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Renovation of Kuching’s Sarawak Performing Arts Centre, in the former State Legislative Assembly building, was 46 per cent complete and 1.6 per cent ahead of schedule as of October 2, with completion targeted for June 2027. DayakDaily reported the figures after a site visit. The report says the heavier construction work is largely finished, with the focus shifting to interior design and finer details. Reworking an existing building has required adapting to its structure rather than building from a blank site. The wider project also covers the former Lapau Building, which is to become a restaurant, and an upgrade to the old fountain area. June 2027 is the construction completion target; the report does not give a public opening date or performance schedule.

Some 95,883 Sarawak smallholders had been identified as eligible for RM400 a month under BUDI Agri-Komoditi, but 35,676 applications — 37.2 per cent — had been approved by September 2026. DayakDaily reported the figures on October 5, citing the Plantation and Commodities Minister’s written parliamentary reply. The eligible group comprises 37,631 oil-palm, 19,644 rubber, 555 cocoa and 38,053 pepper smallholders. The approval count is a separate measure from eligibility: it does not mean every grower identified in the total had an approved application or had received payment. The reply described BUDI Agri-Komoditi as part of the targeted diesel-subsidy rationalisation. It said eligible smallholders in Sabah and Sarawak began receiving RM400 monthly from June 22. The ministry also cited agency hotlines and in-person outreach, but the report did not list a contact number or application deadline.

The Sejingkat Bridge opened to the public on October 5, adding a direct crossing between the Kota Samarahan and Sejingkat sides of the Sarawak River. DayakDaily reported the opening after the ceremony. The newsroom report puts the bridge at 1.281 kilometres and identifies it as part of the Second Trunk Road. It is one of Sarawak’s 21 planned mega-bridges; 12 have now been completed, according to the report. For people travelling between Samarahan and Sejingkat, the bridge is available now. The wider DC3 road package is separate and remains unfinished, with completion expected by the end of 2027. The new crossing should not be mistaken for a completed continuous route onward to Sadong and Sri Aman.

The Larian Semangat Merdeka brought 2,687 participants to Kuching North’s car-free morning on Sunday, October 4, with people with disabilities joining the wider community. The reported turnout included 21 deaf participants, five blind or low-vision participants and 66 children described as orphans. The figures show who took part, rather than race placings or finishing times. Organisers said participation was not limited to runners: some people walked and others needed assistance. That approach made the community programme different from a gathering only for experienced or competitive athletes. Kuching North City Hall linked the car-free morning to making public space available for walking, running, cycling and community interaction. The turnout gives a picture of how that space was used on Sunday, including by residents whose participation involved walking or assistance rather than running. Organisers also discussed more community activities in DBKU areas, but gave no dates or confirmed schedule for those plans.

A false killer whale released back into the sea at Pueh Beach in Sematan washed ashore again and died on October 3. The initial release did not mark the end of the rescue incident. Sarawak Forestry Corporation said fishermen later reported the adult female stranded near the Pueh Youth Camp beach. It was found weak. The agency’s account put the second-stranding report at about 9am and the death at about 2pm that Saturday. The animal measured 3.85 metres. SFC carried out a necropsy and collected specimens for its DNA database, turning the response from a rescue operation into examination and documentation of the stranding. The agency’s instruction for beachgoers is to report stranded, injured or dead wildlife to SFC rather than handle it themselves. It directed the public to its hotline or nearest Kuching regional office so the appropriate rescue or examination response can be arranged.

Samarahan remained in the Unhealthy air-quality band at noon on Sunday, October 4, with an Air Pollutant Index of 151. Kuching stood at 91, in the Moderate band. The noon figures reported from the Natural Resources and Environment Board’s monitoring table showed only a small change from 8am: Samarahan had fallen from 152 to 151, while Kuching eased from 94 to 91. The neighbouring areas remained in different categories despite both readings declining. Conditions did not improve everywhere around Kuching. Lundu rose from 73 in the morning to 84 at noon, although it stayed Moderate. Serian fell from 99 to 95. The Moderate band covers readings from 51 to 100; Unhealthy runs from 101 to 200. A one-point drop at Samarahan therefore did not change its category. These are midday readings, not a forecast for the rest of Sunday. For a later comparison, check the latest local station and its timestamp on the NREB monitoring portal rather than using Kuching’s figure for Samarahan or carrying the noon snapshot into the evening.

