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The Sarawak Secretariat Office has reported resolving 96 per cent of more than 56,000 public complaints within four days, as of October 2026. The figure was highlighted as the office received seven national recognitions for complaints management at an Oct 1 ceremony in Putrajaya. The recognitions were under the 2025 Public Complaints Management Audit, with assessments of all 13 State Secretary Administrations conducted from May 14 to July 30 this year. The recognised areas included response and service-delivery efficiency, work processes, complaints governance, staff competency, public communication and digital innovation. The four-day figure describes reported performance across a large caseload; it is not a promise that every new complaint will be settled within that time. Kuching and other Sarawak residents can submit feedback and follow case progress through Talikhidmat. Its official service lists a 24-hour contact number, 082-555999, and an app with case tracking and notifications. Keeping the case record makes it easier to follow up on an unresolved report.

October’s monthly SARA assistance began being credited to eligible recipients’ MyKad accounts on Oct 1. The amount depends on the recipient’s category. Under Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR), households receive RM100 a month, while eligible senior citizens and single adults receive RM50 each. Those qualifying under both STR and eKasih receive higher monthly credits: RM200 for households, RM150 for senior citizens and RM100 for single adults. A RM200 household credit is therefore not the standard amount for every recipient. For eligible Kuching and Sarawak shoppers, SARA is cashless spending support for approved necessities at participating shops, rather than cash to withdraw. The aid covers 15 categories, including rice, eggs, cooking oil, frozen food and school supplies, at more than 14,700 selected supermarkets and grocery stores nationwide. Eligibility can be checked through the official SARA portal’s status-check function. This monthly credit is separate from the RM100 one-off SARA Untuk Semua payment made in February.

Samalaju’s second-phase water infrastructure project has a contractor and a RM517 million contract, but the award is not a completed supply upgrade. Sarawak-based KKB Engineering accepted the government’s letter of acceptance on Sept 28 for the SCORE–Samalaju Water Supply Physical Infrastructure Phase 2 project. The award was made through the Regional Corridor Development Authority, RECODA. The contract allows 36 months for completion. KKB must also enter into a written agreement with the government. That makes the agreement and subsequent construction progress the next milestones for an infrastructure project serving Sarawak’s Samalaju industrial corridor. The announcement does not give a commissioning date or say when users will receive additional water supply. The 36-month period should not be read as a firm calendar opening date without a confirmed commencement date.

PETROS and Höegh Evi have agreed to jointly develop Kuching's proposed LNG terminal, with first gas targeted for the end of 2029. The agreement, reported on Oct 1, covers joint development, ownership and operation. Plans include a floating storage and regasification unit, mooring facilities, subsea and land pipelines, and an onshore receiving facility. The terminal forms part of the Kuching Low-Carbon Hub. PETROS says it would deliver natural gas to Kuching and surrounding areas, supporting electricity generation and future industrial demand. Truck loading, small-scale LNG distribution, bunkering, storage and reload services are potential uses, not a list of services already operating. For local households and businesses, the important distinction is timing: this is a development agreement, not the start of gas delivery. End-2029 remains a project target. The partners are assessing whether delivery can be accelerated, but have not announced an earlier date.

Two separate road projects launched in Sarikei on Oct 2 aim to ease traffic around Jalan Repok and provide better links into town. The larger job is a 3.6km upgrade of Nyelong By-Pass to a four-lane, two-way road. Its RM86 million cost falls under the Sarawak Ministry of Infrastructure and Port Development, with JKR implementing the project. A separate link of about 2km will join Nyelong By-Pass to Kwong Ming Minah. This RM12 million project is under the Rajang Delta Development Agency and is intended to relieve peak-hour congestion, including traffic near SMK Tinggi Sarikei. The figures refer to two different projects, not two estimates for the same road. At the groundbreaking, RM5.32 million in land compensation had been paid for 28 of 29 titled parcels involved in acquisition. No completion dates or detailed diversions were given, so road users should follow current on-site traffic controls rather than treat the new links as already available.

Kota Samarahan's new SMK Sri Samarahan is expected to open in October, adding secondary-school capacity in the growing district. Preparations were inspected on Oct 2 by the deputy rural and regional development minister, who is also the Kota Samarahan MP. The opening is intended to improve students' access to a more suitable learning environment. Earlier project plans place the school near Kampung Meranek and Kampung Empila, with capacity for about 1,500 students. Its stated purpose is to ease overcrowding at SMK Muara Tuang and SMK Kota Samarahan; that planned capacity should not be mistaken for the size of the first intake. The October opening announcement does not specify an exact first school day or enrolment arrangements. Families considering the new school should confirm intake and transfer instructions with the school rather than assume the announcement itself is an instruction to switch schools.

