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.

Kuching South City Council (MBKS) has secured another term of recognition under the ASEAN Clean Tourist City Standard, covering 2026–2028. It is the council’s third consecutive recognition, DayakDaily reported on Oct 16. The recognition was awarded at national level by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia (MOTAC). It is a cleanliness standard recognition, not a new UNESCO designation; Kuching’s UNESCO City of Gastronomy status is separate. The connection for residents and traders is in the places both locals and visitors use: public spaces, markets and dining areas. Cleanliness in those shared spaces supports the city’s food businesses as well as its tourism appeal. MBKS said it would continue improving cleanliness and public amenities, while urging residents, businesses and community groups to help care for shared facilities and dispose of waste properly. The report did not announce a new funding allocation or a dated programme of works alongside the recognition.

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.

Kuching South ratepayers will have two extra weekend counter sessions to settle their second-half 2026 assessment bills before the October 31 deadline. MBKS says its One-Stop Service Centre at Jalan Padungan will open from 8am to 4pm on Saturday, October 24, and from 8am to noon on Sunday, October 25. These sessions are for assessment payments only, not the full range of council services. Late payment attracts a surcharge of 1 per cent per month or part of a month. The council says not receiving a bill will not be accepted as a reason to waive that charge. Anyone still missing a bill can request a copy at the ground-floor One-Stop Service Counter at MBKS headquarters or the UTC counter on Level 1 at Jalan Bukit Mata, or subscribe to e-billing. A trip to the special weekend counter is not the only way to pay. MBKS also lists Sarawak Pay, JomPAY, internet banking, PayBills Malaysia and the Sarawak government services portal among its payment options. Credit cards are accepted at MBKS payment counters.

Companies at Kuching’s Sama Jaya Free Industrial Zone need a clear contact agency and a timescale for resolving service problems, the Mayor of Kuching South says. At the industrial park management committee meeting at MBKS on October 9, Dato Wee Hong Seng called for closer coordination on water supply, local infrastructure and other operating needs. He asked that each outstanding issue have an identified agency and a timeframe so companies can plan and the committee can track follow-up. MBKS handles council services, local infrastructure and surrounding areas. Matters beyond its authority go to the relevant agencies, with the Sarawak Electronic and Supporting Industries Companies Association bringing members’ concerns to the committee. The distinction matters for businesses seeking action: not every industrial service problem is within the city council’s power to resolve. Sarawak Water briefed the meeting on supply capacity, pressure, quality and arrangements during disruptions, including demand from expanding companies. The Department of Environment covered wastewater discharge, emissions and waste disposal requirements. These were planning and regulatory briefings, not an announcement of a new water outage or a finding that a particular factory had breached environmental rules.

An 11-member delegation from Lahore's urban authorities and UNICEF Pakistan visited Kuching South City Council on October 8 to examine how children's views can feed into city planning. The exchange at MBKS headquarters included discussions with members of the Kuching South Child Council, not just a meeting between officials. Six delegates came from the Lahore Development Authority, two from other Lahore urban authorities and three from UNICEF Pakistan. Their study visit looked at the governance arrangements behind child-friendly planning and how those arrangements translate into public spaces, community facilities and participation. MBKS described school safety audits, road safety campaigns and peer-led school engagement among its existing activities. These give children opportunities to identify everyday problems and propose improvements, while the Child Council provides a structured place for their views to enter municipal discussions. The council also stressed that it works with other government agencies and community partners because not every issue affecting children falls within a local authority's remit. The visit was an exchange of planning experience; the October 8 announcement did not launch a new enrolment scheme or commit funding to specific crossings, parks or facilities.

