A resurfacing job along Lorong Sungai Tapang 4 in Padawan has been flagged for follow-up after one property entrance was left unfinished. A local constituency statement said the road level outside the property had been raised by at least half a foot, while the section leading to the driveway was left with raw, untarred stones. The unfinished entrance has made it harder for the homeowner to get in and out. The Padawan Municipal Council and the contractor were urged to inspect the spot and complete the resurfacing up to the driveway. The report does not say when the rectification will be done or whether the council has responded. The complaint concerns one section of a wider road job, but it points to a practical test for neighbourhood upgrades: the work should leave affected entrances usable, not just the road surface.

Old Kuching may get heritage zones covering parts of Gambier Road, Main Bazaar and India Street under a proposed Sarawak law. The plan would protect historic buildings, monuments and other heritage sites as the city continues to develop. Landmarks being considered include the Old Court House, Round Tower, Square Tower, India Mosque, St Joseph’s Cathedral and St Thomas’ Cathedral. Privately owned old shophouses are also expected to be reviewed. The state says property owners will be engaged before the legislation is introduced. If buildings are formally gazetted, future rules could include maintenance and beautification requirements. The first stage is to identify buildings and sites, while conservation approaches in Penang and Melaka are being studied. Seeking UNESCO World Heritage recognition is a longer-term ambition. For now, this is a planning announcement, not a new protected-zone map or a confirmed timetable. Shop owners and residents should wait for the proposed list, consultation details and legislation before assuming that a property has been gazetted or that redevelopment rules have changed.

A Sunday night fire damaged about 35 per cent of a convenience store on Green Road, Kuching, but no one was injured. Batu Lintang and Padungan firefighters were sent after the call came in at 8.19pm. The blaze started at the front of the shop and spread towards the centre before crews brought it under control. Ventilation at the centre and rear helped limit the spread, Bomba said. The operation ended at 9.03pm. The cause of the fire and the value of the losses are still being investigated, so the damage figure should not be read as a final loss assessment.

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.

Sarawak’s State Attorney-General’s Chambers has launched a drafting manual intended to make proposed State laws more complete and consistent before they reach the legal office. The manual gives public-service officers a common process for preparing legislation and amendments, including structural standards, procedural steps and the background documents that must accompany a submission. The move follows concerns that some earlier proposals arrived with little more than a one-page outline. For departments, the change is less about announcing a new law than tightening the route by which one is prepared. The chambers also pointed to digital technology, environmental regulation and the green economy as areas where legal officers will need stronger specialist knowledge as Sarawak’s policy work expands.

Twenty agricultural road projects across 20 villages in the Balai Ringin area have been grouped under a RM6 million connectivity allocation. The projects cover Zones B Jalan Simunjan and C Balai Ringin, with RM300,000 set aside for each village. The latest progress update says 16 projects are complete, two are nearing completion, one has started and one has yet to begin. The road work is intended to make it easier for farming communities to move produce and reach their plots. At Kampung Tapang Lebat, an upgraded 1.925km village road serving about 30 families was completed on June 9 at a cost of RM2.5 million. A separate community-hall store there is scheduled for next year, so the wider package should not be read as every listed project being finished.

Malaysia’s Health Ministry is pressing agencies involved in Petra Jaya Hospital to keep construction moving towards its planned completion. The deputy health minister made the call during a follow-up site visit on Sept 18. She was briefed by the Public Works Department on the project’s physical progress, completion roadmap and the healthcare facilities planned for the hospital. The latest update does not announce an opening date. For Petra Jaya and nearby communities, the immediate question is whether the coordination now translates into a firm completion timetable and a hospital ready to serve the area.

