News 📰

Sarawak has no formal proposal before the Election Commission to add federal seats yet, but the state says the process could begin after Parliament acts on the principle of increasing Sabah and Sarawak’s representation. Premier Abang Johari Tun Openg said the federal agreement in principle still needs a Bill passed by Parliament. Only after that, he said, could the Election Commission start its formal constituency review, publish proposed boundaries and invite objections. The Commission said on Sept 25 that no proposal to change Sarawak’s 31 parliamentary seats had reached it. Its current Sarawak review concerns state constituencies: the proposal on public display from Sept 1 to 30 would raise the State Assembly from 82 seats to 99. The often-cited figure of 15 extra federal seats has not been adopted. A bill and the Commission’s subsequent review remain the steps to watch.

AirBorneo is expected to add a direct Kuching-Jakarta route in October, according to an announcement made in Lundu on Sunday. The flight is expected to take about one hour and 20 minutes, creating a new link between Sarawak and Indonesia’s capital. The state has framed the route as part of its tourism and healthcare plans: visitors from Jakarta could reach Kuching directly, while patients may find the journey more convenient. Those are the government’s stated aims; the route’s actual passenger demand will become clearer after operations begin. The announcement did not specify a launch day, flight frequency, fares or when tickets would go on sale. Travellers should wait for AirBorneo’s booking details before making plans around the new service.

Hui Sing Park now has a RM1.9 million community centre and library, bringing reading and community activities into the same South Kuching public space as the playground and exercise areas. The facility was launched on Sunday, Sept 27. The library is intended for children’s reading and storytelling, while newspapers and magazines are also planned for older visitors. The council has partnered with Little Bean Storyland to run reading and storytelling activities, giving the building a community programme as well as a place for reading. The opening is a practical addition for families around Hui Sing, but the launch reports did not give regular opening hours or a full programme timetable. Residents should check with MBKS before making a special trip.

The proposed Jalan Stutong expansion in Kuching has been approved, but construction is not about to start. A contractor’s letter of appointment is expected in two to three weeks, after which the project can move into its commencement stage. The Kuching South City Council (MBKS) says a public online briefing on traffic arrangements should be held before work begins. That leaves residents and drivers with an important distinction: the project has approval, while the contractor and work programme are still pending. Jalan Stutong has been the subject of earlier widening and upgrade studies near the BDC junction and SJK(C) Chung Hua No. 2. No start date or detailed traffic plan was included in the latest update, so regular users should watch for MBKS or JKR notices before changing their routes.

Bintulu’s first Other Household Waste (OHW) collection campaign was launched at the Civic Centre on Sept 26, alongside Malaysia Cleanup Day. The Bintulu Development Authority joined Sarawak Waste Management, SD Guthrie International and Green Town for the launch. Organisers said people could exchange e-waste and used cooking oil for cash. OHW items weighing under 3kg could be handed in for safe disposal free of charge. The announcement gave no follow-up dates or collection points, so the launch at Civic Centre does not confirm a permanent drop-off service.

Sri Aman-born singer Mawat won the inaugural Best Borneo Song award at the 25th Anugerah Industri Muzik (AIM25) in Kuching on Saturday night. His song “Dayang Bintang” was chosen for the first award in a category created to recognise music from Borneo. The 24-year-old, whose full name is Gibrael Mawat Clement Saran, becomes the category’s first recipient. AIM25 was staged in Kuching for the first time this year, bringing the national recording awards to Sarawak and giving Borneo music a dedicated place in the programme.

A new water treatment plant in Sebuyau was 79% complete at the latest site update on Sept 23. The five-million-litre-a-day project, funded by the Sarawak government at a cost of nearly RM15 million, is intended to add treated-water capacity for Sebuyau and nearby communities in Samarahan Division. The area currently receives treated water from the 868-MLD Batu Kitang plant in Kuching, alongside the smaller 3.2-MLD Sungai Ular facility. The new plant will draw raw water from Sungai Ular and is expected to ease reliance on supply from Batu Kitang once it is operating. The Sept 23 update gave no opening date; the 79% figure is construction progress, not an operating status.

Scheduled flights between Betong Division’s Bebuling Short Take-Off and Landing Airport (STOLport) and Kuching are planned once the facility begins operating. The operating date has not been set because several matters are still being finalised, so this is not a start-date or ticket-sales announcement. A second flight trial took place on Sept 26 as part of readiness checks. A separate report said the test flight from Kuching took about 15 minutes, compared with roughly three hours by road to Betong. That trial time is not a published passenger timetable. The project is expected to improve access for Betong and Spaoh, but residents will need to wait for an operational date and confirmed service details.

