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Verified Kuching and Sarawak news with local context. Reports combine attributable sources, explain why each development matters to residents and are reviewed for factual corrections after publication.

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    A licensed crocodile-hunting team captured three crocodiles near Ulu Kampung Kebuaw in Batang Igan on October 4, 5 and 6, with the largest measuring 4.75 metres. The largest was caught at about 2.30am on October 6 and was estimated to weigh 500kg, the team leader told Bernama. The other two measured about 2.44 metres and 2.74 metres. His four-member team had begun the operation on October 3 following requests from residents concerned about repeated sightings. The team also found a nest containing around 40 eggs. Villagers helped with the operation, including lifting the largest crocodile into a boat, and the team leader acknowledged cooperation from the Sarawak Forestry Corporation. These are captures at a particular stretch near the village, not a clearance of crocodiles from Batang Igan. The reported size, estimated weight and capture dates describe the animals removed; they do not establish that the river is now safe or free of other crocodiles.
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    A new preschool classroom building at SJK Su Ming accounts for RM200,000 of a RM450,000 facilities allocation for six Meradong schools. The remaining five projects each receive RM50,000 under the Sarawak Rural Transformation Programme (RTP), according to the Meradong assemblyman's account reported by TVS and carried by DayakDaily on October 6. The package covers a parking facility at SJK Tanah Putih, improvements to SK Rentap's multipurpose hall and ICT room, fencing at SJK Yong Kwong and SJK Tong Hua, and electrical rewiring at SJK Yong Cheng. These are school-specific works rather than an equal division of the total among all six schools. The announcement followed the handover of site approval for the projects in Meradong that day. Approval and funding do not mean the new classroom and other facilities are already ready for use: the report gives no construction-completion dates or revised arrangements for pupils during the works.
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    Farm-access road projects in Kampung Pichin, Kampung Jenan and Kampung Payau Burus have been completed and handed over, with a combined cost of RM450,000. The three Tebedu projects fall under the Rural Transformation Project (RTP). A Sarawak Public Communication Unit report, carried by DayakDaily, records the handover of the sites and project documents to the respective community chiefs at all three locations on October 6. These are agricultural access roads, aimed at helping farmers and smallholders reach their land and move produce out of farms and plantations. They are not an announcement of a new main-road link or a general road upgrade throughout Tebedu. The Serian Department of Irrigation and Drainage was represented at the handovers. RM450,000 is the total for the three projects, not the cost of each road. The report does not give individual road lengths, separate contract values or measured savings in transport time.
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    Pa Lungan's utility improvements and road works are moving at different speeds: 47 households now have clean water, electricity and telecommunications connectivity, while the road upgrade is 4.7 per cent complete. The update followed an October 6 monitoring visit to the remote Bario community. In a statement after the visit, the deputy minister responsible for project monitoring said the road works remained on schedule. Electricity is supplied through the Sarawak Alternative Rural Electrification Scheme (SARES). The water facility and telecommunications connection are reported as amenities already benefiting residents, rather than services waiting for the road to be finished. For the village, that distinction matters: access to basic utilities has improved, but the road project is still at an early construction stage. The update gives no road completion date, project cost or telecommunications service speed; it does not establish a fully upgraded access route.
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    A possible AirBorneo service from Kuching to Korea is still at the study stage, with Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Tun Openg suggesting it could take priority over Bangkok. Speaking after opening The Everly Lhesson Kuching on October 6, he said the apparent demand for Korea was greater, but the two destinations still needed to be compared before a priority was decided. That is not a confirmed route launch. No Korean airport, starting date, fare or timetable was announced in the report. Travellers should not treat the proposal as an available direct-flight option. The Premier linked AirBorneo's gradual expansion to improving connectivity ahead of the 2027 SEA Games in Sarawak. He said the airline would add flights according to need to complement other carriers, while its fleet and operations grow in stages.
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    Thirty-nine local community rangers have been hired under a wildlife project covering Ulu Sebuyau, Sedilu and Gunung Lesong national parks, Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) says. The appointments put residents into paid conservation work around the three project areas. They form part of the Global Wildlife Programme's Bornean orangutan and habitat component, which SFC is implementing in Sarawak from 2025 to 2028. SFC separately aims to appoint Honorary Wildlife Rangers by the end of 2026. Those roles involve voluntary community participation; they are not the same as the 39 jobs already reported. At an October 5 community-engagement workshop in Kuching, SFC also discussed Community Conservation Areas and community-based ecotourism around the parks. Those approaches are being developed with residents. The report does not announce a new tourist attraction, an opening date or an application round for more ranger posts.
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    Federal and Sarawak agencies have jointly mobilised more than RM950 million for Sarawak's enterprise ecosystem from January to October 2026, according to the Sarawak Economic Development and Coordination Committee (SEDCC). The figure brings together support across agencies, including financing facilities, training, capacity-building and market access. It is not an announcement of a single new grant that every business can apply for. SEDCC said its coordination links government agencies, government-linked companies, financial institutions and the private sector so their programmes complement one another. For local firms, the relevant support still depends on the individual facility or programme; the statement does not set out a new application window or a per-business entitlement. A separate SME competitiveness master-plan collaboration between the state Ministry of International Trade, Industry and Investment and Unimas Holdings Sdn Bhd covers digitalisation, innovation, financing, markets and business capacity. The report describes an exchange of agreement documents, not a completed rollout of new services.
