A RM550 million smart-city project will cover Greater Kuching, while a separate RM545 million Jendela rollout targets connectivity gaps elsewhere across Sarawak. The two allocations are not the same pot of money. The Kuching Smart City and Digital Connectivity project initially covers Kuching North, Kuching South, Padawan and Kota Samarahan council areas. Its planned systems include public Wi-Fi, a shared city platform, traffic-management tools and support for emergency response. Data and artificial intelligence are part of the design, alongside cybersecurity and data protection. An agreement for the Kuching project was signed at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly complex on October 15. That is the signing venue; the intended service area is Greater Kuching, not just the assembly precinct. For residents, the distinction is practical: the city programme concerns urban services as well as digital infrastructure. The first phase of Jendela Phase 2, announced separately, is intended to improve internet access at nearly 350 locations across the state, through six project clusters. Letters of acceptance have been handed to the appointed companies, with equipment expected to reach tower sites in the coming months. Neither announcement means new Wi-Fi or improved mobile coverage is already available at a particular address. Local installation details and service activation are the milestones to look for before changing an internet plan.

Imasa Dinasti Sdn Bhd and SDEC Karuna JV Sdn Bhd have reached a memorandum of understanding to explore smart mobility, EV infrastructure, intelligent urban systems and digital technology for Kenyalang Smart City in Miri, The Borneo Post reported on October 5. The report says the MoU documents were exchanged on October 4 during IDECS 2026 at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK), in Kuching. BCCK was the event venue; the Kenyalang Smart City project is in Miri. The areas for exploration include EV charging and energy management, intelligent building systems, smart street lighting, AI-enabled city management and environmental monitoring, as well as integrating devices with the development’s digital platforms. The report gives no rollout schedule, first-phase locations or customer prices, so the collaboration remains exploratory rather than a confirmed deployment.

A farmers’ market, smart poles and an inclusive playground have put three Kuching South City Council projects on the Top 29 finalist list for the 2026 JCI Malaysia Sustainable Development Awards. The Kuching Natural Farmers Market was shortlisted under SDG 8 for supporting local farmers and small producers. The MBKS Smart Pole Initiative sits under SDG 11 for park safety, environmental monitoring and management, while Ausome Park is under SDG 10 for play spaces that children of different abilities can use together. All three are existing community programmes. The announcement is a finalist placing, not a final award or a new rollout; the winners have yet to be announced.

A Kuching South smart pole displayed an outdoor-activity message even while its API reading showed hazardous air, MBKS said on Tuesday. The council attributed the mismatch to a dashboard programming limit. The numerical reading remained accurate, but the advisory function had only been configured up to API 450. When the reading went higher, the system defaulted to the message used for the 0–50 healthy range. MBKS said it has told the system provider to rework the dashboard so the number, gauge and warning match official API bands, including exceptionally high readings. Until that update is confirmed across the system, residents should use the official API reading as the reference and avoid outdoor exercise once the air reaches hazardous levels.

[image: 1783818235479-smart-parking.png] Sarawak is working towards one smart parking app that can be used statewide. Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng said the Pay and Go system is currently part of that move towards a unified parking payment setup. The long-term target is simple: one app for public and private parking, first in Kuching, then wider areas such as Padawan and Kota Samarahan once the system is stable. What residents should know Public complaints have been raised over parking penalties and system glitches. Wee said users should first submit complaints to Pay and Go, the appointed contractor. If the issue is not resolved, MBKS can take it up. He also said suggestions such as a five- to 10-minute grace period can be considered. Location: Kuching / Sarawak Details: Unified smart parking app, Pay and Go complaints, wider statewide rollout being studied Hot Score: 29/30 Source: DayakDaily What do you think?