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Bintulu Port Sdn Bhd has been appointed the approved operator of Bintulu Port for 30 years, under a notification published in the Sarawak Government Gazette. The wholly owned Bintulu Port Holdings subsidiary’s appointment runs from Sept 1, 2026 to Aug 31, 2056. Bintulu Port Authority said the appointment was approved by the Sarawak Legislative Assembly and made under Section 12(2)(a) of the Port Authorities Ordinance 1961. The operator will continue under the terms of a Heads of Agreement until a Port Operation Concession Agreement is executed. That means the 30-year appointment is now gazetted, while the final concession document remains a separate step in the port’s operating framework. For Sarawak, the decision sets the long-term legal and operating basis for one of the state’s major ports. The next material update will be the execution of the concession agreement and its detailed conditions.

Bebuling Short Take-Off and Landing Airport in Spaoh, Betong has completed its first trial landing, bringing the rural facility closer to service while leaving the commercial launch date open. A Super King 300 aircraft landed at the newly completed STOLport on Friday after departing Kuching at 10am. The trial was described as smooth, but further discussions on safety, operations and maintenance must be completed before licensing and commercial operations are finalised. The RM248.03 million facility has a runway of about 1.19km and is designed to support passenger flights as well as cargo linked to agriculture and other local industries. A Kuching-Bebuling flight is expected to take about 15 minutes, compared with roughly three hours by road to Betong. The trial is therefore a readiness milestone, not an announcement of scheduled flights. The next public detail to watch is the licensing and safety approval process.

Haze worsened across Sarawak on Friday, with Kuching still in the unhealthy range and Kanowit becoming the state’s first monitoring station to reach the very unhealthy category. Kanowit’s Air Pollutant Index (API) rose from 186 at 8am to 209 at 2pm, according to Sarawak’s API status data. Kapit also moved from moderate to unhealthy at 152. Kuching improved from 192 at 8am to 178 at 2pm, while Samarahan fell from 184 to 171 and Lundu from 176 to 142. Even so, 13 locations remained in the unhealthy band at 2pm, including Sibu, Sarikei, Bintulu, Betong and Sri Aman. An API reading of 101 to 200 is classified as unhealthy, while 201 to 300 is very unhealthy. Bario was the only location in the good category at 2pm, with a reading of 50. Residents should check the latest station reading before spending long periods outdoors, especially if they are children, older adults or have respiratory and heart conditions.

Protecting the Sarawak Pepper name and its geographical indication remains a priority as Malaysian pepper products compete in markets that demand traceability, food safety and consistent quality. The Malaysian Pepper Board said the work includes laboratory testing, certification, grading and enforcement. Japan remains Malaysia’s main pepper export destination, making its import requirements an important benchmark for growers and processors. The board is also pushing beyond raw pepper. It has guided 77 micro, small and medium enterprises producing 220 pepper-based retail products; 11 have reached Level 4 of its entrepreneurship rating programme and entered international markets, while 42 received financing to expand. The downstream products now include food and drinks, personal-care items, extracts and essential oils. The board said their combined annual sales value was estimated at RM20 million. For Sarawak’s pepper sector, the message is practical: the GI label only carries value if the product’s origin, quality and safety can be consistently demonstrated from farm to export shelf.

A 200MWac solar facility planned for Tinjar, Sarawak, is targeted to begin commercial operations by the end of 2029 under a proposed RM570 million development. Reservoir Link Energy Bhd said it has signed a power purchase agreement with Syarikat Sesco Bhd to design, build, own, operate and maintain the photovoltaic facility. The agreement was disclosed in a filing reported on Friday. The project is not yet the same as electricity already being generated. The agreement still depends on corporate and government authorisations, required studies, licences, security arrangements, testing and commissioning requirements. If the conditions are met and the agreement is not extended or ended earlier, the PPA will run for 30 years from the facility’s commercial operation date. RLEB has set Dec 31, 2029 as the target date, but the filing leaves room for the timetable to change as approvals and construction progress are completed. For Sarawak’s energy picture, the key figures are the proposed 200MWac capacity and the RM570 million estimated development cost — not a claim that the plant is already operating.

