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.

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.

Sarawak has recorded RM1.35 million in disaster assistance this year, covering 258 cases and 7,722 people affected by five types of disasters. The figures, presented at a Kuching aid handover on Sept 25, cover storms, fires, landslides, floods and drought. Fire victims accounted for the largest allocation: RM636,300 across 92 cases involving 422 people. Flood assistance totalled RM331,710 for 1,714 people in 14 cases. Officials said support is assessed from each household's profile and needs. It can include food, clothing, bedding, small-business assistance and building materials, rather than one uniform package. The announcement did not specify a new application window or a standard cash amount, so affected households should check with the Social Welfare Department about their own case.

Three outdoor activities planned for Sunday at Sarawakku Sayang in Betong have been cancelled as haze persists. The programme organisers cancelled aerobics, Betong Berekot and Ngohet Sikai after consulting the Betong Divisional Health Office, which cited unhealthy API readings. The three-day programme is being held at Betong Sports Complex from Sept 25 to 27. Organisers said the rest of the programme would continue as scheduled while conditions are monitored. Visitors planning to attend on Sunday should leave those three activities out of their plans and check for any further notices before travelling.

Renovation work at Betong’s Taha Ariffin Stadium is expected to finish in October, with turf, changing rooms and spectator seating among the areas being upgraded. Sarawak Deputy Minister for Youth, Sports and Entrepreneurship Development Datuk Gerald Rentap Jabu said safety improvements and an audit are also part of the work, including safer entry and exit when the venue is full. He said the upgrades are being carried out in stages and must meet Fire and Rescue Department and police requirements. The October date is an expectation, not a confirmed opening date. This is the Betong stadium project, separate from the Sarawak Stadium upgrade in Kuching reported earlier this year.

A total of 142 schools in Serian and Lundu are closed today as haze readings remain in the very unhealthy range. The temporary closure took effect on Thursday, Sept 24: 108 schools in Serian and 34 in Lundu. At 10am, the Air Pollutant Index stood at 212 in Serian and 225 in Lundu. The Sarawak Education Department said the decision follows Education Ministry Circular No. 8 of 2016 on managing lessons during disasters. For schools near areas above API 200, principals and head teachers may consider home-based learning after weighing pupils’ health and safety. The notice gives no reopening date. Families should check with their own school for the day’s learning arrangements. If readings trend down, schools may begin preparing to reopen, but that is not a confirmed timetable.

Bintulu Port Holdings Berhad has contributed RM802.3 million in dividends to the State Financial Secretary Sarawak and Equisar Assets Sdn Bhd, according to a company appreciation-ceremony update. The figure was announced as the port operator highlighted its operating performance and its role in Sarawak’s trade network. Biport Bulkers was reported to handle about four million tonnes of cargo a year, or roughly a quarter of Sarawak’s total exports. The company also said it was expanding cargo-handling capacity and pursuing sustainability initiatives. A Regional Halal Hub launched last July was cited as one effort to diversify trade opportunities. The dividend figure is a reported contribution, not a promise of future returns. The next practical measure for Sarawak will be whether the operator’s planned capacity expansion translates into stronger services and wider trade activity by 2030.

A historic silk cotton tree at Kuching’s Padang Merdeka could receive formal heritage protection under a wider plan for Old Kuching. Sarawak’s tourism minister said he had asked the Sarawak Museum Department to study gazetting the Pokok Kapas, also known as the kapok tree. He described it as part of Kuching’s living heritage and said specific protection would help prevent heritage assets from being removed or damaged. The proposal sits within the Old Kuching Smart Heritage initiative, which is assessing areas including Gambier Street, Main Bazaar and India Street, along with landmarks such as the Old Courthouse and Round Tower. The review is also expected to consider privately owned heritage buildings, with engagement and possible compensation discussed before legislation. The tree has not been gazetted through this announcement. It is a proposal for assessment, while the wider conservation work is still being organised as Kuching continues to develop.