Competition for staff is becoming a challenge for Kuching hotel operators as the city’s accommodation market expands. The Everly Lhesson Kuching says it is recruiting Sarawakians, taking on both experienced hotel workers and newcomers who need training. The hotel’s vice-president described the competition for workers in interviews published on October 4. Kitchen recruits, as well as other operational staff, need time to adapt to a hotel’s requirements and procedures. Meanwhile, operators are seeking demand beyond holiday stays. The Everly Lhesson is developing seminar and function business. The operator behind voco Kuching said it retained substantial meeting and event facilities after considering whether to reduce that space. Corporate travel, government-related stays, weddings and family visits bring different kinds of business. For local workers, the interviews also distinguish two routes into hotel employment: transferring existing experience or entering with further training needed. No vacancy list or salaries were announced in the interviews. The voco operator said its current priority was establishing the hotel and understanding guests before considering further expansion.

A riverside house at Kampung Bintawa Tengah in Kuching collapsed on October 3, leaving a family of five unhurt but also damaging the supports of a neighbouring home. The Fire and Rescue Department said the adjacent house had become unstable after debris struck its support posts. Four people lived there. Firefighters put up safety barriers around the affected house and advised its occupants to take precautions. The family from the collapsed house is staying with a relative. In a later account, the mother said she and her three daughters had been at their kuih stall, while her husband was away at work when the house gave way. Some documents were recovered, but the daughters’ identity cards remained in a submerged bedroom. Bomba received the report at 1.16pm on Saturday. Petra Jaya firefighters arrived at 1.22pm; no rescue operation was needed, and the response with police ended at 2.14pm. The immediate safety concern therefore extends beyond the house that fell into the river. The adjoining structure was also left unsafe for occupation. The family’s temporary accommodation does not resolve that separate structural risk.

A chip designed by a Sarawakian and made at a Sarawak-based foundry has been purchased for use in electric meters to be marketed in China, the Premier said on October 3. The update, delivered in Mukah, places both the design and manufacturing work in Sarawak. China is the intended market for the meters, rather than the location identified for making the chip. No chip model, buyer, order value or quantity was specified in the update. It therefore establishes a reported commercial use, but does not provide enough detail to measure the size of the business or say when the meters will reach customers. There is a separate, documented background to Sarawak’s work in this field. On August 13, SMD Semiconductor and Jiangsu Linyang Energy signed an agreement to evaluate and integrate semiconductor solutions into smart-meter and battery-storage products. That collaboration included technical qualification before commercial deployment. The October remarks did not identify the purchased chip as an SMD product or link it to that agreement. Keeping those developments separate matters: an industry partnership and a reported purchase are different milestones, and neither supplies the missing order figures.

Sarawak is still calculating the house types and costs for its planned middle-income housing initiative, with the first pilot intended for Jepak and an area next to Kampung Nyalau in Bintulu. The Premier’s October 3 update identified the second area near Samalaju and said affordability would be tested in Bintulu before the approach was extended elsewhere. Kuching, Miri and Sibu were among the urban areas mentioned for a possible later expansion. For middle-income households in Kuching, that makes this a policy-development update rather than a local housing launch. The remarks did not give a final selling price, application window or construction timetable. The initiative addresses a gap for families who may not qualify for lower-income affordable housing but cannot comfortably buy higher-priced homes. In Bintulu, the Premier identified expensive land and densely developed areas as obstacles that the pilot must address. The idea was first outlined in February, when a RM300,000–RM550,000 price range was being explored. That earlier range is not a newly confirmed October selling price: the current formula is still being worked out, and wider expansion depends on the pilot producing homes within an affordable range.

