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Sarawak plans to put RM22 million into graduate work-readiness training in 2027, with 1,000 graduates expected to benefit. The programme is aimed at the gap between qualifications and employers' needs. The Graduan Enhancement Training Sarawak Work Readiness Programme, or GETS-WRP, will focus on sectors including renewable energy, hydrogen and green energy, the State Legislative Assembly was told on October 15. The explanation went beyond the choice of degree. Limited practical experience, communication skills, mismatched job expectations and too few high-skilled opportunities were also identified as obstacles to employment. Sarawak's graduate unemployment rate was reported as 3.2 per cent in 2024, down from 4.4 per cent in 2020. Those are historical figures, not a reading of unemployment this month, and they do not mean every graduate has found suitable work. For students choosing a course, the practical question is what placements and skills it offers alongside the qualification. For jobseekers, the RM22 million is a planned training allocation, not a promise of 1,000 jobs or an announcement that applications are already open.

A gula apong collection, processing and packaging centre at Kampung Tambak in Pusa is expected to be completed in September 2027, rather than opening immediately. The RM11 million integrated nipah project covers 14.6 hectares, with 4.3 hectares intended for plantation development. Its agropark approach links sap production with processing, packaging and marketing, giving local growers a downstream facility as well as cultivation support. An update at the State Legislative Assembly on October 16 placed the work in Kampung Tambak—not at the Kuching assembly venue. The September 2027 date remains an expected completion target. Alongside the project, RM1 million under the 2026 first rolling plan is allocated for smallholder productivity and sustainable sap supplies, including access improvements, equipment, rehabilitation and training. A separate RM700,000 allocation supports processing machinery and equipment for sago and nipah entrepreneurs in Beting Maro. For producers, the facility's completion and the supply of sap will have to progress together. The announcement is not a purchase-price guarantee or confirmation that the new centre is already accepting deliveries.

Young entrepreneurs in Sarawak can seek start-up grants of up to RM15,000, but the funding is subject to eligibility conditions and approval—not an automatic payout. The SYStartUP grant is intended to cover initial business needs and development. A separate RM25 million soft-loan facility arranged with Affin Bank offers another financing route. That figure is the size of the facility, not a grant available to each business. Details presented at the State Legislative Assembly on October 16 also described follow-up help with registration, licensing, financial management and business plans. The first SYStartUP Hub serves as an information, advice and networking centre. For a prospective operator in Kuching or elsewhere in Sarawak, the useful distinction is between non-repayable grant support and borrowing that carries repayment obligations. A business plan should not treat the maximum grant as money already secured. Applicants need to check the programme's conditions and approval process with the ministry or hub before committing to equipment or premises.

AirBorneo is assessing proposed Sibu links to Kuching, Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu, but the proposed network is not yet a confirmed flight schedule. Its plan for commercial routes within Sarawak in 2027 remains conditional. In an October 16 reply at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly, the Transport Ministry said the plan depended on suitable aircraft, air traffic rights, regulatory approvals, airport support, crew, maintenance and viable demand. Further details would follow once planning, approvals and operational readiness were finalised. For Kuching–Sibu travellers, that makes this a future network proposal rather than an extra service available to book now. The same reply put AirAsia's existing Sibu–Kuching service at four flights daily; it gave no new AirBorneo frequency, fare or first-flight date for that route. A separate Sibu connection has a more specific date: the ministry said AirAsia had agreed to resume Sibu–Kota Kinabalu on November 2, with four flights a week. That is an AirAsia service, not confirmation that AirBorneo's proposed routes are launching on the same date.

Kuching's ART fleet is targeted to reach six vehicles by the end of 2026, including the two already delivered to Sarawak. The next steps are pre-delivery inspections and shipment, not the start of passenger services. Mobilus told Sarawak's Transport Ministry that the vehicles had completed their required type tests at a specialised automotive testing facility in Chongqing, China. The programme covered braking and other technical and safety requirements; the relevant reports were received this week, according to an October 16 report by DayakDaily. The third and fourth vehicles are expected to undergo pre-delivery inspections in December. Arrangements are also being made to ship the four outstanding vehicles before year-end. These remain production and delivery targets, rather than four more vehicles already on the ground in Kuching. For people waiting for the city's new transport option, the useful distinction is between passing vehicle tests, arriving in Sarawak and carrying passengers. This update establishes progress on the first and sets targets for the second; it does not announce a public-service opening date or timetable. Local completely knocked down assembly preparations were also discussed, but no assembly start date was given in the report.

