sarawak election 2016 special supplement

S P E C I A L SU P P L E MMME NNNTSunday, May 1, 2016

MAN ON AMISSION

Reduction of fees per crossing for ferry

services across Sarawak to RM1 from

RM5 / RM10 / RM15, as of Jan 1, 2016.





services across Sarawak to



services across Sarawak to RM1RM1 Reduction of fees per crossing for ferry

RM1 Reduction of fees per crossing for ferry

from

RM10RM10 / RM15RM15, as of Jan 1, 2016.

, as of Jan 1, 2016.

, as of Jan 1, 2016.

Abolishment of tolls at Lanang Bridge

(Sibu), Asean Bridge (Batang Baram, Miri)

and Tun Salahuddin Bridge (Kuching).

Abolishment of tolls

Abolishment of tolls

Abolishment of tolls at Lanang Bridge







Chinese independent schools have been given

RM3 mln (2014), RM4 mln (2015) & RM5

mln (2016). Also recognition of UEC for

Yayasan Sarawak loan / scholarships and entry

to Sarawak civil service.




RM3 mln Chinese independent schools have been given


(2014), (2014), (2014), RM4 mln RM4 mln





(2016). Also recognition of UEC for









Since Jan 1, 2016, Malaysian Maritime

Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has detained

eight vessels in Sarawak for offences

under the Fisheries Act 1985 Section

15(1)(a), Section 8(a) of same Act &

Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1958.

— MMEA Sarawak (Feb 25, 2016)

Reduction in electricity tariffs as per

consumption units.

Domestic tariff (effective Jan 1, 2015) between

2-40 pct.

Commercial tariff (effective June 1, 2015)

between 15-50 pct.

Industrial tariff (effective June 1, 2015)

between 8-11 pct.

AT 72, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem has decided he is on the last leg of his political career – all he wants is another fi ve-year term. There was a time when he thought it was all over for him when illness forced him out of politics and brought him to the brink of death and he thought his time was up. He not only recovered but was given a second bite of the cherry when he was tasked to take over the helm of the state by Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud on Feb 28, 2014. Having taken up the challenge, he has set himself 53 principles and actions to achieve during his tenure. A glance at his list would have made even the bravest blanch, for it looks like a ‘mission impossible’, but Adenan believes in what he sets out to do.However, he also has his feet planted fi rmly on the ground and has no illusion that he could fulfi l this mission on his own, which is why he has been calling on the people of Sarawak to back him up. His mind has

conceived his goals for the state, his heart believes in what he sets out to do and with the people’s support, he can achieve them. He needs not ask for a fi ve-year mandate — the people should give the chance.

CONTENTSSunday, May 1, 2016 S P SE C I A L U P P L E MMME NNNTE2

EditorsPhyllis WongFrancis Chan

Stephanie Rae SiawGhaz Ghazali

Ronnie Teo

ContributorsAnasathia Jenis

Anthony AgaAntonia Chiam

Churchill Edward DremEikman Teo

Geryl Ogilvy RuekeithIrene C

Jacob AchoiJacqueline Raphael

James LimJennifer Laeng

Jeremy VenoJonathan Chia

Karen BongLian Cheng

Lim How PimMarylin Ten

Matthew Umpang Peter SibonPhilip KiewRintos Mail

Saiful BahariSamuel AubreyTing Tieng Hee

Wilfred PiloYunus Yussop

(Business)Adrian Lim

Jonathan WongSharon KongYvonne Tuah

PhotosChimon Upon

Muhammad Rais SanusiKong Jin Liung

Graphics & Layout

Konos Jinal (Delegation)Pherirera Kolony (Delegation)

Hassan Abang TofekIzzuddin Datuk Ajibah

Leonard MichaelDebby Nawie

Zairizi MohamadNurasyiqynn Haroun

Camelia AndrewMohammad Faisal Ahmad

Noriezam DrahmanPhoenicia Mavia

Gregory Aaron TanNurhazwan Afi q

Mohd Rafi zi RamliMohd Sabri Raduan

Paul Mathieus

(ColourLab)Wong Yiik Hock

Lai Siow YewPetrus Bewen

EDITORIAL

NEVER in the history of Sarawak has one man shouldered so much hope of the people and inspired them to dream of a future that they —unti l he spelt out his vision — never thought was possible.

Since he took over the helm of the state government on Feb 28, 2014, Datuk Pati nggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem has blazed a trail of reforms and set goals that have taken everyone by surprise.

Although he has gained a reputati on of being unconventi onal in his earlier politi cal career, some of the ‘rules’ he changed have raised many eyebrows.

“You can call me Adenan,” he famously quipped, and bewildered everyone when he invited the oppositi on to lunch to hear them out and reach out to them.

However, it was when he declared his goals and initi ati ves that many people began to wonder if he was serious, or was he merely trying to make a big impression without any intenti on of achieving them.

Stamp out corrupti on and illegal logging, get back the autonomy of the Sarawak as a region in Malaysia, increase the oil royalty to 20 per cent, recognise the UEC (Unifi ed Educati on Certi fi cate) — and the list goes on.

The cynics and doubters were initi ally out in force scoffi ng at his ‘impossible dreams’ and predicti ng his gung-ho spirit would peter out once he faced the reality of the situati on on the ground.

More than two years into his stewardship of the

state, Adenan has proven everyone wrong — illegal logging has been dealt with a heavy blow, the state government has recognised the UEC, negoti ati on on devoluti on of power with the federal government is ongoing, tolls have been abolished and many other issues resolved.

Adenan moved so fast in walking his talk that the oppositi on has been left fl oundering in the wake of his relentless drive to achieve his goals, prompti ng a parliamentarian to observe that at the rate he is going, the chief minister would render the oppositi on elected representati ves jobless as he addresses the grouses they have been bringing up.

However, Adenan has only just begun, despite all that he has achieved so far. He has set himself a deadline to bring about the transformati on that he envisions for the state.

He says he needs fi ve more years to complete his mission, and it is up to the people of Sarawak to give him that mandate in the coming state electi on.

For what he has done and plans to do, this man — who has ‘gone where the brave dare not go’ in his quest to bring a bett er tomorrow for the people — deserves to be given that chance.

Give Adenan a chance.

FRANCIS CHANMANAGING EDITOR

‘Give Adenan a Chance’

The great fi ghter for Sarawakian rights E3 & E4

Preserving racial, religious harmony in Sarawak

E5& E6

Assuring the Chinese of their rights as citizens

E7 - E8

E27 - E29

A man of principles and actions

Tackling illegal logging and regulating timber industry

E15 - E16

Aligning jobs with human capital in Sarawak E41

E9-E10 NCR: Rights of the Natives

E11 Kampung Segong — NCR programme’s success story

E12-E14 Pan Borneo Highway: Developing opportunities via accessibility

E15-E16 Tackling illegal logging and regulating timber industry

E17 Rural Electrifi cation Scheme: Powering up rural areas

E18 Signifi cant spending on water supply projects

E19-E20 Ensuring housing aff ordable for all Sarawakians

E21-E22 Education a subject close to his heart

E23-E24 Tremendous progress in healthcare and medical services

E25-E26 Advancing the rights of Sarawakian women

E30 Graphic summary of Adenan’s ‘53 Principles and Actions’

E31 Pride and honour for the Dayaks

E32-E33 Major boost for state’s tourism industry

E34-E35 Engaging and empowering youths

E36-E37 Anatomy of success for youth development in sports

E38 Telecommunications: All about inclusion in the digital era

E39 Leading Sarawak towards greater industrialisation

E40 Adding value to Sarawak’s industries

E42 Of routes, bridges and tourism spots E43 Kota Samarahan envisions city status by 2030

