JOY OF LEARNING: Halim (centre) and NML director-general Datuk Raslin Abu Bakar (right) testing the reading skills of children during their inaugural visit to Hajah Sena Bugo Village Library at Kampung Sungai Bedil Besar Kuching. — Photo by Mahathir Haroun KUCHING: Village libraries are one of the movers for rural communities to gain more knowledge, more so now with broadband connectivity that allows more people to have access to information through the Internet. This point was highlighted by chairman of the Advisory Board of National Library of Malaysia (NLM) Datuk Seri Halim Safie yesterday, who also said with the Internet, libraries have become a place rich in resources. “This is an era where we are over connected. The Internet has brought the ...

KUCHING: Planning for the integration of tourism in the overall development policies, plans and patterns of a country or city is just as important as planning for the integration within the tourism system. Tourism Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said that planning for the overall integration, for example, would resolve any potential conflicts such as over usage of certain resources or locations for various types of developments. “It also provides for a multi-use of expensive infrastructure to serve the needs of the community as well as tourism,” Abang Johari said at the launch of Global Tourism Cities Conference 2013 (GTCC 2013) at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here yesterday. His speech was read out by chief political secretary to the Chief Minister, ...

LET IT BEGIN: Jabu (second left), flanked from the left by Rosey, Marcus, Abdillah and Lihan, officiating at the opening ceremony of Education Management Conference 2013. MIRI: Teachers are the front-liners in producing the manpower to propel Sarawak towards achieving Vision 2020, and their leadership is crucial in meeting the nation’s goal of becoming a competitive nation. It is also appropriate to note that the state’s education infrastructure has experienced a quantum leap, from barely 10 secondary schools to 185 throughout the state in the past 50 years of independence, though much more needs to be done. This was said by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang when representing Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud to officiate ...

SIBU: The two families in Kampung Seduan whose roofs were damaged by ferocious winds last Sunday evening can go about preparing for the coming fasting month. Sibu Welfare Department will provide these house owners with building materials to repair their damaged roofs. The officers from the department rushed to the scene after being notified. On that fateful evening, strong winds accompanied by heavy rain blew away part of the roof of Abdul Rahman Rajaee’s house. The house of his neighbour Mohidi Edek was not spared as strong winds left an opening in the roof, exposing his belongings which got soaked by the rain. Sibu Welfare Department’s assistant director Mohd Guntor said: “We will assist them with the building materials but have yet to work out the ...

KUCHING: Researchers and engineers are urged to come up with a solid proposal to build mini-hydroelectric projects to provide energy for the rural population that are cut off from the electricity grid. Also extending the challenge to the academic fraternity and higher learning institutions, Infrastructure Development and Communication Minister Dato Sri Michael Manyin Jawong said mini-hydroelectric dams would benefit longhouses in the interiors until such a time when the government could build roads for them and connect them to the power grid. “We have vast rural areas. Considering the likes of Baram and such, to connect the electricity grid is very costly. Due to the non-existence of road infrastructure, we just cannot simply connect these areas to the grid. “While ...

Datuk Fadillah Yusof KUCHING: The 400-km dual-lane Pan-Borneo trunk road from Sibu to Miri will be upgraded to a highway latest by 2015, assured Works Minister Datuk Fadillah Yusof yesterday. He said this stretch was receiving priority attention because the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) was expected to prosper areas stretching from Sibu to Bintulu and Miri. “Certain portions of the upgrading works for areas such as Bintulu and Miri have been completed. Hopefully, the upgrading works could be completed in two to three years time,” he said after officiating at the Malaysian Malay Contractors’ Association (PKMM) Sarawak branch annual general meeting here. Next on the agenda, he added, would be to upgrade the 186-km stretch between Serian ...

LET THE CARNIVAL BEGIN: Alexander strikes the gong to officiate at the ‘Health Carnival’ held at Kanowit Hospital as Dr Alex Kim (right) and others look on. KANOWIT: Hospitals and clinics planning to organise health awareness programme have been told to promote the event well ahead to rural people before they can even attend it. Ngemah assemblyman Alexander Vincent said, short of a blitz, more publicity was needed to get them to participate in such programmes. “One of the reasons such programmes have low participation from rural people is because they do not know about it. “They can’t come if they do not know about it,” he said when officiating at a ‘Health Carnival’ held in Kanowit Hospital compound here on Friday. The ...

TOP THREE: AbangJohari (centre, front row), Lo (third from left, front row) and Syafiq (third right, front row) with the top three winning teams in the MPP Chairman Trophy (Open) category. The GGK team of Mohd Azuan Asmuni and Mohd Nazri Ahmad were the champion, followed by Sukan Lasak ATM GGK’s Jusery Gani and Muhaizar Mohamad (second) and Tim’s Fitness’ Guianus Salagan and Yatim Zainal Abidin (third). — Photo by Churchill Edward PADAWAN: The State Tourism Ministry wants the Borneo Highlands Padawan Nature Challenge (BHPNC) to be a bigger event next year as it is a proven tourism attraction. The BHPNC can be on par with the Rainforest World Music Fest (RWMF) and the ministry is willing to lend support via fund and advice to the key organiser Padawan ...

SERIAN: The Ministry of Human Resources hopes to engage 40,000 homemakers for the1Malaysia Support for Housewives Programme and 7,000 individuals for the ‘Azam Kerja’ Programme to help eradicate poverty in line with the country’s vision of achieving a high-income economy. Its minister Datuk Richard Riot said 27,131 homemakers had joined the programme as of May this year. Through the programme, JobsMalaysia has managed to match them with a job. “The 1Malaysia Support for Housewives Programme reaches out to housewives, single mothers, OKU (disabled) women and other needy women to help their families make extra income. “We understand that it is challenging for housewives to work as they have to take care of children and domestic chores. Nevertheless, ...

PROMOTING AWARENESS: A section of the participants at the seminar. BINTULU: The Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MYIPO) will continue to provide support for local entrepreneurs in the state to promote their products at the local and overseas markets. In stating this, MYIPO Trademarks Division senior director Abdul Aziz Ismail said this will create awareness among the entrepreneurs on the importance of intellectual property protection as well as the opportunity to commercialise their intellectual property assets. “I am confident…(this) will help the target groups make their way into small businesses,” he said in a press conference after the opening of the Intellectual Property Awareness seminar at ParkCity Everly Hotel Bintulu here on ...