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Fifty-four of the 140 dilapidated-school projects funded through Sarawak’s RM1 billion advance-payment allocation remain at different stages of implementation, Education, Innovation and Talent Development Minister Roland Sagah Wee Inn said on October 19. He told the Sarawak Legislative Assembly that 86 projects in that programme had been completed. In a separate group under Projek Rakyat Sarawak, six of 12 identified school projects were complete; the other six were either being implemented or still at the pre-construction stage. Sagah also welcomed the federal Budget 2027 allocation of RM1.3 billion for upgrading 682 dilapidated schools nationwide, with Sabah and Sarawak prioritised. That is a national allocation, not an amount already assigned wholly to Sarawak or to the 54 unfinished projects. He expressed hope that Sarawak would receive a substantial share. The October 19 report did not set out school-by-school completion dates or a final Sarawak share of that federal allocation.

The Education Ministry has given schools more time to enter assessment marks in MOEIS after haze disrupted classes and assessment activities in parts of the country. The new deadline for the End-of-Academic-Session Assessment (UASA) and End-of-Academic-Session Examinations (PAT/PASA) is November 28, replacing November 21. For the Physical, Sports and Co-curricular Assessment (PAJSK), the deadline moves from November 30 to December 5. The ministry announced the changes in an October 19 statement. They concern recording marks in the Integrated Education Management System, rather than a single new examination date for every school. The statement does not set out a replacement assessment timetable for individual schools. Parents and pupils should therefore use their school’s own assessment notices for sitting dates, not read the later marks-entry deadline as an automatic postponement of a test.

Sarawak’s Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES) does not bind graduates to jobs in the state, Education, Innovation and Talent Development Minister Roland Sagah Wee Inn said on October 19. Speaking to reporters after his ministerial winding-up speech at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly complex, he said recipients could pursue careers anywhere. The state hopes graduates will bring overseas experience home, but that hope is not an employment bond. For families weighing an FTES offer, the distinction matters: accepting the education support does not, under the policy he described, require a graduate to take a Sarawak job. It is not a promise of employment, at home or abroad. Sagah also told the assembly that 6,246 students had accepted FTES offers across four Sarawak-owned institutions as of September 30. They comprise 2,802 at Swinburne Sarawak, 2,031 at University of Technology Sarawak, 949 at Curtin Malaysia and 464 at i-CATS University College. Of the students who accepted offers, 3,195 qualify for the annual RM15,000 living and accommodation stipend for eligible lower-income households. That support is not an automatic payment to all 6,246 students. A separate intake figure tracks the 64 courses covered by the scheme: 3,491 new students in 2026, compared with 1,528 in 2025, an increase of 128.5 per cent. The course-intake total and the number accepting FTES offers measure different groups and should not be treated as interchangeable.

Padawan Municipal Council ratepayers have until Saturday, October 31 to pay their second half-year and annual 2026 assessment bills. Late payment attracts a surcharge of 1 per cent a month. MPP’s reminder dated October 19 says its payment counter will open from 8am to 4pm on the deadline Saturday. Normal Monday-to-Friday counter hours are 8am to 3.30pm, with service continuing through the lunch break. A missing bill does not require waiting for another postal delivery. Owners who have not received a bill, or have lost it, can obtain a copy at MPP’s ground-floor counter or call 082-615566 to arrange an email bill. The council lists PayBills, the Service Sarawak portal and SPay Global as online payment options. Its notice also lists payment counters at MPP, MBKS, DBKU, SESCO, Kuching Water Board, Pos Malaysia, H&L supermarkets in Kuching and the Service Sarawak Centre at UTC. The extended October 31 hours are stated for MPP’s counter, not for every collection outlet. The reminder concerns properties assessed by MPP; it does not put those properties under another council’s jurisdiction merely because payment can be made there.