E44 Bukit Semuja — Semi-urban constituency in rural setting

E45 Lubok Antu — Cradle of Iban civilisation

E46 Agro-tourism a viable prospect for Gedong

E47 Accessibility a vital aspect for communities in Batang Lupar

E48 Agriculture, human capital fuel Betong’s growth

E49 Samalaju — A name synonymous with hi-tech industry

E50 Improved land connectivity a boon for Daro, Matu/Jemoreng

E51 Kuala Rajang to benefi t from impact driven by SCORE

E52 The magic that is Murum

E53 Bukit Goram, Pelagus and Katibas: Focus on better connectivity

E54 Marudi poised to take the great leap forward

E55 Lawas to experience vibrant progress going forward

E56 Key pointers on Sarawak state constituencies

The great fi ghter for Sarawakian rightsSINCE becoming Chief Minister two years ago, Datuk Pati nggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem has truly proven himself to be the great fi ghter and protector of Sarawakian rights as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

Adenan’s endeavours have even received the backing of the oppositi on in the State Legislati ve Assembly (DUN). Last December, the August House unanimously approved a resoluti on mandati ng the state government safeguard the state’s special interests, including regarding educati on and the use of the English language.

As a lawyer, Adenan implicitly understands MA63 — a document that protects the Borneo states. Based on MA63, Adenan has taken a strong stance on defending Sarawak’s autonomy.

His bold move has been lauded by Sarawakians from all walks of life. Many, especially those who understand their rights under the Inter-Governmental Committ ee Report (ICGR) and MA63, regard Adenan as the fi rst Sarawakian leader who is really fi ghti ng for Sarawak’s rights.

His endeavours have also received praise from leaders and acti vists in Sabah, who feel that he has invited Putrajaya to the negoti ati on table the ‘gentleman’s way’.

The author of ‘The Queen’s Obligati on’, Zainnal Ajamain said Adenan was doing the right thing and all Sarawakians should give him (Adenan) their full support so that he could proceed with his structured negoti ati ons to get back Sarawak’s autonomous rights.

Politi cal analyst Datuk Peter Minos said Adenan’s boldness in

starti ng negoti ati ons on the state’s autonomy should be the pride of many Sarawakians.

Minos said based on feedback from visits throughout the state, most members of the public from all races look forward to Adenan’s success in getti ng Sarawak’s rights back.

“Many of them whom I talked to said Adenan has alerted Kuala Lumpur that Sarawak has been neglected since 1963 and that something must be done about it. Aside from more funds, he has also asked for the necessary powers to accelerate development in Sarawak.

“Autonomy is really close in our hearts — a very important issue for all Sarawakians today. The people I met have all expressed their full support for Adenan and to them, the chief minister is a great defender of Sarawak’s rights.”

Despite facing criti cism, Adenan has already started to reap what he has sown. Following his negoti ati ons with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Adenan has managed to regain 13 points of administrati ve empowerment.

Adenan delivers his speech at the Sejiwa Senada programme in Sibu on Jan 16, when he announced he would meet

with Najib to sett le arrangements for the devoluti on of power to the state. He is fl anked by Second

Resource Planning and Environment Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah

Ali Hasan (left ) and Housing Minister Datuk Amar

Abang Johari Tun Openg.

Sunday, May 1, 2016S P SE C I A L U P P L E MMME NNNT E3

TURN TO NEXT PAGE

The chief minister said in the second phase, the state government will negoti ate on rights and the Consti tuti on, development planning and implementati on of federal projects.

“In the third phase, we will be discussing on matt ers such as oil royalty, Sarawak’s stake in oil and gas resources, validity of Territorial Waters Act, Conti nental Shelf Act, Petroleum Development Act and fi nancial provisions,” he said.

Adenan said the second and third phases of the devoluti on of power negoti ati ons would include a list of encroachment of powers and non-compliance by the federal authoriti es. Matt ers like tourism was a residual matt er but under the Consti tuti on Amendment of 1994, listed as item 25 (a) in the Federal List with eff ect from 1994. Now he wants that power to be delegated back to Sarawak.

“Preservati on of heritage was a residual matt er but under the Consti tuti on, listed as item 9 (e) in the Concurrent List. Sports was a residual matt er but under the Consti tuti on Amendment, listed as item 9 (b) in the Concurrent List,” he explained.

Adenan also noted that although environment is not listed, the Environment Quality Act was made applicable to the state in 1975, despite the existence of the state’s Natural Resources and Environment Ordinance.

“As for shipping, Merchant Shipping Act Amendment and Extension Act was extended to Sarawak despite the state’s objecti on. This amendment aff ects certain rights of the state, for example, as stated in the Sarawak Land Code,” he said.

With the second phase to start in due course, Adenan has called on Sarawakians to give him a resounding mandate in the upcoming state electi on.

“Because of these phases, I need more ti me and that is why I seek a mandate from the people of Sarawak. If I’m given a big mandate, I’ll be in stronger positi on to negoti ate our rights with the federal government,” he pointed out.

Oil royaltyFighti ng for a higher oil royalty from fi ve to 20 per cent from the federal government has been one of Adenan’s main agendas since taking offi ce on March 1, 2014. This demand has also received unanimous support from the DUN.

One of his achievements in this area has been a 10 per cent stake in Malaysia Liquefi ed

Natural Gas Sdn Bhd (MLNG) 4 following negoti ati ons with Petronas.

“Petronas has agreed to originally off er us 5 per cent in MLNG 4 but they have now agreed to increase to 10 per cent. This is some progress and we will conti nue with our negoti ati on,” Adenan said in August 2014.

Another achievement has been getti ng at least RM2.1 billion worth of contracts for Sarawak companies as part of an agreement to increase local parti cipati on in the oil and gas industry.

As global oil prices have gone down drasti cally, Adenan has decided to ease demands from the federal government for the ti me being, but has vowed to raise this matt er again once prices rebound.

English as the second offi cial LanguageAdenan’s far-sightedness in making English the state’s second language and preferred offi cial language of the state administrati on has been lauded by Sarawakians.

The chief minister has also made it clear that the move would not replace the nati onal language of Bahasa Malaysia.

“We can develop both English and Bahasa Malaysia and with that, we will be bilingual or even trilingual. I’m not saying to the exclusion of Bahasa Malaysia. I’m saying (we should emphasise) Bahasa Malaysia and English together.”

Adenan explained that English is the global language of commerce, science, technology, literature as well as diplomacy and to ignore English would be impracti cal.

Because of these phases, I need more ti me and that is why I seek a mandate from the people of Sarawak. If I’m given a big mandate, I’ll be in stronger positi on to negoti ate our rights with the federal government.Datuk Pati nggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem, Chief Minister

“I know there are some lingual-nati onalists amongst us. They disagree with the offi cial adopti on of the English language, saying it is the language of our colonial masters. This is true but English is no longer the language of the Anglo-Saxons.

“It is the language of the world and if you don’t want to be left behind, you must join the bandwagon. Otherwise, you will be left behind and look stupid,” stressed Adenan.

He pointed out that past educati on policies, which ignored the importance of English, have failed human capital development by constantly churning out unem-ployable graduates who cannot string together a sentence in English. Adenan added that such policies have set the country back by 10 years.

“It is high ti me we come to our realisati on that English ought to be the second language in Malaysia. The fi rst language is of course Bahasa Malaysia, being the nati onal language that we are proud of. But why can’t we be bilingual at the same ti me?” he questi oned.

