Awang Tengah (seated fourth right), Henry (seated third right) and Naroden (seated second right) gesture with land title recipients and the rest of the gathering at Bobak Sejinjang. BAU: An industrial estate will be set up in Bau soon to create business and job opportunities to the local people, says Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan. The site for the industrial estate which is near Bau Hospital has been identified, he added. The land acquisition process has started and a consultant has been engaged to do the design. “Hopefully, it can be implemented within this year. The allocation for the proposed project has been approved. “We are going to do it in phases, starting with Phase 1 this year,” he told reporters after handing ...

Dragon and lion dance troupes perform on the street for visitors. — Photo by Chimon Upon BAU: Siniawan bazaar, which hosted a grand Chap Goh Meh celebration yesterday, will soon have its own historical gallery. Serembu assemblyman Miro Simuh said the project costing half a million ringgit is aimed at preserving the rich heritage of Siniawan for posterity. “The Siniawan historical gallery will showcase the history and significance of Siniawan, and the communities living there comprising not just the Chinese but also the Malays and Bidayuhs. “This is our effort to preserve Siniawan as a heritage site and also to attract more tourists to come here. “With the RM10 million Siniawan Waterfront project announced last year which will begin construction ...

Awang Tengah (third left) hands out the land title to one of the recipients while Harry (second left) look on. BAU: An industrial estate will be established in Bau soon to create business and job opportunities to the local people, says Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan. He said they have identified the site for the industrial estate, which is nearby Bau Hospital, and the land acquisition process has started and they have engaged a consultant to do the design. “Hopefully, it can be implemented within this year. The allocation for the proposed project has been approved. “We are going to do it in phases, starting with Phase 1 this year,” he told reporters after handing over land titles under Section 18 to the landowners in Kampung ...

File photo for illustration purposes. KUCHING: The first 50 units of Spektra Permata houses in Sibuluh, Bau, will be built next month, says Tasik Biru assemblyman Datuk Henry Harry Jinep. According to him, the project is implemented by Housing Development Corporation (HDC) while the loan provider is the Sarawak government’s agency Mutiara Mortgage & Credit Sdn Bhd. Adding on, he says the launch for the first phase will be held at Lobuh Bau this Feb 15. “A total of 164 units will be built there, with the construction for the first 50 units scheduled to take off in March. This project, the site of which is located at Mile 5 of Bau-Lundu Road, is fully funded by the Sarawak government,” he said in a statement. Henry said the houses, which ...

Johari (left), Zolkipli (right) and others walking along the trail at BLNR. SIBU: Bukit Lima Nature Reserve (BLNR) will be gazetted as ‘Urban Green Area’ in Sibu as part of the state’s conservation policy while developing Sibu town. Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Dr Abang Johari Tun Openg made the announcement this afternoon at the launching of World Wetlands Day 2020 at BLNR. Abang Johari said with such gazette, the government will provide and improve the facilities at BLNR and the surrounding areas including drainage and roads. “This place will not be used for development; it will be a green area in Sibu. Once we gazette, we will improve the infrastructure here and we will re-do the drainage around Bukit Lima area and it will become a tourism ...

Abang Johari (fourth right), Dr Sim (third right), the Committee of Management of Kuching Chung Hua Primary Schools No. 1 to 6 president Dato Wong Tiong Hock (fifth right), Wee (sixth right) and others tossing ‘yee sang’ at the event.   KUCHING: A committee is being formed to look into the interests and financial needs of Chinese schools in Sarawak, says Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg. “Any improvement or development for Chinese schools will go through this committee, (which is headed) under Minister of Local Government and Housing Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian,” said Abang Johari at a Chung Hua Primary schools management committee ‘Chap Goh Mei’ dinner at SJK Chung Hua No. 4 here last night. He said the ...

Wee (left) presenting a souvenir to Taib (second left) and Raghad (second right). – Photo by Muhammad Rais Sanusi KUCHING: Kuching South City Council (MBKS) for the year 2020 will be focusing on improving its ‘linkage and connectivity’ with its stakeholders to enhance its efficiency in serving them, said its mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng. To do so, he said MBKS and its management are going through an overhaul to re-engineer itself towards increasing the council’s capacity in managing its stakeholders, namely the state authority and its citizens. “As the mayor of Kuching South, I’ve made a few important commitments to improve our city holistically. The theme for MBKS’ year 2020 operation is to improve on ‘linkage and connectivity’. “A ...

Fatimah (fifth right) presents EFS certificates to parents who applied for the initiative. Also seen are officials from NRD and Bank Islam. — Photo by Roystein Emmor KUCHING: The Endowment Fund Sarawak (EFS) committee will be making improvements in its implementation to ensure all Sarawak newborns are able to benefit from the initiative, says Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah. The Minister of Welfare, Community Well Being, Women, Family and Childhood Development said the improvements will seek to resolve cases where the infant’s parents are underage, or declared bankrupt or are blacklisted, which prevents them from opening a bank account to received the RM1,000 in EFS funds. “For now, the applicant can appoint the next of kin apart from the parents with the ...

Karim (third left) and (from left) Human Voyage COO Shahaizereen Abdul Hamid, Snowdan, Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd Sarawak Oil head Morris Mail, Youth and Sports Ministry deputy chief secretary Ramona Mohd Razali and Nancy with the yellow jersey winner Yevgeniy Fedorov (fourth left) and Matteo Pelucchi after the jerseys presentation. – Photo by Chimon Upon KUCHING: The Sarawak government has welcomed the staging of one of the series of the prestigious Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) cycling championship in the state every year after last hosting it in 1997. Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the state has ample facilities for not only cycling but also for other sports as well. “Sarawak always welcome any proposal or organising of international ...

Abang Johari shakes hands with the locals upon his arrival. – Photo from UKAS KUCHING: Thirty-six locations including Pusa in Betong have been identified as the site for erecting new telecommunication (telco) towers to enhance digital connectivity. In pointing this out today, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said 32 of these projects are in the process of being implemented while nine others will be completed in the near future. “Four of these new telco towers have been completed. We are going to build more to improve network connection. Once all these (36 new telco towers) are completed, we will have strong signal,” he said when launching the ‘Rindok Digital@Pusa’ programme in conjunction with the Sarawakku Sayang ...