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Sarawak eSports Expo 2026 is set to bring six competition categories to the Sarawak Sports Village in Kuching from Nov 13 to 15, with RM50,000 in total prize money. The Borneo Post reported that 600 participants had already registered, while organisers are aiming for 800. That target is not the final number of entrants. The programme covers PUBG Mobile, men's and women's Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, racing simulation, Tekken 8 and eFootball. Beyond the tournaments, the three-day expo is expected to include exhibitions, forums and food and beverage kiosks. A workshop aimed at 100 participants will cover the practical side of staging esports events, from technical requirements and competition administration to broadcasting. The report did not specify admission arrangements or registration deadlines, so prospective visitors and players will need to check the organisers' latest details before making plans.

Fifteen companies have expressed interest in a proposed furniture industrial park in Kuching, but the project has not yet been implemented, Deputy Premier Awang Tengah Ali Hasan says. Sarawak Tribune reported that the project was approved under the 13th Malaysia Plan and is intended to support higher-value downstream timber manufacturing. The expressions of interest do not mean the companies have started operations or committed completed investments. Awang Tengah said timber businesses face rising operating costs, uncertain global markets and stricter environmental requirements. The report did not give an opening date or a specific site for the proposed park.

Kuching North City Hall says it has reduced the approval period for critical business licences from 150 days to 32 hours, an initiative recognised with a national Platinum award. DayakDaily reported that DBKU also received a Gold award for cutting the approval process for Single Crossing permits from 14 days to 16 hours. The recognition came at the National Conference on Bureaucratic Red Tape Reform in Selangor on October 28 and 29. The figures refer to the specific processes identified by DBKU, not every licence or permit it handles. The report did not specify eligibility conditions or whether the stated times apply to every application.

A roughly 9km dual carriageway is planned between the Pan Borneo Highway junction and Sri Aman, with RM334 million approved for the project, according to Premier Abang Johari Tun Openg. DayakDaily reported that the existing road into town is narrow for growing traffic. The Premier said construction was expected to take three to four years, with the improved network targeted for 2030. He was speaking in Sri Aman on October 31. The project remains planned rather than completed, and the report did not state a construction start date. The Premier also noted that the state government is currently in a caretaker capacity and cannot approve new projects.

Kuching FA will face Samarahan FA in the Sarawak Premier Cup final after beating Serian FA 4–2 at Padang SPPS Petra Jaya on Saturday. The result completed an 8–2 aggregate semi-final victory, following Kuching's 4–0 first-leg win at Kompleks Sukan Balai Ringin. TVS reported that Mohammad Shafitri Salim scored twice in the return match. Coach Mohammad Dzulazlan Ibrahim told TVS his side would keep training while the date of the final is being settled. Kuching had previously eliminated Miri FA 9–1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals.

Sarawak is developing a 2026–2030 ageing blueprint informed by a study of older people’s needs in urban, rural and remote communities. Sarawak Tribune reported that the work with Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak and University of Technology Sarawak covers health, economic security, age-friendly environments, lifelong learning, and rights and protection. The report identifies access to healthcare, financial constraints, unsuitable public facilities and difficulty adapting to digital technology among the issues being studied. Community and home care, as well as support for family caregivers, were also raised at a framework workshop in Kuching. The blueprint is still being formulated. The report did not announce a new application process, individual payment or implementation date for specific programmes.

A stretch of Jalan Tebakang–Mongkos between the Kampung Mayang Kawan junction and Kampung Muara Mongkos has received 325 LED streetlights under a RM2.16 million project. Sarawak Tribune reported that the work also includes poles and seven transformers. The stretch was the subject of a symbolic launch on October 30. More major roads in the Kedup constituency are to receive lighting in phases, according to the report, although no dates or further road list were given. The newspaper also reported a call for vegetation near the lights to be cleared so that it does not obstruct them.