Adenan (seated second right) reads out the provisions of administrati ve empowerment to the state government on Jan 21. Seated from left are Minister of Infrastructure Development and Communicati on Dato Sri Michael Manyin, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Pati nggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu and Second Finance Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh. Standing from right are Abdullah Saidol – chief politi cal secretary to the Chief Minister, and Assistant Minister of Public Uti liti es (Electricity and Telecommunicati ons) Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi Utom.

(From sixth left ) Najib meets with Adenan to discuss the state’s autonomy on Jan 20. State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohd Morshidi Abdul Ghani is at third right, Att orney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali is at fourth left , while Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa is at fi ft h left .

Adenan (left ) is seen with Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Tun Hussein on Feb 11. Hishamuddin said his ministry would announce plans to further guarantee the sovereignty, safety and pride of Sarawak and its people.

13 1. State legal offi cers are to be authorised by the public prosecutor under the Criminal Procedure Code to conduct prosecuti on for off ences under state Ordinances from when a person is charged in the lower court unti l the appeal stage.

2. It is also agreed for the delegati on of power to state offi cers to represent the Public Service Commission and the Educati on Service Commission in the appointment of offi cers to the Federal Civil Service including the teaching and medical services.

3. Posts in the state Immigrati on Department will also be enhanced to improve the enforcement functi ons in the state with an increase of 100 new posts to be fi lled by Sarawakians, with full deployment by the end of February 2016.

4. The rati o of Sarawak-born teachers serving in Sarawak will be increased to 90 per cent of the total number of teachers in Sarawak by 2018. To ensure that this target is achieved, temporary teachers from the open market will be considered from ti me to ti me and obtain their Diploma in Educati on while teaching.

5. Traffi c warden powers for

Sarawak local authoriti es will be given to Miri City Council, apart from Kuching North City Hall and Kuching South City Council.

6. The state government will be consulted before an applicant for a deep sea fi shing permit is forwarded to the Deep Sea Permit Evaluati on Committ ee for considerati on, especially when the licence is to operate in Sarawak waters.

7. The state government will fi rst be consulted in the draft ing of federal legislati on which has bearing or impact on the Sarawak government, where provided by law.

8. The planning of federal

government projects in the state will give priority to the fi ve-year Sarawak State Development Plan based on the approved budget. Implementati on of the projects will be referred/negoti ated between the ministry and the state government in areas such as determining the locati on of schools, hospitals, appointment of consultants, developers and contractors as well as the implementati on of other development projects.

9. The ministry will take the necessary measures to increase the number of student enrolment from amongst Sarawakians into medical degree programmes in public universiti es. Sarawakians

would be given greater opportunity to enter foundati on studies programmes at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas).

10. It is agreed that the relevant areas that can be delegated will be identi fi ed for delegati ng the power of the director-general under Secti on 49 of the Environmental Quality Act 1974 to the state offi cers or departments.

11. Development of housing projects in Sarawak will be re-implemented through a joint committ ee meeti ng to ensure that the state agencies are fully involved in the planning, implementati on and monitoring aspects of these projects in Sarawak.

12. It is agreed that the development of sports in Sarawak is jointly managed with the state government. The Ministry of Youth and Sports is also in the process of enhancing the Sports Development Act 1997, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2016.

13. It is agreed that the state government will carry out all functi ons under the Department of Welfare. All posts will be transferred to the state civil service. The federal government will contribute 50 per cent of the costs incurred as decided by the Nati onal Finance Council.

Points Administrati ve Empowerment

Sunday, May 1, 2016 S P SE C I A L U P P L E ME NTE4

FROM PAGE E3


RACIAL harmony and religious acceptance in Sarawak have always been the pride of its people and wonder of outsiders. This is the state where a mosque and church constructed side by side share their carparks for their worshippers. Diff erent races join in the festi ve celebrati ons of their friends and neighbours and sit down in coff ee shops to drink together.

However, racial and religious harmony is fragile and could be destroyed by outside infl uence and Datuk Pati nggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem is acutely aware of the danger posed by outsiders to the peaceful way of life in the state.

One of the fi rst steps he took as Chief Minister of Sarawak was to declare racial harmony a state policy.

Adenan emphasised the implementati on of this policy in his Hari Raya Aidilfi tri message last year when he reminded Sarawakians to preserve their racial unity and religious acceptance that had been the cornerstone of the state’s peace and progress.

He warned that a divided society – with each race only prioriti sing the interest of their own people – would stunt the state’s progress and destroy the way of life that Sarawakians had been enjoying.

His warning was ti mely as there had been a growing danger that outsiders could be sowing the seeds of racial and religious discord.

Following up his words with acti on, he announced on March 21, 2014, that religious bigots, racists and trouble-makers would be barred from entering Sarawak and would deport any outsider stoking racial or religious tension.

“This is to prevent peaceful Sarawakians from being infected by racism and religious bigotry. This is done only in the best interest of the peaceful people of Sarawak, who are known to be hospitable and moderate in their views and acti ons,” Adenan said.

Turning words into acti onThere were many who doubted Adenan would live up to his words but he

quickly silenced the doubters within a month of taking offi ce, by invoking Secti on 66 of the Immigrati on Act 1963 to

bar the entry of three PKR top leaders — vice president Tian Chua,

secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasuti on Ismail and strategy director Rafi zi Ramli — into Sarawak in the run-up of the Balingian state by-electi on on

March 22, 2014. Saifuddin

arrived fi rst in Sibu

from Kuala Lumpur in the morning and was sent back on

the next fl ight, while Chua and Rafi zi who came in the

aft ernoon suff ered the same fate. However, PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was allowed to stay.

PBB supreme council member Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, in response to accusati on that the ban was to prevent oppositi on leaders from entering the state, said there was no politi cal moti ve behind the ban.

He said the ban was only applied on those whom the state felt were undesirable and had the tendency to create disharmony among the races.

“Preserving racial harmony is not easy. We do not want this harmony that we have built up for all these years be destroyed by personaliti es from Peninsular Malaysia, who will just leave us in disarray aft er they have created havoc,” explained Abdul Karim.

This explanati on was later substanti ated when Malay supremacist Perkasa chief Datuk Ibrahim Ali was also stopped from entering the state.

Controversial lecturer Ridhuan Tee Abdullah, who was invited to give a speech at a religious functi on at Lundu mosque on Dec 26, 2014, was also turned back aft er arriving at Kuching Internati onal Airport.

Rising above ‘Allah’ controversyWhen the furore over the

usage of the word ‘Allah’ by Christi ans in their worship and Bible was raging in Peninsular Malaysia, Adenan stood high above the issue by declaring that the word ‘Allah’ could be used by Christi ans in Sarawak, and that there would be no restricti on of any sort placed on Bahasa Malaysia Bible used in Sarawak.

Adenan, who was educated in St Joseph Secondary School, has promised Christi ans in Sarawak that as long as he was the chief minister, he would make sure that they could use the word ‘Allah’ in their worship and literature.

When Kelantan passed the bill on implementati on of Hudud (Islamic criminal law) in its state assembly and tried to table it in Parliament, Adenan again rose to the occasion by declaring that he would not allow Hudud to be implemented in Sarawak.

“Rest assured that any proposal to alter or remove any of these consti tuti onal safeguards would be brought by the state government to the att enti on of this House for deliberati on and its endorsement would be sought,” promised Adenan in his winding-up speech at the May 2014 State Legislati ve Assembly sitti ng.

