Sarawak Latest News

SMK Penrissen No 1 fares better

2009-03-13T08:59:00.000-07:00

SMK Penrissen No 1 had only three students scoring straight As in all subjects but that was enough to make the teachers smile when the 2008 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) results were announced yesterday.

In 2007, only two students scored straight As in the SPM.

This time round, more students qualified for a full SPM certificate based on a pass in Bahasa Malaysia paper.

A spokesperson for the school told Eastern Times yesterday that the passing rate this time was 84.62, compared with 80.18 for the 2007 SPM.

“With all the constraints that we faced and the environment of the school, we are generally quite satisfied with the achievements.

“Of course, we will not rest on our laurel but will strive harder in the future.
“This may include providing tuition classes to the weak students,” he said.

The spokesman added that the three students who scored straight As had sat for 12, 11 and 10 subjects respectively.

He said besides the top three scorers, two other students obtained 9As, three 8As, one 7As and nine 6As.

443 SPM candidates

SMK Penrissen No. 1, one of the rural schools in this district and about 20 kilometres from here, had 443 candidates sitting for the SPM examination last year.

The SPM results saw 6,277 students scoring straight As in all subjects throughout the country, compared with 5,060 in 2007.

Education Ministry Director-General, Datuk Alimuddin Mohd Dom said 1,676 students scored A1s in all subjects, compared with 892 in 2007 while 181,416 or 46.7% passed all subjects compared with 175,452 in 2007.

“There were three excellent result achievers who scored A1s in all 16 subjects, two who scored A1s in 15 subjects while six scored A1s in 14 subjects,” said Alimuddin while announcing the SPM and STAM results in Putrajaya.

Last year, 442,936 students sat for the SPM compared with 439,255 in 2007; 435 Special students also sat for the examination last year, compared with 355 the previous year.

Sarawak’s top student

2009-03-13T08:58:00.000-07:00

Goh Fui Phing

Riam Road Secondary School SPM Results for 2008 prove to be excellent. Out of the 77 candidates, 39 obtained at least five credits and above and 25 a minimum of five distinctions.
Among them Goh Fui Phing secured 16A1s, possibly one of the top in the nation. The CEO, Dato’ Dr. Fong Onn Min said that this is the first time he sees such a fantastic result and hopes that more students of Riam Road Secondary School will get such good result in the future.

Goh Fui Phing, Head girl of the school, under the motivation of Fong sat for 16 subjects. Her straight A1 in all 16 subjects has indeed brought glory not only to herself and family but also to the students, teachers and the whole school. This has proven that Chinese Independent School ‘boleh”!.

Goh was from Krokop Chung Hua Primary School. She obtained 7As in the UPSR and 8As in the PMR and the Chinese Independent School Examinations.

An all rounder in school, Goh Fui Phing hopes to secure a Government Scholarship to pursue a medical degree overseas.

Following closely behind Goh Fui Phing in the school is Hii Kah Yung who took 15 subjects and obtained 12As and 3Bs. Lesley Lai Hsien Ching, daughter of Miri City Mayor Lawrence Lai obtained all A in the 11 subjects she took, 10 A1s and 1A2. This is the result of the good parental care she receives.

Lesley is now overseas for further studies. Her cousin and classmate, Ginny Liew Shiang May, now studying Cambridge A-Level in Riam Institute of Technology obtained 10As and 3Bs. Together with Ginny in Riam Institute of Technology is Vivian Kong Sing Ung with 10A1s and 1B in the 11 subjects she sat for.

Fong commented that the excellent result is due to the conducive environment and the relentless effort of the teachers and students who are imbued with the Riam Road Secondary Spirit of “If I Want, I Surely Can” in their relentless effort to strive for excellence.
The other outstanding students include, Andy Tan Dih Xiang, Arvin Julian Kho Kai Xuan, Chia Kar Lynn, Edmund Tang Tuang Shen, Eleen Law Yi Lin, Goh Pik Cheng, Hudson Agan Yong Twan Tsen, Kiew Shook Ching, Kueh Mei Mei, Lin Mei Na, Pang Yee Fatt, Pui Jin Fatt, Wong Yew Hui, Wong Yew Yan, Yeo Hui Kiat, Huang Chyi Yenn, Connie Kuok Mong Wei, Esther Paya Avit, Tang Mean and Wong Mei Fen.

Barisan candidate for Batang Ai known by Saturday

2009-03-11T05:15:00.001-07:00

The Barisan Nasional candidate for the Batang Ai by-election is expected to be unveiled on Saturday.

Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud told reporters on Wednesday that he had not yet decided on the candidate for the constituency.

However, he said the state Barisan would meet this Saturday to discuss who would represent the coalition in the coming by-election.

Asked whether he would announce the candidate after the meeting, he replied: “Yes.”

The Batang Ai seat fell vacant when its assemblyman Datuk Dublin Unting Ingkot, who was also Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) vice president and state assistant minister of sports and agriculture, died on Feb 24.

PRS president Datuk Dr James Masing had last week submitted one name to the Barisan leadership for consideration.

The name was widely speculated to be that of senior agriculture officer Malcolm Mossen Lamoh.

Nomination for the by-election is on March 29 and polling on April 7.

In the 2006 state election, Unting defeated Nicholas Bawin Anggat, who stood on a Sarawak National Party (SNAP) ticket, by 806 votes in a straight fight.

Bawin, who is now Sarawak PKR deputy liaison committee chairman, is one of two front-runners for the Opposition candidacy. The other is former Lubok Antu MP Jawah Gerang.

SMK St Joseph’s overall STPM results better but A scorers down

2009-03-11T05:05:00.001-07:00

The pass rate for the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) at SMK St Joseph has improved although the number of straight A scorers has decreased.

Its deputy principal Belinda Lim said that those who obtained four principal passes have increased to 42.37 per cent from 34 per cent the previous year.

“This year we only have three 4As scorers as compared to the previous year when we had five. On the other hand, the number of students who passed all papers has increased. This year we have 50 students who achieved it out of 118 students who sat for the examination,” said Lim when met at the school yesterday.

Top scorer Gerald Sim who obtained 2As and 2A- aims to serve the people by applying to study medicine.

“After collecting my results today, I plan to try to apply into local universities majoring in medicine. My targeted institutions include Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Universiti Malaya and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas),” said Sim.

Sim, the middle child of three, plans to be the first doctor in his family, unlike his father who is an engineer and his brother who is studying accounting. He is also the first one to go to Form Six.

On his recipe for success, Sim said that he studied at least two hours a day from right after entering Lower Six. He said he was very happy and satisfied with his results.

Another top scorer, Jacob Su, was surprised that he obtained A in all subjects including physics and General Knowledge.

He named the National University of Singapore and several local public institutions as his choices in which to continue his studies. He plans to take up electrical engineering.

The fourth child in a family of five siblings said group study was the best way to obtain excellent results, while being calm and cool during examination helped to keep him focused.

Another student who scored four As is Pauline Liaw while two others, Darren Chin and Aida Adilla, scored 3As.

Meanwhile, another top scorer from SMK St Thomas, Fiona Liew Chee Wei, revealed that her success came from studying very hard especially the last few weeks before examination.

“I prepared my revision rather last minute sort of. I really stayed up late in the last few weeks before the examination,” she said when met at the school yesterday.

Asked whether the result was what she expected, Liew said she was confident that she could score 3As, pointing out however, that she was less certain about scoring high marks for Mathematics.

“I wanted this result (4As). But I was not confident with Mathematics after the examination. I thought it was difficult,” she pointed out.

Currently a temporary teacher at the school, Liew scored A in General Knowledge, Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics. She said she would study medicine in university and hopes to be a doctor.

Liew was one of the two students in SMB St Thomas who scored Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.00. The other student was Phang Nyuk Choo.

Phang who came to the school to collect her result slip, said she was happy with her result and thanked her family for their support.

She said the secret of success was time management. “It is essential to manage our time wisely,” she stressed.

She scored A in General Knowledge, Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. She said she would apply for courses related to Physics or Mathematics at a local university.

Another student, Pui Chai Fuen, who wished to further her study in either engineering or information technology, said she spent around six hours a day for revision. The girl who lives in Matang Jaya here scored A in General Knowledge, Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.

“I normally studied six hours a day. After finishing my revision and assessment exercises, I’d watch TV to relax my mind,” she said.

Another top scorer, Tang Chew Yong, said she felt disappointed with her result as she was expecting to score four As but managed only one A and three A- instead.

She scored A for General Knowledge and A- in Literature in English, Business Study and History.

Tang, currently a temporary teacher in SMK Kuching High here, wished to further her studies in education. Tang thanked her teachers for her success, saying: “I did not attend any tuition class. Besides studying by myself, my teachers had helped me a lot.”

Whenever she felt stressed, she would pray to release her tension, she said.

The Borneo Post was unable to get the overall result of SMB St Thomas as the school was still compiling its statistics.

Croc attack

2009-03-10T22:19:00.000-07:00

Pak Junoh

Fariza bin Gom holding Pak Junoh’s hat which was found by the rescue team.

Three colleagues watched in horror as a crocodile stealthily swam towards their foreman, grabbed him by the stomach, and dragged him into the placid water of Demak Laut river yesterday.

In the 11.00 am incident, Pak Junoh, a 43-year-old foreman of a sawmill nearby, was fishing with Fariza bin Gom, 31, from Samarahan, Jamadi bin Radat, 20, from Kuching and Sarizak, 18, from Sibuyau when he was attacked.

Relating the ordeal, Fariza, who was in the water with Junoh, said he was even further from the river bank than Junoh when the crocodile attacked.
“Both of us were casting our nets while Jamadi and Sarizak were waiting near the river bank to bring the catch in.

“After the crocodile grabbed Junoh it disappeared, and a moment later, it re-appeared with the latter’s leg flapping in the air. All of us immediately screamed for help,” said Fariza.
Police and 999 were alerted and they arrived promptly to conduct a search for the victim.
Fariza said that because of the economic downturn, his colleagues and he used to do some fishing at Demak Laut river to earn side income.

Junoh’s wife, Ramliebi, 42, who was picking “paku” (jungle fern) near the barrack where they are staying when the incident happened.

The couple have four children aged 21, 18, 13 and 5 years. Two of their children are staying in Pontianak and the other two are with the parents.

At press time, Junoh’s remains were still at large. The search and rescue party has thus far found a hat belonging to Junoh. Fariza said Junoh was wearing a white shirt, blue trousers and a pair of yellow boots at the time of the attack.

HALAL eateries in Sarawak

2009-03-10T07:40:00.000-07:00

Here’s a list of HALAL eateries in Sarawak that we got from Jabatan Agama Islam Sarawak’s website. For full and updated list, do click on the link. You can also get to see what they serve in the eatery.

However, we noticed that some of the eateries that we saw with the HALAL certificate displayed aren’t listed in the website. You can always contact Jabatan Agama Islam Sarawak to confirm as they might have not updated the list in the website, only do so once in a blue moon.

We had visited some of them, you can try to make a search to see whether we’ve been to those places already or not. If you can’t find anything, it means we haven’t go there yet. Hopefully this little list will help you in finding out which place in Kuching or other parts of Sarawak are Halal so that you can enjoy the food without much worries.

KUCHING

BABA GANOUSH, Kuching
Yoshi Square Parcel A2-1, A3-1, Lot 67, Section 66,
KTLD, Jalan Pending Industrial Estate, 93450 Kuching, Sarawak.
Tel :082-481121
Fax :082-481121
NORMAH MEDICAL SPECIALIST (KAFETERIA), Kuching
Jalan Tun Abdul Rahman, Petra Jaya, 93764 Kuching, Sarawak
Tel :082-440055
Fax :082-442600
THANK FOOD SDN BHD (601772-K), Kuching
Kelab Golf Sarawak,
Petra Jaya, 93050 Kuching
Tel :082-311878
Fax :082-311128
TEN PIN CAFÉ, Kuching
5th Floor, Riverside Shopping Complex,
Jln Tunku Abdul Rahman, 93100 Kuching,
Sarawak
Tel :082-256063
Fax :082-256063
QESTURY KAFETERIA [AISHAH CATERING], Kuching
Lot 5205, Ground Floor, Sublot 7, Bangunan Shahnur, Jalan Astana, 93050 Kuching, Sarawak.
Tel :019-8860373
Fax :082-647484
J & J CAFETERIA [TABUAN STUTONG], Kuching
Sublot 3-4, Ground Floor, Lot 9683, Block 11, MTLD, Tabuan Stutong Commercial Centre, Phase II, Jalan Setia Raja, 93350 Kuching, Sarawak.
Tel :082-367776
Fax :082-368881
PITA’S FOOD STALL, Kuching
No.9, Level 3, Tun Jugah, Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, 93100 Kuching, Sarawak.
Tel :012-8891168
ROCK ROAD SEAFOOD RESTAURANT SDN BHD, Kuching
Lot 1229-1231, [1st Floor], Jln Batu Kinyang, 93200 Kuching,Sarawak
Tel :082-241575
Fax :082-255261
Email:jameslee@rockrd.com
TIM’S STEAK [STALL NO 20], Kuching
Top Spot, Taman Kereta, Jln Tunku Abdul Rahman, 93100 Kuching
Tel :012-8861113
CHILLI PEPPERS (JALAN SIMPANG TIGA BRANCH), Kuching
No 12, Block B, King’s Centre
Jalan Simpang Tiga, 93150 Kuching, Sarawak
Tel :082 576910
Fax : 082 253661
CHILLIPEPPERS [JALAN SONG THIAN CHEOK], Kuching
Grd Flr 1, Lot 187, Section 47, Jln Song Thian Cheok, 93100 Kuching.
Tel :082-257933
Fax :082-257933
Email:lingfirdaus@yahoo.com
CHILLIPEPPERS [JALAN IMPANG TIGA], Kuching
No. 12, Blok B, King’s Centre, Jln Simpang Tiga, 93050 Kuching
Tel :082-576910
Fax :082-576910
Email:lingfirdaus@yahoo.com
ABC SEAFOOD [STALL NO 10,11 & 12], Kuching
Top Spot, Taman Kereta, Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, 93100Kuching, Sarawak
Tel :019-8885940
RESTORAN SINGAPORE CHICKEN RICE [TAMAN TIMBERLAND], Kuching
Lot 7488-7489, 1st Floor, Block 16, Taman Timberland, 3rd Mile, Jalan Rock, 93200 Kuching, Sarawak.
Tel :082-233822
Fax :082-233191
Email:scror@tm.net.my
RESTORAN SINGAPORE CHICKEN RICE [JALAN SONG THIAN CHEOK], Kuching
Lot 176-177, Jln Song Thian Cheok, 93100 Kuching, Sarawak
Tel :082-233822
Fax :082-233191
Email:scror@tm.net.my
RESTORAN SINGAPORE CHICKEN RICE [LOT 149-150, JALAN RUBBER], Kuching
Lot 149-150, Jln Rubber, 93200 Kuching, Sarawak
Tel :082-233822
Fax :082-233191
Email:scror@tm.net.my
RESTORAN SINGAPORE CHICKEN RICE [LOT 476-477, JALAN RUBBER], Kuching
Lot 476-477, Jln Rubber 93200 Kuching, Sarawak
Tel :082-233822
Fax :082-233191
Email:scror@tm.net.my
RESTORAN SINGAPORE CHICKEN RICE [LOT 217-218, JALAN KULAS], Kuching
Lot 217-218, Jln Kulas 93400 Kuching, Sarawak
Tel :082-233822
Fax :082-233191
Email:scror@tm.net.my
RESTORAN SINGAPORE CHICKEN RICE [MJC BATU KAWA NEW TOWNSHIP], Kuching
CC 109, C2-G-27[C], MJC Batu Kawa New Township, 93250 Kuching,Sarawak
Tel :082-233822
Fax :082-233800
Email:scror@tm.net.my
RESTORAN SINGAPORE CHICKEN RICE [JLN MATANG JAYA COM. CENTRE], Kuching
Grd Flr, Lot 6809, Jln Matang Jaya Commercial Centre, 93050Kuching, Sarawak
Tel :082-233822
Fax :082-233800
Email:scror@tm.net.my

KOTA SAMARAHAN

J & J CAFETERIA [KOTA SAMARAHAN], Kota Samarahan
Sublot No. 28 & 29, Ground Floor, Phase 17, Desa Ilmu, Jalan DAtuk Mohd. Musa, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak.
Tel :082-865666
Fax :082-368881

SIBU

RESTORAN SINGAPORE CHICKEN RICE [JALAN BROOKE DRIVE], Sibu
30, Grd Flr, Lane 1, Jln Brooke Drive, 96000 Sibu Sarawak
Tel :082-233822
Fax :082-233800
Email:scror@tm.net.my
RESTORAN SINGAPORE CHICKEN RICE [JALAN KAMPUNG NYABOR, TANAH MAS], Sibu
58, Jln Kampung Nyabor, Tanah Mas 96000 Sibu Sarawak
Tel :082-233822
Fax :082-233800
Email:scror@tm.net.my
FARLEY PINNACLE, Sibu
No. 49, Lorong Salim 17,
96000, Sibu, Sarawak
Tel :084-212499

SARIKEI

YUSUF ISLAMIC CAFE, Sarikei
No. 6, Grd Floor, Lorong 3, Jalan Jubli Mutiara, 96100 Sarikei, Sarawak
Tel :084-655369

KAPIT

MADAM MA’S KITCHEN, Kapit
Shoplot ‘D’, Lot 334, Jalan Airport,GF, Bangunan Hotel Maligai, Peti Surat 129, 96807 Kapit, Sarawak
Tel :084-796119
Fax :084-796119

MIRI

RESTORAN SINGAPORE CHICKEN RICE [SOON HUP TOWER, JLN MAJU], Miri
G 9, Soon Hup Tower, Jln Maju, 98000 Miri, Sarawak
Tel :082-233822
Fax :082-233800
Email:scror@tm.net.my
MALAYSIAN WOK, Miri
Lot GL 06, Grd Flr, Public Concourse, Terminal Miri Airport, 98000Miri, Sarawak
Tel :085-614315
Fax :085-615315
Email:suhaimi@sajibumi.com.my
JASMINE CAFE, Miri
Lot 843 & 844 Ground Floor, Jalan Merpati 98000 Miri
Tel :085-424382
Fax :085-414424

MUKAH

OLD TOWN CAFE, Mukah
No.36,1st Floor Jalan Lintang,
96400 Mukah, Sarawak
Tel :019-8898806
Fax :084-871781
Email : siang_33@Hotmail.com

BINTULU

SINGAPORE CHICKEN RICE [NASI AYAM SINGAPURA], Bintulu
No. 98, Medan Jaya Commercial Centre, 97000 Bintulu
Tel :086 336822
Fax :086 951182

The Best Food Place in Kuching

2009-03-10T07:38:00.000-07:00

Kuching 'kolo mee' or 'koh-loh mein' (egg noodles, flash-boiled and then served with sliced roast pork), Kuching Laksa (a spicy curry soup base served with rice vermicelli) and Tomato Mee (crispy noodles served with tomato sauce, vegetables, and meat) are the most famous hawker dishes served. Perhaps infamous would be a better term, as non-Kuching residents often fail to see what the fuss is all about.

Food Centres: These are the most popular eating-places amongst locals. There is always a wide selection of value-for-money stalls and you can select food from as many as you like. If you are not familiar with a dish, just be adventurous and try it. Nine times out of ten you will be delighted, and if you don’t like it, nobody will be offended.

Chinese Food Centre: Jln Carpenter (opposite temple). A range of Chinese food stalls. One stall sells excellent fish balls and prawn balls (afternoon only). Another stall sells superb fish and prawn soup from late afternoon until late at night.

Kubah Ria: (across the river near suspension bridge). A bit difficult to get to unless you have transport. If you can make it, try the delicious Sop Kambing (mutton soup) at Doreen Abdullah’s, served with noodles, rice or crusty French bread.

Top Spot Food Court: Jln Bukit Mata Kuching. A wide range of food stalls set in landscaped surroundings on the breezy top floor of a car park. Choices include Malay curries, Malay and Chinese seafood, claypot dishes, satay, and even steaks. Unusual and very popular.

Satok Bridge
: (on river front below Satok bridge). Excellent barbecued chicken and seafood.

A good place to hang out

2009-03-10T07:37:00.001-07:00

FOR live soccer matches, a game of pool, live music, and a selection of easy and good grub to go with, the Rainforest Sports Bar may be a place to check out.

Located at the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, the bistro has a trendy, hip feel with two pool tables, a projector screen and 12 television sets to cater to sports fans, a dart corner, as well as a deejay console and a small stage for live bands.

As for the lower level it is furnished like a lounge, perfect for a cigar and wine session.

Popular: The Rainforest Fried Rice topped with an egg.

The outlet, which is part of the Rotol Food-Chain (a subsidiary of Rotol Group of Companies) was opened last April.

Rotol Food-Chain general operations manager Anil Sharma said the food served here are mainly western and local, and is popular for its sizzling dishes of lamb or chicken.

A selection of wholesome main courses are also available, making for a real meal.

For this month and March, the outlet is one of the UOB Hotpicks for the month.

Juicy: The Barbecued Pineapple Chicken is surprisingly juicy and tender and is one of the UOB promotional items of the outlet.

UOB cardmembers are entitled to a 50% discount when they order any of the 10 selected items, ranging from appetisers to main courses and desserts.

First on the list was the Mix Combo Platter, which comprises fried items like potato cheese ball, fish cake, vegetarian spring rolls, and prawn fritters, served with Thai chilli and mayonnaise sauce.