As Malaysia prepares to table Budget 2027 on Oct 9, Sarawakians are asking for help that reaches daily costs as well as longer-term earning power. The priorities raised in Kuching include better employment opportunities, targeted assistance, affordable housing, stronger education and skills development. Small-business support also featured, with calls for machinery, financing, training and help with digital marketing. Students from Sarawak studying in Peninsular Malaysia highlighted travel assistance, clearer fuel-subsidy information and stronger support for skills and AI literacy. Those concerns sit alongside calls for price controls and aid that reaches rural and suburban households. These are public expectations ahead of the federal budget, not announced allocations. The details to watch on Oct 9 are which measures receive funding, who qualifies and how the programmes will reach Sarawak’s smaller towns and rural communities.

The old Batang Layar Bridge in Betong is expected to reopen on Saturday after two weeks of repair work, but heavy vehicles will still need to use alternative routes. The bridge was closed after structural damage was found and repairs were carried out to protect road users. Sarawak Public Works Department director Cassidy Morris said the bridge is recommended for light vehicles because of its age. A final safety inspection by Betong Division JKR is due before the reopening. That means the Saturday date remains conditional on the inspection, rather than a blanket return to normal traffic. Drivers heading in and out of Betong should follow the latest site instructions. Heavy vehicles should continue planning for the alternative routes even if the bridge opens to cars and other light traffic.

A 200MWac solar facility planned for Tinjar, Sarawak, is targeted to begin commercial operations by the end of 2029 under a proposed RM570 million development. Reservoir Link Energy Bhd said it has signed a power purchase agreement with Syarikat Sesco Bhd to design, build, own, operate and maintain the photovoltaic facility. The agreement was disclosed in a filing reported on Friday. The project is not yet the same as electricity already being generated. The agreement still depends on corporate and government authorisations, required studies, licences, security arrangements, testing and commissioning requirements. If the conditions are met and the agreement is not extended or ended earlier, the PPA will run for 30 years from the facility’s commercial operation date. RLEB has set Dec 31, 2029 as the target date, but the filing leaves room for the timetable to change as approvals and construction progress are completed. For Sarawak’s energy picture, the key figures are the proposed 200MWac capacity and the RM570 million estimated development cost — not a claim that the plant is already operating.

Sarawak’s haze thickened on Friday morning, with 13 monitoring stations moving into the unhealthy range and Kuching recording an API reading of 192. The 8am reading was up from 174 at 4pm on Thursday. Kanowit rose sharply from 58 to 186, while Samarahan reached 184, Serian 180, Lundu 176 and Tebedu 166. Several central Sarawak stations also saw steep overnight increases: Sibu climbed to 158, Sarikei to 157, Sri Aman and Bintulu to 153, and Mukah and Lubok Antu to 104. Kapit was the only station to move into the moderate band among the locations highlighted in the morning update, at 93. Miri and ILP Miri remained moderate at 61 and 58, while Limbang and Bario were in the good range at 49 and 12. The API is a 24-hour running measure. Readings from 101 to 200 are classified as unhealthy, so conditions can change with the next update. People in affected areas should check the latest readings and cut down prolonged outdoor activity while the air remains poor.

Sarawak plans to develop a low-carbon hub and gateway at Tanjung Embang as part of its push towards a green, high-income economy, Premier Abang Johari said at the Malaysia Day celebration in Kuching on Sept 16. He also cited Bintulu’s inclusion in the World Economic Forum’s Transitioning Industrial Clusters and cooperation with the Asian Development Bank. A projection of RM100 billion in investment over the next decade was also mentioned. The hub, the financing and the investment figure are plans or estimates at this stage. No completed project, construction schedule or confirmed investment package was announced.

The Health Ministry has rejected a claim that senior officials failed to attend the funerals of health workers who died in Sarawak. The ministry said the claim was untrue in a response issued on Sept 16. Its statement addresses the attendance allegation, but does not provide a full account of every funeral arrangement. The immediate confirmed development is the ministry’s rebuttal. Further details about individual ceremonies should be treated separately from the broader claim.

Sarawak’s interim special grant will rise to RM1.5 billion a year from 2026, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced in Kuching on Sept 16. The payment is made under the Malaysia Agreement 1963. The higher figure is an interim arrangement while Putrajaya and Sarawak continue negotiating a longer-term formula. That distinction matters: the announcement sets a larger annual amount for the interim period, but it does not settle the final mechanism for calculating the grant. The next step is the continuing federal-state talks.