TURN TO NEXT PAGE


This photo is a refl ecti on of harmony in Sarawak. Second Resources Planning and Environment Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, a Malay (fi rst row, fourth left ), is fl anked by litt le Renee, a Chinese, on his right and Eunice, an Iban. Awang Tengah contributed fi nancially to help the girls, both suff ering from hearing impairment. Assistant ministers Datuk Dr Jerip Susil, a Bidayuh, and Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi, an Iban (back row, from right) also chipped in to help. KTS group managing director Datuk Henry Lau (behind Awang Tengah), a Chinese, matched whatever amount contributed by the assistant ministers, while Dr Toh Teck Hock and Dr Tang Ing Ping (left and second left , respecti vely) — both Chinese — off ered their medical experti se. Also joining the photo-call were Awang Tengah’s wife Datuk Dayang Morliah Awang Daud, who is next to litt le Renee, and Datuk Lau’s wife Dati n Wendy Lau.

Rest assured that any proposal to alter or remove any of these consti tuti onal safeguards would be brought by the state government to the att enti on of this House for deliberati on and its endorsement would be sought.Datuk Pati nggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem, Chief Minister


The chief minister is also aware of the threat posed by illegal immigrants in the state.

Many of them were Suluks from Southern Philippines and had been living in coastal areas near Miri for years, working as fi shermen for local syndicates. Their presence was well known to the locals, especially fi shermen whose livelihood was aff ected by their presence, but numerous reports to the authoriti es showed that nothing had been done.

On March 11, aft er years of angry silence, some Miri fi shermen found their voice through The Borneo Post and raised the issue of these aggressive Suluk fi shermen, who had been jeopardising the local fi shing industry by using methods not permitt ed by the Malaysian Fisheries Department such as fi sh bombs and poison.

When Adenan heard about it, he vowed to go all out to rid the state of illegal immigrants before they became too big a problem to tackle, such as that experienced by Sabah.

He said it plainly — it ‘irked’ him that the Immigrati on Department had been informed about the problem originati ng from the Philippines since 2014, but failed to act on it. He instructed enforcement agencies to work together and put a stop to the infl ux of illegal immigrants, to prevent Sarawak from ending up like Sabah.

More than a week later, 155 illegal immigrants, mainly the Suluks and Bajaus, were arrested at two squatt er colonies in Batu Satu Lutong and near Pujut 7 Bridge, in Miri.

Within the next two months, integrated operati ons headed by the Immigrati on Department, police, General Operati ons Force, Rela, Land and Survey Department, Sarawak Energy Bhd, Malaysian Mariti me Enforcement Agency, Marine

Fisheries Department and marine police were conducted.

“They say I don’t mean business on illegal immigrants in Sarawak. You know what is happening in Miri now? You have Filipinos — 500 to 700 of them — living in and around Miri and they (enforcers) don’t know about it?

“We warned the Immigrati on Department one year ago, but nothing has been done since. A

problem that was small has now become a big problem. Raids will conti nue and more will be arrested.

“As far as Sarawak is concerned, don’t mess with me.”

Following the state’s clamp-down on illegal immigrants, more than 500 Suluks voluntarily came forward and expressed their desire to return to the Philippines. Apart from illegal immigrants in the coastal areas, raids were carried

out at constructi on sites and palm oil plantati ons to fl ush out illegal immigrants from other neighbouring countries.

Aye to solid stanceThe chief minister’s strong stance on racial harmony and religious tolerance in the state has been lauded by the people. Sarawak Kenyah Nati onal Associati on president Kennedy Chukpai Ugom said racial harmony should not be taken for granted and Adenan understood that.

“Some may think that since there is racial peace and religious harmony in Sarawak, it is not necessary to do anything about it. However, due to aggressive elements outside the state such as extremist views and racial superiority, it is wise for Adenan to just block entry of those who could sti r up disharmony through their rhetoric.”

Sarawak Teachers Union (STU) president Jisin Nyuk said the changes made by Adenan showed that he had all Sarawakians in his heart, regardless of race and religion.

“We have always been a multi racial society and Adenan has made sure that there is nothing to jeopardise it.”

Chinese community leader Kapitan

Datuk Janet Lau remarked: “Adenan is not only aware of the needs of diff erent races, have to be looked into to maintain racial harmony, he also noti ces that the needs of diff erent social groups should also be taken into considerati on.”

Being the widow of the late Sibu MP Datuk Robert Lau, she is familiar with what has been going in Sarawak and the whole nati on and she could sense the impact of Adenan’s policies in maintaining state harmony.

“State harmony means creati ng a fair and equal society, and

that means looking aft er those marginalised and less fortunate. So Adenan has gone one step further by tackling the needs of the marginalised — fi rst by announcing the increase of fi nancial aid for the disabled and recently, making known his commitment to gender equality.

“He wanted the law to change so that women are on par with men. What’s most impressive is that it was his own initi ati ve — not a reacti on to protests by some NGOs (non-governmental organisati ons) or women’s rights groups.”


‘Don’t mess with me’ on illegal immigrants issue

Miri fi shermen saluti ng Adenan for his prompt acti on in handling the problem of illegal Filipino fi shermen.

KENNEDY CHUKPAI UGOMJISIN NYUK

KAPITAN DATUK JANET LAU

The state Immigrati on Department has been taking acti on against overstaying immigrants, following Adenan’s instructi on to rid the state of illegal immigrants. Standing on third left is former Immigrati on director Datu Robert Lian.

FROM PAGE E5


another RM5 million was given. Since taking over the helm of the state government, Adenan has allocated RM12 million to Chinese Independent schools.

The chief minister did not see the state grants as a contributi on to the Chinese community only, as many there were also many Bumiputera students in Chinese schools.

“Many Bumiputera parents are sending their children to Chinese schools and in some of these schools, as much as 90 per cent of the student populati on are Bumiputeras,” said Adenan when opening the new school building for Chung Hua Primary School (CHPS) No 1 in Kuching on Feb 4 this year.

He was pleased that Bumiputera students consti tuted more than 20

per cent of the student populati on in CHPS No 1 and on that occasion, he pledged RM500,000 for the Board of Management for Kuching CHPS No 1 to 6.

Apart from urban Chinese schools, Adenan also helped rural Chinese schools.

On July 2 last year, Kapitan Tay Aik Seng, the Chinese community leader of Kampung Penakub — a village in Mukah — who is also chairman of SJKC Ek Hua Rebuiling Committ ee, told The Borneo Post of the dire situati on of the school, which was built in 1930.

The school has only one block and is in need of a new double-storey concrete building to replace it.

Over the years, the Chinese community in Kampung Penakub

tried to raise RM1 million to build the new block but by July last year, they managed to raise only RM400,000.

Tay wrote to Adenan for help and the chief minister responded by giving a state grant of RM200,000 for school building fund.

The grant not only helped the Chinese community as more than 80 students making up more than 50 per cent of the school’s enrolment are Melanaus from the nearby Kampung Penakub Cina, Kampung Sesok and Kampung Sesok Baru.

Nati onal identi ty and citi zenshipThe early sett lers from China had their heart set on returning to their homeland aft er making their fortune in ‘Nanyang’ (South Sea), which broadly refers to the region

encompassing South East Asia.However, with the passing of ti me

and having sett led comfortably in their new homes, the thought of returning to China began to fade among the fi rst generati on and completely disappeared among the later generati ons.

Malaysian Chinese have always felt aggrieved that some quarters in Peninsular Malaysia sti ll call them ‘pendatang’ (immigrants) when they were born and raised in Malaysia.

Almost all Malaysian citi zens who are Chinese are at least the second-generati on descendants of the pioneer sett lers, who came from China – some of whom put down their roots in Malaysia more than 100 years ago.

