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Two farming developments at Rampangi in Kuching are working to different timetables: a precision farming park is expected to finish in November, while a RM3 million technology upgrade at the Permanent Food Production Park targets the third quarter of 2027. Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Minister Dr Stephen Rundi Utom gave the update at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly on Oct 20. The 1.7-hectare Rampangi Precision Farming Park has reached 68 per cent physical progress, with planting scheduled for December. Those are upcoming milestones, not a report that crops are already being produced there. The separate TKPM upgrade will introduce real-time monitoring, automated fertigation and AI-enabled analysis. For the Kuching food-production sector, the distinction is practical: the nearer-term planting schedule belongs to the precision park, not the later smart-technology package. Two other precision parks, at Sungai Sebiew in Bintulu and Kabuloh in Miri, stood at 47 per cent and 62 per cent respectively as of September. Both are scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2027. Their planned facilities include greenhouses, internal roads, fertigation and Internet of Things technology.

Sarawak has secured 153 business events this year, with a projected economic impact of RM641.5 million—but the bookings are not a count of events already held in 2026. The tourism minister told the State Legislative Assembly on Oct 20 that the secured portfolio had exceeded the annual target of 140 events. It is expected to draw 66,625 delegates, against a target of 49,207, and generate RM33.6 million in tax revenue. All three figures describe expectations for the secured events, not money already collected. The pipeline extends beyond this year. It includes the Asian Network for Quality Congress in 2027, an Asia-Pacific regional conference of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease in 2028, and the International Congress on Parasitology in 2030. Their expected delegate numbers are 1,000, 1,000 and 2,300 respectively. A different measure covers events taking place in Sarawak during 2026: 171 are scheduled, with projected economic impact of RM731.2 million. Of those, 125 had been hosted at the time of the update, attracting 52,332 delegates and an estimated RM470.2 million in economic impact, including RM26.1 million in tax revenue. For Kuching hotels, transport providers and food businesses, the useful distinction is between future bookings and delegates who have actually arrived. The two event totals describe different groups and should not be added together as separate wins. Even the impact reported for completed events remains an estimate, rather than a statement of individual businesses’ receipts.

Only three of Sarawak’s 40 sports and community facility projects under the 13th Malaysia Plan had been completed as of September, according to a ministerial update to the State Legislative Assembly on Oct 20. Another 18 were under construction and 19 remained at various planning stages. The portfolio is broader than 40 new sports venues: it comprises 16 new facilities, 19 upgrades to sports and social facilities, and five non-physical projects. Those categories matter when judging how much new space is actually becoming available to communities. The youth and sports ministry said its “One District, One Sports Complex” initiative is expected to bring sports-complex coverage to about 89 per cent of districts once the facilities are completed. That is a completion target, not the proportion of districts already served. Regional development agencies, including the Greater Kuching Coordinated Development Agency, are involved in the effort. Preparations for the 2027 SEA Games involve 11 facility upgrades. The ministry reported that eight were ahead of schedule, with completion work expected in the first two quarters of 2027. Sarawak Stadium, the planned opening-ceremony venue, is expected to be completed by January 2027. For Kuching spectators and regular facility users, these are work-completion targets rather than announcements that the upgraded venues are already open.

Sarawak’s planned Native Courts legislation is still being reviewed by the State Attorney-General’s Chambers. The existing legal framework remains in force while the proposed changes are finalised. Minister in the Premier’s Department John Sikie Tayai gave the update after his October 19 winding-up speech at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly. He hopes the Bill can be tabled at the next sitting, but did not confirm that it is ready or provide a firm tabling date. The proposals form part of a restructuring of the Native Courts system, including replacing the Native Courts Ordinance 1992. Sikie said the legal review is intended to ensure the changes can be implemented and respond to the institution’s current needs. For people dealing with the Native Courts, the distinction is practical: a minister’s hoped-for timetable does not change the rules governing current proceedings. Sikie said the courts would continue working under the existing framework until the amendments are finalised and brought into force. The next meaningful milestones are the completion of the legal review, an actual Bill being tabled, and its eventual commencement arrangements. An expected opportunity to table legislation should not be mistaken for a new law already taking effect.