A generator supplying power to a telecommunications tower was destroyed in a fire at Jalan Kuap, Samarahan, on Sept 16 afternoon. Bomba received the distress call at 2.27pm. Firefighters from the Siburan Fire and Rescue Station arrived at 2.58pm and brought the fire under control by 3.10pm using water from an open source. Nine firefighters and three police personnel were involved. No casualties were reported, and the operation ended at 3.30pm. The initial report confirms damage to the generator, but does not state whether telecommunications service was interrupted or what caused the fire. Residents who notice smoke or a new outage should contact the relevant emergency or service provider rather than approach the site.

Kuching’s Air Pollutant Index (API) rose to 95 at 8am on Sept 17, moving close to the unhealthy range but remaining moderate. Serian recorded 92 and Tebedu 90 at the same reading. Samarahan and Lundu were both at 77, while Lubok Antu and Betong stood at 76. The readings were higher than the previous 8pm figures in most of these areas. Samalaju also moved from good to moderate at 58, while Kanowit and Mukah improved into the good range. API readings from 51 to 100 are classified as moderate, and 0 to 50 as good. Conditions can change through the day, so people planning prolonged outdoor activity should check the latest official reading rather than rely on this morning’s snapshot.

Sarawak is exploring wider arts and cultural programmes involving schools as part of a stronger partnership with the National Department for Culture and Arts. The proposal was discussed during a meeting between the state tourism and creative-industry ministry and JKKN officials. Existing cooperation includes the annual Gendang Festival, whose preliminary rounds cover northern, central, Samarahan and Kuching zones. A Mobile Stage Truck used for grassroots arts programmes was also handed over by JKKN Sarawak to the Sarawak Arts Council. The truck had served rural programmes from 2010 to last year. The update signals a direction for future school and community programmes, but it does not yet set out participating schools, dates or a new curriculum. Those details will determine how widely students can take part.

Pending Jetty Hawker Centre has seen some improvements, but further infrastructure work will depend on continued funding and planning. The Kuching South City Council (MBKS) mayor said toilets had been renovated, a monument installed and upgrading work around the jetty was under way after a site visit on Sept 16. MBKS will continue working with federal agencies on better facilities and development opportunities for the centre and its surrounding community. The council also said it would gather feedback from residents, hawkers and other stakeholders. No final cost or completion schedule was announced in the update. For traders, the immediate takeaway is that the centre remains an active community project rather than a finished redevelopment package.

More than 900,000 Sarawakians have benefited from Rahmah cash assistance, with 88,855 recipients recorded in the Kota Samarahan parliamentary constituency. The figures were announced in Kota Samarahan on Sept 16 as the government promoted the combined support of Rahmah Cash Aid and Rahmah Basic Aid. Eligible households in the most-needy group can receive up to RM4,600 a year through the two schemes, according to the minister cited in the announcement. The Rahmah Madani Sale programme is also being expanded through shops, supermarkets and mobile outlets. The stated target is at least three such programmes each month in every state constituency, giving rural communities more ways to access lower-priced daily necessities. The cash-aid figures are a record of beneficiaries, not a new application deadline. Households should rely on official government channels for eligibility and payment updates.

Five rural markets in the Mas Gading constituency will receive a combined RM1 million redevelopment allocation. The package covers a new Tembawang Sauh rural market, sales stalls at Kampung Grogo and upgrades to the Jagoi, Duyoh and Stenggang farmers’ markets in the Bau area. The implementing agency, UDA Holdings, will handle planning, delivery and monitoring. Before work starts, the project scope, land status and bill of quantities must still be reviewed. The announcement gives traders a clearer list of which sites are included, but it is not a completion date. The allocation forms part of Sarawak’s wider rural-market programme, which recorded 61 projects worth RM13 million from 2024 to Aug 31, 2026.