Kuching South City Council's composting education and recycling programmes were among the initiatives recognised at the Green and Geopark Excellence Awards 2026 on October 8. MBKS received six awards covering leadership, environmental education, technology, community recycling, food security and infrastructure. For residents, the programmes behind the awards are more useful than the trophy count. The council's Takakura composting education teaches people to turn food waste into compost for plants. iBuyBack uses digital technology to support recycling, while Bank Sampah focuses on community participation in recovering recyclable materials. The other recognised initiatives were Kuching Farmer Market, which supports local producers and access to food, and the ESG Smart Pole for green public infrastructure. A separate leadership award completed the six. The October 8 council release described existing initiatives; it did not set out a new household collection service, participation schedule or quantified waste-reduction result. The awards recognise the council's work, but should not be read as a measured claim that every neighbourhood has the same services or environmental outcomes.

Thirty-one young members took office in the Kuching South Child Council on October 3, with parks, safety and other issues affecting children among the matters they are being encouraged to raise. The second cohort will serve the 2026–2028 term. It includes 21 new members and 10 returning members, who will help guide the newcomers. The swearing-in took place at the Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Chamber. The programme gives under-18s a way to contribute views on their city while learning how local government works. It is a youth-participation and mentoring platform, rather than an appointment to the adult council’s statutory roles. Kuching South’s mayor urged the group to move beyond ceremonial meetings and photographs. Members were invited to point out problems with parks and public spaces, and offer ideas on safety, health, the environment, technology, sport and the arts. For families, the useful distinction is that children’s everyday experience of neighbourhood facilities can feed into council discussions. The new term begins with members sworn in; it does not itself announce a funded park upgrade or a new public service.

Seventy-five storm-hit families in Kuching South have been allocated RM107,000 in Sarawak government disaster aid, separate from the council’s RM1,000-per-family support. The assistance was announced at the Kuching South City Council (MBKS) chamber on October 2 for households whose homes were damaged in the late-August storm. The RM107,000 is the total state allocation for the 75 families, not a flat payment of that amount to each household. Approved state assistance will go directly into recipients’ bank accounts through the Social Welfare Department. MBKS helped identify affected residents within its jurisdiction, prepare supporting documents and submit applications; the department handled verification and payment processing. The application process included a police report. The council’s own Caring Programme provides an additional RM1,000 to each affected family. That payment and the state disaster allocation are two different channels of help with repair costs and damaged belongings; they should not be treated as one council-funded grant.

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.

Kuching South is preparing to extend designated senior parking beyond markets to shopping malls and other public areas. The move is part of MBKS’s effort to make everyday public spaces easier to use as the city’s population ages. Existing senior bays are already available at markets, but the council has not announced the first mall locations or a start date for the wider rollout. MBKS is also seeking approval for more full-size OKU parking bays. That proposal must go through the full council before it is submitted to the minister, so those spaces are not yet a confirmed rollout. For residents, the practical detail to watch is where the new senior bays will be marked and how access will be enforced once the scheme moves beyond markets.

Registered senior citizens under the Kuching South City Council programme can collect their RM30 grocery vouchers on Sept 23. Collection is scheduled from 7.30am to 10.30am at the market assigned during registration. The five registration venues were Petanak, Stutong Community, Bintawa, Sungai Apong and Kenyalang markets; recipients should return to the designated venue rather than assume another market can process the collection. The vouchers are meant for daily necessities including vegetables, fish, meat and poultry. The programme is limited to residents within the MBKS jurisdiction, and registration has already drawn a strong response. Anyone who completed registration but is unsure of the assigned market should confirm with MBKS before collection day.

Water pressure at Kuching’s Kenyalang Food Centre has improved after Sarawak Water carried out a temporary reconnection on Friday. The work followed complaints from hawkers and traders, who said the pressure was especially weak after 5pm. Sarawak Water replaced and installed connection points using an existing connection near the centre. Supply to the food centre and nearby shophouses was interrupted from 10am to 3pm while the work was carried out. Water support was arranged for affected food and beverage operators during that window. The reconnection is an interim measure, and MBKS said it will continue monitoring the supply with Sarawak Water. For traders, the immediate test is whether pressure remains adequate through the evening operating period.