Water-system verification must come before a land-development application is submitted for planning approval in Sarawak, Utility and Telecommunication Minister Julaihi Narawi said on October 19. The requirement applies to developments including residential, commercial, industrial and government premises. Developers must obtain verification from Sarawak’s Rural Water Supply Department (JBALB) or Sarawak Water for their proposed system design and the suitability of sites reserved for its facilities. Speaking during his ministerial winding-up at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly, Julaihi said the system includes storage tanks, booster pumping stations and related facilities that meet technical requirements. Verification is needed before the application goes through the Land and Survey Department to the State Planning Authority, and before engineering plans reach the Engineering Plan Committee. For a developer or landowner planning a project in Kuching or elsewhere in the state, that places water capacity and facility sites at the planning stage, rather than leaving them until the building design is far advanced. This is a reminder of the required approval sequence, not an announcement that every existing property must submit a fresh development application. Existing private and commercial premises have a separate responsibility: Julaihi urged owners to keep rooftop or ground-level storage tanks maintained and working, particularly for peak demand or supply disruptions. A development’s water-system design and the upkeep of an occupied property’s tank are different tasks, but both affect whether usable water reaches the premises.

Sibu’s existing stage buses are set to be replaced by 13 electric buses offering free rides, with the rollout targeted for the first quarter of 2027. Sarawak Transport Minister Lee Kim Shin announced the plan in his October 19 winding-up speech at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly. The intended service area includes Sibu town, Sibu Jaya, Kemuyang, Ulu Sungai Merah, Rantau Panjang and Lower and Upper Lanang. The change combines two separate benefits for passengers: newer vehicles and zero fares. But the early-2027 target is not a start date for free travel today, and the announcement does not provide route-by-route timetables or service frequencies. Those details will determine how useful the replacement fleet is for daily trips. For Kuching readers comparing public transport options, this is a Sibu programme, not a change to the city’s BAS.MY fares. Lee separately reported that Kuching’s BAS.MY service runs 56 buses across 13 routes and had carried more than 1.29 million passengers since its March 2025 launch, as of September 2026. Sibu passengers can now track a defined delivery window rather than an unspecified replacement plan: January to March 2027. The next useful information will be the confirmed launch arrangements and routes served by the new fleet.

A heritage textile museum building in Kuching is to be upgraded into an Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC) hub, with RM10 million in Sarawak government funding. Implementation is expected to begin in 2027, not immediately. Law and Institutional Reform Minister Azalina Othman Said outlined the plan on October 19 after an agreement-exchange ceremony between the state government and AIAC at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly complex. The ceremony venue is separate from the heritage building selected for the office. The proposal would give businesses in Sarawak and the wider Borneo region another venue for resolving international commercial disputes, rather than concentrating that activity in Kuala Lumpur. Azalina said the intention went beyond a small branch office, including attracting international lawyers and legal chambers to Kuching. For local firms, the practical change would be access to dispute-resolution services closer to where they operate. It is not yet an announcement that the new office is accepting cases: the minister said implementation would start next year, including appointments to get operations running. The RM10 million is an upgrade commitment, while the planned legal services and talent-development opportunities remain outcomes to be delivered. An operational opening date and the eventual arrangements for using the Kuching facility are the next milestones for businesses to watch.

Fifty-four of the 140 dilapidated-school projects funded through Sarawak’s RM1 billion advance-payment allocation remain at different stages of implementation, Education, Innovation and Talent Development Minister Roland Sagah Wee Inn said on October 19. He told the Sarawak Legislative Assembly that 86 projects in that programme had been completed. In a separate group under Projek Rakyat Sarawak, six of 12 identified school projects were complete; the other six were either being implemented or still at the pre-construction stage. Sagah also welcomed the federal Budget 2027 allocation of RM1.3 billion for upgrading 682 dilapidated schools nationwide, with Sabah and Sarawak prioritised. That is a national allocation, not an amount already assigned wholly to Sarawak or to the 54 unfinished projects. He expressed hope that Sarawak would receive a substantial share. The October 19 report did not set out school-by-school completion dates or a final Sarawak share of that federal allocation.

The Education Ministry has given schools more time to enter assessment marks in MOEIS after haze disrupted classes and assessment activities in parts of the country. The new deadline for the End-of-Academic-Session Assessment (UASA) and End-of-Academic-Session Examinations (PAT/PASA) is November 28, replacing November 21. For the Physical, Sports and Co-curricular Assessment (PAJSK), the deadline moves from November 30 to December 5. The ministry announced the changes in an October 19 statement. They concern recording marks in the Integrated Education Management System, rather than a single new examination date for every school. The statement does not set out a replacement assessment timetable for individual schools. Parents and pupils should therefore use their school’s own assessment notices for sitting dates, not read the later marks-entry deadline as an automatic postponement of a test.