Sarawak's Road Transport Department seized eight vehicles for further investigation after checking 759 along two Batu Kawa routes on October 14. JPJ said the operations covered Jalan MJC–Batu Kawa and Jalan Batu Kawa–Kuching under Ops HID/LED, Ops Luxury and Ops Pemandu Warga Asing. Its account was reported on October 16. The seized vehicles included a luxury vehicle with expired road tax and insurance, a pickup driven without a licence, and a car and five motorcycles with extreme modifications. Detected offences across the operations also included expired driving licences, seat-belt violations, non-compliant plates, HID/LED use and technical vehicle offences. For drivers on these commuter routes, the department's account points to several separate compliance checks: valid road tax does not replace valid insurance or a driving licence, while lighting, plates and modifications carry their own requirements. The 759 figure is the number inspected, not the number found in breach; the eight seizures remain subject to investigation. The operations took place on October 14, rather than being a live roadblock notice.

Kuching City FC shared the points with Hong Kong's Kitchee SC after a 1–1 draw at Stadium Taha Ariffin on October 15. Their next reported ACL2 assignment is away to Gangwon FC in South Korea on October 29. The Thursday-night Group H game was level again before the quarter-hour mark. A Kitchee own goal put Kuching ahead in the second minute; the visitors equalised in the 14th, and neither side added to the score. The result gives local supporters a point from the completed home fixture, with an overseas trip next on the calendar. DayakDaily reported the October 29 Gangwon fixture but did not give its kick-off time or viewing arrangements. Those details will matter for fans following from Kuching, rather than the admission arrangements for the Kitchee game.

A deep roadside drain beside SJK Sungai Apong is under review by Kuching South City Council (MBKS), which is considering protective railings and a ramp to improve access. Council representatives inspected the school surroundings on October 15. The concern centres on a drain without protective railings, close to areas used by pupils and parents during drop-off and collection. Rising water during heavy rain could make that exposed edge more dangerous. The proposals are still being assessed against conditions at the site. Railings and a ramp are options under consideration, not works announced as completed or an access route already certified safe. For families using this stretch, the issue is the school approach rather than the school building itself. Until a physical improvement is in place, a site visit alone does not remove the open-drain hazard; keeping children back from the edge is particularly important during rain and busy collection periods. The assessment forms part of the council's work under the Child Friendly Cities Initiative. The next useful update for parents will be the chosen treatment and when it is installed.

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.

Kuching recorded an Air Pollutant Index of 88 at 5pm on October 14, while Lubok Antu was the highest reported Sarawak station at 125, in the unhealthy band. The Borneo Post, citing the Natural Resources and Environment Board, reported readings of 96 in Samarahan and 99 in Serian. Both remained in the moderate band, which runs from 51 to 100; unhealthy starts at 101. The figures show why a statewide haze description cannot substitute for a station reading. Sibu and Lawas also recorded 88, while Miri was at 80 and Bintulu at 81. All other locations with available readings were moderate in that snapshot. Betong had no latest reading available in the report: missing data is not a zero or a clean-air result. These are the October 14, 5pm readings, not a forecast or a live measurement for the rest of the evening. A later station update is needed to establish whether conditions have changed.

Rural schools in Sarawak are included in a national solar programme covering 283 schools across Sarawak, Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia. The 283 is a combined total, not Sarawak's allocation. DayakDaily reported on October 14 that the works minister described a wider JKR programme using both grid-connected and off-grid photovoltaic systems. Its scope also includes 46 federal government buildings, four police border posts and an Orang Asli village. The minister estimated potential energy-cost savings of up to RM115 million a year across the wider initiative. That is an estimate for the programme, not a saving already measured at Sarawak schools. The report does not provide a state-by-state school list. A handover at Wisma Putra on October 14 concerned five projects at six government premises, with combined installed capacity of 779.86kWp and potential annual generation of 1,070MWh. Those figures belong to the handed-over projects; they should not be read as the capacity of all 283 rural schools or as new installations at a Kuching site.