Kuching's former state assembly building is 46% through its conversion into a performing arts centre, with completion targeted for June 2027. An Oct 2 site inspection put the RM247 million project ahead of schedule. Heavy construction is largely finished, and work is moving into the interior fit-out. The scheme also covers the adjoining Lapau Building, intended for restaurant and banquet use, and the former fountain area. The original golden glass mosaic roof will remain. That keeps a recognisable part of the old DUN building while its function changes from legislative business to performances and cultural activities. June 2027 is a construction target, not a confirmed public-opening or booking date. The centre could host cultural performances during the September 2027 SEA Games, but that programme is not settled. Its eventual name is also still undecided.

The RM40.8 million riverbank protection project at Kampung Sageng in Simunjan had reached 24.95% completion on Sept 25, against a scheduled 68.77%. That leaves a gap of 43.82 percentage points—not 43.82% of work that has been cancelled. The project covers 968 metres of riverbank protection intended to reduce erosion risks near residential settlements. After inspecting it on Sept 29, Batang Sadong MP Rodiyah Sapiee asked the contractor for a clear recovery plan. Technical adjustments prompted by actual river conditions were cited as a factor in the slower progress. A separate scheme, the RM22.34 million Simunjan Flood Mitigation Plan Phase 1, was further along at 70.09% on the same reporting date. That scheme covers a wider drainage and flood-control package: drainage upgrades, a retention pond, deepening Sungai Kelka and tidal control gates. April 2027 was given as the expected completion for that flood-mitigation scheme, subject to an extension-of-time decision. It was not announced as a fixed completion date for the Kampung Sageng riverbank project. For residents, the two progress figures should not be mixed together: one concerns protection along a particular stretch of riverbank, while the other covers a separate flood-mitigation system. The next update that matters is the riverbank contractor’s recovery programme and whether the remaining flood-control work meets its revised timetable. Neither reported percentage means the full protection is already in place.

Sarawak and Johor are exploring how digital government and artificial intelligence could improve public services, following a Sept 30 meeting at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly in Kuching. No new resident-facing service or rollout date was announced. The exchange covered government digitalisation, digital ecosystem development and possible AI cooperation. Sarawak presented a whole-of-government approach to service delivery, while the visiting Johor delegation sought ideas that could be adapted to its own needs. For Kuching residents, the distinction matters: an exchange between government teams is not the same as a new online application being ready to use. The discussion did not announce changes to application requirements, a replacement for existing counters, or a named service that residents must move to. Sarawak’s civil service digitalisation unit, multimedia authority and information systems company were among the organisations represented. That puts the conversation across several parts of the delivery system, rather than around a single standalone app. The useful follow-up will be a specific service, implementation timetable and clear instructions for the people using it. Until those are announced, this remains a cooperation discussion, not a launch notice or a reason to change how an existing application is submitted.

Sarawak employers are being told that non-resident worker applications now take about 60 days to process, down from 191 days. The figure is a reported improvement, not a promise that every application will be approved within two months. Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department for Labour, Immigration and Project Monitoring Datuk Gerawat Gala gave the update at an industry session in Miri on Sept 30. The Foreign Worker Transformation Approach, or FWTA, brings recruitment procedures onto a digital platform involving both state and federal agencies. For businesses planning staffing in Kuching and elsewhere in Sarawak, the important distinction is between a shorter processing period and a completed approval. Different agencies still have their own procedures, and the platform is being introduced in phases. Domestic helpers are currently being addressed, with expatriates to follow. Gerawat asked employers to raise application problems with FWTA or the Immigration and Labour Management Unit, ILMU, so they can be referred to the relevant agencies. A dedicated email channel was raised by industry representatives, but the announcement did not provide an address or confirm its launch. The next practical test is whether the shorter turnaround holds across those remaining phases. Employers should not treat the 60-day figure as a new guaranteed deadline, or assume that the proposed email channel is already available.

Forty-one secondary schools in northern Sarawak have signed a partnership with Curtin University Malaysia aimed at widening students’ access to STEM learning and university pathways. The agreement links the schools with the Miri campus for STEM programmes and teacher development, giving pupils earlier exposure to science, technology, engineering and mathematics, as well as higher-education and career options. The university also offers annual Excellence Awards to up to five eligible high-performing SPM graduates from each participating school, subject to its current terms. The memorandum was signed at a teachers’ conference in Miri on Sept 29. The reported opportunities are part of the partnership; the university has not announced a single fixed award amount in the coverage.

Three transport projects in Miri are expected to move into construction in 2027, after their designs and Public Works Department approvals are completed. The routes are Jalan Cahaya, Jalan Padang Kerbau and Canada Hill. The Jalan Cahaya stretch between Borneo Medical Centre and Miri Hospital and Jalan Padang Kerbau were identified as busy links serving the hospital; the minister said the Cahaya section is proposed as a two-lane one-way road. The Canada Hill work is intended to address erosion that could affect road users and the route’s condition. Preliminary designs for Jalan Padang Kerbau and Canada Hill are still being prepared, so the 2027 start remains conditional. A separate proposal for traffic lights at the Jalan Miri Bypass–Jalan Eastwood junction is also awaiting design approval.