Sarawak’s haze thickened on Friday morning, with 13 monitoring stations moving into the unhealthy range and Kuching recording an API reading of 192. The 8am reading was up from 174 at 4pm on Thursday. Kanowit rose sharply from 58 to 186, while Samarahan reached 184, Serian 180, Lundu 176 and Tebedu 166. Several central Sarawak stations also saw steep overnight increases: Sibu climbed to 158, Sarikei to 157, Sri Aman and Bintulu to 153, and Mukah and Lubok Antu to 104. Kapit was the only station to move into the moderate band among the locations highlighted in the morning update, at 93. Miri and ILP Miri remained moderate at 61 and 58, while Limbang and Bario were in the good range at 49 and 12. The API is a 24-hour running measure. Readings from 101 to 200 are classified as unhealthy, so conditions can change with the next update. People in affected areas should check the latest readings and cut down prolonged outdoor activity while the air remains poor.

Sarawak is planning three waste-to-energy plants across the northern, central and southern regions, with a potential combined capacity of up to 1,330 megawatts. The proposal would use satellite collection centres to channel municipal, wood, biomass, animal and industrial waste to the plants. The state says the model could address two problems at once: reduce the amount of waste sent for disposal and add another source of electricity. The plan is part of Sarawak's circular-economy push. A separate landfill-gas pilot at the Kuching Integrated Waste Management Park in Mambong has been described as having potential to generate up to 3MW from 700 tonnes of daily waste when fully scaled up. The 1,330MW figure is a potential capacity, not electricity already being generated. The latest announcement does not name the three plant sites, set a construction timetable or confirm the final regulatory framework; a new waste-to-energy ordinance has been proposed for next year.

The Royal Malaysian Customs Department has taken over a RM9.98 million purpose-built store for seized goods at Muara Tebas, Jalan Bako. The government-owned complex replaces rented premises and includes three storage areas, a vault, an exhibit room, an open-air incineration area and a secure storage system. It also has offices, parking and supporting mechanical and electrical facilities. The facility was built by the Public Works Department and received its Certificate of Practical Completion on May 26. The handover gives Customs a permanent site for goods held during enforcement operations, while the department says the arrangement should reduce long-term rental costs. The project was re-tendered after no company joined the initial tender. Authorities said it was completed within the stipulated cost, quality and timeframe; the handover report does not disclose how much seized material the new store currently holds.

A RM10 million project will add visitor facilities to the community-run Tagang system at Kampung Terbat Mawang in Serian. The development, under the Greater Kuching Coordinated Development Agency, involves 4.84 hectares and is planned to include a pavilion, parking area, mini market, toilets, gazebos, a substation, cafeteria and campsite. The Tagang system is a community-based way of protecting and restoring river and fish resources. The Terbat initiative involves three villages — Terbat Mawang, Terbat Leban and Muara Ahi — so the project is also intended to create more income opportunities around a resource the villages already manage. The latest announcement confirms the allocation and proposed facilities, but does not give a construction timetable or opening date. For Kuching-area visitors, that distinction matters: the project is a future rural-tourism upgrade, not a newly opened attraction.

Sarawak plans to develop a low-carbon hub and gateway at Tanjung Embang as part of its push towards a green, high-income economy, Premier Abang Johari said at the Malaysia Day celebration in Kuching on Sept 16. He also cited Bintulu’s inclusion in the World Economic Forum’s Transitioning Industrial Clusters and cooperation with the Asian Development Bank. A projection of RM100 billion in investment over the next decade was also mentioned. The hub, the financing and the investment figure are plans or estimates at this stage. No completed project, construction schedule or confirmed investment package was announced.

The Health Ministry has rejected a claim that senior officials failed to attend the funerals of health workers who died in Sarawak. The ministry said the claim was untrue in a response issued on Sept 16. Its statement addresses the attendance allegation, but does not provide a full account of every funeral arrangement. The immediate confirmed development is the ministry’s rebuttal. Further details about individual ceremonies should be treated separately from the broader claim.

A 23-year-old student from Kampung Bogag, Bau, lost RM1,000 after callers posing as communications and police officers accused her of online gambling and money laundering, police said. She made a mobile-banking transfer during the Sept 4 call and later contacted the National Scam Response Centre. Bau police are investigating the case under Section 420 of the Penal Code. The callers’ claims and identities remain part of the investigation. A phone call, remand or investigation does not establish that an allegation is true; people who receive similar demands should end the call and verify through official channels before moving money.

Talks between PETRONAS and PETROS have moved into the remaining commercial details after the two sides agreed on the fundamental principles, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in Kuching on Sept 16. The government’s stated aim is to protect Sarawak’s interests while retaining PETRONAS’s national role and strengthening PETROS. That is the direction described publicly; the final commercial terms, implementation timetable and financial details have not been announced. Until those terms are released, the update signals progress in the negotiations rather than a completed operating agreement.