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    Sarawak's SMD Semiconductor unveiled keteq.GaN, a locally designed gallium nitride power semiconductor chip, at IDECS in Kuching on October 5. The launch was held at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching, DayakDaily reported. Its focus is power conversion and management rather than simply processing data. SMD identifies AI infrastructure, renewable energy, battery energy storage, smart grids and future solid-state transformers as the applications it is targeting. The company was established in 2022. Its chairman said the next step is to take the technology beyond design and into practical applications — an important distinction for a state developing both energy and semiconductor industries. The launch establishes a named local technology, but it is not a timetable for deployment. The reports give no customer rollout dates, production volumes or independently measured efficiency figures. Those would show how the design translates into operating power systems.
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    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.
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    Drivers heading through central Kuching this morning face scheduled road closures or diversions around Padang Merdeka between 7am and 11am. The same rehearsal window applies tomorrow, October 7, under the police arrangements announced on September 26 and reported by DayakDaily. The October 5–7 rehearsals affect Jalan McDougall, Jalan Wawasan and sections of Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg, including near Carpenter Street. These are morning rehearsal restrictions, not a notice that all city-centre roads are closed throughout the day. A full rehearsal follows on October 8, also from 7am to 11am. The October 10 parade and mass gathering have a separate 7am-to-noon traffic window. Jalan McDougall is also subject to the longer-running preparation closure announced ahead of the rehearsals, so the 11am rehearsal finish should not be read as a reopening promise for that road. Police advise using alternative routes and avoiding roadside parking in the affected area. Traffic enquiries can be directed to Kuching district police at 082-259900.
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    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.
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    Sanggar Kreatif Kuching won the Sarawak-zone title at the Malaysia Theatre Festival 2026 with its production Sumpah Darah Meranti. The final night was held on October 4 at Balai Budaya, the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) Sarawak branch, Utusan Sarawak reported on October 5. The Sarawak-zone festival ran from September 28 to October 4, with seven productions. The troupe received RM10,000 and also won five special awards: Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Script. It will represent Sarawak at the national festival, which the report says is expected next year.
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    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.
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    Sarawak’s planned Trade and Tourism Office in Pontianak, Indonesia, is expected to begin operating around mid-2027, The Borneo Post reported on October 5. The state has identified a building for the office, which must be renovated before it can open. Sarawak’s deputy premier and minister for international trade, industry and investment said the eventual chief executive appointment requires approval from the Indonesian government. He gave the update after the Welfare Micro-Entrepreneur Awards ceremony in Kuching on Sunday; the report does not name the ceremony’s specific venue. Renovation and approval remain outstanding, so mid-2027 is an expected start, not a confirmed opening date.
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    The seven-storey DUBS building on Jalan Ong Tiang Swee in Kuching is expected to be completed in November 2026, The Borneo Post reported on October 5. Work began in 2024. The two-block project has a reported cost of RM90 million, including an RM80.23 million Sarawak government grant. Plans list 87 commercial office units, 11 retail units, DUBS’ corporate office, a multipurpose resource centre and parking. At the chamber’s 40th anniversary gala in Kuching on Sunday, the Premier said the state was prepared to assist with the building. The report gives no additional assistance amount or revised completion schedule, so November remains the reported target.
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    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.
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    Kelington Technologies Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Kelington Group Bhd, was awarded a contract worth about RM133 million for major structural-steel works tied to an advanced data-storage manufacturing facility project in Kuching. The Star reported the award on October 5, citing a Bursa Malaysia filing. The customer is described as a manufacturing company in Sama Jaya Free Industrial Zone, but its name was not disclosed. The article says earlier awards to Kelington’s unit for the same project totalled about RM283 million; with the latest contract, the awards now add up to about RM416 million. The RM133 million covers a construction scope, not the value of the entire facility. The report gives no completion date, production capacity or job estimate, so the contract update does not establish when the facility will begin operating or how many local positions it may create.
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    Renovation of Kuching’s Sarawak Performing Arts Centre, in the former State Legislative Assembly building, was 46 per cent complete and 1.6 per cent ahead of schedule as of October 2, with completion targeted for June 2027. DayakDaily reported the figures after a site visit. The report says the heavier construction work is largely finished, with the focus shifting to interior design and finer details. Reworking an existing building has required adapting to its structure rather than building from a blank site. The wider project also covers the former Lapau Building, which is to become a restaurant, and an upgrade to the old fountain area. June 2027 is the construction completion target; the report does not give a public opening date or performance schedule.
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    Some 95,883 Sarawak smallholders had been identified as eligible for RM400 a month under BUDI Agri-Komoditi, but 35,676 applications — 37.2 per cent — had been approved by September 2026. DayakDaily reported the figures on October 5, citing the Plantation and Commodities Minister’s written parliamentary reply. The eligible group comprises 37,631 oil-palm, 19,644 rubber, 555 cocoa and 38,053 pepper smallholders. The approval count is a separate measure from eligibility: it does not mean every grower identified in the total had an approved application or had received payment. The reply described BUDI Agri-Komoditi as part of the targeted diesel-subsidy rationalisation. It said eligible smallholders in Sabah and Sarawak began receiving RM400 monthly from June 22. The ministry also cited agency hotlines and in-person outreach, but the report did not list a contact number or application deadline.
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    The Sejingkat Bridge opened to the public on October 5, adding a direct crossing between the Kota Samarahan and Sejingkat sides of the Sarawak River. DayakDaily reported the opening after the ceremony. The newsroom report puts the bridge at 1.281 kilometres and identifies it as part of the Second Trunk Road. It is one of Sarawak’s 21 planned mega-bridges; 12 have now been completed, according to the report. For people travelling between Samarahan and Sejingkat, the bridge is available now. The wider DC3 road package is separate and remains unfinished, with completion expected by the end of 2027. The new crossing should not be mistaken for a completed continuous route onward to Sadong and Sri Aman.