Sarawak’s Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES) does not bind graduates to jobs in the state, Education, Innovation and Talent Development Minister Roland Sagah Wee Inn said on October 19. Speaking to reporters after his ministerial winding-up speech at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly complex, he said recipients could pursue careers anywhere. The state hopes graduates will bring overseas experience home, but that hope is not an employment bond. For families weighing an FTES offer, the distinction matters: accepting the education support does not, under the policy he described, require a graduate to take a Sarawak job. It is not a promise of employment, at home or abroad. Sagah also told the assembly that 6,246 students had accepted FTES offers across four Sarawak-owned institutions as of September 30. They comprise 2,802 at Swinburne Sarawak, 2,031 at University of Technology Sarawak, 949 at Curtin Malaysia and 464 at i-CATS University College. Of the students who accepted offers, 3,195 qualify for the annual RM15,000 living and accommodation stipend for eligible lower-income households. That support is not an automatic payment to all 6,246 students. A separate intake figure tracks the 64 courses covered by the scheme: 3,491 new students in 2026, compared with 1,528 in 2025, an increase of 128.5 per cent. The course-intake total and the number accepting FTES offers measure different groups and should not be treated as interchangeable.

Padawan Municipal Council ratepayers have until Saturday, October 31 to pay their second half-year and annual 2026 assessment bills. Late payment attracts a surcharge of 1 per cent a month. MPP’s reminder dated October 19 says its payment counter will open from 8am to 4pm on the deadline Saturday. Normal Monday-to-Friday counter hours are 8am to 3.30pm, with service continuing through the lunch break. A missing bill does not require waiting for another postal delivery. Owners who have not received a bill, or have lost it, can obtain a copy at MPP’s ground-floor counter or call 082-615566 to arrange an email bill. The council lists PayBills, the Service Sarawak portal and SPay Global as online payment options. Its notice also lists payment counters at MPP, MBKS, DBKU, SESCO, Kuching Water Board, Pos Malaysia, H&L supermarkets in Kuching and the Service Sarawak Centre at UTC. The extended October 31 hours are stated for MPP’s counter, not for every collection outlet. The reminder concerns properties assessed by MPP; it does not put those properties under another council’s jurisdiction merely because payment can be made there.

Sarawak is taking over the upgrading projects at SMK Gedong and SK Sageng, Premier Abang Johari Tun Openg said on October 18. Speaking at the Satu Pemimpin, Satu Kampung programme in Gedong, he said the state would step in so pupils could continue to receive quality education and access to up-to-date knowledge, regardless of the funding source. The two projects sit within a wider school-upgrading commitment. In the Sarawak Budget 2027 tabled on October 12, an additional RM29 million was announced for urgent redevelopment or upgrading at SMK Gedong, SK Sageng, SJKC Tong Ah and SK Tupong. That figure covers four schools; it is not an allocation stated separately for each of the two takeover projects. For the affected school communities, the latest announcement identifies the state government’s role in carrying the work forward. It does not announce completed buildings or a date when pupils will move into upgraded facilities. Project-by-project costs and completion dates were not set out in the October 18 report.

Kuching, Samarahan and Serian are among the Sarawak areas forecast to have thunderstorms on Monday afternoon, October 19. MetMalaysia’s forecast issued on October 18 also puts rain in several areas during the morning, with Miri and Limbang the exceptions. For Kuching-area commuters, that means the possibility of wet weather is not confined to the afternoon journey home. The afternoon thunderstorm forecast covers Kuching, Serian, Samarahan, Sri Aman, Betong, Sarikei, Sibu, Mukah, Kapit, Bintulu, Miri and Limbang. Temperatures across Sarawak are expected to range from 24°C to 34°C. Conditions are expected to differ at night. Rain is forecast for Sibu, Mukah, Kapit, Bintulu, Miri and Limbang, while none is forecast for Kuching, Serian, Samarahan, Sri Aman, Betong and Sarikei. This is the outlook for October 19, not a report of a storm already affecting every listed area or a flood alert.

Sarawak’s Genevie Lim and partner Low Zi Yu have secured Malaysia’s first women’s doubles title at the BWF World Junior Championships, winning the final in Cairo on October 17. They beat a Japanese pair 15–7, 9–15, 15–12, adding a world junior gold to the Asian junior bronze they won in Japan three months earlier. The Sarawak Badminton Association (SBA) said no Malaysian women’s doubles pair had previously won the title since the championships began in 1992. For Sarawak, Lim’s success also highlights a development path that has involved both state and national support. SBA said it continued supporting her after she returned from the national setup and later recommended her return to the Badminton Association of Malaysia. The state association says it will give Lim a special cash reward for the title. No amount was specified in its announcement.

