KUCHING: Fairy Cave Nature Reserve will be charging nominal entrance fees on all visitors to the reserve effective Jan 1, 2014. Sarawak Forestry in a press release yesterday said that an adult Malaysian IC holder will be charged RM1 while admission is free for disabled person and children. As for non-Malaysian, the entrance fee for adults will be RM5 each, disabled person (RM3), children aged 7 to 18 (RM2) while children aged 6 and below can enter for free. Fairy Cave, located in Bidi, Bau, was first published as a nature reserve on May 23 of this year. It features several unusual stalactites and stalagmites, formed over thousands of years ago. The stalagmite structure at the entrance is said to resemble a Chinese deity whereas the rock surface outside the cave has attracted ...

APPRECIATION: A representative from Miri City Council Health Department Nicholas Raro (second left) handing over a certificate and plaque to a recipient, witnessed by Chua (left) and a KPDNKK officer. MIRI: Fifty-six retailers who passed the assessment under the Smart Enforcement Programme here received a certificate and plaque each. It was to thank them for cooperating with the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry (KPDNKK) in practising a honest way of doing business. According to head of KPDNKK Miri, Thomas Chua Kee Chuan, the assessment included spot checks on weighing scales and display of price tags. “But sadly the 56 retailers who passed were only half of the total 109 retailers assessed last year; the other half failed during the ...

ASSISTANCE: Norkiah (right) handing over a mock cheque to an association witnessed by Fatimah (second right). KUCHING: Advancing age is not an excuse for healthy elderly folks not to be involved in co-operatives, said Welfare, Women and Family Development Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah. She said the government through the Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Ministry had provided facilities including grants and financial assistance up to RM80,000 for the purpose. “It’s a grant automatically offered based on the cooperative project proposed to the Malaysia Cooperative Commission.” “The new cooperative will be given a loan up to RM50,000 without collateral compared to commercial banks. It gives a newly set up co-operative the funds ...

OFFICIAL OPENING: Morshidi cutting a ribbon to open the exhibition at Plaza Merdeka. KUCHING: Plaza Merdeka was abuzz with activity yesterday with the 2013 Sarawak Civil Service Day celebration. The celebration included a two-day exhibition which lasts until today, to showcase the public service delivery in Sarawak in nine specific areas: Infrastructure and Communications, Utility and Telecommunications, Score, Natural Resources and Environment and Sarawak Transformation Initiatives. The theme for this year’s celebration is ‘Excellent Service – A Pillar of Prosperity and Harmony’. The exhibition was spread out across five levels of Plaza Merdeka shopping complex, from the lower ground floor right up to the third floor. It was launched ...

REGISTER YOUR CHILD: Fatimah (centre) speaking at the press conference flanked by representatives from the Welfare Department and different agencies. KUCHING: Women who gave birth out of wedlock are advised to register their child at the National Registration Department (JPN) as soon as possible. The child will still be issued with a birth certificate without specific particulars such as the name of the child’s father and the child’s citizenship, according to JPN. “These blank particulars will be sorted out in stages, the most important thing to do to register them as soon as possible,” said Minister of Welfare, Women and Family Development Datuk Fatimah Abdullah here yesterday. Under dire circumstances, the community leader or penghulu ...

SIBU: Critical areas like blackspots and poor road conditions along certain stretches of the Pan Borneo Trunk Road are to be addressed within five years and more overtaking lanes will be built. Works Minister Datuk Fadillah Yusof who is Petra Jaya MP told The Borneo Post this. “Some roads are in bad shape, necessitating treatment. And there are certain stretches where the volume of traffic needs to addressed apart from blackspots. Defined as critical areas, they have been identified for us to address within five years. “In the long term, we plan for the Pan Borneo Trunk Road to be a dual carriageway (four lanes) by 2025,” said Fadillah. The timeframe for completion of improvement projects was based on allocation, and when a contract was awarded, there was ...

LIMBANG: The Ministry of Works will set up a special taskforce next month to focus on its projects in Sarawak under Budget 2014. Minister of Works Datuk Fadillah Yusof said the taskforce would focus on weeding out logistics and resource bottlenecks affecting the smooth implementation of projects approved for the state. Under Budget 2014, RM500 million has been allocated for the Trans-Borneo Highway Project, while another RM200 million would go to other projects in Sarawak. “The question is do we have capacity to deliver if there is enough machinery, materials and people with the funds approved, and this taskforce will address these issues to ensure that the money is spent wisely,” he said yesterday when inspecting the site of slope protection work at KM0.8 Limbang ...