Recognising their grouse over

ONE of the biggest challenges that Chief Minister Datuk Pati nggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem faced when he took over the helm of the state government was to win back the Chinese support for Barisan Nasional (BN). To do that, he has identi fi ed the key issues that have caused the community to turn their backs on the government and tackle them head-on.

Educati onThe single most important issue among the Chinese is ‘educati on’ – in every sett lement and town that they sett le in, one of the fi rst community projects they would undertake was to set up a school.

These schools were not only to provide their children educati on, but equally important, they were set up to preserve their cultural identi ty.

Today, Chinese schools sti ll occupy a central positi on in the Chinese community and the teaching profession is sti ll one of the most revered among them. To preserve Chinese as the medium of instructi on, some Chinese schools chose to remain independent while the rest opted to become government-aided schools.

However, maintaining independent schools while keeping their fees at a reasonable level is a constant challenge, despite generous contributi ons from the community.

Chinese independent schools run by boards comprising community leaders are usually stretched to the limit in their expenditure to keep going.

Aware of this predicament, Adenan came to the aid of the community and soon aft er he became chief minister in 2014, he announced a RM3 million grant from the state to Chinese private secondary schools through Sarawak United Associati on of Private Chinese Secondary School Management Board.

He promised that the allocati on would increase by RM1 million the next year and proved true to his words when the Independent Schools Board of Management received a grant of RM4 million last year, and on Mar 9 this year,

Assuring the Chinese of their rights as citi zensthis situati on, Adenan soothed this raw nerve among the Chinese by assuring Chinese leaders from all over the state during a closed door meeti ng at Borneo Conventi on Centre Kuching on June 26, 2014 – that the Chinese are not not ‘pendatang’, and acknowledged the Chinese’s contributi on towards nati on-building.

“You are not ‘pendatang’. Maybe your great great-grandfather was, but aft er two to three generati ons, you are Malaysian citi zens residing in Sarawak. So let us not forget that. Let us make that clear that you are not ‘pendatang’ – not aft er three or four generati ons; and the contributi ons you have made to the Malaysian economy.

“The Chinese community has been the workforce of the Malaysian economy. I hope that it’s very clear,” said Adenan in the meeti ng.

Unifi ed Examinati on Certi fi cate (UEC) A longstanding grievance among the Chinese is the refusal of the Educati on Ministry to recognise the UEC — the Chinese medium school’s equivalent to the STPM undertaken by the Form 6 students.

As such, the UEC became almost worthless in Malaysia as it could not be used as a qualifi cati on to enter universiti es or apply for government jobs or scholarships.

Adenan came to the rescue of UEC graduates when he announced on Nov 4 last year, that the state government would recognise the certi fi cate. His rati onal was that Malaysia was the only country that did not recognise the UEC, which resulted in a ‘brain drain’, as UEC holders were forced to study abroad and eventually work there.

“I don’t care what the federal government does. I recognise them (UEC) in Sarawak and I am prepared to stand up for it,” said Adenan at Sarawak Economic Development Corporati on (SEDC) Integrity Day 2015.

This landmark breakthrough sent a wave of applause from the Chinese community, especially those involved in Chinese educati on.

The state government’s recogniti on of UEC opened a fl oodgate of opportuniti es for students of Chinese upper secondary schools as they now can apply for loans or scholarships from Yayasan Sarawak.

Soon UEC holders will be able to apply to study in Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Sarawak Branch aft er some details have been ironed out.

Adenan said UEC had been recognised by many terti ary insti tuti ons across the world and it would be ‘stupid’ for Malaysia not to recognise it.

He pointed out that if the government allowed foreigners to come to Unimas to study, then he could not understand why local UEC holders should not be allowed the same opportunity.

“You allow foreigners to study here because Malaysia wants to be an educati on hub, but why don’t you allow UEC holders (to study in local public university)? This is stupid!” said Adenan.

The KTS Trust Fund off ers bursaries and scholarships for students of all races.

Aft er years of development, Chinese educati on has become not only for Chinese, but also for those from other races. In many Chinese primary schools in the state’s rural areas, it is common that the non-Chinese populati on is higher than that of the Chinese.

With Adenan’s open policy, Chinese educators can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The Chinese are not ‘pendatang’. They are just as Malaysian as the rest across this nati on Kapitan Tay Aik Seng has highlighted the problem aff ecti ng SJKC Ek Hua to the media.

TURN TO NEXT PAGE


THE dwindling number of Chinese in the civil service was another grouse that Adenan addressed through the recogniti on of UEC in job applicati on in the government sector.

“If the federal government does not recognise the UEC, that is its

business. The Sarawak government will allow (UEC) certi fi cate holders to apply for civil servant positi ons.”

He reiterated that the state government’s decision to accept UEC holders in its state public service and university was not for politi cal mileage, but as an eff ort to help Chinese independent schools and a part of ‘good governance’.

Adenan, through his bold reforms and initi ati ves, has done more than any leader in the state’s history in assuring the Chinese of their rights as citi zens — but has he done enough to swing their support to BN?

A sampling of responses from several members of the community gives a clear indicati on of this.

Chinese community: What they have to say

KUCHING Division Taxi Associati on chairman Chong Foo Seng said the Chinese community had not been supporti ve of the BN government because they felt that they were being sidelined and neglected. However, he said under Adenan’s governance, things had changed – some policies such as the acceptance of UEC came as a pleasant surprise. However, Chong said it might be too soon to see a complete turnaround.

Over the years, a deep distrust against the government has been building up. It will take

the policies to really take eff ect before the Chinese are convinced that Adenan means what he says. The

policies (so far) have yet to take eff ect. However, the Chief Minister has already won over my vote even at this stage.

This shows that he listens to the community and tries to be fair to us. His people-centric policies have shown that

he is indeed the ‘Chief Minister for All’ – a true chief minister of the people.

SARAWAK United Associati on of Private Chinese Secondary School Management Board vice-chairman

Richard Wee said whatever Adenan announced or did, it was what the Chinese community had wanted all these years.

CHUNG Hua Middle School No 1 principal Yap Chong Guan said, the recogniti on of UEC might not

completely stop the brain drain from the state, but it would reduce the number of young graduates immigrati ng to other countries.Yap said while the Adenan’s administrati on had been fair to the Chinese, the Chinese should also reciprocate with fair judgment of government’s policy.

Because the government now recognises UEC, some students may be encouraged

to stay back to conti nue their studies in local universiti es; and some holders may want

to apply for jobs in the civil service. There would be a higher chance that we can retain local talents.

Chung Hua Middle School No 1 Senior Two student Kho Voon Chee, 18VOON CHEE is an impressive student because of her maturity in understanding government’s policies and the reasons for the implementati on of some policies.

In Sarawak, we are actually OK – we don’t make disti ncti on between diff erent races, and we don’t have people with extreme views telling the Chinese to go back China. I understand why there is a policy to help the Bumiputeras. The government needs to give special att enti on to the Bumiputeras so that all races could progress together. Of course from the Chinese community’s perspecti ve, such special att enti on may not seem fair; while for the Bumiputeras, perhaps they feel that the government has not done enough. Both Bumiputeras and Chinese have their own considerati ons.

Chung Hua Middle School No 1 Senior Two student Zoe Aw, 18ZOE said the recogniti on of UEC gave a sense of acceptance to those receiving educati on in Chinese independent schools.