MBKS probes dry hose, locked-away extinguishers after Stutong Market vehicle fire Kuching South City Council (MBKS) is investigating concerns over emergency firefighting equipment at Stutong Market after a vehicle was destroyed by fire on Thursday morning, with a dry fire hose and missing extinguishers hampering efforts to put out the blaze. Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng said during his ShallWeeTalk live session on Saturday that the council had directed the relevant personnel to investigate and submit a report. He acknowledged that several fire extinguishers at the market had gone missing, calling it an internal security issue. Padungan assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen, who was distributing N95 masks at the market when the fire broke out, posted on social media that the fire hose had no water supply and that extinguishers were locked inside an office and not readily accessible. He urged MBKS to inspect all firefighting equipment at markets under its jurisdiction. Wee said it would be premature to draw conclusions before the investigation is completed, adding that the cause of the fire itself must also be established. The fire started around 5am on Sept 3 and was eventually extinguished by firefighters. MBKS councillors have visited the affected hawker to check on their well-being and are assisting with police reports and other matters.

MBKS is preparing a 200-metre reinforced-concrete box drain to improve flood protection along Jalan Padungan and Jalan Chan Chin Ann. The proposed drain would measure 1.2 metres wide and 1.2 metres deep. Survey work, possible utility relocation, road and footpath reinstatement, plus traffic and safety arrangements are part of the plan. The two roads and nearby Jalan Abell area have recurring flash floods during intense rain. MBKS said the existing network cannot handle high stormwater volumes easily, but work in this built-up city-centre area must be designed around businesses, roads and underground services. The project is not at construction stage yet. A consultant must first complete the plans and technical documents before MBKS starts the tender process. Drivers and businesses should expect temporary traffic arrangements only when work eventually begins.

A farmers’ market, smart poles and an inclusive playground have put three Kuching South City Council projects on the Top 29 finalist list for the 2026 JCI Malaysia Sustainable Development Awards. The Kuching Natural Farmers Market was shortlisted under SDG 8 for supporting local farmers and small producers. The MBKS Smart Pole Initiative sits under SDG 11 for park safety, environmental monitoring and management, while Ausome Park is under SDG 10 for play spaces that children of different abilities can use together. All three are existing community programmes. The announcement is a finalist placing, not a final award or a new rollout; the winners have yet to be announced.

A Kuching South smart pole displayed an outdoor-activity message even while its API reading showed hazardous air, MBKS said on Tuesday. The council attributed the mismatch to a dashboard programming limit. The numerical reading remained accurate, but the advisory function had only been configured up to API 450. When the reading went higher, the system defaulted to the message used for the 0–50 healthy range. MBKS said it has told the system provider to rework the dashboard so the number, gauge and warning match official API bands, including exceptionally high readings. Until that update is confirmed across the system, residents should use the official API reading as the reference and avoid outdoor exercise once the air reaches hazardous levels.

Kuching South residents whose homes were damaged by recent strong winds can register with MBKS for possible disaster assistance. MBKS is collecting each household's full name, MyKad number, address, contact number and photographs of the damaged roof. The council will compile the applications and send them to the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC), after its councillors, community leaders and staff help with forms and site assessments. Residents can register through MBKS WhatsApp at 011-1988 5962 or by email at [email protected]. Councillors and community leaders are also helping reach households, including residents who were away when the council visited. SDMC has yet to announce any assistance amount or approval outcome. Affected households should keep clear damage photos and supporting details ready when they contact MBKS.

古晋南市Jalan Urat Mata已展开局部扩路，先处理最常塞车的路段。 古晋南市市政局（MBKS）表示，工程于8月11日动工，目标在2027年1月10日完成。首阶段包括从Jalan Song路口往Lorong 7方向、约600公尺的右侧路段，以及从Lorong 3往Jalan Wan Alwi路口、约300公尺的左侧路段。 这项计划原本考虑把全长1.32公里的道路全面提升为双向分隔道路，如今先把资金集中在繁忙时段最需要增加通行空间的位置。工程将在现有25公尺道路保留地内进行，不涉及征地。 Jalan Urat Mata连接Jalan Wan Alwi与Jalan Song，也通往住宅区、商店及商业中心。工程进行期间，驾车人士经过施工路段要减速，并留意现场交通安排。