A 400-megawatt floating solar project is planned for the Murum hydroelectric reservoir in Belaga after Masdar and Syarikat Sesco Berhad signed a power purchase agreement. DayakDaily reported the agreement citing the Sarawak Premier’s Office. Sesco is a subsidiary of Sarawak Energy; the proposed panels would add solar generation at the reservoir serving the existing 944MW Murum hydroelectric plant. The agreement was exchanged during an October 30 visit at the Satria Pertiwi Complex. The project itself is at Murum in Belaga, not at the exchange venue. The report did not state a construction start or completion date. Sarawak Energy already operates a 50MW floating solar facility at Batang Ai. A further 120MW there and a 300MW installation at Bakun are planned separately; those figures should not be counted as operating capacity today.

AirBorneo has opened bookings for its direct Kuching–Jakarta service, with the first flight scheduled for November 13 and three services a week thereafter. The airline said flights to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport will operate on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays. Flight MY 396 is scheduled to leave Kuching at 3.10pm; the return MY 397 departs Jakarta at 4.55pm local time. One-way all-in fares start at RM399 in economy and RM888 in business class. The airline says tickets are sold through its verified direct channels. The booking announcement supplies the date, frequency and fares missing from the earlier route announcement, which had indicated an October start. Travellers should check their chosen flight and fare with the airline before booking.

An additional RM50,000 contribution has been announced for Peryatim’s care and education programmes for orphaned children in Sarawak. Caretaker Premier Abang Johari Tun Openg made the announcement at a charity dinner in Kuching on Friday, Oct 30. The Sarawak Orphans Welfare Board’s programmes, rather than a new individual cash-aid scheme, are the stated purpose of the contribution. The Borneo Post reported that the funding was intended to help Peryatim continue providing care and educational opportunities. Abang Johari pointed to former residents who had progressed to university and professional careers, placing the emphasis on support beyond children’s immediate daily needs. The RM50,000 announcement is separate from the RM46 million allocation he also cited for wider Welfare Department assistance in the 2027 state budget. That larger sum covers several welfare programmes; it is not a RM46 million grant to Peryatim. No per-child payment or new public application process was set out in the announcement.

Internet connectivity is a condition of Sarawak’s announced plan to equip more than 1,400 schools with interactive smartboards using an estimated RM16 million allocation next year. The caretaker premier outlined the plan at the 33rd Premier of Sarawak Special Awards and Sarawak Education Awards 2026 at Hikmah Exchange Event Centre in Kuching, The Borneo Post reported on Oct 30. Urban and rural schools were both included in the stated ambition, provided they have internet access. For parents and teachers, this is a proposed 2027 provision, not confirmation that every school already has a board or will receive one on a fixed delivery date. The reported figure of about RM10,000 per board is a current cost estimate, not a published school-by-school procurement schedule. The announcement also put teacher readiness alongside the equipment. The caretaker premier said educators need the knowledge and digital skills to use the boards effectively, and encouraged greater use of online teaching resources such as Khan Academy. That leaves two practical conditions for classroom use: a working internet connection and teachers able to integrate the equipment into lessons. The report did not specify installation dates for individual schools or a separate programme to connect schools without internet access.

A RM3 million allocation for flood-prone parts of Miri includes two major drainage projects that still need to go through tender before work starts. The funding will go through Miri City Council (MBM), with Desa Senadin, Permyjaya, Tudan and parts of Padang Kerbau named in the announcement. DayakDaily reported the details on Oct 30, citing the Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas) and the caretaker transport minister. The planned packages include a RM1.17 million monsoon-drain upgrade along Jalan Desa Senadin, with a three-month implementation period, and RM1.26 million for maintaining and deepening earth drains along Jalan Miri–Kuala Baram over two months. Their technical designs are ready, but tendering comes before implementation. A further RM562,390 package covers maintenance, dredging and clearing at residential drainage locations around Senadin, with a one-month implementation period. Those durations describe the work packages; they are not announced calendar completion dates. Residents should also distinguish this allocation from work already finished. The Department of Irrigation and Drainage has separately completed 18 maintenance projects worth RM1.17 million, covering six retention ponds and 12 main drains. That identical RM1.17 million figure is not the new Jalan Desa Senadin contract. Larger drainage proposals for Desa Senadin, Sungai Lutong and the Taman Tunku–Padang Kerbau stretch remain subject to utility issues and approvals. The new allocation is intended to reduce flood risk, not a declaration that those wider problems have been resolved.