Ba Kelalan's planned RM14.8 million Type 7 health clinic is at the tender stage, with completion projected for the fourth quarter of 2028. It is not yet a new facility residents can visit. The update came in an October 14 reply in the Sarawak Legislative Assembly by the deputy minister of public health, housing and local government, The Borneo Post reported. A separate RM4 million electricity-infrastructure upgrade at Long Semadoh Health Clinic in Lawas includes a solar power system. That project started on July 19, 2026 and is expected to finish in the third quarter of 2027. Together, the two projects account for RM18.8 million, but they are at different stages and have different delivery targets. Earlier repairs should not be confused with either project. Upgrades costing RM450,000 at Ba Kelalan and RM300,000 at Long Semadoh were completed in November and October 2024 respectively. Those completed works are not evidence that the new clinic or the current power upgrade has been delivered.

The RM74 million road upgrade from the Bau–Lundu junction to Bau Town is only one section of the network, not the whole Bau–Kuching dual-carriageway upgrade. Serembu assemblyman Miro Simuh asked the Sarawak government to set out when subsequent phases would proceed during the October 14 state-budget debate, DayakDaily reported. He pointed to the route's daily role in getting people to Kuching for work, classes, healthcare and business. The distinction matters for commuters: progress on the town section does not establish a delivery date for the rest of the corridor. The report identifies the first phase as 3.65km and records a separate announcement in May 2025 approving more than RM500 million for Phase 2 of Jalan Bau Lama. Miro's latest request is for a clearer implementation timetable. It is not an announcement that the remaining phases have started, and the report gives no new opening date for the full route.

A joint operation caught seven crocodiles in the Baram River at Marudi on October 13, following residents' complaints about frequent sightings near their community. The Borneo Post reports that licensed crocodile hunters worked with Sarawak Forestry Corporation personnel. A team spokesperson said the sightings were a concern particularly for fishermen using the river. The team placed 33 baits on Monday afternoon, October 12, and found seven had been taken when it checked them on Tuesday. All seven captured crocodiles were male, the spokesperson said; their reported lengths ranged from 8.3 to 17.2 feet. This is a result from the Marudi stretch of the Baram River, not a Kuching river alert. The report does not identify the exact capture points or announce that the river is now free of crocodiles. Seven captures cannot establish how many remain along the waterway.

Bukit Semuja had received 1,706 Native Customary Rights land titles by September 30, an October 14 reply in Sarawak's assembly reported. The figure is a cumulative total, not a single handover held today. DayakDaily reported that 1,255 titles covering 741 hectares came under the second phase of the New Initiative NCR Land Measurement Programme. Another 451 titles, covering 21 hectares, were issued through the Traditional Village Measurement Programme. Of the first group, 312 titles involved two areas documented by the Dayak Bidayuh National Association, covering 528 hectares. Community documentation must still be verified and validated by the Land and Survey Department before gazettement and title issuance can be confirmed. The reply also recorded 9,653 hectares of perimeter surveys and 2,282 hectares of individual-lot surveys involving 3,069 lots in Bukit Semuja as of September 30. These are different stages of the process: a surveyed area or a recorded lot should not be read as an issued individual title. The department is to hold dialogue sessions with claimants to explain survey guidelines and responsibilities. The report gave no completion timetable for the remaining individual-lot surveys or titles.

Sarawak's assembly approved a further RM120,003,793 in ordinary expenditure on October 14, covering ministry and department services left unfunded or short of funds in earlier 2026 estimates. The Supplementary Supply (2026) Bill, 2026 passed without amendments after consideration by the Committee of Supply and a third reading, DayakDaily reported. This is additional provision for the current year, separate from the 2027 budget tabled on October 12. The expenditure details are set out in Command Paper No. 10 of 2026; the second supplementary estimate is in Command Paper No. 9. Those documents, rather than the headline total alone, identify the purposes of the extra funding. The assembly had already approved RM1.323 billion in extra ordinary expenditure and RM391 million in development expenditure in May. Today's RM120 million approval concerns ordinary expenditure: it is not a new household cash-aid announcement or proof that the full allocation has already been spent.

