News 📰

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.

Sarawak expects to start planting paddy on about 8,000 hectares next year and is offering to match any additional federal funding for the crop. The state has already set aside RM1 billion for paddy development. The federal Agriculture and Food Security Minister said he would bring Sarawak’s request for another RM1 billion to the Cabinet; no new federal allocation has been approved yet. Sarawak has identified about 14,000 hectares for paddy. Of these, 4,000 hectares have been gazetted under Section 7, while a further 2,299 hectares of state land have been identified for the same purpose; together, about 7,000 hectares have been identified and gazetted for paddy. The acreage is a planning figure, not proof that all the land is ready to plant. Irrigation and drainage works will determine how quickly farmers can use it. The state pointed to Gedong, where a collaboration with Universiti Putra Malaysia reportedly raised paddy yields from about 1.2 tonnes per hectare to between six and eight tonnes. That is one local example, not a guarantee for every new site. For growers, the next signal to watch is a funded infrastructure schedule. The plan is also part of Sarawak’s effort to raise local rice output and strengthen Malaysia’s food supply.

Pernas says RM23 million in financing has gone to franchise entrepreneurs in Sarawak, while the agency is targeting 50 more entrants in 2026. More than 200 franchise entrepreneurs in the state have received support through Pernas financing and business-development programmes. The figure was shared around the agency’s BizFrancais programme in Miri, where nearly 50 participants were expected to take part. Food and beverage remains one of the sectors drawing interest. The RM23 million is a state-wide total, not a newly announced Miri-only fund. The available announcement does not set out an application window, eligibility rules or loan terms, so the event should not be mistaken for an open funding call. Anyone considering a franchise will need Pernas to publish those details before deciding whether a scheme fits.

Sarawak has no formal proposal before the Election Commission to add federal seats yet, but the state says the process could begin after Parliament acts on the principle of increasing Sabah and Sarawak’s representation. Premier Abang Johari Tun Openg said the federal agreement in principle still needs a Bill passed by Parliament. Only after that, he said, could the Election Commission start its formal constituency review, publish proposed boundaries and invite objections. The Commission said on Sept 25 that no proposal to change Sarawak’s 31 parliamentary seats had reached it. Its current Sarawak review concerns state constituencies: the proposal on public display from Sept 1 to 30 would raise the State Assembly from 82 seats to 99. The often-cited figure of 15 extra federal seats has not been adopted. A bill and the Commission’s subsequent review remain the steps to watch.

AirBorneo is expected to add a direct Kuching-Jakarta route in October, according to an announcement made in Lundu on Sunday. The flight is expected to take about one hour and 20 minutes, creating a new link between Sarawak and Indonesia’s capital. The state has framed the route as part of its tourism and healthcare plans: visitors from Jakarta could reach Kuching directly, while patients may find the journey more convenient. Those are the government’s stated aims; the route’s actual passenger demand will become clearer after operations begin. The announcement did not specify a launch day, flight frequency, fares or when tickets would go on sale. Travellers should wait for AirBorneo’s booking details before making plans around the new service.

Hui Sing Park now has a RM1.9 million community centre and library, bringing reading and community activities into the same South Kuching public space as the playground and exercise areas. The facility was launched on Sunday, Sept 27. The library is intended for children’s reading and storytelling, while newspapers and magazines are also planned for older visitors. The council has partnered with Little Bean Storyland to run reading and storytelling activities, giving the building a community programme as well as a place for reading. The opening is a practical addition for families around Hui Sing, but the launch reports did not give regular opening hours or a full programme timetable. Residents should check with MBKS before making a special trip.

The proposed Jalan Stutong expansion in Kuching has been approved, but construction is not about to start. A contractor’s letter of appointment is expected in two to three weeks, after which the project can move into its commencement stage. The Kuching South City Council (MBKS) says a public online briefing on traffic arrangements should be held before work begins. That leaves residents and drivers with an important distinction: the project has approval, while the contractor and work programme are still pending. Jalan Stutong has been the subject of earlier widening and upgrade studies near the BDC junction and SJK(C) Chung Hua No. 2. No start date or detailed traffic plan was included in the latest update, so regular users should watch for MBKS or JKR notices before changing their routes.

Bintulu’s first Other Household Waste (OHW) collection campaign was launched at the Civic Centre on Sept 26, alongside Malaysia Cleanup Day. The Bintulu Development Authority joined Sarawak Waste Management, SD Guthrie International and Green Town for the launch. Organisers said people could exchange e-waste and used cooking oil for cash. OHW items weighing under 3kg could be handed in for safe disposal free of charge. The announcement gave no follow-up dates or collection points, so the launch at Civic Centre does not confirm a permanent drop-off service.

