Batang Rejang and it's hinterland are predominantly inhabited by the Ibans. The Chinese inhabited the areas which are reachable by public transportations, making it easier for them to market-out their farming products. The Melanaus and the Malays could scarcely be found along the riverbanks, as their main occupation are farming, fishing and planting of sago.