Muara Lassa Bridge in Mukah Division has won the Large Scale Projects category at the Road Engineering Excellence Awards 2026. The Road Engineering Association of Malaysia award was presented in Kuala Lumpur on October 13, DayakDaily reports. The category covers road engineering projects valued at more than RM100 million; that is an eligibility threshold, not a cash grant announced with the award. Four of the nine shortlisted projects were under JKR Sarawak: Muara Lassa Bridge, Marudi Bridge, Sebauh Bridge and the access road to the southern area of Kuching International Airport. For Kuching, the local connection is the airport access road's place among the finalists. Muara Lassa is the winning bridge in Mukah Division, while Kuala Lumpur was the award venue. The other three Sarawak projects were shortlisted, not reported as category winners.

Sarawak has 500 teaching vacancies despite an overall teacher fill rate of 98.84 per cent, the Education Ministry told Parliament on October 13. The ministry's reply, reported by Bernama through DayakDaily, puts the vacancies at 224 in secondary schools and 276 in primary schools. Secondary-school shortages include Design and Technology and Science specialisations; Mathematics, Music, and Guidance and Counselling have higher vacancy figures in primary schools. The statewide fill rate rose after new teachers and teacher-training graduates were placed on September 30. The reported rates are 98.61 per cent for secondary schools and 98.98 per cent for primary schools. A high aggregate rate does not mean every school or subject has a full complement. Separately, the ministry asked the Education Service Commission in September to appoint 317 reserve candidates for vacancies nationwide. That figure is not a promise of 317 new teachers for Sarawak. As of September 30, 3,537 of the 4,417 reserve candidates from the 2025 intake had received appointment offers, including 114 candidates from Sarawak. Those are candidates' origins, not a count of postings to Sarawak. Interviews for the 2026 open-market recruitment began in May and are expected to finish in November; the report does not allocate new appointments school by school.

Batu Kawa's new Pines Square Market is planned with a mini collection centre to help farmers handle surplus produce, alongside space for traders and food outlets. The RM15 million project broke ground on October 13. The Borneo Post reports that Lee Onn Group is fully funding the single-storey market on 3.43 acres of Padawan Municipal Council land. Plans include 270 market stalls, 18 food court outlets and a lock-up facility. The collection centre is intended for produce arriving during abundant harvests, including items that cannot be sold immediately or need further processing. That gives the project a role beyond retail shopping: it is also meant to support growers supplying the Kuching area. The reported overall provision has been reduced from the original 400 stalls to 300 to accommodate parking and the collection centre. Plans provide 286 car spaces and 28 motorcycle spaces. The market is to be handed to Padawan Municipal Council for management, with the council handling stall applications. A completion date and application opening date were not given in the report; the groundbreaking does not mean the market is already trading.

Schools under the Serian, Sri Aman and Lubok Antu district education offices will switch to home-based learning on October 14, but three scheduled assessments and examinations will continue. The Sarawak Education Department's October 13 statement, reported by The Borneo Post, orders the temporary closure of all primary and secondary schools under the three offices because of haze. Teachers and support staff may work from home. The exceptions are the Special School Entry Assessment (PKSK), Malaysian Higher Religious Certificate examination (STAM) and the Primary 6 Dual Language Programme assessment (UP-DLPS 6). The closure notice is therefore not a cancellation notice for candidates sitting those assessments. Families in the affected districts should follow their school's specific instructions for home-based learning and examination arrangements. JPN Sarawak says further assessment instructions are on its official Facebook page. The general closure notice does not replace those candidate-specific instructions. The closure is specifically for October 14 in the named districts, not a blanket shutdown of all Sarawak schools. The federal education minister separately confirmed the three districts in a statement reported by Bernama through DayakDaily on October 13.