Sarawak is taking over the upgrading projects at SMK Gedong and SK Sageng, Premier Abang Johari Tun Openg said on October 18. Speaking at the Satu Pemimpin, Satu Kampung programme in Gedong, he said the state would step in so pupils could continue to receive quality education and access to up-to-date knowledge, regardless of the funding source. The two projects sit within a wider school-upgrading commitment. In the Sarawak Budget 2027 tabled on October 12, an additional RM29 million was announced for urgent redevelopment or upgrading at SMK Gedong, SK Sageng, SJKC Tong Ah and SK Tupong. That figure covers four schools; it is not an allocation stated separately for each of the two takeover projects. For the affected school communities, the latest announcement identifies the state government’s role in carrying the work forward. It does not announce completed buildings or a date when pupils will move into upgraded facilities. Project-by-project costs and completion dates were not set out in the October 18 report.

Kuching, Samarahan and Serian are among the Sarawak areas forecast to have thunderstorms on Monday afternoon, October 19. MetMalaysia’s forecast issued on October 18 also puts rain in several areas during the morning, with Miri and Limbang the exceptions. For Kuching-area commuters, that means the possibility of wet weather is not confined to the afternoon journey home. The afternoon thunderstorm forecast covers Kuching, Serian, Samarahan, Sri Aman, Betong, Sarikei, Sibu, Mukah, Kapit, Bintulu, Miri and Limbang. Temperatures across Sarawak are expected to range from 24°C to 34°C. Conditions are expected to differ at night. Rain is forecast for Sibu, Mukah, Kapit, Bintulu, Miri and Limbang, while none is forecast for Kuching, Serian, Samarahan, Sri Aman, Betong and Sarikei. This is the outlook for October 19, not a report of a storm already affecting every listed area or a flood alert.

Sarawak’s Genevie Lim and partner Low Zi Yu have secured Malaysia’s first women’s doubles title at the BWF World Junior Championships, winning the final in Cairo on October 17. They beat a Japanese pair 15–7, 9–15, 15–12, adding a world junior gold to the Asian junior bronze they won in Japan three months earlier. The Sarawak Badminton Association (SBA) said no Malaysian women’s doubles pair had previously won the title since the championships began in 1992. For Sarawak, Lim’s success also highlights a development path that has involved both state and national support. SBA said it continued supporting her after she returned from the national setup and later recommended her return to the Badminton Association of Malaysia. The state association says it will give Lim a special cash reward for the title. No amount was specified in its announcement.

The Sarawak Business Federation (SBF) wants the state government to review how the Foreign Workers Transformation Approach (FWTA) is implemented, with particular attention to smaller firms’ compliance costs. Its president, Jonathan Chai, said industries have different staffing needs and operating conditions, while SMEs may have fewer resources to absorb additional costs. He called for continued engagement with businesses so requirements remain practical without weakening the government’s workforce-management objectives. Chai made the appeal at SBF’s anniversary dinner at the Unifor Complex in Kuching on October 17. The request is for an implementation review; it is not an announcement that FWTA has been suspended or that employers’ requirements have changed. He also welcomed the planned Ease of Doing Business Reform Blueprint, saying simpler procedures, quicker approvals and better coordination between agencies should translate into less administrative work for businesses. For employers, the distinction matters: the federation is asking for changes, rather than setting out a new compliance regime.

A RM39.2 million upgrade of the Nanga Ngungun–Nanga Bat road is targeting completion in September 2028, improving a rural link in Sarawak’s Ngemah constituency. The project covers 4.2km of former logging road, to be upgraded to R1 standard. It is one section of the wider Nanga Ngungun–Nanga Jagau route, rather than an upgrade of that entire road. The Borneo Post reported that a commencement ceremony was held at Nanga Ngungun on October 17. The Rural and Regional Development Ministry project is being implemented by the Public Works Department (JKR). For communities along the route, the intended benefit is better access between settlements and to essential services. The September 2028 target sets the delivery timetable for those improvements.

Sarawak-born Johan “Jojo” Ghazali beat Diego Paez by unanimous decision in Bangkok on October 16, reversing the outcome of their first meeting. The flyweight Muay Thai rematch went all three rounds at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium. Bernama reported that all judges favoured Ghazali after a performance built around controlled punch-and-kick combinations and responses to Paez’s counters. Paez had won their June 2025 bout by split decision. The distinction matters: that first contest divided the judges, while the return bout produced agreement in Ghazali’s favour, not a knockout. For followers of the Sarawak fighter, the result is a win in his ONE Friday Fights 175 and The Inner Circle 35 appearance. It was not a world-title bout.

