Kuching's former state assembly building is 46% through its conversion into a performing arts centre, with completion targeted for June 2027. An Oct 2 site inspection put the RM247 million project ahead of schedule. Heavy construction is largely finished, and work is moving into the interior fit-out. The scheme also covers the adjoining Lapau Building, intended for restaurant and banquet use, and the former fountain area. The original golden glass mosaic roof will remain. That keeps a recognisable part of the old DUN building while its function changes from legislative business to performances and cultural activities. June 2027 is a construction target, not a confirmed public-opening or booking date. The centre could host cultural performances during the September 2027 SEA Games, but that programme is not settled. Its eventual name is also still undecided.

The RM40.8 million riverbank protection project at Kampung Sageng in Simunjan had reached 24.95% completion on Sept 25, against a scheduled 68.77%. That leaves a gap of 43.82 percentage points—not 43.82% of work that has been cancelled. The project covers 968 metres of riverbank protection intended to reduce erosion risks near residential settlements. After inspecting it on Sept 29, Batang Sadong MP Rodiyah Sapiee asked the contractor for a clear recovery plan. Technical adjustments prompted by actual river conditions were cited as a factor in the slower progress. A separate scheme, the RM22.34 million Simunjan Flood Mitigation Plan Phase 1, was further along at 70.09% on the same reporting date. That scheme covers a wider drainage and flood-control package: drainage upgrades, a retention pond, deepening Sungai Kelka and tidal control gates. April 2027 was given as the expected completion for that flood-mitigation scheme, subject to an extension-of-time decision. It was not announced as a fixed completion date for the Kampung Sageng riverbank project. For residents, the two progress figures should not be mixed together: one concerns protection along a particular stretch of riverbank, while the other covers a separate flood-mitigation system. The next update that matters is the riverbank contractor’s recovery programme and whether the remaining flood-control work meets its revised timetable. Neither reported percentage means the full protection is already in place.

Sarawak and Johor are exploring how digital government and artificial intelligence could improve public services, following a Sept 30 meeting at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly in Kuching. No new resident-facing service or rollout date was announced. The exchange covered government digitalisation, digital ecosystem development and possible AI cooperation. Sarawak presented a whole-of-government approach to service delivery, while the visiting Johor delegation sought ideas that could be adapted to its own needs. For Kuching residents, the distinction matters: an exchange between government teams is not the same as a new online application being ready to use. The discussion did not announce changes to application requirements, a replacement for existing counters, or a named service that residents must move to. Sarawak’s civil service digitalisation unit, multimedia authority and information systems company were among the organisations represented. That puts the conversation across several parts of the delivery system, rather than around a single standalone app. The useful follow-up will be a specific service, implementation timetable and clear instructions for the people using it. Until those are announced, this remains a cooperation discussion, not a launch notice or a reason to change how an existing application is submitted.

Sarawak employers are being told that non-resident worker applications now take about 60 days to process, down from 191 days. The figure is a reported improvement, not a promise that every application will be approved within two months. Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department for Labour, Immigration and Project Monitoring Datuk Gerawat Gala gave the update at an industry session in Miri on Sept 30. The Foreign Worker Transformation Approach, or FWTA, brings recruitment procedures onto a digital platform involving both state and federal agencies. For businesses planning staffing in Kuching and elsewhere in Sarawak, the important distinction is between a shorter processing period and a completed approval. Different agencies still have their own procedures, and the platform is being introduced in phases. Domestic helpers are currently being addressed, with expatriates to follow. Gerawat asked employers to raise application problems with FWTA or the Immigration and Labour Management Unit, ILMU, so they can be referred to the relevant agencies. A dedicated email channel was raised by industry representatives, but the announcement did not provide an address or confirm its launch. The next practical test is whether the shorter turnaround holds across those remaining phases. Employers should not treat the 60-day figure as a new guaranteed deadline, or assume that the proposed email channel is already available.