There has been a general percepti on that those att ending Chinese private schools are not patrioti c. My friends from nati onal schools think that people like us from Chinese private schools do not love Malaysia. They think that once we graduate, we would all further our studies overseas and later migrate to other countries.That is not true. Now with the state government is recognising UEC, I think such percepti on would change.

Chung Hua Middle School No 1 Senior Two student Ivy Kuang Yi Ting, 18THE recogniti on of UEC, to Ivy, is the beginning of fair policy of the state government.

I hope following the recogniti on of UEC, the state government would bring forth other fair policies that benefi t all races. All races must grow together so that nobody is left behind. Aft er that, they would be no disti ncti on made between races or schools that Sarawakians att end; that everyone is just the same regardless of race or the schools that they go to.Learning Chinese is now

a global trend due to the rise of China as the world’s second largest economic power.

FROM PAGE E7

There are bound to be certain quarters wanti ng to provoke the people, saying that the purpose of the perimeter survey initi ati ve was for the government to disti nguish and separate which should be government land, and which NCR land. The government is sincere in its recogniti on of NCR land to ensure that the

people’s rights over their land would be championed

and rural development accelerated.

Datu Sajeli Kipli, Sarawak Land and Survey Department director

NCR: Rights of the Natives

Division Hectarage Number of areasKuching 59,420 62Sri Aman 57,186 65Sibu 134,822 52Miri 38,715 27Limbang 17,316 47Sarikei 141,189 24Kapit 70,958 30Samarahan 75,232 37Bintulu 52,630 37Mukah 6,210 32Betong 94,489 52

NCR New Initi ati ve Programme — Surveyed Areas (March 31st 2016)

Total NCR Perimeter Surveyed 748,167ha; involving 465 areas across SarawakState Government 2010-2015 Target 730,000haNCR Perimeter Survey Initi ati ve Cost For 2010-2015 RM104 million

AS at December last year, the Land and Survey Department carried out perimeter survey on 748,167 hectares (ha) of Nati ve Customary Rights (NCR) land covering 465 areas across the state, exceeding its initi al target of 730,000ha when the New NCR Land Initi ati ve was launched in 2010.

Over the last fi ve years, 319 areas covering 463,175ha have been gazett ed as communal reserves under Secti on 6 of the Land Code. This year, the nati ve community will have more reason to celebrate as the department embarks on surveying individual plots.

According to Land and Survey Department director Datu Sajeli Kipli, Phase II of the new NCR survey initi ati ve will prioriti se on conducti ng survey on individual lots for the issuance of perpetuity land ti tles under Secti on 18 of the Land Code. The new NCR initi ati ve, under the Government Transformati on Programme (GTP), is a joint eff ort by the federal

and state government, which commenced in 2010. Sarawak land area is 12.44 million ha and the NCR land is esti mated at 1.5 million ha.

“The state government has

always recognised NCR. We have been surveying nati ve land for the people since ti me immemorial, without having to wait for the federal government’s help. Under the new NCR survey initi ati ve,

perimeter survey was the fi rst phase of NCR land recogniti on that would be followed by individual lot survey.

Chief Minister Datuk Pati nggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem (front, fourth right) joins NCR land ti tleholders from Samariang and Tupong state consti tuencies in a recent presentati on. From left are Sajeli, State Legislati ve Assembly Speaker Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfi a Awang Nassar and Works Minister Datuk Fadillah Yusof.

Land surveying works also include

wading through swamps and rivers.

Landowners are required to be present with Land and

Survey offi cers during surveying works to confi rm land boundary.

Rugged off -road tracks are some of challenges faced by the surveyors

throughout the course of their duti es.

‘

TURN TO NEXT PAGE

‘


“This is our eff ort to get nati ve landowners’ rights preserved and their ownership properly documented. In the long run, they can embark on commercial projects to improve their socio-economy and inadvertently accelerate rural development,” he said during a recent interview at his offi ce in Wisma Pelita in Petra Jaya, Kuching.

Sajeli added that perpetuity land ti tles would be issued without any premium or annual fees paid to the department.

Prior to the individual lot survey initi ati ve, Land and Survey Department had conducted a pilot project in Bau on ‘trial-and-error’ basis, to ensure that implementati on would go smoothly once it is carried out statewide.

Every details on project methods and challenges were recorded for future references, guidelines and learning process to improve service to the community.

“Although the Phase II of the individual lot survey under Secti on 18 starts this year, we have carried out pilot projects in Skuduk, Padawan in 2012 and Pisa, Bau, in 2014. Experience gained from these projects has given us valuable insight on how to improve our surveying works.

“It will become our guideline as the pilot projects have prepared us both physically and mentally to ensure a smooth surveying work and issuance of individual land ti tles — the one that everybody is highly anti cipati ng,” said Sajeli.

On a whole, the Land and Survey Department issued 3,114 individual NCR land ti tles as at Jan 31 this year, out of 4,562 surveyed lots.

Overcoming negati ve percepti onExplaining to the rural community on the benefi t of having their NCR land surveyed

Tackling challenges in perimeter survey works

Benefits of NCR land

perimeter survey initiative

Recogniti on of nati ve land rights

Ensuring security to rights over land

Clear land boundaries

Offi cial registrati on of ownership

No restricti on in development of land

Conducti ng perimeter survey on

NCR land to be gazett ed as

Bumiputera Communal Reserve

under Secti on 6 of the State

Land Code.

Two Phases of the

New NCR Land Initiative

Surveying individual lots on the

gazett ed communal reserve under

Secti on 6, for the issuance of

perpetuity land ti tles under Secti on 18

of the State Land Code.

Identi fy boundaries and establishing

clear markers.

Landowner’s responsibility during

surveying of individual lot

Be present together with

neighbouring landowners to confi rm

the boundary when surveying works

are carried out.

Ensure that the land is free from

claims by, or dispute from other

individuals.

remains one of the biggest challenges faced by the Land and Survey Department.

Sajeli said his perimeter survey teams

had faced various constraints in discharging their duti es — among the challenges included blockades, claims on areas and rugged geographical terrain.

On the other hand, he admitt ed that some of his offi cers needed to improve their methods of convincing people about the benefi ts of having their NCR land surveyed.

“Government’s eff ort to survey NCR land for the people should not be misunderstood. There are bound to be certain quarters wanti ng to provoke the people,

saying that the purpose of the perimeter survey initi ati ve was for the government to disti nguish and separate which should be government land, and which NCR land. The government is sincere in its recogniti on of NCR land to ensure that the people’s rights over their land would be championed and rural development accelerated,” he added.

Sajeli said to ensure success of the NCR perimeter survey initi ati ve, it would heavily depend on the cooperati on from all parti es.

“Challenges are not only during fi eld work, but also on planning and

administrati on at the district offi ce level.

“The department is fi rm on its stand that claims must be based on legiti mate evidence and that priority is given to areas without any dispute, as there are sti ll huge areas to be surveyed as requested by the people.

“The success to this perimeter surveying process would rely on the cooperati on rendered by the local community as well as the collecti ve agreement of the landowners from

that parti cular village or longhouse,” he explained.

Sajeli also highlighted the occupati onal hazards faced by his offi cers during fi eld work, as among the obstacles.

Determining boundary with clear markers is crucial in facilitati ng any surveying work.

Land and Survey personnel even travel by sea to reach some of the places where they need to conduct the perimeter survey.

Surveying work is indeed a challenging task — someti mes the surveyor is required to climb up hilly terrains to determine the exact points for the survey.

FROM PAGE E9


ONCE Kampung Segong received its Nati ve Customary Rights (NCR) communal reserves under Secti on 6 of the Land Code in 2009, mother-of-three Catherine Tambi immediately embarked on larger-scale paddy and pepper planti ng, with the aim to raise income for her family.