A recommended item is the Sizzling Fajitas (choice of beef or chicken). It is served with tortilla wraps and sides like chopped greens and cheese.

We were also served the vegetarian version, that came with different coloured bell peppers. It came sizzling and fragrant while its gravy was somewhat like bolognaise sauce which made perfect pairing.

Thai twist: The Tropical Jungle Curry Pizza that uses Thai green curry paste.

A popular dish with guests is the Rainforest Fried Rice.

"A lot of guests like having rice and when they see that it comes with the piece of chicken, they see value-for-money," Anil said.

The BBQ Pineapple Chicken was a favourite with many of us as the meat was juicy and tender.

Anil said the chicken was roasted in a special combi oven, which releases both heat and moisture that ensured the meat remained moist and tender.

Also on the list was the Tropical Jungle Curry Pizza, which interestingly uses Thai green curry paste and tasted rather spicy, so make sure you indicate to the staff your preferred level of spiciness.

A good start: The Mix Combo Platter with its assorted fried items makes for a good starter.

The dessert was Mango Pudding, topped with fruit cubes, which was smooth in texture and not too sweet.

Anil said all food served were MSG free and cooked using low-cholesterol oil, to promote healthy eating.

The in-house DJ spins every night from 8pm onwards, while the live band performs every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night from 9pm onwards.

For Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, a solo artiste will perform live.

The outlet also provides for catering services for birthdays and weddings.

> RAINFOREST SPORTS BAR, Lot C4.07, Level 4 Connection, Pavilion KL, Jalan Bukit Bintang. (Tel: 03-2163 0163). Business hours:

Avoid conflicts, Muslims told

2009-03-10T07:18:00.000-07:00

Muslims should avoid conflicts with each other so that they will become good examples for the followers of other religions, said Mukah Member of Parliament, Dato Sri Dr Muhammad Leo Michael Toyad.

He said this while officiating at the Maulidur Rasul Celebration organised by Dalat/Mukah District Council (MDDM) at Pehin Setia Raja Square here yesteray.

Dr Muhammad added that the history had proven that the civilisation of a race would not last long if the people were not united and always at loggerheads with one another.

Muhammad (sixth from right) and others leading the Mukah Maulidur Rasul procession at Pehin Setia Raja Square on Monday.

“A nation will not become strong and progress if the people and leaders are not united.

“In Islam, wahdatul ummah (unity among ummahs) is very important and must be given special attention. Hence, we find a lot of sentences (ayat) in the Al-Quran and Al-Hadis which urge the ummah to be united and to avoid any division,” he said.

Good Ummah

“Our government, under the leadership of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, has targeted to make Muslims good ummah,” he added.

Meanwhile, MDDM Walikota, Ali SuhailI, who also spoke at the event, thanked all those involved in making the occasion meaningful.

He said the celebration was not only to commemorate the birth of the prophet but also his achievement as a great leader.

Muhammad then led more than 3,000 Muslims from 48 contingents on a 2.4 km procession from the square to the Setia Raja Mosque.

Also present were Mukah District Officer, Mohamad Nawawi, MDDM Secretary, Gustian Haji Durani, Mukah Division Imam, Uztaz Mohd. Fauzi Khairani, Mukah Division Public Works Department Divisional Engineer, Hipani Haji Alwi, Mukah Divisional Health Officer, Dr. Haji Othman Rafaiee and Mukah Combined Education Department Officer, Abdul Wahab Haji Sapawi.

Parents urged to report drug cases

2009-03-10T07:17:00.000-07:00

If parents come across their children getting hooked on drugs, they must immediately report to the National Anti-Drugs Agency (AADK).

Head of National Anti-Drugs Agency (AADK) District Office Eva Anak Lichok said that some parents did not seek help until it was too late to save the children.

“AADK District office at Jalan Ong Kee Hui will always welcome the public seeking help to overcome the drug problem among youths,” she said, advising parents to refer their children to the agency for urine tests if they suspected that their children were on drugs.

“The agency has a programme where all the patients under monitor must report to AADK District Office weekly until they are free from the influence of drugs.

“Besides monitoring drug addicts, the agency also works with the Education Department to hold talks and seminars for students to warn them of the dangers of drug taking,” Eva said, adding that AADK statistics showed in 2005, out of the 669 cases referred to the agency, 71 were females.

“In 2006, 712 cases (79 females) were referred to the agency and in 2007 and 184 cases (17 females),” Eva added.

Joint efforts for longhouse projects

2009-03-10T07:15:00.001-07:00

Minister of Housing, Datuk Amar Abang Johari bin Tun Abang Haji Openg, said his Ministry will work with the Federal Ministry of Rural and Regional Development in implementing longhouse projects in the state.

Under the federal government hardcore poverty eradication programme, he said the Ministry of Rural and Regional Develoopment had requested the Ministry of Housing to help build not only PPRT houses (Housing Programme for the Hardcore Poor) but also longhouses.

“Because Housing Development Corporation (HDC) has the experience in implementing longhouse project with standard design, the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development has requested my Ministry to assist in implementing the development of these longhouse projects,” he said when asked to comment on the federal government’s allocation of RM102 million for building houses and longhouses in Sarawak.

Rural and Regional Development Minister, Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib, in a statement in Kuala Lumpur last Saturday, said that the federal government had allocated RM202 million on projects to build 5,050 houses and longhouses for hardcore poor families in Sabah and Sarawak.

He said of the allocation, RM102 million would be used for 2,550 houses in Sarawak, while the remainder RM100 million for 2,500 houses in Sabah under the housing aid programme (PBR).

“The projects will include 145 longhouses worth RM6.38 million at Sedeku Baru and Batang Lupar and eight longhouses worth RM6.4 million at Limbang, Miri, Bintulu, Kapit, Mukah, Sarikei, Betong and Sri Aman, destroyed in a fire recently,” he was quoted in the statement.
Muhammad Muhd Taib said his Ministry would discuss with the Sarawak Public Works and Housing Development Corporation on the standard plan for longhouses.
Commenting on the RM102 million allocation from the federal govern ment, Johari said,”It is good. We are very thankful because now we can assist the poor community especially the community in the rural areas.”

“Actually, we want to build modern longhouses. The longhouse to be built will be according to standard design so that they will not be destroyed by fire again. Secondly, we want to build longhouses that are comfortable for the dwellers,” he said.

“That is why the Chief Minister has directed my Ministry, the Ministry of Planning and Resource Management and also Majlis Adat Istiadat to hold a seminar about the new concept of longhouses and eventually will also be related to issuance of title to the owners.

“This is a new concept and need to be debated and discussed among Dayak community leaders and also with the Land and Survey Department,” he said.

As to when the seminar will be held, he said it would be within these few months.
“We are still in the process of planning it. It will involve the Ministry of Planning and Resource Management, the Ministry and Majlis Adat Istiadat, he said, when interviewed by reporters at the opening of Kafe Riang at Lot 5, Sukma Commercial Centre, Jalan Sultan Tengah here Sunday night.

Kafe Riang’s owner Mohd Shukri said the outlet started operation in January this year. “It is based on the concept of partnership where spaces are allocated to stall holder to operate.”
He disclosed at present there were seven stalls selling Roti Canai, Nasi Lemak, Nasi Ayam Salad, Nasi Ayam Penyet, Nasi Goreng Kampung, Laksa Inot, Mee Jawa, Mee Sapi and other types of food.

According to him, there is also plan to operate satay and ‘ayam pagang’ stalls at night.
Johari congratulated Mohd Shukri for venturing out to set up the business.
He said more members of the Bumiputera community should venture into business.

SKF to conduct free blood tests

2009-03-10T07:11:00.000-07:00

The Sibu Kidney Foundation (SKF) here will be organising free blood pressure checking from 11.00 am to 4.30 pm on March 15 at Delta Mall Shopping Centre.

This blood test would be on a first-come-first-served basis as it would only accept 200 persons only for uric acid test and 100 persons for blood glucose test.

The event would be held in conjunction with its exhibition day.
There would also be a poster exhibition on what is renal failure, its causes, the type of treatment available for end stage renal failure available in the country and how to prevent renal failure.

The exhibition would also include different types of recycling programmes the people could undertake in helping to save the earth from global warming.

Meanwhile, it would also hold an Electro Somato (ESG) body scan. The scan could be done in only four minutes and the result would be available instantly.

The normal price is RM200 but on that day the foundation is only charging RM120. Besides that, the participants would also be given a RM20 voucher for future scan.

All monies collected on that day would donated to the foundation for its running cost.

Full booking for river cruise

2009-03-10T07:08:00.000-07:00

Booking for the RV Orient Pandaw Rajang River Cruise is already full for this year and beyond the expectation of the company, the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company.
The founder of Pandaw Cruises, Paul Strachan, in an email to Eastern Times yesterday, said although the Pandaw Cruise would only start in July, bookings for the upcoming cruise was already full.

He said response was that overwhelming due to the active selling of the cruise by company to their long established list of clients who had experienced such cruise in Vietnam and Cambodia.

“It seems that hundreds of our old passengers are just waiting for a really exciting new product like this to come along,” he said, adding that Pandaw Cruise was also actively promoting stop-over in the state capital of Kuching and other towns in Sarawak to be added to the Rejang river cruise.

The cruise would be Malaysia’s first luxurious cruise when the Pandaw Cruise began operation in July this year.

Operated by on the RV Orient Pandaw, a ship that is a replica of the old colonial river steamer, this cruise will sail along the Rejang River.
The RV Orient, with 30 staterooms, will make a nine-day voyage along the Rejang which is adorned with picturesque scenery provided by the lush rainforest and longhouses by the riverbank.

The founder of Pandaw Cruises ,Paul Strachan, described the journey as a rich eco paradise and this is a true reflection of Sarawak’s new destination tagline “Sarawak-the paradise within”.

Starting from Sibu,the cruise will sail up-river to smaller towns of Kanowit and Kapit before turning into Rejang River’s main tributary of Balleh and heading towards the Pelagus Rapid.
From Pelagus, the cruise will return downstream to the town of Song and continue on to Sarikei and Tanjung Manis towns before returning to Sibu.

Apart from stopping and enjoying the rustic attractions in Sibu, Kanowit, Song, Kapit, Sarikei and Tanjung Manis, passengers can also take a smaller boat to visit the longhouses and enjoy the hospitality of the Iban community living along the river.

Steeped in tradition, the Ibans are known for their friendliness and rich cultural heritage. Other activities that passengers can do during the cruise include jungle trekking and visit to farmland where fruits, rice and pepper are grown. For the adventurous ones, they can also go shooting the rapid. Sibu is accessible by direct flights from Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching provided by Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia.

The flight from Kuching to Sibu only takes an hour and Kuching being the main gateway to Sarawak, is also connected by direct flight from Brunei, Jakarta, Pontianak, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu.

These flights are currently operated by Malaysia Airlines, Royal Brunei Airlines, Air Asia, Tiger Airways and Batavia air. In March Kuching will see another airline, Jetstar Asia, making a direct flight into the city from Singapore.

Help revive glorious era of Islam

2009-03-10T07:05:00.000-07:00

Muslims are urged to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to upgrade themselves while helping to revive the glorious era of Islam.

Chief Minister, Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud said Islamic teachings could produce strong and high quality Muslims in future.

“Emphasis on knowledge as the cornerstone of progress and strength, as taught in the Al-Quran, is as relevant and essential in present times as in a past civilisation that the world looked up to for advances and leadership in many fields” added Taib.

Salahuddin (right), accompanied by (from left) Daud, Awang Tengah and others, leading the procession in Bintulu.

He stated this at a mass gathering held at the Civic Centre here yesterday morning in conjunction with the state-level Maulidur Rasul (Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday) celebration here.

His text of speech was read by Second Resource Planning and Management Minister and Public Utilities Minister, Datuk Amar Haji Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.

As such, Taib said they should be smart and work diligently to grab every opportunity made
available.

“Only those who can identify their weaknesses and redress them in the efforts to revive the glorious days of Islam will be able to prove that they are the best and the chosen
ones.”

Taib pointed out that this called for revival of the basic, as taught in the Al-Quran, to pursue knowledge and excellence which were the past foundations of success, as spelt out in the teaching of Islam which called for determination and commitment to progress.
He added that Prophet Muhammad’s exemplary leadership and teachings emcompassed all the values of Islam which united people and factions while emphasising unity, justice and progress based on knowledge in all fields.

Main asset

“Consolidation and unity are still the main asset. In the context of Malaysia, various agenda and programmes have been drafted to overcome the various problems affecting the ummah and the multi-religious society,” remarked Taib.

Earlier, Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department (Islamic Affairs), Datuk Haji Daud Abdul Rahman exhorted the Muslims to cooperate among themselves and work closely with other non-Muslim communities for greater progress, unity and harmony.
He said the teachings of Islam should spur the Muslims to live exemplary lives and become role models for others since Islam was one of the main religions in the world.

Later, the Yang di-Pertua Negeri, Tun Datuk Patinggi Abang Haji Muhammad Salahuddin and wife, Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Hajjah Norkiah, Tengah and wife, Datin Amar Dayang Mordiah binti Datuk Haji Awang Daud, Daud and other dignitaries led the procession around Bintulu Town which started and ended at the Civic Open Field. It covered a distance of 3.5 kilometres.

An estimated 10,000 p articipants from 113 contingents from various government departments and agencies, private sector, statutory bodies, corporate bodies, mosques, suraus, clubs, associations, learning institutions and hadrah groups took part in the procession.

Among those present were Assistant Environment Minister, Dr Abang Rauf Abang Zain, State Secretary Datuk Amar Wilson Baya, Sarawak Islamic Council, Datuk Haji Putit Martzen, State Director of JAIS, Datu Misnu, Jepak State Assemblyman, Datuk Haji Talip Zulpilip and Kemena State Assemblyman, Dr Stephen Rundi anak Utom.

Men and women equal

2009-03-10T07:03:00.000-07:00

Larry Sng, Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department (Economic Planning) cum Assistant Minister of Industrial Development (Planning), said since the United Nations’ declaration of rights for women many years ago the lot of women in society had progressed much to catch on equality in comparison to the status of men.

“In the past, many years ago in the history, women were being discriminated and their roles were confined to merely family upbringing and in the kitchen. Today, their social status is on par with men as the society progress. Like their male counterparts, they too are playing prominent roles in society as they were also armed with the relevant knowledge and skills,” said Larry while speaking at the World Women Day Celebration last Saturday evening held at Chong Seng Food Court which was attended by some 150 guests.

The function was jointly organised by women from six bodies, namely, SUPP, Foochow Association, Chiang Chuang Association, Tai Chi Association, Lions Club and Kapit Chinese Women (KCWA) Association’s women’s wings respectively. Also taking part in the celebration were the Women Institute of Kampung Baru and OUNA (Orang Ulu National Association).

HAPPY WOMEN DAY … Larry (6th left) with the women members here to celebrate the occasion of World Women Day celebration.

“Some countries have recognised women rights better than Western countries; for example, China and Russia have declared women day as public holiday. I think this is quite a good move because they recognised the important the role played by women in the society.

“Our government also make sure that every ethnic group celebrates their festive seasons as Gawai Dayak, Hari Raya, Chinese New Year. We cater for every ethnic groups,” said Larry.
“We appreciate women’s effort just like tonight we feel very proud able to show the women of Kapit working together despite coming from different ethnic backgrounds. When everyone is great I am great also,” he said.

Larry also reminded the people of Kapit to be united and work together to bring progress to the community.

He added that Pusat Khidmat Pelagus (NADI) last year successfully organised a course on ‘Gender Against Violence’.

“It was a success and we will continue to organise more courses to be participated by women this year,” he assured.

Meanwhile, Organising Chairperson, Ma Bee Kuan, who also spoke at the function, said the theme of the celebration this year was, “Men and Women Together Against Violence”.
She said the celebration was not merely eating and merry making but “more importantly, we are able to work together, to motivate one another and train ourselves to enhance our knowledge and capacity to serve the community to the best of our ability”.

“It is not just fellowship and gathering but I urged the women to stand up to do something together not just for our family but the society and the country at large,” she said.

Those present at the function were the Chairlady of Kapit Chinese Women Association, Wong Ke Ing , the Chairladies of Foochow Women Wing Association, Tie Weng Fong , Hu Le He (Tai Chi), Moonly Tiang (Lions Club), Evely Biju (SIDS) and Jenny Yu (SUPP) respectively.
Among the invited guests were administrative officer-in-charge of social development at Kapit resident Office, Yii See Yong, ex-Temenggong Sng Chee Eng, Kapitan Micky Ngu, Kapitan Yong Thu Fook, Chairman United Chinese Association, Yong Hua Sying, Chairman Foochow Association, Liew Siong Swee, Chairman Chiang chuan Association, Yeo kim Teck and Chairlady of the Women Wing of Kwang Tung Association, Lee Kung Chen.

Open hall for Kpg Sebarang

2009-03-10T07:01:00.000-07:00

A RM200,000 open hall will be constructed at the existing parking space of Dewan Serbaguna, Kampung Sebarang here.

Tanjong Manis Member of Parliament, Hajjah Norah binte Tun Abdul Rahman said the hall, which would be built with federal funds, could be used by the people to host outdoor social, welfare and recreational activities.

She stated this at the closing of the two-day “Bacaan Rawi Dewasa” and Hafazan Al-Quran championship at Dewan Sebanguna on Sunday night.

Urging Muslim to remain united, she reminded them to provide proper guidance and advice to the new converts.

Earlier, she congratulated the participants for taking part in the “Bacaan Rawi Dewasa” and Hafazan Al-Quran championship. She later handed over the prizes to the winners of the Rawi male category.

Materang Wasli was the champion while Mohd. Hassan Mahdi came second and Haji Hanikal bin Mudin was third.

For the Rawi female category, the winners were Sharifah binte Fatimah (first), Siot bte Toi (second) and Jamaiyah binte Ahmad (third).

In the boys’ Hafazan Al-Quran event, Mohd Aiman Syazuan bin Abdul Gani emerged champion while Abdul Aziz Ramadhari bin Mustajab came second and Mohd. Abdul Aiman bin Mohd Shadat was third.

The winners of the girls’ Hafazan Al-Quran were Nur Syazwa binte Shamsol (first), Nurin Zahida Alhikmah Narzaruddin (second) and Amirah Shafa (third).

Sarikei District Officer cum Organising Chairman, Abang Mohd Porkan bin Abang Budiman and a former Temenggong, Abdul Gani bin Suhaili were among the dignitaries present at the ceremony.

Debt collectors shot

2009-03-10T06:59:00.000-07:00

Two youth who went to a house at Kim Chu Sin Road, Batu Kawa, to collect debts yesterday ended up with over 60 pellet wounds on their bodies and hands.
Their wounds were inflicted by a 52-year-old man who fired two shots at them when they came a calling at about 7.00 am.

When contacted, Sarawak Head of Crime Investigation Department, SAC 11 Huzir bin Mohamad, confirmed that a man had been arrested for firing at two youth.

“The duo had gone there to collect debts and we are now investigating what sort of debts,” he said.

Police seized a shotgun and a box of cartridges from the house. It is understood that the shotgun was not licensed to the man who fired the shot.

“People should not take the law into their own hands. Even if there are people coming to your house to cause nuisance, you should lodge a police report, not shoot at them,” Huzir said.

According to the house owner, the duo had come a week ago and hurled a bottle into his house.

He claimed that when they showed up again yesterday, they broke his window panes with a brick. It was then that he rushed out and fired two shots at them from a distance.
Meanwhile, the two youth, both aged 23 years, had lodged police reports.

One of them, from Stutong Baru, claimed that he did not know what his friend was up to. When they were having breakfast, his friend received a call. He (friend) then asked him to accompany him to collect money from a “friend”.

The purportedly ignorant victim ended up with over 20 pellets on both his hands and back.
The other youth, from Foochow Road, claimed that the house owner’s son had called him to collect money at about 7.30 am.

He said the two went there and called out the house owner’s son for more than 10 times, but nobody showed up.

As they were about to drive off, the house owner came out, opened the back door of their car and shot them at close range. Both victims have been warded at the hospital.

Ten potential new species of fish discovered

2009-03-09T08:01:00.001-07:00

Ten species of fish collected during surveys in the Lanjak Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary could be new to science.

“Still unidentified, they are potential new species,” said Sarawak Museum curator of natural history Dr Charles Leh.

“These are smaller species which have aquarium value but no commercial value,” he added when asked after presenting his findings on a survey of the fishes in Lanjak Entimau during last year’s scientific expedition at Grand Margherita Hotel here.

He said funds were needed to study the unidentified fish as checks had to be carried out with the original description of the fish specimens in Holland and America.

Leh said the sole new fish species in Lanjak Entimau, which had been described was gastromyzoli katibassenis. It was named after the sanctuary in 2003.

“About 4,000 specimens consisting of 83 species were collected during the two-month survey. Only 10% of these are endemic to Borneo,” he added.

He said many of these fish species were similar to those found in the peninsula and Sumatera, Indonesia. Leh said the studies revealed that in logged-over forest in the sanctuary, the fish diversity had decreased.

However, he said shifting cultivation did not kill the fish as farmers did not use pesticides or chemicals for their crops.

No rigid rules during disaster

2009-03-09T07:59:00.001-07:00

Government officers were reminded not to be bureaucratic in responding to crisis situations such as floods.

Deputy State Secretary (Human Resources) Datuk Abdul Ghafur Shariff said that normal procedures such as filling out forms could not be followed in times of crisis.