Kuching South’s plan to extend CCTV coverage into residential neighbourhoods is still being drawn up, with 197 cameras identified as the residential requirement rather than a fully funded installation programme. Mayor of Kuching South Dato Wee Hong Seng said on October 17 that the council would prioritise important sites, including neighbourhood entrances and exits, while seeking more funding. Implementation is envisaged for 2027 and 2028. MBKS already has 67 cameras, mostly in commercial areas. Wee said the overall number could rise to around 140 or more, but that projection is separate from the 197-camera requirement for residential areas alone. Neither figure confirms that every proposed location has funding. Speaking at Kenyalang Park Community Association, he said MBKS would identify and recommend sites, while Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation would handle implementation. The system would link to the Sarawak Integrated Operation Centre.

Traders in Telaga Air face closer checks on price displays and weighing equipment after the area was designated Sarawak’s Tourism Compliance Zone 2026. The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) says the initiative strengthens monitoring of existing trade laws in places visited by tourists. Its state-level launch took place at the Kampung Telaga Air community hall on October 17. For customers, the checks centre on clear prices, verified weighing and measuring instruments, and accurate product information. The designation brings those everyday sales practices into sharper enforcement focus; it is not a new price list for the area. KPDN says consumers can report suspected breaches through its official WhatsApp channel, e-Aduan portal, call centre or Ez Adu KPDN mobile application.

Kuching’s Air Pollutant Index (API) rose to 71 at 4pm on Oct 17, from 65 at noon, while all 21 monitoring stations in Sarawak were in the moderate band. The Borneo Post reported the readings from the Natural Resources and Environment Board’s Sarawak API update. Nearby readings at 4pm included Serian at 79, Samarahan at 77 and Lundu at 73. Betong recorded 84, the highest figure in the report. The statewide moderate classification did not mean every location was improving. Kuching and Samarahan rose during the afternoon, while Miri eased from 71 to 69 and Limbang from 52 to 51. Kapit moved from the good band at noon, with 49, to moderate at 53 by 4pm. API readings of 51–100 fall in the moderate category; 0–50 is good. These figures describe the Oct 17 afternoon observation, not a forecast for the night or the following morning. Anyone checking conditions for a later journey or outdoor activity should use a newer official reading rather than treat this snapshot as live.

Twenty winning entries from this year’s Sarawak Folklore writing competition have been brought together with 13 stories from DayakDaily’s D’Drift expeditions in a new printed volume. Sarawak Folklore Book I was launched at Imperial Hotel Kuching on Oct 17, according to DayakDaily’s report. Persatuan Wartawan Bebas Kuching (Pewarta) and Amber Publishing House produced the book, working with the DayakDaily team. The collection puts competition writing alongside accounts gathered through field expeditions, giving readers two routes into the state’s storytelling traditions. The organisers describe the move into print as a way to preserve oral narratives, family histories and community roots beyond their digital publication. For local writers, publication gives the winning stories a second home after the contest. For readers, it brings material from different communities into one collection. These are folklore and cultural narratives, rather than a claim that every story is a verified historical record.

A cocoa-processing initiative in Kota Samarahan is exploring how Sarawak growers can move beyond selling dried beans to producing chocolate with a distinct local identity. The Malaysian Cocoa Board is processing beans from four locations at a cluster cooperative research centre in Kota Samarahan using a single-origin approach. Bernama reported the board’s account of the work on Oct 17. The remarks were made at the launch of A Malaysian Cocoa Affair 2026 in Melaka. The board said it could bring processing technology to interested farmers and entrepreneurs, with differences in growing areas and processing methods providing scope for different flavours and aromas. The downstream work is separate from the board’s proposal to expand cocoa cultivation in Sarawak. New trees would first need to bear fruit, with additional local supplies envisaged over the next two to three years rather than immediately. For growers, that separates two different opportunities: adding value to beans through processing, and the longer wait involved in expanding production.