The Sarawak Business Federation (SBF) wants the state government to review how the Foreign Workers Transformation Approach (FWTA) is implemented, with particular attention to smaller firms’ compliance costs. Its president, Jonathan Chai, said industries have different staffing needs and operating conditions, while SMEs may have fewer resources to absorb additional costs. He called for continued engagement with businesses so requirements remain practical without weakening the government’s workforce-management objectives. Chai made the appeal at SBF’s anniversary dinner at the Unifor Complex in Kuching on October 17. The request is for an implementation review; it is not an announcement that FWTA has been suspended or that employers’ requirements have changed. He also welcomed the planned Ease of Doing Business Reform Blueprint, saying simpler procedures, quicker approvals and better coordination between agencies should translate into less administrative work for businesses. For employers, the distinction matters: the federation is asking for changes, rather than setting out a new compliance regime.

A RM39.2 million upgrade of the Nanga Ngungun–Nanga Bat road is targeting completion in September 2028, improving a rural link in Sarawak’s Ngemah constituency. The project covers 4.2km of former logging road, to be upgraded to R1 standard. It is one section of the wider Nanga Ngungun–Nanga Jagau route, rather than an upgrade of that entire road. The Borneo Post reported that a commencement ceremony was held at Nanga Ngungun on October 17. The Rural and Regional Development Ministry project is being implemented by the Public Works Department (JKR). For communities along the route, the intended benefit is better access between settlements and to essential services. The September 2028 target sets the delivery timetable for those improvements.

Sarawak-born Johan “Jojo” Ghazali beat Diego Paez by unanimous decision in Bangkok on October 16, reversing the outcome of their first meeting. The flyweight Muay Thai rematch went all three rounds at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium. Bernama reported that all judges favoured Ghazali after a performance built around controlled punch-and-kick combinations and responses to Paez’s counters. Paez had won their June 2025 bout by split decision. The distinction matters: that first contest divided the judges, while the return bout produced agreement in Ghazali’s favour, not a knockout. For followers of the Sarawak fighter, the result is a win in his ONE Friday Fights 175 and The Inner Circle 35 appearance. It was not a world-title bout.

Kuching South’s plan to extend CCTV coverage into residential neighbourhoods is still being drawn up, with 197 cameras identified as the residential requirement rather than a fully funded installation programme. Mayor of Kuching South Dato Wee Hong Seng said on October 17 that the council would prioritise important sites, including neighbourhood entrances and exits, while seeking more funding. Implementation is envisaged for 2027 and 2028. MBKS already has 67 cameras, mostly in commercial areas. Wee said the overall number could rise to around 140 or more, but that projection is separate from the 197-camera requirement for residential areas alone. Neither figure confirms that every proposed location has funding. Speaking at Kenyalang Park Community Association, he said MBKS would identify and recommend sites, while Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation would handle implementation. The system would link to the Sarawak Integrated Operation Centre.

Traders in Telaga Air face closer checks on price displays and weighing equipment after the area was designated Sarawak’s Tourism Compliance Zone 2026. The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) says the initiative strengthens monitoring of existing trade laws in places visited by tourists. Its state-level launch took place at the Kampung Telaga Air community hall on October 17. For customers, the checks centre on clear prices, verified weighing and measuring instruments, and accurate product information. The designation brings those everyday sales practices into sharper enforcement focus; it is not a new price list for the area. KPDN says consumers can report suspected breaches through its official WhatsApp channel, e-Aduan portal, call centre or Ez Adu KPDN mobile application.

Kuching’s Air Pollutant Index (API) rose to 71 at 4pm on Oct 17, from 65 at noon, while all 21 monitoring stations in Sarawak were in the moderate band. The Borneo Post reported the readings from the Natural Resources and Environment Board’s Sarawak API update. Nearby readings at 4pm included Serian at 79, Samarahan at 77 and Lundu at 73. Betong recorded 84, the highest figure in the report. The statewide moderate classification did not mean every location was improving. Kuching and Samarahan rose during the afternoon, while Miri eased from 71 to 69 and Limbang from 52 to 51. Kapit moved from the good band at noon, with 49, to moderate at 53 by 4pm. API readings of 51–100 fall in the moderate category; 0–50 is good. These figures describe the Oct 17 afternoon observation, not a forecast for the night or the following morning. Anyone checking conditions for a later journey or outdoor activity should use a newer official reading rather than treat this snapshot as live.