“There are two levels of operation. One is crisis situation and the other is normal. In normal circumstances you follow the rules but you cannot always do this when a crisis comes.

“For example, when giving out provisions to flood victims, you cannot bring the forms and ask them to fill it first. This is being too bureaucratic,” he said.

Ghafur said the civil service coped quite well with the recent floods in Sarawak apart from one or two instances where flood victims were reportedly asked to fill out forms before receiving provisions.

“We always try to do the best we can in any circumstances. If I go to the ground, I will impart this message to the officers not to be too bureaucratic in times of crisis,” he told reporters after opening a workshop on developing key performance indicators here.

The two-day workshop was organised by the human resource planning unit of the Chief Minister’s Department and the Centre for Modern Management.

On the state’s civil service, Ghafur said it would continue to recruit staff as and when vacancies arise.

“We are not stopping recruitment this year,” he said, adding that there was currently no shortage of staff.

Sarawak has 13,000 civil servants and a further 5,000-7,000 in statutory bodies, government-linked companies and local authorities.

Going without food for a good cause

2009-03-09T07:58:00.001-07:00

World Vision Malaysia is targeting 1,000 participants for its 30-Hour Famine event to be held here on March 21-22.

During the event, participants will go without food for 30 hours to raise funds for local and international organisations and programmes aimed at helping those in need.

They would begin their fast from noon on Saturday and end it at 6pm the following day at the Christian Ecumenical Worship Centre here. However, they would be allowed to drink water during their fast.

Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan will officiate the event, themed ‘You’ve Got the Power’.

Miss Malaysia 2007/8 and World Vision children’s rights advocate Deborah Henry and TV personality Owen Yap will be making an appearance at the event, while singers Francissca Peter and Danell Lee are expected to perform alongside local artistes.

World Vision Malaysia aims to raise RM300,000 from the event. The funds raised would be channelled to the Kuching Autistic Association, World Vision Hope Fund, World Vision Malaysia Children’s Development Fund and World Vision Capacity Building Fund.

Participation in the 30-Hour Famine is divided into two categories - students/senior citizens (55 years and above) and working adults.

Students and senior citizens are required to raise a minimum of RM80 and working adults RM120 each to participate. Non-participants are free to donate any amount towards the event.

For more information, go to www.worldvision.com.my or call 03-7880 6414.

Don’t Be ‘Yes-Men’, Ali Tells Councillors

2009-03-09T07:41:00.000-07:00

REAPPOINTED: Bayoi (left) receives a plaque from Ali.

Newly appointed Samarahan District Councillors were yesterday told not to be ‘yes-men’.

“Do not practise a ‘yes-man’ attitude but instead you must voice out your opinion for the sake of the people,” said Muara Tuang assemblyman Dato Sri Mohd Ali Mahmud during the swearing-in ceremony for the new councillors.

Ali, who was representing Deputy Tourism Minister and Kota Samarahan Member of Parliament Dato Sri Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Taib, also told the councillors to act as team and share knowledge with each other.

“The new faces and the old ones must work together to be the eyes and ears of the people. Listen to what the people have to say and work out the solutions together,” said Ali.

He said those who were not reappointed as councillors can still contribute and serve the people and the government in other ways.

“For those who were not reappointed, do not be disappointed. The reason for that is the newly appointed have both academic achievements and experience,” he said.

Ali added that while there is plenty more to be done, the council has done a lot over the years.

“The council, under the present government has achieved a lot especially in development and the people’s well-being,” said Ali.

He advised the people to be cautious of the tactics and tricks of the opposition to influence them.

“The opposition always makes wild accusations to blind the people, just to fish for votes. Their propaganda has always been about saying something and then doing something else.

“The government has given much development to the people and have a proven track record,” said Ali.

Twenty-six councillors, led by Kedup assemblyman Frederick Bayoi Manggi – who was re-appointed as Walikota Samarahan – were sworn in yesterday.

Eighteen are newly appointed councillors.

The Samarahan District councillors are Bayoi (chairman), assistant chairperson Maznah Mail and council members Jamayah Adeni, Zol Nono, Sepawi Samat, Benking Dakak, Belland Kantul, Edward Minggu, Liu Teck Kong, Dr Chew Kian Peng, Chin Vui Khun, Antan Kamis, Bostari Brahim, Daily Joseph, Awg Saperi Awg Lee, Bakar Suut, Semawi Sulong, Boniface Nyiek Mawin, Lawrence Juh Kar, Sandi Bael, Thomas Ong, Brandah Madi, Jackson Melintang Budit, Bujang Dillah, as well as Tegak Mat.

Also present at the ceremony was Asajaya assemblyman Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, who is chief political secretary to the Chief Minister.

Remote village in Lawas benefits from World Vision project

2009-03-09T07:34:00.000-07:00

LONG Sukang, a remote Lun Bawang village in Sarawak’s northern Lawas district, is set in a pristine valley overlooked by green mountains.

It is accessible by four-wheel drive vehicle on an unpaved timber road, about 90 minutes away from Lawas town.

Recently, the village played host to visitors from Samsung Malaysia, World Vision Malaysia and the media.

Natural setting: Villagers crossing a bridge leading to Long Sukang.

They were there to see a pre-school programme set up under World Vision’s Lawas Project, a beneficiary of the Samsung Hope charity initiative.

The visitors were received by a traditional bamboo band which played a medley of tunes on instruments made of bamboo.

Another musical ensemble playing the buluh gura, a bamboo instrument similar to the Indonesian angklung, welcomed the team into the community hall.

According to headman Balang Asi, Long Sukang has a population of about 400, the majority of whom are padi farmers.

“Our main source of income is selling rice, vegetables and fruits. We also raise buffaloes,” he said.

Welcoming: Children of Kampung Munchu waving hello to visitors.

He said the villagers travelled to Lawas to sell their rice and other produce and to buy essential items like salt and sugar.

“It is convenient that we can now go to Lawas by car. In the past, before the road was built, it took days of walking through the jungle to reach Lawas,” he recalled.

He added that there were flight services between Lawas and Long Sukang, with the aircraft landing on a grassy airstrip.

The flights were discontinued after the timber road was built sometime in the 1980s. The airstrip can still be seen today, a long green lawn at one end of the village.

On the pre-school programme, Balang welcomed it as it provided early education to young children of the village.

Awesome: Maktab Injil Malaysia students putting on a show of traditional Kayan culture for visitors.

“Before we had the pre-school classes, the children used to be very naughty.

“They would run here and there and not heed our calls.

“But now they are not so naughty. They can also read and write,” he said.

At Kampung Munchu, an ethnic Tagal village in Ulu Merapok about a 40-minute drive from Lawas, a similar pre-school has been set up by World Vision.

Simpson Tuie, a church pastor in the village, said it was the first school of any kind to be built in Kampung Munchu.

“Many children here don’t go to school because their parents can’t afford it. There are kindergartens and a primary school about 2.5km away but some parents cannot afford the transport costs.

“Now the children can attend the pre-school right here in the village, so it is a big help,” he said.

According to him, most of the villagers were rubber tappers and farmers, and were becoming more aware of the importance of education.

“We would like the children here to be able to read, at the very least. Since the pre-school was opened last year, some of them have learnt to do so and we are proud to see the progress they are making,” he added

Important Contact When You In Miri

2009-03-08T18:58:00.001-07:00

Emergency
Emergency Operator	999
Fire & Rescue	994
Ambulance	+60 85 420033
Police	+60 85 433730(patrol), +60 85 433222(PoliceStation)/432533(PoliceHQ)
Miri General Hospital	+60 85 420033
Polyclinic	+60 85 412322
Miri City Medical Centre	+60 85 426622
Columbia Asia Medical Centre	+60 85 437755
Government Polyclinic	+60 85 412322

Government Departments
Custom & Excise Department	+60 85 433611, 433351
Domestic Trade & Consumer Affairs Department	+60 85 412862, 436787
Health Department	+60 85 424722, 429987
Immigration Department	+60 85 442112
Sungai Tujuh Office	+60 85 491659
Visa & Entry Permit Section	+60 85 442104
Road Transport Department	+60 85 611101, 613005
Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board	+60 85 419876
Miri Civic Centre	+60 85 417099, 417088
Miri Municipal Centre	+60 85 433504, 433503
Social Welfare Department	+60 85 419072, 419073
National Park & Wildlife Office	+60 85 436637
Jabatan Kerja Raya(JKR) Miri	+60 85 442244/442220(TrafficLight)/442226(Road)
District Office	+60 85 433205
Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara	+60 85 415411
Jabatan Pertahanan Awam	+60 85 422726/433389
Labour Department Miri	+60 85 419949/420195/425114
LAKU Water Board Miri	+60 85 426626/436626
SESCO Miri	+60 85 661111
Land & Survey	+60 85 435925(Enforcement)
Miri City Council	+60 85 424111
Royal Custom Malaysia	+60 85 433611
Social Welfare Department	+60 85 419072/419073
TALIKHIDMAT	082-555999


Police Department
Police Headquarter	+60 85 432533, 433730
Miri Police Central Station	+60 85 433222, 433677
Tourist Police	+60 85 433177

Public Services
Miri Post Office	+60 85 433423
Poslaju Miri (Express Post)	+60 85 422388
Miri Kidney Dialysis Centre	+60 85 436862
Miri Red Cresent Society	+60 85 411121, 428033
Telecom Malaysia Berhad	+60 85 424977
Gas Supply Miri	+60 85 421423
Malaysia Red Crescent ( Miri Chapter )	+60 85 411121/428032
National Park Office	+60 85 433611
Park & Wildlife Miri	+60 85 436637
Resident Office	+60 85 433203

Transport Services
Airline
Hornbill Skyways	+60 85 611066
Air Asia	+60 85 438022, 429677
MAS: Reservation	1300 883000
Airport Office	+60 85 614144
Flight Information	+60 85 615433
Malaysia Airlines(MAS) HQ office	1-300-88-3000
Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Miri City office	+60 85 414144
Airport Information	+60 85 615433
Airport VIC	+60 85 615181
Visitor Info Miri	+60 85 434180/615181(AirportMiri)
Taxi Station	085-431000/013-838100(24 hours)

Bus Station	+60 85 433423
Miri Transport Co. Sdn. Bhd.	+60 85 433425, 423726
Miri City Bus Sdn. Bhd.	+60 85 432599
Miri Belait Transport Co. Bhd.	+60 85 419129

Express Bus Station
Bus Express (S) Sdn. Bhd.	+60 85 430396
Bus Suria Sdn. Bhd.	+60 85 430416
Biaramas Express Sdn. Bhd.	+60 85 434319, 321318
Borneo Amalgamated Transport Co. Bhd.	+60 85 430420
Lanang Road Bus Co. Bhd.	+60 85 433116
Freesia Express Sdn. Bhd.	+60 85 433898
Perhubungan Besar Bas Express Sdn. Bhd.	+60 85 435816

Information Centres
Visitors' Information Centre Miri	+60 85 434180
Visitors' Information Counter Miri Airport	+60 85 615181

Travel Tips - Miri

2009-03-08T18:50:00.000-07:00

Climate & Weather

Miri's proximity to the equator and hence has a tropical climate. Miri does not have four seasons. Temparute is fairly constant, averaging between 22-33 C (72-93 F) all year round. However, it may get quite cool up in mountains such as Mulu.

The climate is monsoonal, and there is a wet season (called Landas - an Iban term) between November and February, when there is higher and more constant rainfall. This can make hiking difficult and possibly uncomfortable, particularly if climbing is involved. Flooding can also occur during the wet season, making it hard to access some areas; and it can be difficult to reach Bako and Tanjung Datu National Parks (which require boat trips) because the seas become choppy. The wet season is most pronounced on the coastal areas.

To check the current weather, visit the Malaysian Bureau of Meteorology website, which provides weather conditions and forecasts for major cities - and several national parks as well.

Humidity & Time Zone

Humidity is high (usually around 80%), and there is high rainfall all year round - although this usually comes in short, heavy bursts of an hour or so during the afternoon - it can be clear and sunny the rest of the day! The Kuching region tends to have higher annual rainfall than the areas around Miri.

Time Zone: GMT/UTC +8

When best visit?
The best times of year for trekking are therefore March to August and October - November (there may be problems with haze from forest fires and clearing in Kalimantan during August-September).

How to get here?

By Air
Miri modern airport, capable of handling A330 Airbuses, Boeing 737s and 747s, is well served with flights to many domestic and international destinations soon. There are 3 major airlines which service Sarawak are the national carrier MAS, and a discount airline, Air Asia. Flight flies direct to Miri from Kuala Lumpur, Johore Baru (just across the border from Singapore, and cheaper because it is a domestic flight), and from Kota Kinabalu in Sabah. By Using Brunei Airlines(Which is about two hours drive to Miri), also has direct flights from Perth in Shanghai, Manila, Darwin, Brisbane (->Aucland), Sydeny, Perth, Bali, Surabaya, Jakarta, Singapore, Sharjah(->Jeddah), Dubai(->London), Bangkok(->Frankfurt) & Hong Kong. Royal Brunei often has some special deals. Airport tax is charged upon departure and costs RM5 for domestic flights and RM40 for international flights.

Please refer to the MAS, Air Asia and Royal Brunei Airlines websites for current schedules, fares and booking details.

By Road
Miri is accessible by road from Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei) and all major towns in Sarawak. Connected to major towns in Sarawak and to Brunei and Sabah by the Pan-Borneo Highway. There is no pay-toll along these highway as the road are contructed by the local goverment.

Languages

Although Bahasa Melayu is the official language of Malaysia, you will find that nearly everybody in Sarawak (particularly in the cities) speaks fluent English. Further upriver into the interior and Bahasa Melayu and Iban are more likely to be used in preference. Also, there many variety of dialect the local people communicate with each other. You may find interesting to witness there are many people in the same area but conduct many different languages.

See our Useful Words page for some Iban and Malay words which you might not find in your standard guidebook.

Money

The local currency called Ringgit Malaysia (RM). One ringgit comprises 100 sen.

The currency comes in the form of both notes and coins. Ringgit banknotes are issued in the following denominations RM1, RM2, RM5, RM10, RM50 and RM100 while coins are issued in one sen, five sen, 10 sen, 20 sen, 50 sen and RM1 denominations.

Foreign currency and traveller? cheques can be converted into Ringgit at banks or authorised moneychangers throughout the country. Resident travellers are allowed to carry into and out of the country any amount not exceeding RM1,000 per person and also export foreign currency not exceeding the equivalent of RM10,000 per person. Those who are carrying in excess of these - when entering or leaving the country - are required to obtain permission from the Controller of Foreign Exchange and declare in the Traveller? Declaration Form the exact amount of Ringgit carried. Approval is usually given within one day of application. Non-residents are allowed to bring in any amount of foreign currency (including traveller? cheques). However, declaration in the Disembarkation Card issued by the Immigration Department is required when an amount in excess of US$2,500 is brought into the country.

Non-residents must also obtain permission and declare Ringgit exceeding RM1,000 when leaving or entering the country.

Most major credit cards are accepted fairly widely in the major shops. There are plenty of money changers in the Airports and city, but ATMs offer one of the most convenient means of obtaining cash for travellers.

Tipping

The custom of tipping is not practised in Malaysia. To tip or not depends entirely on you. Most hotels and large restaurants have already included a 10% service charge in addition to the 5% government tax to the bill (indicated by the ++ sign on menus and rate cards) so tipping is unnecessary.

What to bring?

Recommended clothing: Lightweight cottons and linens are worn throughout the year. Waterproofing is advisable all year.

Business Hours

Miri runs on a normal eight-hour working day system with Saturdays as a half-day workday and Sunday as a day of rest. All public service departments and some banks usually close on the first and third Saturday of the month.

Private sector hours are generally from 9am to 5pm (Monday-Friday) and 9am to 1pm (Saturday) while government office hours are usually from 8.30am to 4.30pm. Many private sector companies operate on a five-day week.

Visas

Sarawak maintained separate control over immigration when it joined the Malaysian Federation. As a consequence, even if you are coming from Peninsular Malaysia or Sabah, you are required to obtain a separate visa for Sarawak (Malaysians coming from other parts of Malaysia are also required to do so). 1 month social visas are automatically issued at the airport. Extensions (1 month at a time, up to 2 extensions) can be obtained from the Immigration Department with relatively little fuss.

Visitors entering Malaysia must possess a valid passport or an internationally recognised travel document (valid for travel to Malaysia). Those who are not in possession of any of these must obtain a Document in lieu of Passport from the Malaysian Representative Office abroad. A passport is necessary for travel between Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah and Sarawak, as well as between Sabah and Sarawak. Malaysians from the Peninsula need either a passport or their identity card to enter Sabah and Sarawak. Visitors who come to Malaysia on a visa must get the document from the Malaysian Representative Office abroad before entering the country. A visa must be used within its validity period (normally three months).

However, visitors should note that a visa is not a guarantee for entering Malaysia. The final decision rests with the Immigration Officer at the entry point.

Tourist Police

Visitors who face unforeseen problems can always seek the aid of the Malaysian Tourist Police. You can identify an officer by his or her attire - checkered hatband, dark blue shirt and trousers and a red and blue badge (with the letter "I" for information) displayed on the breast pocket.

These officers usually patrol tourist spots and protect the attractions/monuments as well as the safety of all visitors.

Power supply and water

3-pin plug. 240V, 50Hz.

Recommender Boil

Important Number

Airport Information	085-615433
Air Asia	085-438022,616022(airport)
Hornbill Skywats	085-423221,426100
Royal Custom Malaysia	085-433611
Immigration	085-429191
Telekoms	085-429191
Resident & District Offie	085-433203
Miri City Council	085-433501,424111
Post Office	085-433423
Post Laju(Express Post)	085-422388
National Park Office	085-433611
Police	085-433222,43367,433730
Tourist Police	085-433177
Fire and Rescue	994
Taxi Service	085-432277
Bus Station	085-433423
Rescue
Ambulance	999
Dialling Code	60

Visit Miri & Maps - How this city works

2009-03-08T18:47:00.000-07:00

Miri Resort City is the gateway to northern Sarawak. This is a town that oil built. The bustling commercial centre is well poised to serve the cosmopolitan petroleum community and welcome tourists from all the four corners of the earth.

Miri has excellent public amenities, medical facilities, and financial institutions as well as customs and immigration offices.Sports and recreation are high on the list.

A state-of-the-art Marina attracts the international yachting community,and divers who are keen to explore the ‘under water jungles’ below.

Miri is small enough for strolling, yet big enough to offer all amenities of life. It is also a staging point for trips to the vast rural hinterland drained by the Baram River, and some of Sarawak’s most famous national parks, including UNESCO World Heritage Site Gunung Mulu, Niah, Lambir Hills, Loagan Bunut lake, and the cool highlands of Bario and Ba Kelalan.

Business or pleasure — Miri is the right place! Find your Miri map here and start exploring! (save the image file so that you will get the full size map)

Map of Miri City

Map of Sarawak

Swearing In ceremony for Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Councillors.

2009-03-08T18:42:00.000-07:00

Miri City Council has received the list of appointment of Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Councillors for the period of service from 1/1/2009 till 31/12/2009.

List of Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Councillors

1.	Encik Lawrence Lai Yew Son	-	Mayor
2.	Encik Mohd. Chee bin Kadir	-	Deputy Mayor
3.	Puan Suzanne Lee Tze Ha	-	Councillor
4.	Encik Yong Kar Seng	-	Councillor
5.	Puan Lim Shian Shiuh @ Bernice Lim	-	Councillor
6.	Encik Chin Fook Kim	-	Councillor
7.	Encik Gilbert Chin Yung Hua	-	Councillor
8.	Encik Koh Ek Chong	-	Councillor
9.	Encik Kong San Hoe	-	Councillor
10.	Puan Liew Mei Yin	-	Councillor
11.	Puan Chong Nyuk Lain	-	Councillor
12.	Encik Abau anak Nawing	-	Councillor
13.	Encik Chia Chhau Khiong	-	Councillor
14.	Encik Julaihi bin Haji Mohamad	-	Councillor
15.	Encik Mohamad Sardon bin Zainal	-	Councillor
16.	Encik Dennis Ngau	-	Councillor
17.	Puan Hajjah Khadija binti Datuk Muip	-	Councillor
18.	Puan Lila @ Laila binti Mohamad	-	Councillor
19.	Dr. Philip Raja	-	Councillor
20.	Dr. Nuing Jeluing	-	Councillor
21.	Encik Wendel Crocker	-	Councillor
22.	Encik Renggan ak. Belatong	-	Councillor
23.	Encik Narmal Singh	-	Councillor
24.	Encik David Tan Thiam Hua	-	Councillor
25.	Encik Robert Ayu	-	Councillor
26.	Puan Kijan Toynbee	-	Councillor
27	Encik Inging anak Wil @ Robert	-	Councillor

The Swearing In Ceremony was held on Saturday 14th February 2009 at the council office thereby the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Councillorshave declared acceptance of their appointments during the solemn ceremony held in the presence of YB Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr. George Chan Hong Nam, the Deputy Chief Minister of Sarawak (1), the Minister of Industrial Development and Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture together with other localYang Berhormat, Datuk-Datuk, community leaders, local dignitaries, heads of government departments, council staff and theirfamily members.

Tiong blamed HCM Engineering for Bintulu-Sibu road poor condition

2009-03-08T18:41:00.000-07:00

The poor condition quality of road maintenance works along the Bintulu-Tatau road irked Bintulu Member of Parliament, Dato Seri Tiong King Sing.