Forty-one secondary schools in northern Sarawak have signed a partnership with Curtin University Malaysia aimed at widening students’ access to STEM learning and university pathways. The agreement links the schools with the Miri campus for STEM programmes and teacher development, giving pupils earlier exposure to science, technology, engineering and mathematics, as well as higher-education and career options. The university also offers annual Excellence Awards to up to five eligible high-performing SPM graduates from each participating school, subject to its current terms. The memorandum was signed at a teachers’ conference in Miri on Sept 29. The reported opportunities are part of the partnership; the university has not announced a single fixed award amount in the coverage.

Three transport projects in Miri are expected to move into construction in 2027, after their designs and Public Works Department approvals are completed. The routes are Jalan Cahaya, Jalan Padang Kerbau and Canada Hill. The Jalan Cahaya stretch between Borneo Medical Centre and Miri Hospital and Jalan Padang Kerbau were identified as busy links serving the hospital; the minister said the Cahaya section is proposed as a two-lane one-way road. The Canada Hill work is intended to address erosion that could affect road users and the route’s condition. Preliminary designs for Jalan Padang Kerbau and Canada Hill are still being prepared, so the 2027 start remains conditional. A separate proposal for traffic lights at the Jalan Miri Bypass–Jalan Eastwood junction is also awaiting design approval.

Sarawak’s utility and telecommunications ministry has asked the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission for additional spectrum, saying the extra capacity could help ease network congestion when usage rises. The request has not been announced as approved. The ministry also said a Sept 28 discussion with MCMC and Sarawak agencies covered damaged or stolen fibre lines, maintenance of leaning towers and low-hanging cables, and closer cooperation between service providers. It raised shared Multi-Operator Core Network technology as one possible way for operators to improve coverage for customers. For users, the immediate development is a request and a set of infrastructure issues under discussion—not a confirmed change to mobile coverage or service quality.

Residents had until 5pm on Sept 30 to submit written views on the Election Commission’s proposed review of Sarawak’s federal and state constituency boundaries. The proposal display, which began on Sept 1, ends on Wednesday, Sept 30. Representations could be submitted online through the EC’s MYSTS portal or in writing to the Sarawak State Election Officer. Completed forms could also be delivered by hand to the Sarawak State Election Office on the 11th floor of the Sultan Iskandar Building, Jalan Simpang Tiga, Kuching. The Sept 30 deadline mattered to residents who wanted to support or object to the proposed lines: the EC said submissions had to reach it by 5pm that day.

Seven of Sarawak’s 21 monitoring stations were in the unhealthy API band at 4pm Tuesday, Sept 29, with Serian highest at 175. Kuching recorded 158 and Samarahan 157. Lundu was at 161, Betong and Samalaju at 116 each, and Lubok Antu at 108. By late afternoon, Sri Aman and Kanowit had eased just below the unhealthy threshold, while Samalaju had moved into it. Unhealthy air is the 101–200 API band. Kuching and Samarahan remained in that range in the 4pm snapshot, so check the latest reading before spending a long time outdoors; these figures are not live readings.

A new RM172 million contract will fund early infrastructure works for an advanced data-storage manufacturing facility at Kuching’s Sama Jaya Free Industrial Zone. Kelington Technologies, a wholly owned subsidiary of Kelington Group, won the work from a manufacturing company whose name was not disclosed. The scope includes site development, foundations and high-voltage power infrastructure. Work is expected to start immediately and finish by August 2027. The award adds to about RM111 million in earlier contracts and purchase orders from the same customer, taking the project total awarded to Kelington to roughly RM283 million. The company has not announced an opening date or the number of jobs the facility may create.

Police expect about 10,000 people to attend the programme. The affected points are Jalan Setia 1, the Jalan Ceria junction and the Jalan Wawasan roundabout. The event is scheduled for Oct 2–4, with police estimating up to 10,000 visitors at a time. Motorists are advised to avoid parking where it could block traffic and follow the directions of police and traffic-control personnel. Suggested parking areas include Menara Pehin Setia Raja, the Sarawak Government Administration Centre, Setia Raja Mosque and commercial centres. Drivers can use alternative routes during the closure period.