The Batang Lupar 2 Bridge in Sri Aman is scheduled to open to the public on Saturday, Oct 31, adding another crossing to Sarawak’s road network. The opening date was announced by Sarawak’s caretaker deputy premier at the Batang Paloh Bridge soft-opening ceremony on Oct 30, according to DayakDaily’s report citing the Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas). For travellers, the distinction between the two projects matters. Batang Lupar 2 is the Sri Aman bridge scheduled for Oct 31; the ceremony where the announcement was made concerned Batang Paloh in the Daro area. The report’s RM299 million figure refers to Batang Paloh, not Batang Lupar 2. The announcement sets out a planned opening day, not confirmation that vehicles are already crossing Batang Lupar 2 on Oct 30. No opening hour, vehicle restrictions or detailed traffic arrangements were provided in the report. The bridge sits within the state’s wider connectivity programme, alongside the Coastal Road and Second Trunk Road. Its immediate practical milestone is public access on the announced date, rather than completion of the entire wider road network.

Pupils and parents using the roadside beside SJK Sungai Apong in Kuching now have a barrier between them and the deep drain. Safety railings have been installed with funding from Kuching South City Council (MBKS), according to a council press release reported by DayakDaily on Oct 30. A council site assessment had identified the unprotected drain as a hazard, particularly when heavy rain raises the water level. The work addresses a specific part of the school journey: the drain-side area used by families arriving at and leaving the school. It is a protective barrier, rather than a reported change to traffic flow, parking arrangements or school access. MBKS placed the improvement under its work on Unicef’s Child Friendly Cities Initiative, which brings children’s safety into decisions about public infrastructure. The report did not give the length or cost of the railings, or an installation completion date; Oct 30 is the date of the published update and inspection photograph.

Pending Jetty Hawker Centre has been handed back to Kuching South City Council after a RM298,814 upgrade, with work finished on Oct 20 — a week before its deadline. The contractor handed over the site on Oct 30. That is the handover date, rather than the date construction ended. Works had begun on July 28 and were scheduled to finish on Oct 27. For the centre’s 11 stalls and their customers, the changes are practical: a replacement roof and supporting structure, improvements to stall interiors and serving areas, and replacement tiles, ceilings, sinks, grilles and roller shutters. External walls were also repainted. Kuching South mayor Wee Hong Seng said the centre has served nearby residents, factory workers and people crossing from Kampung Muhibbah since 1989. The investment therefore affects an everyday food stop as well as the council’s plans to draw more visitors to Pending Jetty. MBKS hopes the hawker centre and the nearby monument commemorating the Japanese armed forces’ surrender can complement one another. More visitors and higher hawker earnings remain the council’s aims, not measured results of the completed works. Wee also urged traders to keep stalls clean and display prices clearly.

The Batang Paloh Bridge opened to traffic on Oct 30, replacing the ferry crossing used by motorists travelling between Mukah and Tanjung Manis. For coastal-road users, the immediate change is a fixed road crossing in place of a ferry-dependent link. The opening ends ferry services at this crossing; it does not mean all ferry crossings elsewhere on Sarawak’s coastal route have been replaced. DayakDaily, citing the Sarawak Public Works Department, reported that the RM298.98 million bridge was opened through a soft-opening ceremony and symbolic release of traffic. The two-lane bridge is 1.7km long. Its approach-road works cover another 1.71km on the Pulau Bruit side and 2.932km on the Tanjung Manis side — separate figures from the bridge’s own length. The new link gives residents and motorists a direct land crossing over Batang Paloh. Wider benefits for trade, agriculture and tourism along the coastal corridor are expected, but no quantified journey-time saving was stated in the report.