According to Tiong, HCM Engineering a peninsular based Class A contractor was doing a poor job in repairing and maintaining the Bintulu-Sibu road.

“During fine weather, there are plenty of pot holes along the road, and the road condition worsens during the rainy season,” he told reporters yesterday after paying a site visit to the Bintulu-Tatau Road where a section of the road caved in last week.

He said he had received numerous complaints from motorists who had suffered punctured tyres while travelling between Bintulu and Sibu. Tiong admitted he was unhappy what the contractor had done in carrying out maintenance work along this stretch of road.

A visibly upset Tiong said the diversion constructed by the contractors should be compact and solid enough for motor vehicles to past through and should not be full of mud.

“The contractor should not justified poorly done works by blaming the weather” Tiong said.

“In Peninsula Malaysia, the diversions are constructed within days and are in tip-top condition, even for heavy vehicles,”
he said.

The Bintulu MP said he would brought up the problem in the next Parliament sitting and recommended that that their contract be reviewed or terminated.

Tanjung Manis Sets To Be Malaysia's Largest Halal Hub

2009-03-08T05:42:00.000-07:00

In the early 1990's, the mere mention of Tanjung Manis would make people link the town with Sarawak's lumber industry. However, last Feb 18 marked the transition of Tanjung Manis into an industrial hub.

Among the industries set to flourish here are deep-sea fishing, palm oil, gas and petroleum as well as shipping.

At the launch of the Tanjung Manis Halal Hub last Feb 18 Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, witnessed the signing of agreement between 11 companies, including six from Taiwan, and Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) worth close to RM4.0 billion.

With the launch, the halal hub is expected to diversify the existing economic activities at Tanjung Manis.

AQUACULTURE

Second Minister of Planning and Resource Management Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan said the companies would venture into projects like aquaculture, biotechnology, farming, halal food processing apart from research and development.

"The state government welcomes foreign investors Sea Party Group to implement large-scale aquaculture, fish and prawn breeding projects as well as poultry and seaweed farming using modern and environmental-friendly technology", the minister said in his speech at the function to launch Tanjung Manis Halal Hub here recently.

The six Taiwan companies are Sea Party Microbes Sdn Bhd with RM1.04 billion investment, Sea Party Aquaculture Sdn Bhd (RM113 million), Sea Party Technology Sdn Bhd (RM480 million), Sea Party Industry Sdn Bhd (RM90 million), Sea Party Biotech Industry Sdn Bhd (RM150 million) and Sea Party Technology R & D Centre Sdn Bhd (RM20 million). The total amount is RM1.8 billion.

PROJECT PROPOSALS

The five Malaysian companies investing there are Najee Brothers Sdn Bhd (RM2.0 billion), Golden Priority Sdn Bhd (RM45 million), Intigrati Sdn Bhd (RM100 million), Pertanza Sdn Bhd (RM10 million) and Musyati Sdn Bhd (Sarawak) (RM30 million) and the total investments is worth RM2.1 billion.

Awang Tengah said the STIDC has been entrusted to develop Tanjung Manis and it has been allocated RM135 million to provide the basic infrastructure for the halal hub.

Since the announcement on the Tanjung Manis project during the World Halal Forum in Kuala Lumpur May last year, STIDC has received many project proposals on halal-based industries that would cover 16,000 hectares of area and providing job opportunities for 3,000 people.

Apart from Tanjung Manis, the country has three more halal hubs in the 'pipeline'. They are Malaysia International Halal Park (MIHP) in Selangor (2,756 hectares), Zamcorp Niaga (Kumpulan Halal Hub) also in Selangor (2,000 hectares) and Halal Park Hadhari Cattle in Kedah (1,000 hectares).

Malaysia's existing halal hubs are at Pulau Indah (Selangor) launched in 2003 and Tanjung Pelepas Fee Trade Zone (Johor) unveiled in 2006. The country also has halal parks at Gambang in Pahang (100 hectares), Pedas in Negeri Sembilan (55 hectares), Serkam in Melaka (127 hectares) and Perda in Pahang (10 hectares).

INFRASTRUCTURE

In line with the move to develop Tanjung Manis as Malaysia's biggest halal hub, the Sarawak Government has tasked the STIDC to provide more facilities and basic infrastructures for this township.

Among the infrastructures is the 20km-long Jalan Serdeng at the cost of RM121 million that would link Sibu and Tanjung Manis.

STIDC also plans to spend almost RM5.0 billion to upgrade the port, airport and roads as well as banking facilities at Tanjung Manis.

The move to make Tanjung Manis a halal hub is timely as non-Muslim countries like Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, China and Thailand dominate almost 80 percent of the globe's halal food products.

Currently Malaysia produces US$10.0 billion worth of halal products but some 85 percent is from non-Bumiputera companies.

With the world Muslim population reaching 1.61 billion, West and South Asia with 584 million Muslim population is the globe's major market for halal products at US$175 million a year while for Africa (461 million population), the market is worth US$115 million annually.

Malaysia, as a Muslim country has the ability and advantage to be among the world's major producer of halal goods and services

Bedui Une launches schools’ sports meet

2009-03-07T22:43:00.000-08:00

Kuching Divisional Education Officer (PPBK), Bedui Une urged all schools to remain focused in achieving excellence in both academic and co-curricular activities.
He pointed that there might be some reshuffling of education officers in the district but it should not affect the administration of the schools in adverse ways. In fact, he added, changes should be for the better.

“A school as an institution doesn’t change but the way it is administered ought to change for the better towards nurturing quality human capital,” he stressed.

He also said that sports should not be regarded as an annual event alone but an arena whereby athletes, coaches, managers and enthusiasts shared common objectives outlined by the Ministry of Education (MOE) to nurture pupils to become physically, emotionally, spiritually and intellectually resilient beings.

He spoke as he officiated at the Divisional-level Primary Schools Sports Meet at a mini stadium near here recently. Some 350 athletes from Kuching Zone A and B, Padawan, Lundu and host Bau district participated in the one-day event, organised by Bau District Primary School Sports Council (MSSRDB).

He also urged the athletes to prove their worthiness by breaking and creating more meet records. The event would also select candidates for the state-level sports championship to be held end of March in Kota Samarahan.

Meanwhile, he expressed sadness over poor student discipline citing a secondary school in Oya, Dalat, which involved a case of bullying.

In his welcoming address, Bau District Education Officer, Bihud Apok, urged all athletes to participate in a true spirit of sportsmanship.

“The spirit of sportsmanship must prevail in sports. It should also enhance closer rapport among the athletes,” he said, while adding that winning was not the sole aim.

Bihud also thanked Bedui for his presence, and the Organising Committee for their success in holding the event.

He also thanked SMK Lake and SMK Bau for sending their respective scouts and Red Crescent members to help in the event and Nestle’ Sdn Bhd for supplying free Milo drinks.
Also present were Mohd. Ilahi B. Julaihi, Principal of SMK Bau,Wahap Haji Bujang, Principal of SMK Lake, Jaminah Haji Alias, Principal of SMK Paku, and Padawan District Education Officer’s representative, Tan Joon Chua.

Security guaranteed during by-election

2009-03-07T22:41:00.000-08:00

The police will provide extra security in Batang Ai during the by-election.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), Tan Sri Haji Ismail Haji Omar, stated this at a press conference held after the passing out ceremony at PULAPOL, Jalan Puncak Borneo yesterday.

“We are confident that we can fulfil our duty as the law enforcer and guarantee the safety of the people in exercising their right,” he said.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), Tan Sri Haji Ismail Haji Omar (right) with the Commandant of PULAPOL Kuching, ACP Shah Gzali Khan Shadad at the press conference.

He said providing the security during a by-election was just a routine job for the police as for the responsibility was the same elsewhere, be it in Kedah, Perak or Sarawak.

On the need to increase in number of police personnel to maintain the security during the Batang Ai by-election, Ismail commented that the situation would be examined from time to time.

“Assistant Commissioner of Police in Sarawak had already drawn up a strategy to tackle the situation and Bukit Aman had a meeting with the Police Commissioners of the states involved in the by-elections,” he disclosed.

“Our concept is to make sure the peace is in order so that members of the public will be safe to do their everyday chores during the by-elections,” he added.

On other matter, the DIG disclosed that the police this year aimed to recruit 10,000 to the force, made up of 1,000 Inspectors with degree qualifications and 9,000 constables with SPM qualification.

He said the police were currently working on a plan to train sergeants who had diploma qualifications to assist in crime investigation, but the plan had not been approved yet by the cabinet.

On the plan to increase the force, the police have been setting up Divisional Basic Training Centre in every state to train more recruits.

“We have also increased the number of PULAPOL and the latest one in Langkawi will be operational in July,” said Ismail.

Sarawak Forestry to put up signboards

2009-03-07T22:39:00.002-08:00

The Sarawak Forestry will put signboards at certain sites along the river bank at Kampung Pulau Melayu here to warn the public of the presence of crocodiles in the river.
Sarawak Forestry General Manager, Wilfred Landong, when contacted yesterday, said a spot check had been conducted at the area last Wednesday, including interviewing several of the villagers.

“Four Wildlife Rangers have been deployed to continue their surveillance, especially at night, at Kampung Pulau Melayu and along the river banks from Kuala Miri to Pujut Adong,” said Wilfred.

He added that the surveillance would be conducted at certain intervals.
Wilfred pointed that so far, no crocodile had been captured in the area.

He disclosed on last Tuesday, an English daily reported about the sudden presence of crocodiles in the river, causing concerns among the residents of Kampung Pulau Melayu.
The villagers had claimed at least four of the reptiles of different sizes had been spotted in the river, especially during low tide, or basking on the river banks since end of January.

Don’t cheat customers: Advice

2009-03-07T22:39:00.001-08:00

Traders and hawkers at the MBKS Stutong Community Market must not resort to cheating customers as this can cause them to stop returning and patronising the place.
Minister of Environment and Public Health, Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, said the traders and hawkers must instead be sincere and honest, and on top of that, they should also work as a team to attract people to patronise the market.

“To promote a new market like this is not easy. Nevertheless, with a concerted effort from everyone, we can turn this market into a self-contained business centre in the future,” said Wong at the RTM-MBKS Berambeh Programme held at the Stutong Community Market here yesterday.

He said it would take at least 18 months to make the market known and accepted by the people in Kuching.

“This market is among the best in the State. So we must attract people to come here. One of ways to do it is by organising this kind of programme from time to time,” he said.
Wong revealed that the Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) took 18 months to promote Sibu Central Market to the people there.

“Only when it is properly promoted and publicised, can we expect more people to come here. And one day, I believe this can become a tourist destination as it has enough stalls and shoplots to deal with all sorts of products,” he said.

He also appealed to the traders and hawkers to sell quality goods as well as keeping the place clean and hygienic as this could help to create a positive impact on the people.
He thanked RTM and MBKS for making the programme a reality.

Meanwhile, MBKS Mayor, James Chan, urged the hawkers and traders to cooperate with the council to promote the place.

“Today’s community is better educated and has an in-depth understanding of the need for cleanliness. Many shoppers do not like to do their shopping where the market floor is dirty and constantly flooded.

“By paying greater attention on freshness, tastiness, quality, variety, cleanliness, hygienic preparation, clean crockery and courteous services, you all can attract more customers to patronage the market,” said the Mayor.

Also present at the ceremony were Acting Director of RTM, Monshi Abdullah, and MBKS Acting Secretary, Susan Loh.

Enterprising Penan girls of Long Kevok

2009-03-07T19:54:00.001-08:00

While hundreds of their people were busy getting their MyKad and birth certificates processed in Long Kevok recently, two Penan girls were selling drinks and tidbits by the roadside.

BUSINESS-MINDED: Mariam (left) and Damaris Panai at their stall.

This was unusual, even extraordinary, for here were two Penan girls selling things to their own people. The other girls of the same age were milling around doing nothing special.

All sorts of questions came to mind upon watching them. What made them different from the rest? Where did they get the idea of doing a little business? How did they know how to do the pricing for the goods? Where did they get their capital to start their roadside business?

It turned out that the girls — Mariam and Damaris — are sisters. Their father’s name is Panai.

Both are waiting for their SPM results, and judging by their PMR results, they are bright students.

The brighter of the two is Damaris who scored 5A’s and 1B and 1C in her PMR. Because of that, she was sent to study at SMK Marudi.

Mariam scored 4B in her PMR and stayed on at SMK Long Lama.

Both girls are optimistic that they would do well in their SPM and have expressed their desire to further their studies.

Damaris told The Borneo Post she scored A1 in Mathematics in her SPM trial examination.

The teenagers want to achieve their dreams of a better life and be agents of change for their community.

In this, they said they would be grateful if some individuals or organisations or the government could help them.

Their mother gave them RM500 to start their little business.

On the first day, they made RM300. They were confident that they could make a good profit at the end of the three-day programme at their settlement.

They got what they sold from Long Bedian. Among the goods they sold were packet drinks and homemade cakes.

Sarawakians hail lifting of control gag on import of sugar and flour

2009-03-07T19:47:00.000-08:00

Many Sarawakians including those in the business community, greatly welcome the government’s move to lift the control gag on the import of sugar and flour into the country.
They said such a move would benefit the people as the liberalization would encourage open and healthy competition in the market.

Chinese community leader, Temenggong Sim Kian Soon, told Eastern Times yesterday he warmly welcomed the move.

He added: “If it becomes a reality, the people will have the chance to buy cheaper sugar and flour because there is healthy competition for customers. The lower prices will lead to cheaper products made from sugar and flour. All these will benefit
consumers.”

Local prominent businessman, Penghulu Pui Sing Min, agreed.
“It should be like this, to allow the people to benefit from the free market mechanism.
“In fact, some other products should be accorded the same treatment also,” he said.
Pui is Tabuan Jaya Commercial Organisation Association chairman and Teck Kong Trading Co. director.

Bareo Enterprises Company manager, Sim Pang Song, also agreed and welcomed the move. He hoped the people could benefit from it as soon as possible.
Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister, Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad, recently told the Dewan Rakyat that the government might allow free trade to encourage healthy competition among importers.

He was replying to Khalid Abdul Samad (Pas-Shah Alam), who wished to know the steps taken by the government to break the monopoly of those importing commodities like sugar and flour.

Shahrir added the government was in the final phase of drafting the Fair Trade Bill.
“It will give the government more power to resolve issues that may arise when producers try to abuse the market.

“The act will enable an open and fair market and introduce competitive trading and will be tabled after putting together feedback received from all. The Ministry hopes to table it in Parliament by this year,” he added.

District Officer hails Bau homestay programme

2009-03-07T19:45:00.000-08:00

There are lots of potential tourism products waiting to be explored in Bau, District Officer, Tom Hem Mijod said yesterday.

He welcomed the help of Bau Tourism and Homestay Agency (BTHA), a local private firm, in promoting and developing the homestay programme in the district.
He described the firm’s help as “very timely.”

“We must have someone to lead the way but, of course, the programme will not succeed without the strong support of the locals who are the major players,” added Tom when officiating at a briefing on the BTHA homestay programme at the Civic Centre here yesterday.

He urged the locals to identify the potentials that they had and after that, work together with BTHA on how to expose and market their products.
Tom pointed out that there were many interesting places here, such as the famous Wind and Fairy Caves and Tasik Biru.

There were many other places that needed to be explored and turned into popular tourist spots.

Tom Hem Mijod (centre) cutting the ribbon to mark the launching of Bau Homestay 2009 as Henry Lai (right) and Akoi Ejau look on.

Tom said there would be some demand for the homestay facilities if the tourist spots were more established.

“Actually, there have been plans for all these even before this but unfortunately, there was no one to implement them.”
He added that it was the government policy to encourage the community to participate actively in the profitable tourism business.

Citing the trading of handicrafts and other products at the Serikin border point as an example, Tom said the activity had managed to generate incomes for the people in the surrounding areas.

“This is a very good example of how we can exploit the potentials that we have and in the case of Serikin, it benefits not only the people there but also those residing all along the way.
“I believe if there are places of interest along the way, people on their way to Serikin will definitely stop by and buy something to bring back,” he said.
Meanwhile, BTHA’s general manager, Henry Lai, said the firm would be meeting the community leaders in the district to explain to them the concept of the homestay programme.

“The homestay concept of tourism is newhere.
“After realising the potentials of the district, we decided to help the local community develop their homestay programme.
“We will also help them promote and market their products. With the support of the locals here, we are confident we can succeed,” he disclosed.
The briefing yesterday was attended by heads of various relevant government agencies and community leaders in the district.

Plane with ‘technical problem’ stops in middle of runwa

2009-03-07T19:44:00.000-08:00

Eight Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia flights were disrupted last Sunday after an Air Asia aircraft stopped in the middle of the runway shortly after it landed at about 10.00 pm. None of the 154 passengers and crews was hurt in the incident.
Kuching International Airport Manager, Sunif Naiman, told Eastern Times that the incident was cause by a “technical problem”.

“There was no emergency landing. It was just a technical problem. Everything was back to normal at 2.45 am yesterday,” he said.

However, a passenger onboard the ill-fated plane, which had taken off from Kuala Lumpur at 8.30 pm, claimed that the plane had a problem with one of its tyres. That was why it stopped shortly after landing, he said.

Although the incident did not cause a panic, the Fire and Rescue Services Department and the Sarawak General Hospital nonetheless rushed to the airport as a precautionary measure.
Sunif said four inbound flights and four outbound flights were unable to use the airport for more than four hours.

The affected plane.

He added that one MAS flight from Kuala Lumpur and an Air Asia flight from Singapore were scheduled to land at 10.15 pm and 10.30 pm respectively but they had to be diverted to Sibu.

Another two Air Asia flights from Kuala Lumpur were cancelled.
He added that four outbound flights, two each from MAS and Air Asia, were delayed as a result

Man charged with raping a minor

2009-03-07T19:35:00.000-08:00

A man from Taman Vigawa was charged in session court here yesterday for raping an under-aged victim.

Lim Chou Huat was charged under Section 376 of the Penal Code.
He was alleged to have committed the offence at between 2.00 p.m. and 6.00 p.m. on January 11 this year at a lodging house in Jalan Tabuan.

According to the facts of the case read by Chief Inspector Teoh Soon Teik on the February 11, the accused had referred the victim to Kuching Wellfare Department Office where he reported that the victim, 10 years old, had been used by her own parents for immoral activities.

The victim was forced by her mother to go for prostitution. All the activities were handled by her mother and the accused admitted that he had sex with the victim at a lodging house at Jalan Tabuan.

The accused fetched the victim and her mother from their house and bring them to the lodging house. Besides, the accused was also a close friend of the victim’s parents and he did stay overnight at their house too.

Tuan Nixon Kennedy Kumbong, the session judge ordered Lim to be released on the court bail RM20,000 and cash bail RM7,000 with two local sureties which monthly income is not less than RM2,000 and also must be Kuching residents.

The accused was also advised by the session court judge to engage a defence counsel.
The case would be heard in court soon.

Stray crocodile shot

2009-03-07T19:32:00.000-08:00

A stray crocodile was shot dead by police after it tried to attack a motorcyclist near Kampung Prutan at Mile 17, Jalan Kuching-Serian Road early yesterday morning.

In the 1.00 am incident, two motorcyclists travelling separately were returning to the village when they came across a crocodile on the road. The first motorcyclist managed to ride past the reptile but the second motorcyclist rammed into it.

The 16-year-old motorcyclist managed to jump to one side as the crocodile snapped its jaws on the rear of the motorcycle.

Siburan OCS, Chief Inspector Jamaluddin Abdul Latif (right) showing the dead crocodile. (Inset) Close up of the crocodile.

The petrified motorcyclist ran to a nearby house to seek help. The occupants of the house called the police and a team from the Siburan police was dispatched to the scene.
When the police arrived at the scene, the crocodile was still there. They killed the crocodile so that it would not bother the villagers.

According to the villagers, crocodiles have been lurking in the nearby swamp and they come across them on several occasions.

One villager, who preferred anonymity, said he had seen a crocodile in his fish pond and to prevent the reptile devouring all his fish, he threw food into the pond.
He said the crocodiles would not attack people unless they were disturbed.

“There are crocodiles in the swamp and I have seen them. They had never come out from the swamp and attack the villagers. This is a rare case and the crocodile must have strayed from the swamp,” he said.

KILLED: Jamaluddin inspects the carcass of the crocodile following the shooting.

Meanwhile, it is learnt the Forestry Department officials had visited the swamp two weeks before yesterday’s incident after villagers reported that crocodiles had emerged from the swamp and were lurking in the nearby bushes.

A wildlife body had also checked on the crocodiles in November last year and determined their presence was not a threat.

'The questioned is.. why they killed the crocodile??? Despite the villagers told that the crocodiles would not attack people unless they were disturbed."

Suspected robbers arrested at apartment complex

2009-03-07T19:26:00.000-08:00

Two suspected robbers were arrested by police in an early morning raid at an apartment complex here yesterday.

The 28- and 31-year-old men were detained by a team of officers from contingent headquarters around 5.30am at an apartment along Jalan Wan Alwi following information from members of the public.

The two men are also believed to be involved in a robbery incident at Jalan Stapok on March 4, where two masked and armed individuals forced their way into a house belonging to a couple and robbed them of cash, handphones and jewellery.

Sources said the younger suspect is a local from Jalan Stapok while his accomplice is an ex-soldier originally from Peninsular Malaysia.

The duo have been detained pending further investigation.

In an unrelated incident, a wanted man who has been on the run from police for several months was arrested in Bau early yesterday.

Police from contingent headquarters detained the 32-year-old suspect around 12.30am after receiving a tip-off that he was hiding in Bau.

