has shown a 20% price increase from 2011 to 2013. Governance Bintulu is represented by Bintulu parliamentary seat (P.217) in the Parliament of Malaysia. The town is also represented by three state assembly seatsJepak, Kidurong (later was split by two state assembly namely Tanjong Batu and Samalaju), and Kemenain the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly. Local authorities Since 1978 the town of Bintulu has been administered by the Bintulu Development Authority (BDA), with offices located along Jalan Tanjung Kidurong. The town is located within the boundary of Bintulu District, with a population of 183,402 and a total area of . Bintulu Division was formerly a Bintulu District under the jurisdiction of Miri Division. The former Bintulu District was upgraded to Bintulu Division on 1 January 1987. At the same time, Bintulu sub-district was upgraded to the present-day Bintulu District. Both the Bintulu Resident and District offices are located inside Wisma Residen, Pisang Keling Street, Bintulu. Geography Bintulu is located northeast of Kuching northeast of Sibu, and southwest of Miri. Bintulu is located near the mouth of the Kemena River, in the coastal region of central Sarawak. Geology of the coastal area was formed during the Pleistocene period; silt, clay, and gravel can be found here. Geological formation from the Oligocene period is found in the inland area, which contains limestone, siltstone, and sandstone. The soil is generally soft. Climate There are two monsoon seasons in the Bintulu: the northeast monsoon (November to March) and the southwest monsoon (May to September). The calm period between these two monsoons is known as the transitional period. In the coastal region, maximum rainfall occurs in the month of January, while minimal rainfall occurs from the period June to August. Rainfall is more evenly distributed in the inland areas. The annual rainfall of the Bintulu region is about annually. The mean daily hours of sunshine at Bintulu is about 5.0 to 5.5 hours. Bintulu receives on average 14 to 15 mJ/m2 of radiation throughout the year. Bintulu's relative humidity is 85%. Demographics The growth of Bintulu's population is shown below: The issue of gangsters in Bintulu was first raised in 2007 by the member of parliament (MP) for Bintulu. The gangsters may have run businesses related to illegal logging, controlling the prices of diesel, eggs, fertiliser and gas cylinders. Bintulu police have been cracking down on gangster activities in the town. Unscrupulous businessmen who seek cheap