Keys to the first 22 Rumah Spektra Permata (RSP) homes in Balingian were handed over on October 3, while another 32 units are planned for the remaining lots. The completed homes at the Balingian Village Expansion Scheme are two-storey detached units with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, measuring 850 square feet. The first-stage package, including infrastructure, was completed on April 14 after work began on April 19, 2024. The key ceremony is therefore a handover milestone, not the date all construction finished. Each home is sold at RM150,000. The state provides RM10,000 in deposit assistance, leaving RM140,000 to be financed through Mutiara Mortgage & Credit. That balance is financing, not a second subsidy or a promise of the same monthly repayment for every buyer. The wider RSP approach provides infrastructure, electricity and water alongside housing rather than allocating residential lots alone. Housing Development Corporation’s programme information prioritises recipients of lots under village extension and resettlement schemes; this handover is not an announcement of unrestricted sales to all home-seekers. The proposed additional units would bring the Balingian scheme to 54 homes. They are separate from the 22 completed units, and no completion date for the next stage was given in the handover update.

Thirty-one young members took office in the Kuching South Child Council on October 3, with parks, safety and other issues affecting children among the matters they are being encouraged to raise. The second cohort will serve the 2026–2028 term. It includes 21 new members and 10 returning members, who will help guide the newcomers. The swearing-in took place at the Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Chamber. The programme gives under-18s a way to contribute views on their city while learning how local government works. It is a youth-participation and mentoring platform, rather than an appointment to the adult council’s statutory roles. Kuching South’s mayor urged the group to move beyond ceremonial meetings and photographs. Members were invited to point out problems with parks and public spaces, and offer ideas on safety, health, the environment, technology, sport and the arts. For families, the useful distinction is that children’s everyday experience of neighbourhood facilities can feed into council discussions. The new term begins with members sworn in; it does not itself announce a funded park upgrade or a new public service.

People still unable to use WhatsApp should use its official appeal and support channels, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission said on October 3. MCMC said Meta had told it that a technical error wrongly treated legitimate activity as rule violations. The error affected more than half of the cases in the first batch the commission referred to the company — not more than half of all Malaysian WhatsApp users. According to Meta’s response, the error was fixed at the end of September and affected legitimate accounts were restored, including some whose users had not appealed. That update does not mean every outstanding suspension has been resolved; MCMC said it would continue monitoring the remaining cases. For Kuching traders who use WhatsApp to take orders or contact customers, the separate business-messaging guidance is important. Sending high volumes of messages or contacting people without consent can be detected as spam. MCMC advised businesses to obtain recipients’ consent before sending bulk messages. Meta also said WhatsApp’s enforcement policies and terms of service had not changed. MCMC has asked for clearer appeal confirmations, review-status updates and faster recovery processes so users are not left guessing about their accounts.

Sarawak households and businesses will have to wait for the coming State Budget for details on electricity tariffs, Premier Abang Johari Tun Openg said in Mukah on October 3. He said the Budget would set out the state’s revenue outlook and electricity-tariff direction during the coming Sarawak Legislative Assembly sitting, scheduled for October 12–21. His remarks did not set out a new rate, an effective date or which customer categories would be affected. That distinction matters for anyone planning household expenses or business operating costs: a promise to explain tariff policy is not itself an announced increase or a guarantee that charges will stay unchanged. Abang Johari put state revenue at about RM14 billion, compared with roughly RM6 billion to RM7 billion under an earlier administration. He linked the stronger revenue base to Sarawak’s ability to fund its own development projects rather than rely entirely on federal assistance. The next concrete details will be in the Budget presentation — the proposed spending, revenue assumptions and any specific electricity measures. The October 3 speech did not provide the full allocations or tariff schedule.

Debak’s maternal and child health services will move temporarily to an improved building behind the existing health clinic while a RM11 million redevelopment goes ahead. The replacement project will remove ageing timber blocks and provide a two-storey concrete building. The maternal and child health unit is planned for the ground floor, with the dental clinic upstairs. Dental chairs, oral X-ray equipment, air-conditioning and electrical works form part of the package. The implementation period runs from July 27, 2026, to March 26, 2028 — 20 months. That is a construction timetable, not an announcement that the new facilities are already open. The temporary maternal and child health premises have been improved by the Sarawak Health Department to keep services available during construction. For families in Debak and nearby communities, the immediate change is where care is provided; the larger building and additional equipment come later. The development is intended to complement the clinics in Pusa and Spaoh and Betong Hospital. Staffing and equipment will still be needed alongside the new building, while a proposed expansion of the surrounding area to address parking remains separate from the confirmed construction scope.

