A free blood-screening programme in Sungai Apong is expected to reach about 200 people, as Kuching South City Council extends an initiative that began with its own staff. The fourth round took place on Oct 25 at the Henghua cooperative premises along Jalan Sungai Apong Baru. Organised with Borneo Medical Centre, it offered blood tests covering 38 health indicators. The programme included residents of the surrounding neighbourhood, not just cooperative members. Kuching South Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng said the council wanted to improve access for low-income families, older residents and people who have difficulty travelling to hospitals or clinics. Earlier rounds had expanded from council staff to market workers and other communities. Participants will receive their results and can take any concerns to their own doctors. More detailed tests, if they choose them, would be at their own expense: the free screening should not be read as a promise that all follow-up care is covered. Wee said MBKS would continue taking screening programmes to different communities. The estimate of 200 people describes the intended reach of this round, rather than a confirmed final attendance figure.

Sarawak is assessing 1,059 applications to create community-leader and village-chief positions. The review includes requests from Lundu, but the applications have not yet been approved. Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier's Office (Law and Native Customs) Jefferson Jamit Unyat gave the update in the legislative assembly on October 13. The reply addressed a request submitted through the Lundu District Office in 2021 for an additional community-leader position in Sematan, where the existing Penghulu oversees a large number of villages. Sarawak currently has 7,710 official Community Leader and Village Chief positions, known collectively as KMKK: 671 community leaders and 7,039 village chiefs. Kuching Division accounts for 641 positions, including 129 in Lundu District. These are the existing posts, not jobs newly approved under the current review. Population growth, settlement patterns and the size of the area covered are among the factors assessed when creating posts. A village, longhouse or settlement needs at least 20 households to qualify for a village-chief position. For communities awaiting a decision, the update confirms that applications remain under scrutiny; it does not provide an approval date for the Sematan request or a timetable for the full batch.

Bau District Council's latest five-star result puts it fifth among 92 district councils nationally, not fifth among all Malaysian local authorities. With a score of 91.61 per cent, it also ranks first among Sarawak's district councils, DayakDaily reported after an October 5 briefing in Bau. The result had been announced on September 12 at the Malaysian Local Authorities Convention in Seberang Perai, Penang. Monday's briefing at the council meeting room set out the local performance figures; it was not a new assessment conducted that day. The council rose from 63rd place, while its score increased from 86.17 per cent in 2024 — a gain of 5.44 percentage points. The federal Local Authority Star Rating System assesses management, core services, customer management, community participation, governance and audit-related performance. Five stars require a score of at least 90 per cent. The council said it would continue reviewing its services and welcomed public feedback. For Bau residents, the rating is a broad performance measure rather than a guarantee that every individual complaint has been resolved.

SarawakPass users can now scan a MyDigital ID QR code to reach participating Federal web services. In the other direction, MyDigital ID users can scan a SarawakPass QR code to access participating Sarawak services, DayakDaily reported on October 5 after the integration was showcased at IDECS 2026. The cross-government integration was implemented this year following a memorandum signed by the Sarawak Government and the National Cyber Security Agency on November 28, 2025, the report said. It is an access route for participating services, not a claim that every government service is already connected. The report said selected MyDigital ID-enabled mobile apps are expected to be added in the coming months. The showcase took place at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching on October 5; that is the event venue, while the service integration itself has no physical project site identified in the report.

The Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA) launched the Sarawak Cybersecurity Strategy and Roadmap 2030 at IDECS 2026 at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching on October 5, Utusan Sarawak reported that day. The plan is described as the state’s first cybersecurity strategy covering Sarawak as a whole. The five-year roadmap contains 18 initiatives under five pillars: safeguarding strategic information assets; protecting the public, businesses and communities; developing talent; strengthening governance and operational frameworks; and strategic cooperation. SMA said the framework is intended to guide security and resilience as the state’s digital ecosystem grows; the launch itself does not mean the initiatives have already been completed.

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.

