KUCHING: Housing Development Corporation (HDC) is currently undergoing restructuring with a focus on social housing and adopting corporate culture. Chairman Datuk Dr Abang Abdul Rauf Abang Zen said in terms of social housing, HDC is working on a formula to, among others, enable those with a monthly household income of RM3,500 and below to own affordable housing priced between RM50,000 and RM60,000. “Our main core business is to provide affordable housing. If you survey the household income of those with RM3,500 and below, they can only afford to have around RM200 as disposable income to pay for their house. “So with the disposable income of RM200 a month, they will be able to pay for houses that are priced between RM50,000 and RM60,000. So we are trying to get more ...

SIBU: Local councils are urged to beef up enforcement to prevent backyard burning by the public in view of the prevailing dry weather. Assistant Minister of Local Government Datu Dr Penguang Manggil said such activity could contribute to air pollution and pose a nuisance to others adding that it was important to work towards a clean and sustainable environment. “Ministry of Local Government and Housing is always impressing upon local councils to beef up enforcement to prevent backyard burning. “This is as provided for under the Local Authorities Ordinance and the Public Health By-laws,” Penguang told The Borneo Post yesterday. The Marudi assemblyman’s remarks came following Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Dato Sri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar’s ...

Abang Johari being greeted upon his arrival at the Hari Raya open house hosted by Fadillah (on his left). KUCHING: People in Sarawak, especially those in the urban areas, are expected to enjoy faster Internet speed soon. Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said works to increase Internet speed had started. “It’s just a matter of connecting all the major players to lay the basic infrastructure, the fibre optics as well as the cloud for feeding,” he told reporters when visiting the Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house hosted by Minister of Works Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof here yesterday. Accompanying him was his wife Datin Amar Datuk Juma’ani Tun Tuanku Bujang. The Chief Minister said studies on the location of additional towers had also ...

JULAU: 1Malaysia Sarawak Advisory Council (1MSAC) chairman Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum refuted criticism that micro-hydroelectricity projects implemented for longhouses in farflung areas in the state are a waste of government funds. He said such criticisms were grossly unfair and unfounded because these projects would benefit the targeted groups. Salang, speaking yesterday before launching a microhydroelectricity system project at Rumah Kedit in Sungai Buloh in Nanga Kemalih —about three hours’ drive on gravel road from here—said the projects are meant for rural folks not connected to the state grid. “The projects have been proven effective to let them enjoy a better standard of living with regular and stable power supply,” he said. “On ...

KUCHING: The most challenging issue faced by the newly gazetted Ministry of Utilities comes in the form of funding as it will need billions of ringgit to implement three major components; namely, the gas distribution grid system, water grid system and communication infrastructure. Its minister Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi said in facing such daunting task, the ministry would implement these mega projects in stages. “Funding will be our major challenge. But, we will look for the money from both the state and federal governments. Our target is to put them in place by 2030. By then Sarawak will be a developed state and we can expect the vast majority of our people will have access to these utilities,” he told The Borneo Post here yesterday. He said the implementation ...

’THE state targets to achieve full rural electrification by 2025, revealed Rural Electricity and Water Supply Minister Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom. In order to accelerate the transformation of rural areas, he said a Cabinet Committee on Rural Transformation has been tasked to oversee the Key Result Area (KRA) of providing electricity supply to rural households in the state. “The state recognised that almost half of our population live in rural areas dispersed sparsely across geographically challenging terrain especially in the interior. “Nevertheless, the state is committed to provide everyone with 24-hour electricity under its Rural Transformation Programme (RTP),” he said in his winding-up speech at the 18th State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting ...

  EXPLORATION of the digital economy will be a new dimension in the development in Sarawak which would be a source of economic growth for more opportunities to the communities, especially the rural community and youth to participate in programmes such as e-commerce, e-health and e-learning. In view of this, Rural Electricity and Water Supply Minister Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom said various planning is in place for communication infrastructure to be upgraded and new communication towers to be implemented. “Among the initiatives are the addition of 240 new communication towers, upgrading of 395 existing towers to provide 3G and 4G services, and continuing efforts to connect over 600 towers with optical fibres for better broadband coverage and services,” he ...

Dr Sim (right) seen leaving the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) complex yesterday with Datuk Sebastian Ting (BN-Piasau). HOUSING Development Corporation (HDC) targets to construct 1,000 units of affordable houses with an allocation of RM300 million under the 11th Malaysia Plan. Minister of Local Goverment and Housing Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian said two housing programmes had been launched by the state government to achieve the target and to assist the low-income group in addressing their housing needs. The two programmes are Skim Perumahan Khas Rakyat (Spektra) and Program Rumah Spektra Permata. The first programme was launched in April last year and the second in Feb this year. “Under the first programme, all private developers are required to build affordable ...

The state government will establish a taskforce to accelerate development of the Gunung Sadok Agropolitan Project, specifically on charting its direction, strategies, business model and action plan. The taskforce will be chaired by Deputy Chief Minister 1, YB Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who is also the Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development. Assistant Minister of Native Land Development, YB Datuk Roland Sagah Wee Inn said this in response to Engkilili assemblyman YB Johnical Rayong Ngipa during the 4th day of the 1st Meeting of the 2nd Term of the 18th State Legislative Assembly on 16th May, 2017. The Gunung Sadok Agropolitan Project – encompassing an area of 295,571 hectares within Sri Aman, Betong and Sarikei Divisions – ...

Abang Johari (third left), flanked by Dr Rundi on his right and Uggah, and others give their thumbs-up after the launch of SARES at 29-household Rh Irai. SEBAUH: Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg says the state’s top priority is to develop rural infrastructure. “It may be costly but the investment is a must in order to bring more development for the rural people,” he said when officiating at Sarawak Alternative Rural Electrification Scheme (SARES) in Rh Irai Gasing, Sungai Binyo about one and a half hour-boat ride from here yesterday. The chief minister had always said since the rural people voted overwhelmingly to ensure comfortable win for the Barisan Nasional (BN), the rural community deserved more than what they had now in terms of ...