From hardship to development in Kuala Rajang

KUCHING : Seeing residents smile and benefit from development in Kuala Rajang gives Datuk Len Talif Salleh the greatest satisfaction in representing his constituency.

The Kuala Rajang assemblyman said improvements in education, connectivity and opportunities to earn a living were especially meaningful to him, having grown up helping his parents make ends meet in the same area.

“I feel satisfied when I see people smile and benefit from what we are doing, whether in education, the economy or the facilities we provide for small businesses.

“On a larger scale, we can see how people respond to and benefit from improved connectivity,” he told Sarawak Tribune.

Len Talif said better roads and bridges had changed daily life for residents, making it easier to travel for work, shopping and essential services.

He said these connections also enabled families to remain in their communities while accessing opportunities in neighbouring towns.

“With improved road connectivity, people living in Tanjung Manis or nearby villages can travel to Sarikei for work and shopping.

“Good connectivity can reduce rural-to-urban migration and help ease some social problems,” he said.

For Len Talif, the changes are a marked departure from his childhood, when travelling from his village to school in Julau took two days and one night, and later to Kanowit took three days and two nights.

He said journeys that once required days could now be completed in less than two hours, while a school was also available near his village.

“Sometimes people take things for granted and assume they happened naturally, but development requires vision.

“Planning is one thing, but operationalising a plan requires money. With funding, plans can be translated into something tangible,” he said.

Having grown up collecting crabs, koyong (mud creeper) and lokan (mangrove clam) to help his parents earn a living, Len Talif said he considered himself fortunate to have witnessed and participated in the area’s development.

From those humble beginnings, the Colombo Plan Scholarship provided by the Australian government enabled him to further his studies before a career that included service with the Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC), Forest Department Sarawak and Sarawak Forestry Corporation, followed by politics.

“You can see the progression: how I was brought up, the struggles at school, the scholarship that allowed me to study, returning to work at STIDC, serving as a civil servant for 32 years, and then being given the opportunity to enter politics.

“I cannot ask for more,” he reflected.

Now in his third term, Len Talif said considerable work remained in Kuala Rajang, with plans already in place that a future representative could build upon.

While willing to serve another term if given the opportunity, he said the decision rested with Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg and that he would accept it if someone else was chosen.

“Definitely, if given the chance, I will not turn it down. But if this is where my political life ends, then there are other ways I can contribute to the society that has given so much to me” he added.