The suspect, who is of Chinese/Iban parentage and hails from Sri Aman, has been detained for further investigation.

A press release was issued by the police on Nov 7 last year appealing for information regarding the fugitive, who was wanted under Section 506 and Section 507 of the Penal Code for criminal intimidation.

Ex-servicemen appeal for govt assistance

2009-03-07T19:25:00.000-08:00

The Malaysian Ex-Servicemen’s Association (PBTM) Sarawak branch has appealed to the government to help members in Kapit who have been waiting 11 years to build homes here.

The ex-servicemen purchased land at KM9 over a decade ago but cannot build there until the Land and Survey Department surveys and sub-divides the land into individual lots.

“They have sacrificed their energy and time with their families to protect the country’s sovereignty and independence during the early days of Malaysia’s formation, particularly from 1963 to early 1980. Today they are old and they need the lot to build decent homes to settle down for the rest of their lives,” said PBTM chairman Abang Mohd Yassin.

He called on the government to sympathise with the plight of the ex-servicemen and to grant their simple request.

The chairman vowed to bring the matter to the attention of higher authorities in Putrajaya when he attended a national-level meeting there on March 26.

“We hope the Veteran’s Department in the Ministry of Defence will assist us to pursue the matter with the relevant authorities,” he said.

Mohd was speaking at the opening ceremony of PBTM Kapit branch’s 18th annual general meeting (AGM) yesterday.

It was attended by some 300 members.

Ecstasy pills now the ‘in thing’ among drug users

2009-03-07T19:24:00.000-08:00

Popping Ecstasy pills is now the in thing among drug users in the state. It has somewhat replaced glue-sniffing to a great extent.

Malaysian Dadah Abuse Prevention Association (Pemadam), Sarawak chairperson Datuk Sharifah Mordiah Tuanku Fauzi said this was one of the factors highlighted during the association’s meeting in Miri recently.

“The majority of those found involved in this activity are in the age range of 25 to 39 and they are mostly male,” she told reporters here yesterday.

Mordiah said there were a lot of reasons why people popped the pill, and among the reasons was stress - be it at work or home - and financial problems.

According to her, the pills are commonly ‘passed around’ or ‘dealt’ in entertainment spots and Pemadam has voiced the matter to the police.

“We have spoken to them (police) about it, and they assured us that they will keep vigilance over the matter and conduct frequent spot checks at entertainment centres,” she said.

She was unable to provide statistics on Ecstasy cases in the state, but said most of the cases occurred in major towns and cities like Kuching, Miri, Bintulu and Sibu.

Methylenedioxy-N-Methamphetamine (MDMA) or most commonly known by its street name Ecstasy is a semisynthetic member of the amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs, a subclass of phenethylamines.

MDMA’s experiential effects are more consistent than those produced by most psychedelics, and its euphoria appears to be distinct from most stimulants.

Before it was made a controlled substance, MDMA was used in psychotherapy. It is one of the most widely used illicit drugs in the world and commonly associated with rave culture.

Mordiah, who is the vice-chairperson of national Pemadam, said the battle against glue sniffing was tough even until today because there was no law on glue sniffing to support enforcement work.

“All Pemadam can do whenever it comes across such cases is to turn these substance abusers to the National Anti-Drug Agency which would then send them to rehabilitation centres. That’s all we can do for the glue sniffers,” she said.

She said to ensure this social scourge remain low in the state, Pemadam needed the cooperation of everyone, particularly parents.

“Parents should be more aware and concerned about what their children are doing and guide them along the right path.

“It will also help if they are actively involved in associations as this is one of the places where they can get the latest information on what’s happening around them” she said. She assured that Pemadam would continue to work with the National Anti-Drug Agency, the Ministry of Health and other relevant authorities to fight substance abuse.

Twin Otter veers off Bario runway

2009-03-05T17:55:00.001-08:00

MIRI: A MASwings Twin Otter aircraft veered off the runway after landing at the Bario airstrip at about 1.00 pm last Tuesday.
Fortunately, all 16 passengers on board MH3434, as well as the pilot and co-pilot, were safe.
The two pilots managed to bring the aircraft, which had taken off from here, to a safe stop on the grass verge.
MASwings Managing Director, Mohd Salleh Ahmad Tabrani, said in a press statement yesterday that the airlines’ engineers were rushed to Bario at 4.45 pm last Tuesday but they found no damage to the aircraft.
He added that the aircraft was given the clearance by the engineers to take off for Miri at about 6.20 pm the same day.
However, the incident forced the airline to cancel four flights involving Miri, Lawas and Marudi. The affected passengers were flown to their respective destinations yesterday.

Inferno sweeps through village

2009-03-05T04:35:00.000-08:00

15 houses in Kpg Sg Bedil Besar go up in smoke leaving 75 people homeless

Seventy-five people were made homeless with only the clothes on their backs after a massive fire destroyed 15 houses at Kampung Sungai Bedil Besar in Petra Jaya here early yesterday evening.

In what was described by some villagers as nothing short of a miracle, there was not a single casualty or even injury in the 5.45pm blaze.

Strong winds coupled with the proximity of the wooden structures caused the fire to spread at an alarming rate and left nearly all the affected villagers with little time to salvage anything from their residences.

THE BLAZE AT ITS HEIGHT: Firemen battle to bring the fire under control.

Fire and Rescue Department operations chief Baharuddin Idris said a total of 47 firefighters from the Tabuan Jaya, Batu Lintang, Padungan and Petra Jaya stations rushed to the scene after receiving a distress call at 5.55pm. The first unit arrived at 6.02pm and took about 45 minutes to bring the blaze under control. He added that such was the extent of the fire that firemen were still battling to extinguish it as of 8.30pm last night.

One of the survivors, 76-year-old Temu Saat, told reporters that the fire began at his daughter’s house from where it rapidly spread to adjacent houses including his own which forced him and his wife to flee.

His daughter Seniah, 47, a Telekom Malaysia employee, said she was on her way back from work when she received a call from a family member informing her of the incident. “Everything is gone. I’m left with nothing,” said Seniah, who still appeared to be in a state of shock and despair to say much.

Her brother, Abdul Malik, whose house was also destroyed, said he was in Satok when he received a call around 6pm about the fire. The 45-year-old driver immediately rushed back to the village and when he saw the massive fire he knew instantly that he had lost everything.

“It was fortunate that my daughter, her husband and their three children were not at home,” he shuddered, adding that he accepted the incident as fate.

News of the fire quickly reached the ears of Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department Mohd Naroden Majais, Semariang assemblywoman Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali as well as Datin Amar Jumaani Tuanku Bujang, who is the wife of Housing Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg.

All three were seen directing relief efforts as well as comforting the many tearful survivors at the Kampung Sungai Bedil community hall where the affected families gathered to have their particulars recorded.

Commenting that an incident of this nature and scale was “extremely sad”, Hasidah said aid such as food, clothing and money would be distributed as soon as possible and the survivors would be sheltered at the village surau for the time being.

Meanwhile, the penghulu 58-year-old Morni Abon said: “Some of the survivors would be allowed to occupy several houses in the village which are currently unoccupied, while others would put up with their relatives.”

Total loss in the incident was not immediately known and the cause of the fire is being investigated.

The sad thing about Kuching Waterfront

2009-03-03T09:14:00.000-08:00

THE Kuching Waterfront — ah yes, the scenic attraction and ‘must walk’ for anyone who visits this little city of cats. Undoubtedly, the waterfront has some amazing sights, especially if one were to walk along it in a clear starry night.

The sight of the Astana across the river lighted up, the little handicrafts stalls that line part of the waterfront, the convenient drinks and food stalls where one can have a seat and chat with friends and the little twinkling lights from the kampungs across the river add to the romantic and laid back ambiance of the waterfront.

If you’re lucky, you will catch a spectacular sunset with the Astana in the forefront. If you’re the adventurous and curious type, you may find yourself lured by the calls of traders promoting aphrodisiacs of sorts (including Gambir Sarawak).

As much as Kuchingites make it a point to steer their out of town guests to a walk along the waterfront, they will also point out to “watch your pockets/handbags”. There have been just too many cases of snatch theft cases along the waterfront. One too many fights and the occasional fatality, even with the waterfront police on duty. Stoners who lurk in the corners of the Waterfront give those who want to take a relaxed stroll the creeps and make them think twice before doing so.

One unique aspect of the Waterfront is that one can get a crash course in the history of Sarawak just by walking along from end to end and reading the historical-walk plates that are placed on the ground. Unfortunately some of the drinks stall owners have placed their tables and chairs over these history plates, making it almost impossible for one to get a full picture of our history.

Just not too long ago, the Eye brought a friend from overseas for a walk along the waterfront. Armed with a camera, he happily started taking photos of each of the plates. As we reached the row of food stalls, we discovered that our history lesson was cut short. As we scoured the path for the remaining plates, we discovered that they were under the tables of these food stalls. The Eye actually had to approach some of the locals who were having their drinks with a sheepish grin and saying “sorry ngaco tapi boleh tolong gerak sikit sik? Kamek orang nak ambik gambar plate debah ya…” (sorry to disturb, but can you please move a little? We want to take photos of the plates under there).

Then there’s the issue of cleanliness. If you recall, the Eye once wrote about an encounter with the little rats that performed acrobatic stunts around these stalls and successfully turned away some tourists who happened to go by there.

Ideally, the waterfront would be a great place to take a jog or have a family evening out. There is a children play area around the corner from the Chinese Museum. Over the years, the Eye has noticed that the brightly coloured play area has gone from reds, greens and blues to gray and black. It seems like the play area is now an incubator for moss and goodness knows what other microbial beings. Just check out the soft mats that line the play area!

There are now plans to extend the Waterfront. The traders at the old market have been shifted to another location after a whole lot of brouhaha. The Eye and a friend took a walk in the empty market a couple of weeks back, reminiscing the days, where as a child, the Eye was sent on errands with orders to “beli sayur dan ikan kat sia” (go buy vegetables and fish). The solid stone slabs that were used to display the trade wares now seem so low as compared to when Eye was a child. There are also solid stone pillars at the back of the market which remind the Eye of the Old Kuching.

The Eye’s friend casually commented “they have enough problems trying to maintain the cleanliness and security along existing waterfront…now they want to have it extended up to here. I hope they will buck up and do a good job out of it, considering the all trouble so many parties went through just to have the market relocated.”

Eye think he had a point. We know who he referred to as ‘they’. What say you?

It’s ‘buah tampoi’ season

2009-03-03T09:12:00.000-08:00

‘Buah puak’ - also known as ‘buah tampoi’ - is among the fruits in season now.

IN ABUNDANCE: Iswan at his ‘buah tampoi’ stall.

The fruit is gradually making its appearance in various markets in the city since a fortnight ago.

Many think ‘buah tampoi’ is a wild fruit collected from the jungle.

“This may be true in the past. But the fruit we see in the market nowadays is the cultivated one,” said Johnson Bujang, the owner of an orchard in Bukit Peninjau near here.

According to Johnson, the fruit is of two types ‘puak bubur’ and ‘puak batu’.

The ‘puak bubur’, he explained, has a tougher orange-coloured shell that has to be squeezed hard between the palms to open, while the reddish shell of ‘puak batu’ is easy to crack open. And the flesh of ‘puak bubur’ is white and much tender than that of ‘puak batu’ which is yellowish and tougher.

Johnson said most people, if not all, regarded ‘puak bubur’ as of better quality.

Many eat ‘buah puak’ with its seeds, and if too much is consumed, it can cause constipation, unless one drinks more water after eating it. It is believed that eating ‘buah puak’ with its seeds together with some bananas is good for ‘cleaning’ the digestive system.

Harvesting ‘buak puak’ is similar to harvesting ‘langsat’, said another orchard owner who is an expert tree climber in Sungai Mallang Atas in Bukit Peninjau.

He is sought after to climb fruit trees.

“My services are needed because the fruits will easily split if they fall to the ground,” said the man who did not want to be identified.

The ‘buah tampoi’ in the markets here is available at RM5 per kg or RM8 for two kg. A trader in the tamu at the E-mart Commercial Centre, Iswan Ali said good quality ‘buah puak’ with smooth attractive skins could cost as much as RM8 per kg.

“This fruit is very sweet, but can last only for about a week after it has been harvested,” he said.

The sad thing about Kuching Waterfront

2009-03-01T07:58:00.000-08:00

Eye think he had a point. We know who he referred to as ‘they’. What say you?

Barisan Nasional boleh tewas di Batang Ai jika gagal perjelaskan isu NCR

2009-03-01T07:10:00.001-08:00

Seorang penganalisis politik tempatan khuatir calon pembangkang akan menang dalam pilihan raya kecil Batang Ai kelak jika Barisan Nasional (BN) gagal memberi penjelasan dan menguruskan sebaik mungkin isu berkaitan tanah Hak Adat Bumiputera (NCR).

Beliau yang enggan namanya disiarkan berkata, para pengundi di kawasan yang mempunyai 95 peratus pengundi Iban itu akan menggunakan proses pilihan raya sebagai tanda protes terhadap tindakan kerajaan.

“Di Batang Ai isu berkenaan boleh meletup apatah lagi apabila penduduk di kawasan terlibat dengan pemindahan empangan hidro pada suatu ketika dahulu masih lagi mengharapkan kerajaan memberikan tanah kepada mereka untuk aktiviti pertanian mereka,” katanya ketika dihubungi, semalam.

Sepertimana pilihan raya-pilihan raya yang lepas menurut beliau, isu tanah tetap akan menjadi isu.

“Ini kerana isu tersebut sangat dekat dengan hati rakyat (permasalahan yang dihadapi umum terutama pemilik tanah NCR).

“Tanpa penjelasan dan pengurusan isu dengan baik, pengundi-pengundi akan marah kepada calon BN dan membuat undi protes,” katanya.

Beliau menambah, isu tanah sering diperkotak-katikkan pembangkang terutama menjelang pilihan raya.

Bagi penduduk luar bandar isu tanah adalah menyentuh hak milik NCR, manakala di bandar para pemilik hartanah sensitif tentang soal pembaharuan hak milik dan pembayaran premium.

“Jelas bahawa tidak kira di mana jua dan apa sahaja bangsa seseorang itu isu tanah sememangnya dekat dengan hati,” katanya.

Tarikh penamaan calon dan membuang undi untuk pilihan raya kecil Batang Ai, selepas kematian penyandangnya Datuk Dublin Unting Ingkot akan diketahui selepas Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) mengadakan mesyuarat pada 4 Mac depan.

Sementara itu, Ketua Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Kuching Dominique Ng ketika dihubungi mengesahkan isu tanah NCR memang agenda kempen utama pembangkang.

‘Umpan’ pembangkang untuk memenangi hati para pengundi juga bersandar kepada kekurangan pelaksanaan projek-projek pembangunan di Batang Ai, kata Dominique yang juga Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Padungan.

Mengenai calon, beliau memberitahu senarai calon telah dikenal pasti dan yakin pucuk pimpinan PKR akan mencapai kesepakatan dalam memilih calon yang benar-benar layak.

Dua nama yang disebut-sebut bakal menjadi calon PKR ialah Ketua Penaja PKR Batang Ai Nicholas Bawin atau bekas Ahli Parlimen Lubok Antu Jawah Gerang.

Bawin bukan orang baru bagi penduduk Batang Ai.

Mendiang Dublin menjadi wakil rakyat di Batang Ai selama empat penggal sejak 1991.

Pada pilihan raya negeri 2006, Dublin menewaskan calon Parti Kebangsaan Sara-wak (SNAP) Nicholas Bawin Anggat dengan majoriti 806 undi.

Setakat September 2008, Batang Ai mempunyai pemilih berdaftar seramai 8,061 dengan 93 peratus adalah Iban.

Penduduk dakwa dizalimi pihak berkuasa

2009-03-01T07:08:00.000-08:00

Rumah panjang diroboh tanpa notis, harta benda bernilai lebih RM60 ribu musnah
Seorang penghuni rumah panjang di Batu 15,Jalan Mukah-Selangau di sini telah membuat laporan di balai polis Selangau petang semalam kerana tidak puas hati dengan tindakan pihak berkuasa yang meroboh dan merosakkan harta benda beliau dan dua lagi ahli keluarga yang lain.

Mensekar Banyau, 70, yang merupakan ketua kepada keluarga-keluarga yang mendiami rumah tersebut mendakwa kakitangan sebuah jabatan kerajaan bertindak zalim kerana merobohkan rumah mereka tanpa notis peringatan walaupun dalam masa 24 jam.

“Tindakan mereka tidak dapat dihalang dan mereka melakukan sesuka hati sehingga menyebabkan kami yang mendiami rumah ini dan memiliki harta benda berasa sakit hati serta ingin menuntut jumlah kerugian yang dianggarkan lebih RM60,000,” katanya kepada Utusan Borneo ketika ditemui di tempat kejadian petang semalam.

Katanya lagi, buat masa ini mereka yang terjejas akibat tindakan tersebut menumpang di rumah panjang sanak saudara sementara mengumpul perkakas yang masih boleh digunakan untuk mendirikan pondok tempat tinggal.

Kata Mensekar, tindakan serupa turut dilakukan oleh kakitangan pihak berkuasa yang sama terhadap beberapa buah rumah di kawasan tersebut pada 16 Oktober 2008.

“Belum lagi selesai kes mereka yang menebang beberapa buah rumah dengan cara yang sama pada 16 Oktober 2008 lalu, penguat kuasa jabatan itu turut merobohkan rumah tempat kediaman kami tiga keluarga pagi semalam iaitu 26 Februari 2009, kira-kira jam 10.30 pagi.

“Hanya satu keluarga yang berada di dalam rumah itu pada masa kejadian kerana dua keluarga lagi sedang bekerja dan tinggal di rumah kakitangan syarikat tempat mereka bekerja. Saya dan isteri saya tidak mampu dan tidak diberi kesempatan langsung untuk memindahkan barang-barang dan harta benda yang berada di dalam rumah kerana apabila sampai sahaja mereka terus merobohkan rumah itu menggunakan sebuah jentolak.

“Kami tidak menerima apa-apa surat pemberitahuan daripada pihak berkuasa dan tidak diberitahu juga bahawa rumah ini akan dirobohkan atas sebab mengganggu proses pembinaan Jalan Mukah-Selangau.

“Mereka memberitahu saya pada suatu ketika dahulu bahawa sebahagian daripada rumah saya yang sudah diroboh oleh saya sendiri sememangnya termasuk dalam kawasan jalan baru, namun sebahagian lagi diberitahu sendiri oleh seorang kakitangan jabatan dari Mukah ia tidak termasuk dalam pembinaan jalan dan masih boleh didiami.

“Itulah sebabnya kami terus mendiami rumah ini dan tiba-tiba kehadiran mereka semalam ternyata adalah satu daripada penipuan dan mempunyai muslihat yang tersendiri,” kata Mensekar dengan kesal.

Seorang lagi penduduk, Nyunkin Renjau yang tinggal di rumah sama turut memberitahu bahawa beliau sungguh terkejut dan marah apabila kediaman mereka musnah setelah dirobohkan oleh pihak yang tidak bertimbang rasa.

“Kami menerima nasib malang apabila padi, baja, motosikal,harta benda lama dan wang tunai yang berada di dalam dan kawasan rumah tersebut telah musnah sama sekali. Rumah kami ditumbangkan dengan jentolak sehingga semua harta benda musnah dan tindakan sebegini amat kejam seolah-olah kami binatang bukan manusia,” kata Nyunkin.

MUKAH : Kes buli pelajar tersebar

2009-03-01T07:07:00.000-08:00

10 pelajar sebuah sekolah menengah di Dalat disyaki terbabit dalam kes buli pelajar tingkatan 3 yang disebarkan dalam internet

Kes buli seorang pelajar tingkatan tiga di sebuah sekolah menengah ber-asrama di sini yang dibelasah oleh sekumpulan pelajar lain dari sekolah sama, menggemparkan penduduk di sini selepas klip video yang merakamkan kejadian itu disebar dan disiarkan dalam internet.

Insiden buli itu terbongkar dalam klip video selama 3.05 minit itu disiarkan menerusi laman web You Tube sejak kelmarin dan menyaksikan pelajar terbabit yang masih berpakaian seragam sekolah, dibelasah oleh sekumpulan pelajar lelaki dalam sebuah bilik asrama pelajar.

Dalam klip video berkenaan mangsa disepak, diterajang dan dipukul termasuk menggunakan cerek air. Walaupun mangsa cuba merayu namun tidak dipedulikan malah terus dibelasah tanpa belas kasihan. Kejadian dipercayai berlaku di bahagian ini dan perbualan yang terakam dalam video berkenaan menggunakan bahasa tempatan yang kurang jelas.

Malah laporan polis sudah pun dibuat oleh pelajar terbabit yang berasal dari Kampung Penat, Oya, bersama ibu bapanya di Balai Polis Dalat di sini pada jam 12 tengah hari, 23 Februari lalu.

Sementara itu, Ketua Polis Daerah Dalat, DSP Martin Khoo ketika dihubungi Utusan Borneo semalam mengesahkan menerima laporan berhubung kejadian tersebut yang dipercayai berlaku pada minggu lepas.

Katanya, polis memandang serius kes dan penyebaran video klip berkenaan sambil menyifatkan ia sebagai satu tindakan yang tidak wajar dilakukan oleh individu yang masih bergelar pelajar.