Sarawak’s utility and telecommunications ministry has asked the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission for additional spectrum, saying the extra capacity could help ease network congestion when usage rises. The request has not been announced as approved. The ministry also said a Sept 28 discussion with MCMC and Sarawak agencies covered damaged or stolen fibre lines, maintenance of leaning towers and low-hanging cables, and closer cooperation between service providers. It raised shared Multi-Operator Core Network technology as one possible way for operators to improve coverage for customers. For users, the immediate development is a request and a set of infrastructure issues under discussion—not a confirmed change to mobile coverage or service quality.

Residents had until 5pm on Sept 30 to submit written views on the Election Commission’s proposed review of Sarawak’s federal and state constituency boundaries. The proposal display, which began on Sept 1, ends on Wednesday, Sept 30. Representations could be submitted online through the EC’s MYSTS portal or in writing to the Sarawak State Election Officer. Completed forms could also be delivered by hand to the Sarawak State Election Office on the 11th floor of the Sultan Iskandar Building, Jalan Simpang Tiga, Kuching. The Sept 30 deadline mattered to residents who wanted to support or object to the proposed lines: the EC said submissions had to reach it by 5pm that day.

Seven of Sarawak’s 21 monitoring stations were in the unhealthy API band at 4pm Tuesday, Sept 29, with Serian highest at 175. Kuching recorded 158 and Samarahan 157. Lundu was at 161, Betong and Samalaju at 116 each, and Lubok Antu at 108. By late afternoon, Sri Aman and Kanowit had eased just below the unhealthy threshold, while Samalaju had moved into it. Unhealthy air is the 101–200 API band. Kuching and Samarahan remained in that range in the 4pm snapshot, so check the latest reading before spending a long time outdoors; these figures are not live readings.

A new RM172 million contract will fund early infrastructure works for an advanced data-storage manufacturing facility at Kuching’s Sama Jaya Free Industrial Zone. Kelington Technologies, a wholly owned subsidiary of Kelington Group, won the work from a manufacturing company whose name was not disclosed. The scope includes site development, foundations and high-voltage power infrastructure. Work is expected to start immediately and finish by August 2027. The award adds to about RM111 million in earlier contracts and purchase orders from the same customer, taking the project total awarded to Kelington to roughly RM283 million. The company has not announced an opening date or the number of jobs the facility may create.

Police expect about 10,000 people to attend the programme. The affected points are Jalan Setia 1, the Jalan Ceria junction and the Jalan Wawasan roundabout. The event is scheduled for Oct 2–4, with police estimating up to 10,000 visitors at a time. Motorists are advised to avoid parking where it could block traffic and follow the directions of police and traffic-control personnel. Suggested parking areas include Menara Pehin Setia Raja, the Sarawak Government Administration Centre, Setia Raja Mosque and commercial centres. Drivers can use alternative routes during the closure period.

UCSI University Sarawak Campus won the Overall Best Team title at the Sarawak International Culinaire Challenge, collecting three gold, two silver and four bronze medals, plus three diploma awards. The Kuching-held contest drew about 200 entries from Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan, Indonesia and the Philippines over three days, Sept 25–27. A UCSI Sarawak student also received the Best Young Chef award, putting the campus result alongside individual recognition. The Kuching Chefs Association-organised event brought culinary students and working professionals together across cooking, team and display categories. The organisers said they hope to hold the next edition in the third quarter of 2027.

A 36-year-old man has been remanded for three more days as police investigate the Sept 20 arson at a convenience store on Jalan Green, Kuching. A senior court registrar approved the extension to let investigators continue a probe under Section 436 of the Penal Code. The case remains at the investigation stage; remand is not a finding of guilt. A separate update concerns two other men linked to the Jalan Green case: a 23-year-old was released from remand on Monday, then arrested again in connection with a different arson investigation in Saratok. A 40-year-old suspect was released over the weekend. The incidents at stores in Kuching and Sri Aman on Sept 20 are being investigated as separate cases. The latest court action changes the status of one suspect, but does not establish that either case has been solved.

Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, a doctor and advocate for public health, died at the age of 100 on Monday. Her family confirmed that she died at the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur on Sept 28. She was accorded a state funeral, with an official statement naming Pusara Negara in Putrajaya as her burial place. Hasmah worked on issues that reached well beyond her public role as the wife of a prime minister. She championed maternal and child health, family planning, literacy, drug-use prevention and mental health, in her public work. Her career as a doctor and her advocacy helped keep community health and women’s wellbeing in national conversations. The state funeral recognises a long public life shaped by both medical service and national advocacy.