Repair and rehabilitation works are planned for damaged sections of two roads serving Bintulu Port and the Tanjung Kidurong industrial area. The roads identified by JKR Sarawak are the Jalan Bintulu/Tatau Junction (Mile 5)–Bintulu Port route and Jalan Tanjung Kidurong. Inspections found surface deterioration on several sections, with continuous heavy-vehicle movement cited as one contributing factor. The repair plan will take site conditions, safety requirements and traffic management into account. JKR also says the locations will be monitored during the works and motorists should follow signs and traffic-control instructions. No full closure timetable was announced in the update. For road users, the practical change is to stay alert for work zones around two routes that carry both public traffic and industrial logistics.

Six overtaking lanes have been proposed along the Bintulu-Bakun Road to make a heavily used freight corridor safer. The RM216 million proposal covers about 12km at six locations around KM16, KM39, KM49, KM75, KM106 and KM109 on Federal Route FT803. The Works Ministry says the package would also include related structure upgrades and street lighting. The route carries heavy vehicles serving plantations, logging and other economic activity, while also linking Bintulu and Sebauh with Sungai Asap, Belaga, Bakun and Murum. With no practical alternative route for those lorries, the proposed work is framed as an upgrade to accommodate existing traffic rather than a ban. The proposal has been submitted for consideration under Rolling Plan 2 of the 13th Malaysia Plan. Until a decision and work schedule are announced, motorists should continue to expect the current winding sections, limited visibility and heavy-vehicle movements.

The Kuala Baram dredging project in Miri has reached about 90% completion, ahead of its contract schedule. The Miri Port Authority reported the progress after a site inspection on Sept 21. The work is part of a wider effort to improve port capacity, operating efficiency and sustainability, strengthening the role of Sarawak’s ports in the northern state economy. The update confirms physical progress, but it does not announce a final completion date or a new opening arrangement. Port users should not read the 90% figure as an immediate change to every operation; the remaining works and follow-up arrangements still matter. For Miri, Kuala Baram is a practical piece of the region’s maritime and logistics network. The next clear checkpoint is completion of the project and how the upgraded channel supports day-to-day port activity.

Miri’s retention ponds need a regular cleaning programme after aquatic growth, rubbish and sediment were flagged as risks to water flow and flood mitigation. The Department of Irrigation and Drainage was asked to schedule more frequent maintenance after recent cleaning at a pond along Jalan Ilmu near Desa Senadin. Water hyacinths and other plants covering the pond have been cleared, but they can grow back quickly. Floating rubbish entering through nearby drains was also raised as a concern. A RM3 million allocation has been approved for drainage maintenance and upgrading in Senadin, including Desa Senadin, Tudan and Permyjaya. The suggestion that some ponds may need cleaning as often as every two months is not a confirmed timetable. The current update is a maintenance call, not a new flood warning. The next useful checkpoint for residents will be whether a recurring cleaning schedule is published before the next period of heavy rain.

The Medan Jaya–Jalan Tun Hussein Onn flyover in Bintulu is now targeted for completion in July 2027, with physical progress at 89.05%. The latest project update said the work had received three extensions because of construction-site issues, including utility relocation. A major access problem involving the Bintulu district police headquarters has since been resolved, while the contractor has committed to the July target. The 2.6-kilometre package covers upgrades to the surrounding roads, a four-lane two-way flyover and improvements at the Medan Jaya and Taman Tinggi junctions. The finished project is expected to improve peak-hour traffic flow, comfort and safety. July 2027 is a completion target, not an immediate opening promise. Drivers will still need to follow traffic management arrangements and wait for the remaining works and final handover to be completed.

The RM43 million Serikin Integrated Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security complex in Bau is 11% complete, six days ahead of schedule. Earthworks and site preparation are under way at the border facility, which is targeted for completion by the end of 2027. The complex is intended to strengthen border security and support more orderly movement between Sarawak and Indonesia. The project is being treated as an urgent national-security development rather than routine public works. Roads, electricity, water and telecommunications remain practical dependencies: a finished building could still face delays if its supporting utilities are not ready. A separate Telok Melano border control post inspected during the same working visit is still waiting for a Letter of Acceptance after final tender evaluation. Its estimated two-year construction period has not started. For southwest Sarawak, the distinction is clear: Serikin is in active construction, while Telok Melano remains before the formal award stage.