UCSI University Sarawak Campus won the Overall Best Team title at the Sarawak International Culinaire Challenge, collecting three gold, two silver and four bronze medals, plus three diploma awards. The Kuching-held contest drew about 200 entries from Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan, Indonesia and the Philippines over three days, Sept 25–27. A UCSI Sarawak student also received the Best Young Chef award, putting the campus result alongside individual recognition. The Kuching Chefs Association-organised event brought culinary students and working professionals together across cooking, team and display categories. The organisers said they hope to hold the next edition in the third quarter of 2027.

A 36-year-old man has been remanded for three more days as police investigate the Sept 20 arson at a convenience store on Jalan Green, Kuching. A senior court registrar approved the extension to let investigators continue a probe under Section 436 of the Penal Code. The case remains at the investigation stage; remand is not a finding of guilt. A separate update concerns two other men linked to the Jalan Green case: a 23-year-old was released from remand on Monday, then arrested again in connection with a different arson investigation in Saratok. A 40-year-old suspect was released over the weekend. The incidents at stores in Kuching and Sri Aman on Sept 20 are being investigated as separate cases. The latest court action changes the status of one suspect, but does not establish that either case has been solved.

Sarawak expects to start planting paddy on about 8,000 hectares next year and is offering to match any additional federal funding for the crop. The state has already set aside RM1 billion for paddy development. The federal Agriculture and Food Security Minister said he would bring Sarawak’s request for another RM1 billion to the Cabinet; no new federal allocation has been approved yet. Sarawak has identified about 14,000 hectares for paddy. Of these, 4,000 hectares have been gazetted under Section 7, while a further 2,299 hectares of state land have been identified for the same purpose; together, about 7,000 hectares have been identified and gazetted for paddy. The acreage is a planning figure, not proof that all the land is ready to plant. Irrigation and drainage works will determine how quickly farmers can use it. The state pointed to Gedong, where a collaboration with Universiti Putra Malaysia reportedly raised paddy yields from about 1.2 tonnes per hectare to between six and eight tonnes. That is one local example, not a guarantee for every new site. For growers, the next signal to watch is a funded infrastructure schedule. The plan is also part of Sarawak’s effort to raise local rice output and strengthen Malaysia’s food supply.

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.

The river jetty is the first reminder that Niah is a journey through a living landscape, not a quick cave photo stop. After the crossing, the raised plankwalk carries you through rainforest toward Traders Cave—the only route currently open to visitors. [image: 1790322250670-boardwalk_to_caves-resized.jpg] Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE — Boardwalk to the Caves, CC BY-SA 2.0 (original, unmodified) Niah’s story reaches far beyond this short walk: its caves preserve tens of thousands of years of human history, and the complex entered UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2024. Traders Cave also connects that deep timeline to a more recent livelihood. Swiftlet nests gathered here became part of a trade valued in Chinese cuisine; the cave’s name keeps that working history in view. The larger chambers and Painted Cave are part of Niah’s heritage, but they are not part of this limited visit while reconstruction closures remain in force. [image: 1790322251200-jetty.jpg] Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE — Sungai (River) Niah and Jetty, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized to 960px wide) I’d plan this as a focused rainforest-and-Traders-Cave outing, with time for the boat crossing and boardwalk rather than promising myself the full cave circuit. A shelter on the way is a useful pause, not a shortcut to the closed trails. There is also a present-day community thread: 20 park guides completed an 18-day training programme in September, including 11 people from nearby communities. That local participation matters at a place where heritage and livelihoods have long shared the same forest. [image: 1790322251326-shelter.jpg] Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE — Shelter on the Boardwalk, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized to 960px wide) [image: 1790322252044-traders_cave_entrance-resized.jpg] Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE — Entrance of Traders' Cave, CC BY-SA 2.0 (original, unmodified) If the Great Cave, Painted Cave or longer trails are the reason you are travelling, I’d postpone until those areas are officially reopened; this is not the complete Niah experience. For anyone happy with the limited route, check directly with Sarawak Forestry Corporation before setting out, since access can change. Would you make the trip for this quieter, shorter slice of Niah, or save it for the full circuit? Niah National Park is in Batu Niah, Miri Division. Open Niah National Park in Google Maps

Drivers using Jalan Tun Datuk Patinggi Abang Haji Muhammad Salahuddin will face a changed temporary traffic arrangement from Sept 28, with the diversion scheduled to run until Jan 21, 2027, during construction. The Land Custody and Development Authority (LCDA) says the contractor will issue further updates if the affected dates, hours or areas change. The works contract runs from July 15, 2024 to Jan 21, 2027, so the new arrangement spans the coming months rather than a single weekend. Regular users should check LCDA’s latest notice before setting out and allow time for the altered route. For traffic enquiries or feedback, contact LCDA at 082-235944.