Sarawak’s interim special grant will rise to RM1.5 billion a year from 2026, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced in Kuching on Sept 16. The payment is made under the Malaysia Agreement 1963. The higher figure is an interim arrangement while Putrajaya and Sarawak continue negotiating a longer-term formula. That distinction matters: the announcement sets a larger annual amount for the interim period, but it does not settle the final mechanism for calculating the grant. The next step is the continuing federal-state talks.

Bintulu Port has completed its move from federal to Sarawak administration, with the formal handover held in Kuching on Sept 16. The port’s state status took effect on Sept 1 under the transfer legislation. The handover marks the end of a three-year transition involving the port’s management and government responsibilities, rather than a shutdown of port operations. Transport Minister Anthony Loke handed the documents to Sarawak Deputy Premier Douglas Uggah in a ceremony witnessed by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Premier Abang Johari. The agreed takeover value was RM1.8 billion. For businesses using the port, the immediate story is continuity under a new state administration. Future changes to investment, tariffs or operating arrangements will depend on later announcements.

A generator supplying power to a telecommunications tower was destroyed in a fire at Jalan Kuap, Samarahan, on Sept 16 afternoon. Bomba received the distress call at 2.27pm. Firefighters from the Siburan Fire and Rescue Station arrived at 2.58pm and brought the fire under control by 3.10pm using water from an open source. Nine firefighters and three police personnel were involved. No casualties were reported, and the operation ended at 3.30pm. The initial report confirms damage to the generator, but does not state whether telecommunications service was interrupted or what caused the fire. Residents who notice smoke or a new outage should contact the relevant emergency or service provider rather than approach the site.

The BUDI Diesel subsidy transfer facility has been widened with immediate effect, allowing a registered vehicle owner to transfer eligibility to any eligible Malaysian citizen who is the vehicle’s designated actual user. The change matters to private diesel pickup and four-wheel-drive owners in Sarawak who use family vehicles or vehicles bought through informal “sambung bayar” arrangements. Transfer of subsidy eligibility does not transfer ownership of the vehicle. A registered owner with more than one eligible diesel vehicle may transfer the monthly entitlement for those vehicles to a maximum of three actual users, subject to the scheme’s conditions and the number of eligible vehicles. Applications are made through the BUDI MADANI portal or at an Inland Revenue Board office. The deadline matters: applications submitted by the 27th of a month can be processed for use from the first day of the following month, subject to data checks. A transfer is generally allowed only once for each vehicle, and a recipient may receive a transfer from only one registered owner.

A one-off RM500 flight aid will be given to 7,095 eligible new students entering public universities, polytechnics and community colleges for the September and October intakes. The assistance is for domestic flights between Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan. It is particularly relevant to Sarawak families sending students across the South China Sea for the start of term. The aid was announced in Kuching on Sept 16. The Transport Ministry is expected to release the implementation details, including how eligible students will receive it, so families should wait for the formal procedure before making assumptions about reimbursement or application deadlines.

Kuching’s Air Pollutant Index (API) rose to 95 at 8am on Sept 17, moving close to the unhealthy range but remaining moderate. Serian recorded 92 and Tebedu 90 at the same reading. Samarahan and Lundu were both at 77, while Lubok Antu and Betong stood at 76. The readings were higher than the previous 8pm figures in most of these areas. Samalaju also moved from good to moderate at 58, while Kanowit and Mukah improved into the good range. API readings from 51 to 100 are classified as moderate, and 0 to 50 as good. Conditions can change through the day, so people planning prolonged outdoor activity should check the latest official reading rather than rely on this morning’s snapshot.

Sarawak is exploring wider arts and cultural programmes involving schools as part of a stronger partnership with the National Department for Culture and Arts. The proposal was discussed during a meeting between the state tourism and creative-industry ministry and JKKN officials. Existing cooperation includes the annual Gendang Festival, whose preliminary rounds cover northern, central, Samarahan and Kuching zones. A Mobile Stage Truck used for grassroots arts programmes was also handed over by JKKN Sarawak to the Sarawak Arts Council. The truck had served rural programmes from 2010 to last year. The update signals a direction for future school and community programmes, but it does not yet set out participating schools, dates or a new curriculum. Those details will determine how widely students can take part.