Martin berkata, kes dikategorikan di bawah Seksyen 323, Kanun Keseksaan dengan se-ngaja mendatangkan kecede-raan. Seramai 10 suspek yang terdiri daripada pelajar tingkatan 6 disyaki terlibat dalam kes buli tersebut.

Beliau memberitahu, kes itu diserahkan kepada Jabatan Peguam Negara sebelum diambil tindakan susulan.

“Kita masih menunggu keputusan Jabatan Peguam Negara dan akan bertindak secepat mungkin. Setakat ini, belum ada tangkapan namun saya ingin menegaskan, me-reka yang terlibat sama sekali tidak akan terlepas.

“Kita tidak memandang remeh kes seperti ini. Saya juga ingin mengingatkan orang ramai, jangan menyebarkan sebarang spekulasi sehingga proses siasatan selesai,” katanya.

Ini merupakan kes buli pelajar yang pertama dilaporkan di negeri ini dalam tahun ini.

Sementara itu, Jabatan Pendidikan Mukah ketika diminta mengulas berhubung kejadian enggan memberikan sebarang komen.

Places to eat in Bintulu : The 'Ice' City - ParkCity Commerce square.

2009-02-24T17:32:00.000-08:00

“Hey, have you been to bing cheng located within the vicinity of ParkCity Commerce square?

“ya, I really like to travel there. The food there is sooo niceee! Last time when we were there, my dad came back with 3pounds heavier!”

“er…not that bing cheng, it’s Ice City, ”

“hahahaha…” I can only laugh to cover my embarrassment.

I mistakenly thought my friend was talking about another bing cheng which is Penang in Chinese. Oh my. That’s how I first heard of Ice City

in Bintulu. After the first visit, I find my friends and I keep yearning of it whenever the weather is scorching hot. The ambience is comfy and homely.

Sausages, French Fries and Chicken burger that make up Set B is highly recommended by my friends while French Fries gets a thumb up from me. I think they sprinkle pepper and spices on the French Fries which make them taste so yummy. We ordered the second plate of that after finishing the first one.

The pricing range is from RM4.80 – RM8.00 which is actually very reasonable and affordable especially for us being a student.(the ice is a bit overpriced i would say. overall the place is nice, food so-so but the ice is still acceptable).

I have seen many teenagers sitting in this café sipping and chatting away in a bunch. A place to bond your friendship I can say.

Just imagine, Outside is searing hot and you are staying indoors in an air-conditioned closure having snowy ice filled in your mouth…

Em…the feeling is indefinable and you got to find out yourself.

Tune Hotels Kuching Waterfront launches

2009-02-24T17:27:00.000-08:00

Franchise hotel chain, TuneHotels.Com Waterfront Kuching will be operational on March 2.

The hotel offers 135 ensuite rooms within the heart of Kuching city and within walking distance to several shopping complexes such as Tun Jugah, Park Grand at Riverside Majestic.

A room at Tune Hotels can be booked online modeled after the low-cost airlines Airasia’s online booking. Promotional rate currently cited as low as R0.05 per night for stays between November 2009 to January 2010, and at RM5 per night for stays between March and October 2009.

However, read the fine print. A room cited at RM0.05 actually will cost you RM50++ and RM5 per night may well cost you RM80++ per night. So it wasn’t really cheap.

Simalajau linked Rio Tinto get $19.5bil boost from China

2009-02-24T16:15:00.000-08:00

Aluminium Corporation of China (Chinalco) has agreed to invest a further $19.5 billion in Australian natural resources firm Rio Tinto in what will rank as China’s largest outbound investment to date. The unlisted Chinese metals and mining firm will invest $12.3 billion in aluminium, copper and iron ore joint ventures and another $7.2 billion in two tranches of convertible bonds.

The bonds will increase Chinalco’s shareholding in the Rio Tinto Group to 18% upon conversion. The bonds have a maturity of 60 years and are convertible at any time from 41 days after closing. The Australian bonds pay an annual coupon of 9% while the UK bonds pay 9.5%. $3.1 billion of the bonds will convert into Rio Tinto shares at a price of $45 per share and the balance $4.1 billion will convert at a price of $60 per share.

Read it at FinanceAsia

Taib expressed support for second bridge in Bintulu

2009-02-24T16:09:00.000-08:00

Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said he would support the proposed second bridge crossing the Kemena river if there’s a viable plan for such project.

“If you have a good plan for the bridge I’ll be happy to support it,” he said replying to Dato Morshidi Abdul Rahman, the executive chairman Golden Gulf International Flying Academy (GGIFA) suggestion for such a bridge.

Morshidi said, that a second bridge was needed to further spur balance development on both sides of the Kemena river.

According to Morshidi the parent company of GGFIFA Gulf Golden Square had submitted a proposal to the state government through Bintulu Development Authority on a private financing initiative (PFI).

He assured the state government would look into the proposal.

“However the chief minister the financing need to be studied carefully before the project to be seriously considered,” he said at the signing GGFIFA MoU signing ceremony at Bintulu Airport on Monday.

Food & Beverage Outlets -SIBU-

2009-02-24T15:57:00.000-08:00

Hey Guys, When you visit to Sibu this is the best place for you to fill up your Stomach..
Recommended Restaurants At SIBU District

id	name	address

1.	Ming Ziang Restaurant (Kingwood Hotel)

2.	Golden Palace Restaurant (Tanahmas Hotel)

3.	Gold Hope Restaurant (Sarawak House)

4.	Blue Splendor Restaurant	Level 5 Wisma Sanyan

5.	Golden Happiness Restaurant	Jalan Chengal

6.	Sheraton Restaurant	1, Jane 4. Jalan Delta

7.	Yi Pin Lou Restaurant	20-32, First Floor, Mission Road

8.	New Capitol Restaurant	46, Kampung Nyabor Road

9.	Beii Jin Restaurant	155-159 Kampung Nyabor Road

Fast Food Outlets

id	name	address

1.	Pizza Hut	1.14, Level 1, Wisma Sanyan Directory of Ilotels and Inns ip-sibu

2.	Kentucky Fried Chicken	1.1.3, Level 1, Wisma Bunyan No. 19 Wong Nai Siong Road

3.	Sugar Bun	No. 1, Jalan Wong Nai Siong

4.	McDonald (Sarawak House)

Hawker Food Centres

id	name	address

1.	Taman Selera Kampung Dato

2.	Taman Clara Muhibbah

3.	Sibu Central Market (First Floor)

The Federal Govern- ment will spend RM115mil to help Sarawak repair drainage and irrigation facilities damaged by the recent floods and landslides.

2009-02-24T15:47:00.000-08:00

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the money was an extra allocation to help repair the damages to the facilities.

"This amount is not in our budget. It is something extra we give to the people of Sarawak who are facing hardship because of the recent floods.

Visit to the interior: Najib and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor
being welcomed by SMK Suai, Niah students on their arrival
at the school yesterday.

"For the damages to schools and public roads, we are still assessing the damage," he said when presenting aid to families in the Suai district located 100km south of Miri City.

"The disaster was extraordinary. In Kuching, the rainfall over a two-day period was equal to one year's total rainfall. In Miri, the rain was also very serious," he said.

Since January, floods and landslides have hit Sarawak, especially in the central and northern region of Sibu, Miri and Limbang.

A total of RM1,500 was given to families to repair their homes while RM3,000 would be given to those whose houses were completely destroyed.

Those who had death in the family would get RM5,000.

Farmers who had lost their crops would have their case assessed before aid is given.

Najib said the 4,375 families at evacuation centres would get RM500 per family while the 27,500 families who stayed with their relatives and friends would get RM300 each.

Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam said some 10,000 farmers incurred some RM30mil losses after their crops were destroyed during the floods.

"I propose that these farming families be given an extra RM1,000 after we assess the damages," he said.

A permanent residence for Sekolah Seni

2009-02-24T14:17:00.000-08:00

SOMETIME in June last year, the Eye wrote on the need for a centre for creative or artistic expression. Back then, the Eye made a suggestion that the existing State Legislative Assembly (DUN) building be turned into a centre for creative expression. Early this year Eye found out that the State actually has a school for the arts when a friend mentioned that his daughter had just started studying there. Apparently this school is called Sekolah Seni and is currently bunking in (or sharing facilities) with SMK Openg in Petra Jaya.

Despite the fact that the school does not have its own site and facilities, it has already gained national recognition for its success in developing talents in its students. The management of the school has assured parents of students that it is currently in the midst of looking into a few possible sites to build its permanent facilities.

Old DUN Complexes

A couple of weeks back, the local newspapers reported that the new DUN building will be complete soon and the State’s executives will be moving over for the upcoming sitting. So what will happen to the old DUN? Would the State consider giving the building to Sekolah Seni? With some funding from the federal government, through the Education Department, the place could be done up. The building is still in good condition — some refurbishment will be needed.

Let’s look at it this way, if the building isn’t structurally safe, wouldn’t the State have moved the Legislative Assembly members out a long time ago? They couldn’t have been taking chances on having a structure collapse and collectively wiping out the State government during the past sittings.

Let’s look at the interior of the building — there is ample floor space for the school’s population of 200 students. As this is a school that is selective of its students, each class does not have more than 20 students. There is the Dewan Santapan which can be turned into a hall for performing arts. There is the Sitting Hall which also could be used as a theatre. There is a resource centre which could be maintained as a library. There are offices and rooms that could be converted into classrooms and activity rooms. So why not?

The area is scenic and is a perfect and conducive location for a school for the arts. There is ample parking area and space outside for outdoor activities. Let’s not forget that there is that nice little park adjacent to the Wisma Bapa Malaysia.

New DUN Complexes

Eye was made to understand that some of the students at this school are from out of town and require hostel facilities. Eye am sure that something could be worked out in placing the students in nearby hostels and providing shuttles to school. There are a number of hostels belonging to other establishments along Jalan Semariang which are not fully utilised. Or consider building a hostel block somewhere within the Siol area and provide shuttle services. This would be a good way to conserve and at the same time utilise existing and historical buildings, instead of clearing more space and building more structures that will eventually become eyesores.

The Eye has always advocated the need for a centre of creative expression. A school for the arts is a good start. The students and teachers there deserve a facility where they are free to express their artistic talents. And somehow, the old DUN building has that touch and value to it — it is a piece of art and a part of history. A suggestion worth looking into. Perhaps the State should make known its plans for this dear old building to the people.

Kapit road link relevant with change in geo-economic landscape

2009-02-24T14:15:00.000-08:00

THE clamour for a road link to Kapit in the upper reaches of the Rajang River in central Sarawak is not new. A request for it was first made a long time ago but for some reason, has never been carried through.

At one stage, it was thought that linking Kapit with the rest of the state would not be desirable socially in that it might lead to people bypassing the then district. This may have been true, considering the town and the surrounding areas back then did appear to have little to offer to entice people to stay on.

But things have changed, the economic and geographical landscape in particular, and Kapit Division today is not only one of the most important timber-producing areas in the state but also has a growing population, and on top of that, is politically and socially linked to the rest of Sarawak, especially with the development of hydro power and commercial oil palm projects.

It’s, therefore, to be noted from the disclosure by Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department, Larry Sng, who is also state assemblyman for Pelagus, that during a recent meeting in Kuching, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Patinggi Najib Tun Razak had promised to look into the request for this long overdue road link as well the necessary funding for its construction.

What this indicates is a change of priorities which is to be welcomed, and since the proposed road link from Sibu to Kapit is only a short stretch, its construction deserves due consideration not because it isn’t very long but more importantly, the fact that it will connect the existing road from the lower part of Kapit to the rest of the township in the Upper Rajang.

Later as more funds become available, the entire stretch between Sibu and Kapit can be upgraded and made part of the internal highway system. Among others, this will improve accessibility from the interior to the other parts of Kapit and Bintulu divisions.

The benefits to derive from the proposed road link will be enormous both economically and socially. It will, inter alia, open up opportunities to bring in greater development to benefit the state and private sector investments … and ultimately the people as a whole.

Roads are vital economic lifelines and eminently important in a predominantly agriculture-based society like Sarawak, providing market access for farm produce and improving the mobility of the largely agrarian population.

The lack of a road link to Kapit has brought about a sense of inadequacy among the local populace, particularly when much of rural Sarawak, except for the deep interior near the Indonesian border, is already connected by roads of various grades.

While it is important to upgrade the existing highway from Lundu to Lawas and develop a parallel highway along the coast, the laying of secondary roads deserves no less attention if nearby growth centres and towns are to be integrated into the main highway system so that more people, especially those in the vast hinterland, can benefit from equitable economic growth and development.

This is especially important when the emphasis now is on agricultural development and increasing food production from which farmers, large corporations coming in as investors, the state and its people can benefit.

Food production is becoming critical in view of the rapid growth in world population. And from this perspective, Sarawak is blessed in that it is less affected by natural calamities, allowing for virtually uninterrupted development of the commercial agriculture sector.

To sustain this, it is imperative to have an excellent road network linking all the population centres – for instance Kapit Division which has traditionally served as the main goods and services distribution hub and trading point for the population around the division and the regions in Upper Rajang right up to Belaga and even Bakun.

The benefits already reaped from the present road link between Bintulu and Bakun are self-evident and a new road to be built soon from Bakun to Murum, the site of the new hydro electric power plant, will serve to enhance the economic potential of the area.

In the light of the foregoing, it is to be hoped that work can start soon on the new road link that will bring Kapit even closer to the rest of the state and country.

Couple in bloody quarrel

2009-02-24T14:07:00.000-08:00

Gradates suffer serious slash, cut wounds; cops find cannabis in blood-splattered house

A young couple – both university graduates – was found with serious slash and cut wounds in a house at Desa Senadin near here yesterday.

Policemen who rushed to the scene to investigate also found what is believed to be four cubes of cannabis or ganja in the living room and a bedroom of the blood-splattered house.

It is learnt that a member of the public called the Miri police operations room after he heard a couple quarrelling in the house around noon.

A Mobile Patrol Vehicle (MPV) unit and other police personnel from Lutong Police Station were the first to arrive at the scene.

Policemen, however, were unable to enter the house as it was locked from inside, and thus they have to rope in personnel from the Fire and Rescue Department to cut the locked side door house grille before policemen forced open the door and rushed in to arrest a man who was covered in blood.

The man was found in the kitchen.

According to sources, the man, who is from Bintulu had just completed his tertiary education while his girlfriend who is from Batu Niah near here graduated about a year ago.

They were said to be staying in a house belonging to a relative of the girl.

A source said the knife-wielding man resisted arrest, and a police officer was slightly injured on his cheek in the scuffle.

He was later subdued and handcuffed.

The man sustained cuts on his neck, chest and arms while the woman suffered a deep cut on her neck and cuts on her hands, believed to have been inflicted with a kitchen knife and a pair of scissors which were found at the scene.

Blood was found in the kitchen and living room.

The man, who could still walk, was handcuffed and brought out of the house while the seriously injured woman was brought on a stretcher to a waiting ambulance before she was rushed to Miri General Hospital for treatment.

The duo was believed to have lost a lot of blood.

Infrastructure Develop-ment and Communication Assistant Minister Lee Kim Shin who was told of the incident later checked with hospital and was told that the injured female patient was in serious, but stable condition.

Miri CID chief DSP Mohd Zaini Che Din and senior investigating officer ASP Zainan Azili were at the scene to investigate.

A police dog unit team and narcotics police personnel were later dispatched to the scene.

The motive of the tragic incident is not immediately known, but the police are not ruling out jealousy or drug-driven frenzy which led to the bloody incident. Miri OCPD ACP Jamaluddin Ibrahim confirmed the case but refused to give details except to say investigations were underway.

Source : Mohd Abdullah and Philip Kiew

Assistant minister dies

2009-02-24T04:53:00.000-08:00

Assistant Minister of Sports and Agriculture Datuk Dublin Unting Ingkot passed away at the Normah Medical Specialist Centre here, today.

Family members were at his bedside when he died at 1.25am.

Dublin Unting Ingkot

He was 54.

Dublin went into a coma after he collapsed at the RTM Sarawak complex following a massive stroke on May 22 last year after an interview over the Iban channel on the state’s preparations for Sukma in Terengganu.

He was the state Sukma chef-de-mission. He underwent neurosurgery to remove a blood clot and had since failed to regain consciousness.

He was the assemblyman for Batang Ai and was serving his second term as an assistant minister. He was also the vice-president of Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS).

With the next state election only due in May 2011, a by-election has to be called in the next 60 days.

In the 2006 state election, Dublin defeated SNAP’s Nicholas Bawin Anggat.

Dublin is survived by wife, Datin Froline Moriah Demies, and three children.

Source : Borneopost

Employees’ plans haywire with WD’s latest memo

2009-02-24T03:01:00.000-08:00

Employees of Western Digital Media (M) Sdn Bhd (WD) are left in a lurch.
Instead of getting compensations for being laid-off as promised by the company management last week, they have been informed to continue working as normal until further notice.

The notice came as a surprise to some 1,500 employees who now face a lot of inconvenience concerning housing, paying back bank loans and taking new job offers or starting their own businesses.

An anonymous WD employee who comes from the production floor said when the company decided to shut down in December last year, many already prepared for the worst as a result of retrenchment.

He said some had plans to start their own businesses using their compensation money which was supposed to be released in batches starting Feb 17 to 20. But on Feb 16, a memo was sent to all employees stating that the retrenchment date had been deferred until further notice.

The reason given was because a company might acquire WD and its existing staff, said the employee who had worked there for more than 10 years.

WD took over from Komag Sdn Bhd one and a half years ago. Komag was set up in the 1990s.

It informed all employees about the closure and that retrenchment would be done in batches with the first on Feb 20 and the second March 27.

The employee said: “Some of us already told our landlords that we will move out from our rented homes by Feb 23, but now that we’re still working and have to put up temporarily at friends’ houses.

“We also have colleagues from Miri who already sent their family members back last week and are supposed to leave Kuching this week but could not do so now because of the very last minute change. This is very unfair to us. We feel victimised by the company,” he told reporters here yesterday.

The memo, signed by WD vice president Datuk Don Blake said: “In the event that there is such an acquisition the closure and shutting down of its operation and the retrenchment will clearly become unnecessary and staff can continue to retain their jobs.

“In view of that, our factory operations will continue to run as normal and all employees will continue to work as normal in their respective working area and our last date of employment will be deferred to a later date that will be informed in due course.

“In the event that acquisition does not happen, the compensation package set out in Appendix A of the Notice which you have accepted will still be applicable with the exception that your last date of employment will be on a later date that will be informed in due course and the dates of signing of the deed of settlement and compromise and a supporting statutory declaration confirming due compliance with the terms of the deed will be on a later date that will be informed in due course.

“The company will keep the employees informed on the latest developments and decision once it is available in a next few weeks.”

Another WD employee said WD was playing ‘games’ with them and only concerned with protecting the company’s welfare not the employees.

“When some of us raised our problems to our human resource officers, we were told that the problems were ours, not the company’s and that the door was wide open if we were unhappy. But our problems started from the company,” he lamented.

He said because of financial constraints in recent months, some of them had asked for extension to pay back their car and house loans until they received their compensations.

“Whether WD finds a buyer or not, the company should fulfill its promise to us and pay the compensation as promised,” he said.

“Some of us already got new job offers and supposed to start work this week, but because of the change, we can’t leave WD. If we leave, we’ll lose our compensation,” he said.

He said they did not expect the change as WD management had advised them to look for new jobs and even organised job fair to assist them in finding new jobs.

“We don’t mind starting all over again with lower pay under a new management for as long as WD pays out our compensation,” he pointed out.

He urged the company to be accountable and transparent in its action.

“Don’t keep us guessing,” he said.

Another employee said: “How can you expect us to work productively under such pressure? Even if there is a new management, we’ll be unhappy and this will not be fair to the new owner.”

He urged the government, particularly Ministry of Industrial Development, to intervene in the matter as employees felt that they were on the losing end.

He said some of them sought assistance from the Legal Aid Bureau at Simpang Tiga and a lawyer advised them to be patient as the company might have reasons to sack them, which would leave them with nothing.

“We’ve been advised go to work as usual and not to stage any protests or give any reasons to the company to sack us in the coming weeks. Otherwise, we’ll not get a sen,” he said.

He said his fear was that the company was trying to provoke them into quitting their jobs voluntarily or to get them to create reasons to fire them.

The employee said they were told that their cheques were ready to be distributed to them starting Feb 17 but a memo issued on the evening of Feb 16 changed everything and put everyone in a limbo once again.

How poor is poor?

2009-02-22T05:03:00.001-08:00

It is ostensibly hard to tell who is poor these days. The lack of micro figures on poverty is said to be hindering efforts to pinpoint the actual segment of the population that are genuinely poor.

DO you consider yourself poor?

Most people have difficulty answering this question. Poverty is hard to define because it is multi-dimensional. In most practical settings, the inability to afford an adequate diet is the central element of the Poverty Line Index (PLI) and it’s not surprising the UN Millennium Declaration (UN 2000) links together the twin aims of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger.

But individuals may also consider themselves poor if they lack access to school or healthcare or if they have no access to safe drinking water or sanitation services, aspects of daily life that most people take for granted.

In Malaysia, poverty is based on comparison of household income with the PLI. Typically, income shows more short-lived variation overtime and it makes little sense to consider a household poor if its income only temporarily falls below the PLI.

Young individuals often have low income while they acquire essential skills through education or on-the-job training. By a life time income criterion, such individuals are not poor but during an income survey, they might be counted as among the poor.

A similar issue arises with households whose income is highly seasonal. For instance, the income of households engaged in farming might fall dramatically in some months and if they are sampled in those months, they might well be thought poor even when their annual income is well above the PLI.