Sarawak plans to establish a dedicated authority to manage and develop its lake areas, including reservoirs created by dam projects, as part of the state’s development plans for the next five years. The proposal was announced in Betong on Sept 26. The lakes named for development include Batang Ai, Murum, Baleh, Bakun and Bengoh. The stated aim is to improve facilities and develop selected sites as tourism destinations. No name for the new authority, budget, implementation timetable or individual lake projects was announced, so the plan remains at the announcement stage rather than a set of scheduled works.

Kanowit recorded Sarawak’s highest air-pollutant reading at 4pm on Sept 26: an API of 201, down from 213 at 10am but still in the “Very Unhealthy” band. It was the state’s only station in that category. Serian was at 137, classed as “Unhealthy”, while most other stations were moderate; Kuching stood at 91 and Samarahan at 84. The morning snapshot had Kanowit at 215 and Serian at 152, so both readings had eased by afternoon. The figures are tied to a specific time and can shift during the day. Residents, especially in Kanowit and Serian, should check the latest NREB API reading before planning prolonged outdoor activity.

Drivers heading into central Kuching should expect staged road restrictions from Sept 28 as crews prepare Padang Merdeka for an Oct 10 programme. Jalan McDougall is due to close or divert from 10am on Sept 28 until midnight on Oct 10 for tent installation and removal. Rehearsals from Oct 5 to 7 will affect McDougall, the RTM signal-junction access, Jalan Wawasan and Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg near Carpenter Street, generally between 7am and 11am. A fuller rehearsal is scheduled for Oct 8, also from 7am to 11am, while event-day restrictions are planned from 7am to noon on Oct 10; a night concert is listed for 7pm to midnight. Police advise motorists to avoid roadside parking and use alternative routes. For the detailed traffic plan, Kuching district police can be reached at 082-259900.

Two people suffered minor injuries in a four-vehicle collision near RH Plaza on Jalan Lapangan Terbang, Kuching, on Friday afternoon. Fire and Rescue Department teams from Tabuan Jaya and Batu Lintang found no one trapped in the vehicles. The vehicles included two pickup trucks, a van and an SUV. Firefighters also washed an oil spill off the road to reduce the risk to other motorists. The operation ended at 3.43pm after the scene was secured. The available accounts report minor injuries only and do not describe a continuing road closure. The useful distinction for drivers is that the emergency response included a hazardous-spill clean-up, not just casualty checks; any new traffic restriction would need a separate police notice.

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.

The Kuching Marathon scheduled for Sunday, Sept 27, has been cancelled after the organiser reviewed the haze and consulted relevant authorities and medical advisers. More than 13,000 people had registered. Participants can collect their finisher medal and event T-shirt at Plaza Merdeka’s Alfresco area. The reported collection hours are 9am–9pm on Saturday, Sept 26, and 8am–1pm on Sunday, Sept 27. Bring the physical race bib; one person may collect for up to five runners if they present each bib. Anyone who has not collected a race pack must do that first. The cancellation is final for this edition; the finisher-item collection is the remaining in-person arrangement. Check the Kuching Marathon Association’s official channels for any updated collection instructions.

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.

Sarawak is developing a state-level framework for early childhood care and education, while 2,949 kindergartens and childcare centres currently serve 72,136 children. The proposed framework is intended to align standards across access, quality, inclusion, child development and educator professionalism. It is also expected to cover family involvement, safe learning environments, early detection and intervention, and children's transition to formal schooling. As of Aug 31, Sarawak had 2,719 kindergartens and 230 childcare centres, supported by 5,796 teachers and educators. The framework is still being developed; the reports did not give an implementation date or explain how the standards will be assessed. Parents and providers can watch for those details before treating the proposal as a new operating requirement.

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.

Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) says it is open to a one-to-one electoral arrangement among Sarawak opposition parties, but its president has not announced a concluded pact. Voon Lee Shan said in a Sept 24 statement that PBK would discuss cooperation for the 13th Sarawak election where parties can agree on a single opposition candidate. He said any arrangement should protect party identities and honour constituency agreements, with no poaching of members or leaders. Voon also said earlier discussions among opposition parties had not produced a comprehensive agreement. His latest statement sets out PBK’s conditions; it does not confirm that an alliance or seat-sharing deal is in place. Any one-to-one contests would still depend on negotiations.

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.