A Sibu study is examining how Sarawak’s stormwater-management requirements can be applied to developments on soft ground. The Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) Sarawak brought agencies, councils, developers and engineering professionals together at Wisma Sanyan to discuss compliance with the Sarawak Urban Stormwater Management guidelines, known as SUStoM. Their technical feedback will inform the study. SUStoM already forms part of development control. It covers planning submissions, earthworks and erosion-and-sediment control, followed by stormwater engineering plans. The Sibu discussion concerns how those requirements work under local ground conditions, rather than an announced exemption from drainage standards. Complete technical submissions and timely assessments were among the priorities raised. For developers and surrounding neighbourhoods, the issue links approval efficiency with drainage and flood protection. The latest statement did not announce revised requirements or a date for adopting any changes.

Mukah’s Basong Water Treatment Plant expansion is 15.1% complete, with completion targeted for September 2028. The RM243.98 million Phase 3 project is designed to add a new plant producing 60 million litres a day, taking Basong’s total treatment capacity from 60 million to 120 million litres daily. It also includes an 18km raw-water pipeline with a diameter of 1,000mm. The October 2 progress update puts the state-funded project ahead of schedule. Construction began in September 2025; the additional capacity is still being built, rather than already supplying households. The expansion is intended to meet future residential and industrial demand in Mukah Division. Raw-water availability remains part of that planning, particularly during dry periods when intake conditions can affect treatment operations. Sarawak’s wider water-grid planning also includes a central-region system covering Mukah, Sarikei, Sibu and Kapit. Rural areas that cannot yet connect fully to the grid continue to be served through alternative water-supply arrangements.

Sarawak wants permission to recruit doctors directly, but that change still needs federal agreement. Deputy Premier Dr Sim Kui Hian said in Kuching on October 2 that he would seek a meeting with the Health Minister to discuss recruitment policy, funding and postgraduate training opportunities together. The meeting date depends on the minister’s availability. The discussion goes beyond offering higher payments to attract doctors. Dr Sim said opportunities to train as specialists also matter to doctors deciding where to work, and should be part of a longer-term response to Sarawak’s staffing needs. He also wants the discussions to consider employing foreign medical graduates who studied in Malaysia but cannot currently be employed here. That remains a policy proposal. For hospitals and patients, the distinction is important: this is a proposal to change how personnel can be recruited, not an announcement that new doctors have been appointed. No direct-recruitment approval or start date was announced in the October 2 remarks.

A RM95 million upgrade of the Kampung Semeru–Kampung Kuhom link road has begun, with completion targeted for May 2028. The route serves nine villages in the Tebedu and Tarat constituencies. The project is under the Greater Kuching Coordinating Development Agency (GKCDA), with Sarawak’s Public Works Department (JKR) implementing the work. Its stated construction period is 24 months. The upgrade is more than resurfacing: it includes work to JKR R3 standards, realignment of hazardous sections and bends, new road sections, drainage and related structures. These are the changes intended to improve access to facilities and local economic activities once the project is completed. The villages covered are Kampung Semeru, Kampung Bukit Nanas, Kampung Plaman Dunuk, Kampung Senah Rayang, Kampung Padus Stubot, Kampung Bisira Rayang, Kampung Kuhom Mawang, Kampung Kuhom Mandeg and Kampung Rudan. An earth-breaking ceremony was held in Semeru on September 30. The May 2028 date is the project’s completion target, not an announcement that the improved route is already ready for use.

Seventy-five storm-hit families in Kuching South have been allocated RM107,000 in Sarawak government disaster aid, separate from the council’s RM1,000-per-family support. The assistance was announced at the Kuching South City Council (MBKS) chamber on October 2 for households whose homes were damaged in the late-August storm. The RM107,000 is the total state allocation for the 75 families, not a flat payment of that amount to each household. Approved state assistance will go directly into recipients’ bank accounts through the Social Welfare Department. MBKS helped identify affected residents within its jurisdiction, prepare supporting documents and submit applications; the department handled verification and payment processing. The application process included a police report. The council’s own Caring Programme provides an additional RM1,000 to each affected family. That payment and the state disaster allocation are two different channels of help with repair costs and damaged belongings; they should not be treated as one council-funded grant.