Batang Saribas 2 Bridge is expected to open to traffic on Dec 5, giving the Pusa area another major link in Sarawak’s road network. The 2.43-kilometre crossing is not yet being reported as open. The date was announced in the Sarawak Premier’s speech at Regatta Tandang Sari in Pusa on Oct 17, delivered on his behalf by the Deputy Premier, DayakDaily reported. It is a planned opening, rather than an announcement that motorists can already use the bridge. For Pusa’s farming and fishing communities, the practical importance is access to markets: the speech linked better roads and bridges with easier movement of produce, business expansion and visits to the district. It did not put a figure on journey-time savings. Batang Saribas 2 should also be distinguished from Batang Saribas 1, the separate crossing already in use. Travellers planning a December journey will need the final traffic-opening notice for the new bridge, not just the target date announced at the regatta.

Sarawak has been urged to study a compensation framework for water consumers when specified service standards are not met, with clear rules covering eligibility and payment deadlines. Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong made the proposal during debate on the 2027 state budget on Oct 15, The Borneo Post reported. She called for the state to adapt a service-guarantee approach to local needs rather than deal only with the physical cost of repairing damaged pipes. For Kuching households and businesses, the distinction is important: this was a call to develop rules, not the announcement of a new compensation scheme accepting claims. The report gives no payment amount, qualifying interruption length or application channel. Yong said any local framework should define service standards and make compensation eligibility and payment timelines transparent. Those details would determine which disruptions qualify and how affected consumers could seek redress. The proposal also concerns losses suffered by businesses, a separate issue from the bill for repairing a pipe. No commencement date for the suggested framework was announced in the report.

More than 500 trees are being retained for relocation ahead of the planned dual-carriageway from the Yayasan Sarawak roundabout to Damai Santubong, while more than 1,000 are expected to be felled towards year-end. Kuching North mayor Dato Hilmy Othman said DBKU was handling the transplantation exercise and working with other agencies to identify relocation sites. Some trees could not be saved because of their age and deteriorated condition, The Borneo Post reported on Oct 17. The tree-management work is preparation for the highway project, rather than a sign that the new road has been completed. For people living along the northern Kuching corridor, the next practical details will be the exact clearance dates and any traffic arrangements; neither timetable was given in the report. Hilmy gave the update on Oct 16 at Darul Husnul Khatimah Mosque during a ceremony marking the completion of upgrading works on Jalan Tan Sri Abang Ikhwan Zaini. He said DBKU would also explore flowering plants and potted trees to further beautify that road, subject to securing funding.

A section of Kuching Outer Ring Road will be partly closed from Oct 19 to Nov 18 for road repairs, affecting the stretch from Sungai Entingan towards the Jalan Kuching–Serian traffic lights. The Sarawak Public Works Department (JKR) notice, reported by DayakDaily on Oct 17, identifies the work area as Q13-4, KM1+100 to KM2+200. This is a half-road closure on that section, not a notice shutting the entire outer ring road. For drivers using this approach to the Kuching–Serian road, the useful detail is the work-zone location as well as the month-long period. JKR advises road users to plan their journeys, follow temporary signs and instructions, and take care through the construction area. Traffic-flow enquiries can be directed during office hours to the JKR Kuching Divisional Operations Office on 082-203400 or the PPESW Sdn Bhd hotline on 1800-88-8666. The notice does not specify a daily closure timetable.

A ceiling collapse at Everbright Park along Jalan Penrissen in Kuching on Oct 16 involved plaster inside a building—not a roof blown off by a storm, according to the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department. DayakDaily reported that firefighters received the call at 2.38pm. An initial report described storm damage to the roof, but the Padungan team found that the zinc roof had not been torn off. The collapsed plaster ceiling was believed to be linked to a roof leak. No casualties were reported. Eight firefighters checked the site and monitored it for further hazards before concluding the operation at 3.30pm. The distinction matters for anyone who saw the earlier account: the incident was inside the building, and the fire service did not report a whole-roof loss. The operation had ended on Friday afternoon; the report did not give a roof-repair timetable.