She and her husband also established a fi sh pond to complement the cash crops. Six years on, life has been a bliss for the 51-year-old and her lot.

Catherine is among the over 1,900 villagers of Kampung Segong in Singai, Bau, who have benefi tt ed from the issuance of the communal NCR land reserves. The members of the close-knit community share the reserves evenly amongst themselves to ensure that the land would stay producti ve — although close to 300 families have yet to be awarded individual land ti tles under Secti on 18.

“When my husband and I fi rst planted the black pepper, we earned about RM3,000 from the yield per season. Two years aft er the NCR land was gazett ed in our village, we became more confi dent to expand our agriculture projects, knowing that we had the freedom and rights over our nati ve land.

“In 2012, we generated about RM8,000 from our pepper plants and we planted more aft er that. Now we have 500 plants — last year, we earned about RM19,000,” she said in a recent interview.

Catherine said the quality of life of her family had greatly improved aft er they doubled their agriculture acti viti es. They were able to raise their children more comfortably and now, the children have graduated and are building careers of their own.

Asked about the prospect of fi nally receiving their own individual NCR land ti tle following Phase II of the perimeter survey undertaken by the Land and Survey Department this year, Catherine was content.

“Nevertheless, I am happy with the communal reserves awarded to Kampung Segong as it has given us the freedom to embark on our agriculture projects. The villagers used to be uncertain on what would happen to their crops as the NCR land did not offi cially belong to us.

“Now we can go all out with our agriculture acti viti es, knowing that we have rights to the land,” she conti nued.

According to village chief Amy Munga, all the villagers are welcome to use the 11-hectare communal NCR land for economic acti viti es.

In March 2009, about 45


Kampung Segong — NCR programme’s success story

When my husband and I fi rst planted the black pepper, we earned about RM3,000 from the yield per season. Two years aft er the NCR land was gazett ed in our village, we became more confi dent to expand our agriculture projects, knowing that we had the freedom and rights over our nati ve land.Catherine Tambi

villagers parti cipated in the Farmers Development Unit (FDU) initi ati ve in a joint venture to plant pineapples.

The fi rst crop registered a windfall of about RM14,000 in 2010.

In additi on, some of the villagers had also taken up planti ng other crops such as cocoa, pepper and paddy on their own.

“Most importantly, all villagers

are welcome to use this land for agriculture purposes,” said the 47-year-old community leader.

However, Amy admitt ed that not everything was always a bed of roses

for the villagers. Previously, some of them had opposed to having the perimeter survey carried out. Aft er a few rounds of discussion, everybody eventually agreed to the initi ati ve.

“We are lucky to be given a communal land that will become a reserve for the whole village community,” he said, advising other villages to support the government’s NCR perimeter survey initi ati ve.

“Do adhere to government

procedure, do not listen to the negati ve elements. If compared with villages that did not support this initi ati ve, our village has proven that having the offi cial rights to our NCR land enable us to conduct farming and other agriculture acti viti es without any restricti on. We no longer worry that the land would be claimed by others,” he explained.

Milong Munin, 51, considered the village to be lucky to have been given a communal nati ve land that can be used by the whole community. With the issuance of ti tle, he said villagers no longer have any doubts to embark on projects to improve livelihood and sustainable income.

(From right) Amy, Milong and Catherine are already planning to diversify the cash crops under Kampung Segong’s FDU initi ati ve. Currently, the area is used for pineapple plantati on.

1

2

Catherine’s pepper farm, located at the foot of a hill under her paddy plot.

1

Catherine inspects her pepper vines. This enterprising woman currently has about 500 black pepper plants, earning close to RM20,000 from the yield last year.

3 The expanse of the pineapple plantati on, run under the FDU initi ati ve.

4

4

2

3

THE RM16.4-billion Sarawak stretch of the in-progress Pan Borneo Highway, spanning 1,089km between Sematan and Lawas, will become a ‘game changer’ as far as the state’s economic landscape in concerned.

The project will become the catalyst to boost the state’s economic growth, expected to induce a multi plier eff ect of four ti mes.

Improvements to the transport infrastructure will increase the general development of the region and encourage wider foreign investments.

Not only that the highway would be toll-free to all road users, it would signifi cantly cut travelling ti me from 19 hours to 12 hours (Sabah-Sarawak) when fully completed by 2021.

Over ti me, it would spur development of new areas, similar to the impact deriving from the North-South Expressway in Peninsular Malaysia.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced the constructi on of Pan Borneo Highway when he unveiled the Barisan Nasional (BN)’s manifesto on April 6, 2013.

Najib, also Finance Minister, cemented this

Developing Opportunities via Accessibility

How will it benefit us? The constructi on of the Pan Borneo Highway will induce a multi plier eff ect of four ti mes to the economy Boom for trade and commerce Signifi cantly lower accident rate on the highway versus normal roads Savings on travelling ti me, fuel consumpti on and transportati on cost for road users Highways promote economic growth, which will contribute to the capital market

promise when he included the constructi on of the highway in the 2015 Budget.

Pan Borneo Highway

The Pan Borneo Highway, the biggest engineering project in Malaysia, would be Najib’s legacy to be remembered by the people of Sarawak.Chief Minister Datuk Pati nggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem

Combo photo-set show the aerial view of Jalan Bakun Juncti on leading to Sungai Tangap.

TURN TO NEXT PAGE


“The Pan Borneo Highway will become a catalyst for economic growth in Sabah and Sarawak. If we see how the North-South Highway had opened up opportuniti es for development and improved communicati ons between towns in the peninsula, this highway would do the same when it is built. I am confi dent the project will transform the lives and landscape, generati ng economic growth in both states (Sarawak and Sabah),” Najib said in his ‘Malaysia Day’ message last year.

Constructi on of the Pan Borneo Highway commenced in March 2015, with a 43km stretch from Jalan Nyabau juncti on to Jalan Bakun juncti on.

This secti on is expected to be completed by the end of 2017. Another secti on — the 33km secti on from Telok Melano to Sematan — was launched in

September, while works on the 9.2km stretch from Mile 10 to Mile 15 of the Kuching-Serian road kicked off last December.

The Pan Borneo Highway will mostly follow the route of the existi ng trunk road. It involves the widening of the present 3m-wide single-carriageway into a dual-carriageway.

The 780km project from Sematan to Miri will consist of 11 works packages, currently under various stages of planning and scheduled to roll out this year.

Meanwhile the Tedungan-Merapok secti on — the stretch of the project sandwiched between the two regions of Brunei — will begin in early 2018 and scheduled for completi on in early 2023.

Previously, the highway was slated for completi on by 2025 under the Highway Network Development Plan.

Project aimed at ‘transforming lives and landscape’

Najib points to the ‘Zero Milestone’ at the commencement ceremony for the Pan Borneo Highway project — Telok Melano-Sematan stretch — in Sematan. From right are Adenan, Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Pati nggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar and Manyin

The works on Batang Sadong Bridge are nearing completi on.