Repairs to the 750mm water main on Jalan Lapangan Terbang were completed at 2am on Oct 30, but normal pressure will not return to every affected household at once. Sarawak Water said valves were being reopened and the network pressurised, with supply recovering in stages. The affected area includes the Datuk Muda Tank supply zone, Jalan Lapangan Terbang, Jalan Tun Jugah, Jalan Batu Lintang and nearby neighbourhoods. For residents checking their taps, the important distinction is between a repaired main and a fully recovered distribution network. Higher ground and homes towards the ends of pipelines may wait longer for normal pressure, the utility said. The interruption had initially been estimated to run from 4.30pm on Oct 29 to 5am on Oct 30. Completion of the repair at 2am is not a guarantee that every property had water by that time. Sarawak Water warned that returning water could temporarily look discoloured or milky because of disturbed sediment or trapped air. It advised consumers to run an external tap for a few minutes until the water is completely clear before using it for cooking, drinking or washing. The utility said it would continue monitoring recovery.

A land-title presentation in Spaoh has formalised ownership for 350 Bukit Saban residents under Section 18 of the Sarawak Land Code. The titles were handed over at Dewan Masyarakat Spaoh on Thursday, Oct 29, according to a Borneo Post report citing the Sarawak Public Communications Unit. The constituency covered is Bukit Saban; the community hall was the presentation venue, not the location of every titled plot. Betong’s Land and Survey Division said 488 individual lots covering about 929.7 hectares had been surveyed across six areas in the constituency. These included Ulu Bayor Rimbas, Ulu Rimbas Asal and Baru, Inar, Ulu Paku, Kampung Hulu Spaoh and a separate Ulu Paku area under the Jubilee Occupations Ticket pilot. The figures describe different things: 350 residents receiving titles and 488 surveyed lots. They should not be read as 488 recipients or as proof that every surveyed lot was titled in this ceremony. The division also outlined hand-held GPS surveying and Jubilee Occupations Ticket pilot work to extend surveying and title issuance. Those pilot statistics are separate progress measures, not extra recipients to add to the ceremony’s total. For landholders, the useful distinction is between a plot being surveyed and a title actually being issued.

Repairs at SJK Bintawa in Kuching have addressed three everyday problems: a leaking walkway roof, inadequate cover at waiting areas and damaged drain covers. The completed work includes roof repairs, extended shelter over the walkway and waiting areas, and replacement drain covers inside the school compound. For pupils moving between these spaces, the changes concern both protection from rain and the condition of the surfaces beside their route. Kuching South Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng said in an Oct 29 media release that the work followed concerns raised by the principal during an earlier inspection with teachers and pupils. The announcement records completed repairs, rather than a promise of a future upgrade; it does not give a separate completion date. Three sponsors divided the work: Amcan supplied roofing materials, Tay Motor Sdn Bhd provided drain covers, and Wan Li Wan Welding Works carried out workmanship, installation and painting. Wee linked the improvements to Kuching South City Council’s Child Friendly Cities Initiative, focusing on facilities children use each day.

Teams from SMK Padungan in Kuching and Sekolah Seni Malaysia Sarawak are representing Malaysia at the APRSAF-32 CanSat Competition 2026 in Thailand. Both qualified after finishing third in their respective categories at the Malaysia Rocket CanSat Competition 2026. Those national placings are the results already secured; they are not awards from the current international competition. The Thailand contest runs from Oct 28 to Nov 1 at the National Science Museum. As reported on Oct 30, the teams are participating, with no international result announced in the report. Their route began with the Sarawak Rocketeers CanSat Challenge, organised by Tabung Ekonomi Gagasan Anak Sarawak (Tegas) with Universiti Teknologi Mara’s MTC High Energy Material Research Laboratory. That gives the local achievement a concrete progression: a Sarawak hands-on programme, national category placings and now an international test. CanSat tasks centre on a compact satellite-like device, putting engineering, technology and problem-solving into practice. For the participating schools, this is a chance to test those skills against regional competitors, rather than a claim that pupils have launched an operational satellite.