Four infrastructure projects are being pursued in Puncak Borneo, with a Phase 2 water-supply scheme intended to reach 18 villages. The package includes the Puncak Borneo Phase 2 water project, the RM45 million expansion of the Bengoh Resettlement Scheme, the Biya–Jabir Road project and the RM85 million SMK Puncak Borneo. Their statuses are not the same: the water scheme has faced pipeline-route objections and redesign work; the road project has recently gone out to tender; and the school has approval, funding and an identified site but is still awaiting implementation. A separate RM12.6 million acute water system in Kampung Bengoh is planned for expansion to Kampung Petag, Kampung Sitang and Kampung Bangau. The Phase 2 scheme is also planned to use Kampung Sapit as a distribution centre for Kampung Assum, Kampung Parang and surrounding areas. For Padawan residents, the immediate question is not just the size of the package but when each project moves from approval or tender into visible work.

A RM119 million upgrade for 17.1km of Sarawak’s Pan Borneo “redline” sections has entered a 16-month work window, with completion targeted for early 2028. The short-stretch package covers nine locations, including Lachau, Selangau, Balingian, Kemena, Sebiew and Tudan. It will upgrade pavement structures and road-safety features. The contractor received the site on Sept 17, and Sarawak JKR and the Works Ministry will monitor the work. The redline is not one continuous 17.1km route. It refers to 136.74km of sections left out of the original Pan Borneo project. The current package is the 17.1km short stretch; a separate 119.64km long stretch is still being refined for implementation. For Sarawak road users, the useful next check is how work is staged at the nine locations and whether the contractor can beat the 16-month schedule. The update did not include a detailed traffic-management timetable.

All primary and secondary schools under the Lubok Antu and Kanowit District Education Offices have been ordered to close temporarily as haze pushed API readings above 200. The Sarawak Education Department said the closure took effect immediately on Sept 21. Home-based teaching and learning will continue under Ministry of Education disaster-management guidance. Schools near districts with API readings above 200 may also consider PdPR, with pupils’ health and safety as the deciding factor. At 9am, Lubok Antu and Kanowit recorded API readings of 205 and 209. By 10am, the two readings had risen to 207 and 212, both in the very unhealthy range. The department said schools may prepare for reopening if the API trend falls below 200; no fixed reopening date was announced. Parents and students should follow the latest school or education-department notice before preparing to return.

Sarawak’s tourism sector regained momentum in August, with 439,968 visitor arrivals—up 6.53 per cent from the same month last year—and RM1.137 billion in receipts. International arrivals rose 12.6 per cent to 275,800. But the first eight months still totalled 3,160,448 arrivals, 1.41 per cent below the same period last year, so the August rebound has not erased the earlier shortfall. Sarawak’s tourism authorities expect the final quarter to be stronger, while acknowledging that haze could cause leisure travellers to postpone trips. The more-than-four-million year-end expectation is therefore still a forecast, not a confirmed outcome. For Kuching businesses and travellers, the useful signal is a busier August alongside a season that remains sensitive to air quality and programme schedules.

Sarawak accounted for 11 of Malaysia’s 21 “unhealthy” air-quality stations at 8.30am on Monday, with Kuching recording an API reading of 158. Serian was the highest in the state at 168, followed by Kapit at 166 and Sri Aman at 160. Miri and Bintulu also recorded 158, while Samarahan was 157, Sibu 156 and Samalaju 155. The readings show the haze remains a broad state-level problem rather than being confined to one town. The Department of Environment said it is continuing round-the-clock monitoring. Wind direction and hotspot activity can change the numbers during the day, so residents should check the latest API before deciding on prolonged outdoor activity, especially if they are in a vulnerable group.

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.