NESTLED in the north of Selangor under the Sabak Bernam constituency, Sekinchan has much to offer as it is now one of the main tourist destinations in the state.
Its state assemblyman Ng Suee Lim, who has served the people for 16 years, is very much dedicated to ensuring that Sekinchan not only plays its role in uplifting the tourism sector following the Covid-19 outbreak but also become a leading producer of agriculture to help the state prioritise food security.
Ng, who currently serves as Speaker of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly, shares with Selangor Journal the wonders of Sekinchan and how his ability to converse fluently in the Javanese language helps to build a connection with the locals.
Selangor Journal (SJ): What is the main industry in your constituency?
Ng Suee Lim (NSL): Sekinchan is known as the rice bowl of Selangor due to its high yield in the crop. Aside from rice production, it also contributes to the fishing industry and has a large traditional fishing village. Because of the green paddy fields, I have also been working to promote Sekinchan as an eco-tourism destination since 2004 and this has been a success because not only is Sekinchan able to attract local tourists, it also has its share of foreign tourists. Although tourism was badly affected by the movement control order (MCO), we have seen it recover following the ease in restrictions. We have some new attractions, such as the Four Seasons Paddy Centre, which is already open to the public but has yet to be launched. And we also have a coconut farm where visitors can come and enjoy fresh coconut drinks.
SJ: What would you say the main attraction in your constituency is?
NSL: We have many restaurants and eateries that offer fresh and delicious seafood dishes at affordable prices. As I have mentioned, our rice and fisheries production are of notable standards. We have even received approval from the Agriculture and Food Industries Ministry and Beras Wangi to plant seeds from the Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi). This means that the quality of our Beras Wangi is at par with international standards. As for our fishery products, our fishermen had received overwhelming demand during the MCO as many people stayed home and ordered their fresh produce online.
SJ: What are some of the concerns that are raised by your constituents and how do you plan to address them?
NSL: There are several issues that are of people’s concern. One of them is land ownership where settlers have resided in Bagan on Malay reserves for over 50 years but do not have the grant. So I worked on solving each case individually and by 2010, we had helped 250 families involving some 77 acres of land. It was a win-win situation.
SJ: What are some of your achievements so far in your constituency?
NSL: Aside from the land ownership issue, in terms of boosting eco-tourism, we have managed to collaborate with Kuala Selangor to come up with comprehensive packages, such as offering attractive overstay packages that include visits to Sky Mirror and Blue Tears. In the last 10 years, we have formed the Sekinchan Tourism Development Association where we include industry players like the hotel, homestay and restaurant owners, and we meet regularly to discuss on how to further develop the area to become more holistic. There is also the issue of overcrowdedness of the fishing jetty so I have come up with a system to monitor the jetties. In the pilot project which started three years ago, 86 jetties had been gazetted under Section 62 of the National Land Code and licensed out to the owners via the Fishermen Association. Back then there was no inventory to keep track of the number of jetties so now we have made it systematic and this model will be adopted in Sungai Besar, Sabak Bernam, Tanjung Karang and Kuala Selangor.
SJ: Can you share with us some of your problem-solving methods?
NSL: I like to come up with win-win solutions when an issue arises. For example, there was a rise in unemployment following the MCO and some people began to set up stalls in areas that were not allowed. We approached them politely and helped them the best we could, such as relocating their stalls. We give them a chance. My ability to speak the Javanese language gives me more advantage compared to other assemblymen because when you are able to speak the local language of the Malay communities, such as in Parit 7 where there are many Javanese people, and Parit 8 and 9 of Banjar people, it is easy to approach them. It enables a better understanding of their traditions and customs too.