It is ostensibly hard to tell who is poor these days.

For instance, walk into a temporary settlement or squatter area within the city and you are likely to see children of all races playing in the alleyways, and hear the noise from TV sets blaring from houses, some of which have Astro satellite dishes on the roofs. But a closer look reveals a different story — dilapidated houses unfit for human habitation, blocked drains that breed mosquitoes and the stench of uncollected rubbish piled up by the houses.

Thousands of urban residents have been forced to call these settlements home — many even pay for the privilege.

Yet statistically, their numbers do not seem to matter, let alone those in the rural areas.

The PLI based on the 9MP considers a family poor if it earns below RM720 in Peninsular Malaysia, RM960 in Sabah, and RM830 in Sarawak. Households with incomes below the poverty line are considered poor. Earnings of RM430, RM540 and RM520 fall respectively into the hardcore poverty category in the three territories.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, while tabling the 2009 Budget on 29 Aug 2008, announced the number of hardcore poor households in Malaysia had declined by 43 per cent over three years — from 67,300 in 2004 to 38,400 in 2007.

He said the government was confident that hardcore poverty would be eradicated by 2010. All this may give the impression that poverty is a non-issue, both in rural and urban areas, and that Malaysia is well on course to be rid of it completely. The reality, however, is quite different.

The lack of micro figures on poverty is said to be hindering efforts to pinpoint the actual segment of the population that needs aid. The macro figures — much more concerned with reflecting ethnic equity — are not very helpful to the people on the ground actually trying to tackle the problem of poverty.

The UN Development Programme (UNDP) macro figure statistics reveal that from 1976 to 2004, the number of households living below the poverty line in Sarawak fell from 60 per cent to just eight per cent and the vast majority of which were rural indigenous communities. Ibans and Bidayuhs account for the large majority of hardcore poor.

The 2007 Human Rights Commission of Malaysia Report on the Human Rights Approach to Poverty Reduction in the country (Suhakam HRAPR) had proposed to the government that when dealing with poverty and equal access to development, it was important to ensure there was no discrimination.

The authorities, the report said, should take a human-rights approach to dealing with the matter.

Dr Mohd Hirman Ritom, one of Suhakam’s commissioners, agreed Malaysia had a good track record on poverty eradication but it did not really paint the whole picture.

“Statistically, we have achieved a very significant drop in poverty rate — from 49 per cent in 1970 to 5.7 per cent in 2004. It certainly speaks volumes of what the government has done to improve the living standards of the people.

“But in reality, the micro figures are not very good. From the plight and experience of both the urban and rural lower income groups, there are still many poor among us,” he said.

Dr Ritom said poverty in Sarawak was still very much in the rural environment, pointing out that last year, Suhakam did micro studies in four areas — two in Kuala Lumpur, one each in Sabah and Sarawak — and found 84 per cent of the 100 families surveyed in the East Malaysian states were earning less than the PLI.

“Our studies in two rural villages in Sarawak and Sabah showed high incidence of poverty. Of course, some people were upset with our studies but that’s the reality.

“Those who participated in the survey in Sarawak were mostly farmers and fishermen. The studies involved only one village. I agree statistically we have done well but we could have left behind certain communities such as farmers, fishermen and the Penan in the rural areas.

“Incidence of poverty could be very high among the groups which we don’t know about as there are hardly any micro studies being carried out,” he added.

Dr Ritom said in a human-rights perspective, poverty reduction was about giving people access to everything like a business cycle.

He said Sarawak, in particular, had solid a development plan and training programme. There are many human development programmes to meet the needs of Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) and to try to reduce poverty.

He pointed out that Suhakam was not stopping development from taking place but something worthwhile to the community must be done to ensure they get access to everything like clean water, good education, transportation and communication services as well as sufficient income from the project.

“Because without all these, they are living in poverty,” he added.

Dr Ritom said many in the rural areas claimed they had not benefitted from poverty eradication programmes and suggested the delivery of these services and benefits be re-examined and made available to all the targeted groups.

“Allocations, funds, loans and grants meant to help reduce rural poverty should reach the rural people. Rural-based industries, hardly seen in Sarawak, should be set up to provide jobs for the rural people.”

He said the oil palm industry would be of great help if more rural people were directly engaged in the sector.

He suggested the private sector and government agencies involved in the industry give the local people better pay to help reduce poverty.

“Yes, the agencies were paying out million of ringgit for dividends but these were divided among hundreds or thousands of families,” he noted.

Quality education is another critical issue to be looked into seriously. The rural population is always at a disadvantage when it comes to this.

Dr Ritom suggested the best students from the rural schools be selected to further their studies in the urban schools which have good facilities — like what was done in the old days.

“As far as rural education is concerned, the quality is nowhere near its urban counterpart. In urban areas, they were talking about 13As in SPM while in the rural areas, only three or four As.

“Now the competition into university is very keen, and if no serious efforts were taken, rural poverty would remain a lasting problem as rural students would find it difficult to enter public universities and get better jobs,” he said.

He stressed the government also had to start somewhere to bring information and communication technology (ICT) to the rural communities.

Dr Ritom conceded achieving zero poverty was impossible as there would be sectors that would always be in poverty group.

“That’s why there must be a safety net for these people. A more efficient welfare policy has to be put in place. The young and elderly must be taken care of.

“For government servants, it may be ok as they still receive their pension but what about others who have no pension?” he asked

Meanwhile, whatever policy we settle on, we must ensure our citizens are healthy and well, both physically and mentally. If they are too depressed to work and learn, at the end of the day, it is our country that suffers from unused and unrealised potential.

It’s good to note the government is addressing the concerns of the lower-income group, especially in the light of higher food, electricity and transport costs.

The 2009 Budget includes several provisions targeted at this group, one of which is raising the eligibility criteria for welfare assistance under the Welfare Department from a monthly household income of RM400 to RM720 for Peninsular Malaysia, RM830 for Sarawak and RM960 for Sabah.

Left without a sen

2009-02-21T05:20:00.000-08:00

Most divorced women find it very difficult to get maintenance from their ex-husbands even after a court order

THE institution of marriage existed even in the days of ancient Mesopotamia albeit in a different form. During those times, divorces were documented simply because they happened. Some causes of divorce took cognisance of adultery even as polygamy was considered a standard practice back then.

Early forms of marriage and causes of divorce that existed in the Cradle of Civilisation have continued till today. Causes of divorce, for instance, are still the same although recent additions to its grounds have made marriage a rather easy exercise that can be cast, shaped and allowed to die at will, especially by abusive and deceitful spouses.

In Malaysia, there is only one ground for divorce — when the marriage has irretrievably broken down. You have to prove any one of the following:

Adultery has been committed by your spouse;

You and your spouse have been separated for two years or more;

You have been deserted by your spouse for two years or more;

Your spouse has behaved in such a manner that you find it impossible to live with him or her.

One may petition for a divorce by mutual consent — both parties agreeing to the divorce by way of a joint petition or if there is no mutual consent, by way of a contested petition.

Any person wishing to file for divorce needs to be legally married. If you were married according to traditional or customary rites before March 1, 1982, you have a valid marriage and it is considered registered.

However, marriages must be registered after March 1, 1982, otherwise it is not valid in accordance with the Legal Reform (Marriages & Divorce) Act 1976. Under the Act, the conditions for divorce are that both parties must be married for at least two years and have been living in Malaysia. A divorce may be granted only by a court’s competent jurisdiction.

A divorce is always the least to be expected from a marriage, yet the number has risen to ‘worrying levels’.

According to statistics from the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, the number of divorces reported annually is on the rise.

In 2006, for instance, 27,266 cases nationwide were recorded compared with 20,502 in 2005. In the case of Sarawak, 1,484 divorces were reported in 2006 compared with 1,130 in 2005.

The statistics also show about 136,550 divorces between 2000 and 2006 throughout the country and of these, some 6,719 were reported in Sarawak.

In the event of a divorce, does the wife, as the aggrieved party, have the right to demand payment of maintenance from the husband even if they no longer live together or are in the process of divorcing?

That’s what Lizy wants to know. She has been married to Eto for six years. (Both their names are changed to protect their confidentiality).

About three years ago, things between them began to change.

Eto, who worked in town, had not been going home and giving money to Lizy and their three young children. He also never called home.

Perplexed by his behaviour, Lizy often asked Eto if anything was wrong. His usual answer was that he was busy and financially tight.

Tired of his flimsy excuses, Lizy decided to get the truth out of Eto. Finally, he confessed he had been carrying on an extra marital affair. Realising it was pointless asking him to stay when his heart was somewhere else, she filed for divorce.

However, because she had resigned from her job on her husband’s request two years ago, she was jobless and did not have any income. How would she be able to cope?

thesundaypost did some research on the matter and found that for civil marriages, the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976 provides for maintenance of the spouse.

The wife can get financial support for herself and the children from the husband through maintenance if their marriage was legally registered or if they were married according to religious or customary rites before March 1982.

But maintenance ends once the woman remarries or if her ex-husband dies. Maintenance for the children (which is separate from maintenance for the wife) will, however, continue — even after the woman remarries — until they are 18 years old, or at another age so decided by the court.

The court can order a maintenance during divorce or custody proceedings when a decision or hearing is still pending or when the court is granting or has granted judicial separation or decree in divorce.

In making its decision, the court will refer to the wife’s needs. She has to list down her expenses and monthly budget for herself and her children.

The court, in deciding the amount, may look at the degree of responsibility each party bears for causing the breakdown of the marriage. If the wife played a major role in breaking down the marriage, chances are the maintenance order will be small.

Lizy claimed she had submitted her application for divorce and maintenance through the Legal Aid Bureau, and the court order had been issued to the husband to pay for her as well as their children’s maintenance effective sometime early last year. Till this day, she has never received a single payment.

After enquiring from a few informed quarters, thesundaypost was made to understand that most divorced wives faced ‘great difficulties’ getting maintenance (let alone on a monthly basis) from their ex-husbands even after a court order.

Attempts to obtain the number of such reported cases proved fruitless. But according to the Single Mothers’ Association of Sarawak (Pitsa), there are long overdue cases of men failing to pay maintenance not only among Muslim but also non-Muslim divorcees.

“As long as the man, regardless of race and religion, has that irresponsible attitude, I believe he won’t be bothered about his obligation even after a court order,” Pitsa chairperson Salmah Ibrahim said.

She added that the association had no records of its members receiving maintenance from their ex-husbands, believing that most of them are ‘fully on their own’.

“We have more than 600 members statewide. As far as I know, our members are mostly independent and motivated and involved in various types of small and medium scale business.”

The maintenance is believed payable from the date of neglect or refusal or from such date as is stated in the court order.

Under the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976, if the husband fails to make payment, he can be imprisoned up to one month for each of the monthly maintenance he defaults. If it’s one month, he can be jailed one month; if it’s one year, he can spend that time behind bars.

The laws are already there to protect both civil marriage and Muslim divorcees, yet many husbands can still get away with their irresponsible conduct. What can be done to the defaulters?

Pitsa calls for strict enforcement of the court order and pressuring the culprits to face the reality that they are legally obliged to pay their ex-wives and children maintenance on a monthly basis.

“Over the past years, we could say enforcement was lacking. We hardly heard of any husband being sent to prison for not complying with the court order.

“Despite defaulting on maintenance (alimony) for years, husbands are still free when they should be put behind the bars according to the country’s laws,” Salmah said.

She pointed out that Pitsa welcomed any move by the authority to sort out this pertinent issue.

According to lawyer Detta Samen, failure to comply with a court order is itself contempt of court which can result in the offender being sent to jail.

He said divorced wives should apply to the court for enforcement.

“Unfortunately, many are not aware of their legal rights or maybe they don’t have the means to engage a lawyer. So far in my experience, after I submitted an application to the court for enforcement, the wives made no more noise. But whether they are still receiving maintenance or not, I don’t know.”

He said by right, male divorcees should continue paying maintenance because the kids were still their children.

Nabau..

2009-02-20T21:23:00.000-08:00

I think all sarawakian know bout Nabau/Big Snake that was out on Utusan Sarawak Paper Last Week. As far as i know.. this is the true legend in Sarawak. But the picture on the Utusan Sarawak paper is totally FAKE!.. Their copy the pic from google. My finding was the picture already on the net since year of 2007. But for Utusan Sarawak the SAME picture their published it this year 2009 and told that the thing was found at Kapit/Sibu division. haha really funny.. You can view this video/pic for proof of my WORD!!!!

This picture Taken From UTUSAN SARAWAK

The truth Beyond The FAKE UTUSAN SARAWAK Picture

This Video UPLOADED ON 2007 - The picture same as on UTUSAN SARAWAK paper.. You can see it on period 0:09 to 0:15...
Owner This Video

For those from Utusan sarawak members maybe notice that this is the FAKE one. Please do not do this again, RM1 is not worth for me to buy your Paper with the STUPID FAKE NEWS!!!!!

2nd Hand - Exhaust - For Sale

2009-02-07T02:04:00.000-08:00

Description : 2nd hand Exhaust (owner-Mohamad Iszlie Aziz- My brother) is now for Sale to all serious buyer only! - 100% Serviceable - Tip Top.

Price : RM 200.00 - Neg. (Original Price RM450.00 as on Dec08)
(+RM50 -Inclusive Courier by Pos Laju -Outside Kuching) - Any Balance will be banked in back to your account - Free **Safety Packaging Service)

SIZE : Front Hole Cyl. - 3inch +/-
Center Cylinder - 6inch +/-
Long - 30inch/3ft +/-

Reason To Sell : Changed To Double Exhaust

To Those who interested - do SMS to this number 0128875784.
I will not entertain any call.

First come first serve basis only.

**The item will be packed as per IATA safety standard.

Sarawak floods: 1,300 still at relief centres

2009-02-02T15:45:00.000-08:00

Some 1,300 evacuees from 255 families remained at 23 relief centres in central and northern Sarawak as the flood situation improved Monday.

An official from the state flood operations room said seven relief centres were still open in Miri, six in Sibu and five each in Bintulu and Mukah.

The evacuees included 48 people from eight families in the Skuau Resettlement Area near Sibu whose homes had been affected by landslides and road cave-ins.

“They are being housed at the Skuau community hall. The Public Works Department is working to repair the road where the cave-in occured as well as other damaged roads,” the official said.

She added that the water levels in most of the flooded areas were receding as there was not much rain Monday compared with previous days.

However, she said Kuching, Samarahan, Betong, Mukah and Bintulu divisions remained under a heavy rain warning.

She also said the Miri, Mukah, Bintulu and Sibu as well as state operations rooms were still operating around the clock while others were on standby and ready to be activated at any moment.

Rain, rain go away …

2009-02-02T15:24:00.000-08:00

THE weather hasn’t exactly been at its best as expected over the Chinese New Year period (What can you expect when incessant rain coincided with the King Tide, which the Sarawak Almanac so accurately stated would come at the given times?)

Depending on where you live, it is a boon or bane, or both. But it is not the usual thing to be visited upon twice, with all roads cut off within a short span of time, by flood waters that rose to two to three feet deep outside the house or a few inches or more on the ground floor.

Pity those who live in Bau, totally cut off for a few days when the only road out of the district was under several feet of water after the river overflowed its banks.

I suppose most people who have lived in the same old place have learnt to accept that fact of life. Selling the old house to buy a new one somewhere else, which you think might not get flooded is (to me) like trying to escape from a problem.

A family friend from the Ulu who is used to such visitation by divine intervention, as he would put it, can always turn to a boat with a 25hp engine, powerful enough to go against the currents and to reach the nearest dry land. It can be fun for the family, but not to many of us living in the city.

Many of us woke up on Sunday morning a fortnight ago, horrified to find that the big open space designed as a council public park outside had turned into a lake!

Pity the owners of the single storey terrace houses living across as they were under two feet of water, and the damage was evident several days later when they tried to dispose of damaged mattresses and wooden furniture.

The owners left them outside, next to Trienekens garbage containers, thinking the regular pick-up men would do the job.

No. Not this type of rubbish for the green truck. After several days, the affected house owners had little choice but to hire a pickup truck to remove the discarded household items.

Maybe the owners could have called up the company and negotiated or maybe the Trienekens men could have offered some suggestions and even help take away the discarded household items for a small fee, as a public service.

I am wondering whose responsibility it is to remove the debris left behind by the receding floodwaters at the roadsides and open spaces in front of many residential areas. The local council or house owners? As house owners, we do pay assessment rates and expect such services to be rendered by the local council.

True, these are small things but small things add up to become big things, and could become big issues too, which some politicians would love to pick up.

My friend CM Ong and I were driving in his four-wheel drive along the main Batu Kawa Road on the day many parts of Kuching city were under water. Parts of the highway were almost impassable as they were under a foot of water near the traffic lights, just before Petronas station in Batu Kawa.

We thought it would have helped traffic flow if either PWD or the local council had sent trucks to place some stones to raise the road as a temporary solution, instead of allowing long queues of almost motionless traffic to form.

You can be sure that when traffic lights are down, it is unlikely that anyone would spring up to direct the heavy traffic. They’d probably feel it’s too wet or cold to be out there, standing in the middle of the road, directing the traffic while technicians are summoned to fix the traffic lights.

Would they come if you call them at the numbers displayed nearby? Hardly.

I am writing this in the backroom, which is my office of sort overlooking the back garden, beyond which is the heavily overcast sky at almost noon time. I had just got back from town, using what I would call Hacienda Road (thanks to Peter Kuek, the guy who used to operate the joint in the middle of nowhere a long time ago) near Sky Garden in Kuching. Parts of that road near the houses and shophouses were submerged in water.

The water level at Sungai Maong was also rising and soon to overflow its banks. The first affected houses would be those built close to the river.

A friend bought a piece of land nearby and built a nice house on it, believing it would never be flooded. Well, he was wrong. On FLOOD DAY, he rang up to say he couldn’t get out of his house! His house is near Chung Hua School No. 6, a place that is prone to floods from the frequent overflowing of nearby Sungai Maong.

The question everyone is asking is: What is the solution to the perennial problem? The Barrage or build a well-planned central sewerage system across Kuching city? Expensive, yes. But it has to be done, now or later. Of course, that is no solution should the seawater suddenly rise and flood the neighbouring areas due to some earth movement or for whatever scientific reason.

The likes of the recent floods in Jalan Padungan had never been seen before this, according to the affected shopkeepers. One ground floor shop selling household provisions and newspapers was under two feet of water. A week later when I went to buy a newspaper, the damage caused by the flood was still evident.

Almost everyone saw how bad the flood was. Yes, it is close to Sungai Sarawak. But we are supposed to have a barrage that can help get rid of the accumulated floodwater quickly. What happened? Was the barrage being manned at that time? Were the gates opened when it rained overnight upcountry and coincided with the King Tide?

Perhaps the authorities concerned should come up with a plausible explanation as to why after the heavy rain and King Tide, the old town centres were flooded as were many other parts of Kuching city.

It’s not enough to announce that a new river diversion channel is going to be built at a cost of RM130 million or more and that it should help solve the flood problems. Would it really? Planning is either too late and too little, or there is little planning to handle what officials call ‘flood mitigation problems’.

We must come clean to tell the rakyat just where the problems are, and whether this is being tackled and how. Otherwise questions remain indefinitely.

I remember that Violet Yong, the DAP assemblywoman for Pending, raised the issue in the State Legislative Assembly some time ago, but whether the minister responsible had responded or whether his reply had been publicised at all, I am not sure. Other elected opposition representatives also raised the same questions, reflecting the concerns of their constituents. Rightly so.

Without any concrete and positive measures being taken, we are going to face the same or even more serious problems in the years ahead with no real solution in sight. More land is being taken up by houses, shops, offices and schools, and the result is easily predictable if the drainage system is practically non-existent or remains in its present state and if there do not exist a properly-planned and well-developed central sewerage system (as we see in big cities like Singapore, KL, Hong Kong, Taipei, Tokyo and Seoul and even New York and London).

It is often said that the weather is ever so unpredictable. True. How do we forecast the unpredictability? Can we really? The degree of accuracy is probably more uncertain than to tell when the world is going to get out of its present economic and financial crisis, and when tens of thousands who have lost their factory jobs are going to get them back.

If there is consolation to some people, however, it is that there is a Chinese belief that water can also bring good luck.

So some people actually welcome the sight of water, especially before the Chinese New Year, believing it to be a good omen! The time, day, date and year it happened are good numbers for some punters too! The 6/49 and 6/52 provide enough space for all the numbers! .. But Im not played the number.. Haram for Muslim

It is also said that rain is sometimes followed by fire, and fire has many signs which can be interpreted in many ways too.

It’s still raining heavily outside since morning where I live.

Difficult to tell when it will end but I have to end now. Before I do let us wish those celebrating a wet CNY all the best for the Year of the Ox.

Useful Number for those who live in Kuching

2009-02-02T15:15:00.000-08:00

Useful Numbers

1. Kuching Resident Office 082-243301
2. Kuching District Office 082-414310
3. Kuching City South Council 082-242311
4. Kuching City North Commission 082-446688
5. Padawan Municipal Council 082-615566
6. Fire and Rescue Services 082-256685
7. Bomba Kuching 082-417712/994
8. Sarawak General Hospital 082-257555
9. Triennekens (waste collector) 082-612300 (KCH) 086-253959 (BTU)
10. Kuching Water Board (emergency) 082-240069
11. Sarawak Tourism Board 082-423600
12. Radio Taxi 082-341818
13. Astro Service Centre 082-294188
14. Kuching Central Post Office 082-244141
15. Pustaka Negeri Sarawak 082-442000
16. DBKU Library 082-244403
17. Kuching Civic Centre Library 082-416030
18. Telekom 082-429191
19. Kuching Airport 082-454242
20. Airport Information Services 082-457373
21. Road Transport Department 082-628700
22. Natural Resources Environment Board 082-447488
23. Domestic Trade and Consumers Affairs 082-245202
24. Kuching Port Authority 082-482144
25. Meteorological Services Department 082-257712
26. Weather forecast 082-452454
27. Marine Search and Rescue Centre 082-333205

Geologists to hand in report on Canada Hill today

2009-02-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

Geology experts who are currently in Miri now to study the land structure of Canada Hill will present the initial report on their findings today.