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’s Cabinet has approved a two-year service extension for 100 personnel with the Sarawak Social Welfare Department (JKMS). Their current service period is due to end on Dec 31, and the extension was approved at the Cabinet meeting on Sept 24. The staff help JKMS handle welfare cases and disaster-relief operations, and support programmes such as the Kenyalang Gold Card. The department recorded 57,211 monthly welfare-assistance recipients across Sarawak, including children, older people, persons with disabilities and bedridden patients. The decision keeps an existing support team in place; the announcement did not set out a new benefit amount or change to eligibility.

Miri Hospital is seeking another 4,000 blood donors to reach its 10,000-donor target for the year. The hospital had recorded about 6,000 donors by August, and is aiming to collect at least 1,000 donors a month through the end of 2026 to keep supplies steady. The appeal was made at a Malaysia Day blood-donation programme in Miri, where organisers said voluntary donation has been the city’s established model since 1979. Blood collected in Miri can also be supplied to hospitals in Marudi and Limbang when needed. For Sarawak residents, the practical point is straightforward: regular voluntary donors help keep the state’s northern blood supply available beyond a single campaign day. People considering donation should use the hospital or Malaysian Red Crescent’s current channels to check eligibility and the next session.

The newly completed Lawas Hospital is expected to gain more staff and services as human resources become available. Deputy Health Minister Datuk Hanifah Hajar Taib said not all positions have been filled because of current manpower constraints. She said the ministry hopes specialists can eventually be stationed there permanently instead of visiting on a scheduled basis. The 76-bed hospital recorded 14,083 emergency and trauma patients in 2025, while 693 patients were transferred elsewhere, including 440 to Limbang, 151 to Miri and 102 to Kota Kinabalu. Those figures explain why local specialist access remains a work in progress rather than an immediate promise. The hospital has two operating theatres, four high-dependency beds and nine additional haemodialysis machines. More facilities and services will be introduced in phases.

Sarawak’s first phase of a Special Needs Community Centre in Samarahan is targeted for completion by May 2028. Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said the state government has approved RM30 million under the 13th Malaysia Plan for the first phase. The centre is intended to provide support ranging from early intervention and rehabilitation to skills development, employment preparation and longer-term residential care. The minister said the residential component is meant to address future needs of people who may no longer have parents or guardians able to care for them. The project is planned in phases, so the May 2028 target is not a claim that the full lifelong-support system will be ready by then. The state also reported that 745 children had received early-intervention services by the end of 2025, including 673 in Kuching and the remainder at OSEIC Dalat.

MyKad printing services nationwide are expected to face a temporary disruption from Aug 26 to 31 as the National Registration Department (JPN) transitions to the new-generation identity card. For Kuching residents without an urgent need, JPN advises postponing MyKad replacement or exchange applications until the transition period is over. The disruption concerns printing as the department moves away from the existing card structure; it does not amount to an announcement that every National Registration Department counter is closed. Parents or guardians applying for a child’s first MyKad at age 12 are also encouraged to wait, so the child can receive the new-generation card when issuance begins. Anyone with an urgent identity-document matter should confirm the latest arrangement with JPN before going to a counter, as the notice does not give a single nationwide date for every new card to be issued.

A Hui Sing drain complaint was marked resolved, but the drain was still clogged when checked again. [image: 1784455492695-mbks-hui-sing-drain.jpeg] Source: The Borneo Post / handout photo Stampin MP Chong Chieng Jen's special assistant Michael Kong said the Kuching South City Council (MBKS) should check maintenance work on-site before closing public complaints. The case involves a filthy and clogged drain in front of a department store at Hui Sing Commercial Centre. Kong said he reported it through Talikhidmat, then later received an update saying clearing work had been done on May 28. When he went back to the site, he said stagnant water and rubbish were still there. Location: Hui Sing Commercial Centre, Kuching Details: Kong wants MBKS to send workers back for proper cleaning and explain how the complaint was marked completed. Source: The Borneo Post Anyone around Hui Sing saw this drain before? What do you think?