Sri Aman-born singer Mawat won the inaugural Best Borneo Song award at the 25th Anugerah Industri Muzik (AIM25) in Kuching on Saturday night. His song “Dayang Bintang” was chosen for the first award in a category created to recognise music from Borneo. The 24-year-old, whose full name is Gibrael Mawat Clement Saran, becomes the category’s first recipient. AIM25 was staged in Kuching for the first time this year, bringing the national recording awards to Sarawak and giving Borneo music a dedicated place in the programme.

A new water treatment plant in Sebuyau was 79% complete at the latest site update on Sept 23. The five-million-litre-a-day project, funded by the Sarawak government at a cost of nearly RM15 million, is intended to add treated-water capacity for Sebuyau and nearby communities in Samarahan Division. The area currently receives treated water from the 868-MLD Batu Kitang plant in Kuching, alongside the smaller 3.2-MLD Sungai Ular facility. The new plant will draw raw water from Sungai Ular and is expected to ease reliance on supply from Batu Kitang once it is operating. The Sept 23 update gave no opening date; the 79% figure is construction progress, not an operating status.

Scheduled flights between Betong Division’s Bebuling Short Take-Off and Landing Airport (STOLport) and Kuching are planned once the facility begins operating. The operating date has not been set because several matters are still being finalised, so this is not a start-date or ticket-sales announcement. A second flight trial took place on Sept 26 as part of readiness checks. A separate report said the test flight from Kuching took about 15 minutes, compared with roughly three hours by road to Betong. That trial time is not a published passenger timetable. The project is expected to improve access for Betong and Spaoh, but residents will need to wait for an operational date and confirmed service details.

Sarawak plans to establish a dedicated authority to manage and develop its lake areas, including reservoirs created by dam projects, as part of the state’s development plans for the next five years. The proposal was announced in Betong on Sept 26. The lakes named for development include Batang Ai, Murum, Baleh, Bakun and Bengoh. The stated aim is to improve facilities and develop selected sites as tourism destinations. No name for the new authority, budget, implementation timetable or individual lake projects was announced, so the plan remains at the announcement stage rather than a set of scheduled works.

Kanowit recorded Sarawak’s highest air-pollutant reading at 4pm on Sept 26: an API of 201, down from 213 at 10am but still in the “Very Unhealthy” band. It was the state’s only station in that category. Serian was at 137, classed as “Unhealthy”, while most other stations were moderate; Kuching stood at 91 and Samarahan at 84. The morning snapshot had Kanowit at 215 and Serian at 152, so both readings had eased by afternoon. The figures are tied to a specific time and can shift during the day. Residents, especially in Kanowit and Serian, should check the latest NREB API reading before planning prolonged outdoor activity.

Drivers heading into central Kuching should expect staged road restrictions from Sept 28 as crews prepare Padang Merdeka for an Oct 10 programme. Jalan McDougall is due to close or divert from 10am on Sept 28 until midnight on Oct 10 for tent installation and removal. Rehearsals from Oct 5 to 7 will affect McDougall, the RTM signal-junction access, Jalan Wawasan and Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg near Carpenter Street, generally between 7am and 11am. A fuller rehearsal is scheduled for Oct 8, also from 7am to 11am, while event-day restrictions are planned from 7am to noon on Oct 10; a night concert is listed for 7pm to midnight. Police advise motorists to avoid roadside parking and use alternative routes. For the detailed traffic plan, Kuching district police can be reached at 082-259900.

Two people suffered minor injuries in a four-vehicle collision near RH Plaza on Jalan Lapangan Terbang, Kuching, on Friday afternoon. Fire and Rescue Department teams from Tabuan Jaya and Batu Lintang found no one trapped in the vehicles. The vehicles included two pickup trucks, a van and an SUV. Firefighters also washed an oil spill off the road to reduce the risk to other motorists. The operation ended at 3.43pm after the scene was secured. The available accounts report minor injuries only and do not describe a continuing road closure. The useful distinction for drivers is that the emergency response included a hazardous-spill clean-up, not just casualty checks; any new traffic restriction would need a separate police notice.

A new cohort of 42 trainees is learning Bidayuh Biatah dance and music at Kampung Sungai Duuh, giving Siburan’s community-led heritage effort a wider age range to work with. Participants are between four and 53 and come from eight villages. The programme is now in its third cohort. Its first group began training in mid-2024 with 30 students, while 31 people graduated from the second cohort earlier this year. Lessons cover dance choreography and traditional instruments for performances at cultural and official events. The scale-up is modest but concrete: more villages and generations are being brought into the same practice, rather than leaving transmission to a small circle of performers. The association says the aim is to keep Biatah forms distinct while giving learners a way to carry them into public performances.