The report would be presented to the Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, Datuk Peter Chin, who is also the Member of Parliament for Miri, during a briefing session at the Miri Resident office.

Eights experts from different authorities in Kuala Lumpur arrived here yesterday to join the earlier group of three experts led by PWD’s Head of Research and Development, Dr. Che Hassandi Abdullah.

The eight are Selangor Director of Natural Resources and Environment Board, Dr. Zakaria Mohamad, Director of International Research Center on Disaster Prevention (IRCDP) UiTM International Centre, Prof. Dr. Roslan Zainal Abidin, Yang Emirza-Ain Mat Aris and Fadullah Jili Fursani Kemrry (both from IRCDP), and four from Mineral and Geosciences Department of Malaysia - Syed Omar, Zaidi Daud, Mohd Azhar Abdullah and Robin Junang.

Another expert, Deputy Director of NREB Sarawak, Dr. Richard Mani, will be joining them today.

Upon arrival in Kuching, the eight experts were brought to the Miri Division Disaster Operation Room for a briefing conducted by Deputy Miri Resident, Boniface Intang.
Meanwhile, eight houses in Kampung Lereng Bukit, at the foothills of Canada Hill, were destroyed when a landslide occurred at 1.04 pm last January 30. Fortunately, all the 78 affected victims managed to escape in time.

Nine cheated death in road cave-in - Sibuti

2009-02-02T05:19:00.000-08:00

SIBUTI: Nine people escaped death when the vehicles they were in, plunged into a ravine after a road near Kampung Beraya caved in last Saturday evening.

All the victims, including an eight months’ pregnant woman, were reported safe and only suffered minor injuries.

A section of the road at Kampung Beraya, about two kilometres from the main road junction, had caved in when the soil beneath it gave way and created a 15-metre deep and 35-metre wide ravine across the road.

The ravine had cut off the road link to Kampung Beraya. However, there are two alternative roads to reach four other villages in the area.

The nine people were travelling in two vehicles and in separate directions. Six in a 4WD pick-up were coming from the direction of Kampung Beraya while three in a Proton Iswara were going in the direction of the village. Four people in the pick-up truck were relatives of Telang Usan State Assemblyman, Lihan Jok.

The two vehicles approached each other and plunged into the ravine almost at the same time. Luckily, all in the two vehicles survived the plunge with minor injuries. The villagers helped them out of the ravine and sent the injured to Miri Hospital.

“It was dark and we were not able to see clearly ahead of us. We did not know that a section of the road had collapsed. What we had come across were sections of the road submerged by flood water,” said one of the victims, who wished anonymity.

Deputy Chief Minister, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam, visited the injured victims at the hospital Saturday night after learning of the incident.

Assistant Minister of Infrastructure Development and Communication, Lee Kim Shin, Pujut State Assemblyman Andy Chia, Political Secretary of Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities, Sebastian Ting and Miri City Council (MCC) Mayor, Lawrence Lai joined Chan in the visit to hospital.

New Image - of Sarawak River bank

2009-01-31T06:36:00.000-08:00

Permaidani Tebingan Boyan-Gersik-Sourabay will be one of the most attractive places to Sarawak visitor after the launch on this March 2009 of this high rated food court which is still under construction and will be completed by this end of February 2009.

The premises which was located just opposite with the City of Kuching can be access by land through PJ road and also by 'Penambang'(Small Boat) that will cost you as low as RM0.50! And the premises will be open for sale all local food such as, Laksa Sarawak, Sea food, etc. By delevoping this project, it shall open up the new image for those nearby villager as the modern and opened area.

Visitor also have a chance to get a great view of Kuching City during the night time..very nice.. Let the picture story everything.. :)

Kapit the silent city...

2009-01-30T06:25:00.000-08:00

Sarawakian may know Kapit by word only, and some of non local Kapit are less info about this place. Kapit is one of the smallest city that i know la.. Till now the main transport to get their is by express boat, that u can get it from Sarikei Port or Sibu Port.

Kapit Division is a mountainous region mostly (80%) covered by dense primary forests. Low lying plains are found in Sungai Tunoh, Sungai Melinau, Sungai Tiau, Sungai Mujong, Nanga Merit and Nanga Lajan areas.

Undulating low hills are also found in areas between Bakun Resettlement Scheme in Sungai Asap and Tabau.

The mighty Rejang River (at 551 km), the longest river in Malaysia, and its main upper tributaries, Batang Baleh, Batang Katibas, Batang Balui and Sungai Belaga flow through the division. These rivers are the main means of transportation in the division.

From Sibu, Song is 85km away and Kapit 126km. Both are found off the Rejang River. Belaga is located in the upper Rejang Basin, at the confluence of the Belaga and Balui Rivers and is about 281km from Sibu town (155km from Kapit).

From Sibu, you can start travelling to Kapit and Belaga. There is no road and air access to Kapit. The town is accessible only by fast riverboats (locally called express boats) plying between Sibu, Song and Kapit. The services start as early as 0545 (from Sibu) / 0640 (from Kapit) and end at 1430 (from Sibu) / 1515 (from Kapit) daily. The express boats berth at Sibu Express Boat Terminal beside Rejang Esplanade. The one-way fares for Sibu-Song trip are between RM17.00-RM20.00 and for Sibu-Kapit trip, the fares are between RM20.00-RM40.00.

Express Boat

The journey takes from 2 ½ to 3 ½ hours, depending on the number of stops made. Some express boats make non-stop trips. Please bring along your sweater as it can be quite cold in the air-conditioned express boats. Please arrive at the express boat 15 minutes before departure time.

Passenger Express Vessel
Daily Operation Schedule
Sibu/Song/Kapit

No.	Vessel	ETD (Sibu)	ETA (Song)	ETA (Kapit)	Passenger Capacity	Remarks
1.	Asian Vision	0545	0745	0845	94
2.	Success Vision	0615	0815	0915	90
3.	Wah Wah No.3	0700	0900	1000	76
4.	Sarawak Boleh 168	730	-	1015	131	Direct
5.	Khai Kiong Express	0830	1030	1130	85
6.	Kapit Boleh 268	0930	1130	1230	96
7.	Bahagia 2002	1000	1200	1300	97
8.	Husqvarna Kita	1045	1245	1345	60
9.	Wawasan Kapit	1145	1345	1445	100
10.	Sibu Boleh 168	1230	-	1515	96	Direct
11.	Public Express 95	1300	1500	1600	114
12.	Bahagia 2020	1345	1545	1645	104
13.	Good Success 818	1430	1700	1815	96

Passenger Express Vessel
Daily Operation Schedule
Kapit/Song/Sibu

No.	Vessel	ETD (Kapit)	ETA (Song)	ETA (Sibu)	Passenger Capacity	Remarks
1.	Wawasan Kapit	0640	0725	0925	100
2.	Public Express 95	0715	0800	1000	114
3.	Sibu Boleh 168	0730	-	1000	96	Direct
4.	Good Success 818	0800	0845	1045	96
5.	Bahagia 2020	0900	0945	1145	104
6.	Asian Vision	0930	-	1200	94	Direct
7.	Success Vision	1030	1115	1315	90
8.	Wah Wah No.3	1130	1215	1415	76
9.	Sarawak Boleh 168	1230	-	1500	131	Direct
10.	Khai Kiong Express	1315	1400	1600	85
11.	Bahagia 2002	1345	1430	1630	97
12.	Kapit Boleh 268	1415	-	1645	96	Direct
13.	Husqvarna Kita	1515	1600	1800	60

For visitors who wish to travel up t0 Belaga from Kapit, one express boat departs daily at 0900 (please check in advance) from Kapit. The journey takes about 4-5 hours and one-way fares range from RM30.00-RM35.00. Foreign visitors to Belaga are required to apply a tourist permit at Kapit Resident's Office.

However, Belaga is not accessible by express boats during the dry season or when the water level is low (please check in advance). Visitors are advised to wear life jackets as the boats will pass through notorious Pelagus Rapids and a number of smaller sets of rapids before reaching Belaga. Air link to Belaga is not available at the moment. Nevertherless, to really see and enjoy the Batang Rejang, visitors are encouraged to travel by boat.

Passenger Express Vessel
Daily Operation Schedule
Kapit/Belaga

No.	Vessel	ETD	ETA	Passenger Capacity	Remarks
1.	Bakun Mas No.3 / Bakun Mas No.4 / Burung Mas 5 / Burung Mas 8 / Kawan Mas	0900	1430	64	Only one vessel departs daily

Passenger Express Vessel
Daily Operation Schedule
Belaga/Kapit

No.	Vessel	ETD	ETA	Passenger Capacity	Remarks
1.	Bakun Mas No.3 / Bakun Mas No.4 / Burung Mas 5 / Burung Mas 8 / Kawan Mas	0730	1230	64	Only one vessel departs dailyily

What's Attract Kapit

There are few most attractive place when u planning to go to Kapit,
The place are as follows.. you may click to the link below for more details

Long house

The best memory that i never forget is when i was in medical trip jobs. During that time i was helping my oldest brother to finished his studied about soil virus, we both staying every single longhouse in Kapit for a period of 2month!!!, taking all blood sample for his study. From that particular time, i get myself to learned and to get know everything they have. They bring me fishing, collect some Durian, and what really surprissed me that one of the family long house member at age of 11-years-old boy owned a porcupine with weigth of 3kg(very big!!!) as his Pet!! wow.. 1st time i saw it i was too afraid of it.. wonder if the porcupine shot me by its torn!!!

Centre of Kapit

Local Fish - Only Available @ Kapit

The cool thing about Kapit is, even this place were far from big city like Sibu or Kuching, they got their own website and that showed Kapit is not 'DI ANAKTIRIKAN' in Sarawak development. You may click to the link for more details about Kapit. All information were there, just a click away! ... >>> Go To Kapit Now!!! <<<

Have a nice trip guys!

P/s - Once u visit there u will know how cool it was.. even ur mind set ala... sama la di kampung aku.. hahaha.. no no.. this is diferent. Totally different.

Shopping Complexes In Kuching

2009-01-30T05:21:00.000-08:00

Some of you in Kuching maybe know that Kuching community still need more shopping complexes, or hypermall such as Boulevard Mall, and The Spring, while the rise of shopping complexes in Kuching there were still a problem that most of Kuching commnunity most needed to get improvement, despite the rising of numbers.

Refer to my last random interviewed to those 'Window-shoppers' and 'Shoppers' within Kuching, they told me that Kuching still need more cheaper complexes, such as what in KL and Sabah have now. Here in Kuching u never get a high quality with the cheapest price such as Tesco, Giant, or even Mydin.

The Spring Mall Kuching

On the recent Grand opening of The Spring, Boulevard, Green Height Mall, One TJ, but still cannot fulfil Kuching needed! Last week Im going out with my sister, and her husband together with their 2 cute children, we both go to The Spring to get something to eat there.. hehe..Then i found 1 nice stall that sold balloon and I want to buy 1 balloon to both of my sister son, what shocked me is the price RM6.90 each lor.. Plus its only filled with normal air pump!.. WT..... huhu.. nevermind this is the first and the last!!

With RM6.90, i can buy One packed of it .. total of 15pcs balloon!...
But, despite of this high class shopping complexes rising, i think its good also for Kuching and Sarawak growth economy. Nowadays, there are 5 new airlines and new routes to Kuching! Brunei Airlines, Tiger Air, Silk Air, and direct flight from Penang, Jakarta, Macau & Brunei.. and the latest will coming on this next March09 is Jetstar Airline from Singapore. For your info also, till now total airline that service route to SINGAPORE is 5 (MAS, AirAsia, Tiger Airways, Silk Air and new comer is Jetstar). Can you imagine?? 5 diference airlines for only two destination Singapore-Kuching??

So, from that we may think that this could be the best way to make Sarawak more attractive. But i still hope someday there was a place for poor people like me will get their own chosen shopping complexes, with reasonable price.

2 years im working as a station officer in Kuching International Airport, a lot of members from MAB, MAs, and Airasia staff flying direct flight to Jakarta by AK since the direct flt was launched last year. Jakarta is most cheapers place for shopping. By this fact we know that Kuching is still need more than what their have now.. :)

Top Spot Seafood Kuching- Top Seafood In Kuching

2009-01-30T03:52:00.000-08:00

Hey guys! I think everybody know where is this place. Located at the Kuching city centre at the Bukit Mata hill, just next to the newly shopping & hotel (Novotel Interhill Hotel) which will be launch by this mid-2009.

We called it seafood heaven. Lol.. You can get everything fresh and yummy seafood here at a great price compared to any other seafood restaurant in Kuching. The last time I've been there was in the last december08, we were spend total of RM900!! with 20type of different recipes/seafood, and 26glasses of water..:) If u see the amount of course its sound really expensive, but when its come to ur eyes, u will know that this price is much UMPHH...
hard to describe..:) kira OK la... Lolol..

U can choose whatever u like!.. 100% freshh!!. :)

For ur info, this place never been empty! always full, i still remember on last July07 when i was bring my niece coming from KUL, just to bring them to try the taste of seafood, but we cannot make it lor.. no space for us! huhu... So, mind urself if u planned to go there with a large numbers of member better booking first, or else u gonna think of other places. :)

U can get various MENU from Top Spot Seafood! Try It Yourself!..
(Pic. From : lh4.ggpht.com)

There are various choice for u when u reached there. Its all depends on ur choice, plus u can request special recipe for the cooker to cooked ur choosen seafood!

So, whenever u will come here to Kuching, dont forget to taste the great recipe of Seafood.. :)

Sarawak Will Face FLOOD's SECOND WAVE

2009-01-30T02:43:00.000-08:00

For those who live in Kuching, or within the region of Sarawak Maybe know about the raining season that we faced now. In Kuching, it's been 2 days (sin 29jan09) non stop heavy rain resulting several area in Kuching such as Batu Kawa and Matang also involving several area within Sarawak river bank.

Picture from : tzuchi.org

The rain clouds are right over Kuching. Although the clouds are moving all the time, the centre is still in Kuching. We hope by this late afternoon (Jan 29) the rain clouds would go off, as far as i concern State Disaster Relief Committee (Sarawak) have warned several residents about the second wave of rain especially Bau, through radio broadcast this morning.

Yesterday, Ive just got info regarding flash flood occurred in several areas here, Bau and Siniawan were the worst affected.

Donation for Flood Victim

The intermittent rain expected in the next couple of days over various parts of Sarawak as strong north easterly winds were still prevailing over coastal areas of the state.

I just got a report from metrological which i get it from my operation office at Kuching Airport, the rainfall yesterday in Kuching is a bit heavier. At 11am(Jan 29), total rainfall is 159 millimetres, hopefully it would not reach up to 200 millimetres, refer to the last total rainfall on Jan 10 was 225 millimetres and Jan 11, 205 millimetres that resulting a massive flood in Kuching city.

The first major flood occurred several days starting Jan 11, heavy rain yesterday was unexpected and the rain clouds were changing very fast, making it hard to predict accurately. As the tide level fortunately is not so high and still have time to drain out the water before the tide.

King tides on Jan 29 were forecast to reach 10.4m, Jan 30, 10.3m and Jan 31, 10.2m. I think Kuching would be saved from floods if the rain stops by this evening (Jan 29). However, we could not confirm this due the weather can changed in any time, no one on earth can predict the accurate weather report!!

State Disaster Relief Committee (Sarawak) chairman also told that SMS report will be send through all mobile operators within the flood area.

Out from Kuching, in Sibu also hit quite badly by flood waters, especially in Selangau. As far as i know now total of nine evacuation centres have been set up throughout the state - one in Miri, three in Bintulu and five in Sibu. The total number of evacuees was 795 people from an estimated 140 families.

Several roads also had been cut off by floods - road to three villages in Suai, Miri; Kg Hilir and Jalan Pekan Lama in Tatau, Bintulu while road to Kpg Pandan in Sebauh and Tubau, Bintulu was not accessible to small vehicles.

Please keep yourself more safer especially people who stay near to landslide-prone areas to be on the alert. Refer to the last landslide incident which was claimed 5 lives this year was becoming more dangerous than FLOODS!!!

So, pa & Ma, grand Pa and Ma, who in Sarawak, please be careful, we cannot predict the accurate report. We only normal people, Its all happened on God Will.. Just Pray and keep away from any danger!]

Sarawak.. [Coordinates: 2°30′N 113°15′E]

2009-01-30T02:25:00.000-08:00

Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang (‘Land of the Hornbills’), it is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia; the second largest, Sabah, lies to the northeast.

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The administrative capital is Kuching - The name Kuching literally means ‘cat’ (kucing).But the origin Kuching is named by Indian, who called it - Coo-ching - Means for Port. Major cities and towns also include Sibu, Miri and Bintulu . As of last census (Dec 31, 2006), the state population was 2,357,500. For more details about the population see Demographics of Malaysia, though it is interesting to note that Sarawak is, like Sabah to the north, a multicultural state, with no ethnic majority. The majority of Sarawak's people are non-Muslim; there are over 30 ethnic (non-Malay) indigenous/natives groups in Sarawak.

History of Sarawak

The eastern seaboard of Borneo had been charted (though never settled) by the Portuguese in the early 16th century. The area of today's Sarawak was known to Portuguese cartographers as Cerava. Sarawak had been a loosely governed territory under the control of the Brunei Sultanate in the early 19th century, although in the early 17th century Sarawak had her own the first and the last Sultan, Sultan Tengah. During the reign of Pangeran Indera Mahkota in 19th century, Sarawak was in chaos. Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II (1827-1852), the Sultan of Brunei, ordered Pangeran Muda Hashim in 1839 to restore order and it was during this time that James Brooke arrived in Sarawak. Pangeran Muda Hashim initially requested assistance but James Brooke refused. In 1841, James Brooke paid another visit to Sarawak and this time he agreed to assist. Pangeran Muda Hashim signed a treaty in 1841 surrendering Sarawak and Sinian to James Brooke. Thereafter, on 24 September 1841, Pangeran Muda Hashim bestowed the title Governor to James Brooke. He effectively became the Rajah of Sarawak and founded the White Rajah Dynasty of Sarawak, later extending his administration through an agreement with the Sultan of Brunei.

Sir James Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak.

Brooke was appointed Rajah by the Sultan of Brunei on August 18, 1842; originally this territory was just the western end of later Sarawak, around Kuching. He ruled Sarawak until his death in 1868. His nephew Charles Anthoni Johnson Brooke became Rajah after his death; he was succeeded on his death in 1917 by his son, Charles Vyner Brooke, with a provision that Charles should rule in consultation with his brother Bertram Brooke. The territory was greatly expanded under the White Rajahs, mostly at the expense of areas nominally under the control of Brunei. In practice Brunei had only controlled strategic river and coastal forts in much of the lost territory, and so most of the gain was at the expense of Muslim warlords and of the de facto independence of local tribes.

The Brooke dynasty ruled Sarawak for a hundred years and became famous as the "White Rajahs", accorded a status within the British Empire similar to that of the rulers of Indian princely states. In contrast to many other areas of the empire, however, the Brooke family was intent on a policy of paternalism to protect the indigenous population against exploitation. They governed with the aid of the Muslim Malay and enlisted the Ibans and other "Dayak" as a contingent militia. They also encouraged the immigration of Chinese merchants but forbade the Chinese to settle outside of towns in order to minimize the impact on the Dayak way of life. They also established the Sarawak Museum, the first museum in Borneo.

In the early part of 1941 preparations were afoot to introduce a new constitution, designed to limit the power of the Rajah and give the people of Sarawak a greater say in government. While the intention was clearly admirable, the draft constitution contained defects and improprieties, not least by reason of a secret agreement drawn up between Charles Vyner Brooke and his top government officials, by which he was to be financially compensated for this gesture out of treasury funds.

Japan invaded Sarawak and occupied the island of Borneo in 1941, occupying Miri on December 16 and Kuching on December 24, and held it for the duration of World War II until the area was secured by Australian forces in 1945. The Rajah formally ceded sovereignty to the British Crown on July 1, 1946, under pressure from his wife among others. In addition the British Government offered a healthy pension to sweeten the negotiations. His nephew Anthony continued to claim sovereignty as Rajah of Sarawak.

After the end of the Second World War, Anthony Brooke then opposed the cession of the Rajah's territory to the British Crown, and was associated with anti-secessionist groups in Sarawak. Anthony was banished from the country. He was allowed to return only seventeen years later, when Sarawak became part of the Federation of Malaysia. Sarawak became a British colony (formerly an independent state under British protection) in July 1946, but Brooke's campaign continued. The Malays in particular resisted the cession to Britain, dramatically assassinating the first British governor.

Sarawak was officially granted independence on July 22, 1963, and was admitted into the federation of Malaysia on September 16, 1963, to the initial opposition from parts of the population. Sarawak was also a flashpoint during the Indonesian Confrontation between 1962 and 1966.