More than 1.25 million hectares of Native Customary Rights (NCR) land had been surveyed across Sarawak by Aug 31, a progress update at a Kuching land and survey event on Wednesday said. The next steps run from boundary checks through documentation and registration to issuing titles. The state says community engagement remains part of that process, even as technology is used to speed up the work. The figure measures surveyed land; it does not mean every lot has been registered or titled. The update gave no district-by-district breakdown or timetable for the remaining stages.

The first thing I would ask on the road into Lambir is not which waterfall, but how much forest can I still read before I reach it? On the Miri side of the Bintulu–Miri Highway, the park starts as a practical rainforest outing, yet its real plot is written in trunks, buttress roots, steep ground and water running over rock. [image: 1790045355459-dinding-resized.jpg] 来源：Wikimedia Commons / Mx. Granger (CC0 1.0) Lambir Hills became an ASEAN Heritage Park in 2025. That change matters because it recognises this Miri landscape as part of a regional conservation network, not just a place to cool off in a pool. The difficult slopes and escarpments help create several forest habitats, and the park has an unusually rich plant community, including a remarkable concentration of figs and endangered trees. In practical terms, the route rewards people who look up and down: a broad trunk, a tree buttress, a fern beside the trail and a sudden break in the canopy all belong to the story. [image: 1790045356239-pantu-resized.jpg] 来源：Wikimedia Commons / Mx. Granger (CC0 1.0) The number that changes how I would plan the visit is the long-term research plot: more than 1,100 tree species have been recorded in a 52-hectare area. That is why I would resist treating Lambir as a waterfall checklist. Dinding and Pantu are satisfying turning points, but the forest between them is the part that explains why the park exists and why Sarawak keeps investing it with higher conservation status. [image: 1790045357044-trail-resized.jpg] 来源：Wikimedia Commons / Mx. Granger (CC0 1.0) If I had one half-day, I would start early, choose a trail that matches the group’s legs, and keep time for the return rather than forcing a summit. The entrance sits on the Bintulu–Miri Highway in Miri; trail conditions, water levels and route-specific restrictions deserve a same-day check before setting out. Wear shoes that can handle wet stone and roots, carry water, and treat the streams as part of a protected forest rather than a disposable swimming stop. [image: 1790045358189-tree-resized.jpg] 来源：Wikimedia Commons / Mx. Granger (CC0 1.0) Lambir suits hikers who enjoy noticing small changes in terrain, bird calls and tree form, and families with older children who can manage a real forest trail. It may disappoint anyone expecting a short roadside attraction, guaranteed wildlife sightings or one single viewpoint. Pair it with a Miri town meal or another nearby nature stop only after checking the day’s driving time; the park itself deserves a slow morning, not a rushed photo detour. Lambir Hills is the kind of place where the waterfall is an ending, not the explanation. Would you spend the walk counting species, following the sound of water, or doing both?

Miri’s retention ponds need a regular cleaning programme after aquatic growth, rubbish and sediment were flagged as risks to water flow and flood mitigation. The Department of Irrigation and Drainage was asked to schedule more frequent maintenance after recent cleaning at a pond along Jalan Ilmu near Desa Senadin. Water hyacinths and other plants covering the pond have been cleared, but they can grow back quickly. Floating rubbish entering through nearby drains was also raised as a concern. A RM3 million allocation has been approved for drainage maintenance and upgrading in Senadin, including Desa Senadin, Tudan and Permyjaya. The suggestion that some ponds may need cleaning as often as every two months is not a confirmed timetable. The current update is a maintenance call, not a new flood warning. The next useful checkpoint for residents will be whether a recurring cleaning schedule is published before the next period of heavy rain.