FROM PAGE E12

1 Telok Melano — Sematan 32.770 — 7/10/2015—6/1/2019

3 Serian Roundabout— Pantu Juncti on 75.015 Serian, Simunjan 10/3/2016—9/3/2020

5 Batang Skrang Bridge—Sungai Awik Bridge 67.941 Betong 1/11/2016—31/1/2021

7 Bintangor Juncti on—Julau, Sibu Airport Roundabout including Sungai Kua Bridge 75.973 Julau, Sibu 16/3/2016—15/6/2020 and Durin Bridge

9 Sungai Arip Bridge—Bintulu Airport Juncti on 64.531 Bintulu 1/7/2016—31/12/2020

2 Sematan—Sungai Moyan Bridge 95.403 Lundu, Bau, Mile 15 1/7/2016—31/12/2020

4 Pantu Juncti on—Batang Skrang Bridge 89.439 Sri Aman 1/9/2016—30/6/2021

6 Sungai Awik Bridge—Bintangor Bridge 64.486 Sarikei, Bintangor 1/9/2016—28/2/2021

8 Sungai Kua Bridge—Sungai Arip Bridge 63.678 Selangau 1/11/2016—30/6/2021

10 Jalan Bakun Juncti on—Sungai Tangap 77.190 Bakun, Suai, Niah 1/9/2016—28/2/2021

Pan Borneo Highway Works Package Length Interchanges Durati on (Sematan-Miri) (KM)

11 Sungai Tangap—Pujut Link Road 79.983 Beluru, Bekenu, Miri 1/11/2016—30/4/2021


Arti st’s impression of the ‘Rest and Service’ areas to be built in three areas — namely Jelukong (Lubok Antu), Sungai Basai (Selangau) and Lambir (Miri). The Pan Borneo Highway project also includes six lay-bys at Lundu, Balai Ringin, Roban, Julau, Sungai Semanok and Suai.

Connecti ng communiti esKanowit-Kapit Road Project

1 Sungai Kanowit Bridge and approach road 2.6 29/12/2014—28/6/2017

3 Jalan Song/Sungai Yong (Package II) 12 16/12/2014—15/12/2017

5 Nanga Ngemah-SK Nanga Temalat Road 9.6 Yet to commence

2 Jalan Song/Sungai Yong (Package I) 5.5 8/9/2014—16/3/2017 inclusive of 360m Sungai Kati bas Bridge

4 Jalan Song/Sungai Yong (Package III) 15.6 5/1/2015 - 4/7/2018

Kanowit-Kapit Road Project Length Durati on — Ongoing Packages (KM)

Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusuf (in front) visits one of the project sites in Bintulu to inspect progress.

This road connects Song with Nanga Temalat. The 9.6km Nanga Ngemah-SK Nanga Temalat — the ‘missing link’ — is all that is left to connect Kapit with the rest of the state via road infrastructure.

THE realisati on of the master plan to connect Kapit with the rest of the state, via proper road infrastructure, has already reached over 50 per cent amidst positi ve progress in the works throughout the past year.

The government is opti misti c that the project would be completed on schedule in 2018.

Totalling 102 km, the project includes the constructi on of 14 bridges and divided into 11 secti ons, with an overall esti mated cost of RM768 million.

Infrastructure Development and Communicati ons Minister Dato Sri Michael Manyin reported that as at December last year, a 50km stretch had been completed, with the remaining 52km sti ll in various stages of implementati on under fi ve separate packages.

Touching on the ‘missing link’, namely the Nanga Ngemah-SK Nanga Temalat Road, Manyin menti oned that Najib had approved an allocati on for the project stretching 9.6km during his visit to Kapit on May 16 last year.

The minister said a value ‘Management Lab’ for the project was held from Dec 7 to 11.

The development of the Coastal Road project is currently focusing on three ongoing projects with a total cost of about RM520 million. The fi rst project involves the constructi on of the Batang Sadong Bridge, scheduled to be completed and open to public by August 2016.

The second project involves the constructi on of the Kuala Balingian/Kuala Tatau Road, which is expected to be completed by October 2017.

The third project involves the constructi on of the Batang Samarahan Bridge, slated for completi on in early 2018.

The state government is requesti ng for

funds under the 11th Malaysia Plan to construct the remaining ‘missing link’ — from Sarikei to Tanjung Manis — involving 17km of road network and constructi on of three major bridges.

The said ‘missing link’, as well as projects to bridge seven major river crossings currently served by ferry services, are esti mated to cost RM3.33 billion.

“We will conti nue to pursue the matt er with the federal ministries,” Manyin said.

Other projectsThe state government has submitt ed a long list of projects under 11MP that would include 15 improvement works on juncti ons to be upgraded to fl yovers in Kuching, with a total esti mated cost of RM1.3 billion. The fi ve key prioriti es are:

The allocati on to Public Works Department (JKR) on state roads and bridges is approximately RM871 million, as at March 31, 2016 — inclusive of Council Bridge Replacement Programme at RM450 million.

Notably, allocati on to JKR on jett y and wharf projects is at approximately RM17 million, as at March 31, 2016.

The fi ve key prioriti es are:

Stutong roundabout

Jalan Mendu/Batu Lintang traffi c light

juncti on

Green Road/Jalan Keretapi traffi c

light juncti on

2 1/2 Mile Rock Road traffi c light

juncti on

Samariang roundabout


TACKLING abuse in the state’s ti mber industry is one of the top prioriti es in Datuk Pati nggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem’s fi ght against corrupti on. He was aware that illegal logging was rampant and the industry needed tougher regulati ons to clean itself up, The state government reviewed and replaced the Forests Ordinance (Cap 126), 1954 with the new Forests Ordinance (Cap 71), 2015. It was passed by the Sarawak State Legislati ve Assembly in April 2015.

The introducti on of this new Ordinance is a clear manifestati on of the state government’s resolute commitment in strengthening the management of our forests, ensuring the sustainability of our valuable forest resources, and enforcing forestry laws and regulati ons.

The new Forests Ordinance (Cap 71), 2015 was enacted to: provide for more deterrent penalti es

for forest off ences; strengthen provisions relati ng to

seizure and disposal of illegal ti mber and any equipment, machineries, vessels or vehicles used in the commission of such off ences;

to equip enforcement agencies with greater power to investi gate off ences and to facilitate such investi gati ons, and;

to improve the process for the consti tuti on and protecti on of forest reserves, protected forests, state land forests and communal forests and to regulate the taking of forest produce from state land or communal forests for domesti c use or non-commercial purposes.

Illegal LoggingSince 2014, the state government has been stepping up its eff orts in combati ng illegal logging. Logs are tracked from source to the end points, where logs are stamped for royalty and the main task of monitoring the movement of logs falls upon Forest Department.

According to state Forest Department director Sapuan Ahmad, the state government has systemati cally managed its ti mber resources according to the principles established by the Internati onal Tropical Timber Organizati on (ITTO).

“Our goal is to manage our forests in a manner that is environmentally responsible, socially benefi cial and economically viable. Ecologically and environmentally sound forest conservati on and management practi ces are in place to ensure the sustainable producti on of ti mber and non-ti mber products while safeguarding the climate, ecology, water supply, environmental quality and biological diversity of the area.

“The award of forest licences falls within the jurisdicti on of the Forest Department, and they are issued with terms and conditi ons that ensure that the harvesti ng would be carried out in accordance with laws, regulati ons and prescribed procedures. The permits are issued based on an annual operati ng plan and allowable cuts,” he said.

Along the chain of custody, there are other agencies such as Sarawak Forestry Corporati on (SFC), Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporati on (STIDC) and Harwood Timber Sdn Bhd (HTSB) that are tasked with checking and ensuring the legality of logs and ti mber products.

Corporate Integrity PledgeThe state government’s eff orts in combati ng illegal logging are strongly supported by the industry players through a voluntary pledge by six major ti mber companies and their sub-contractors — all of which signed the ‘Corporate Integrity Pledge’ (CIP) on Nov 17, 2014.

Through CIP, the ti mber licensees have pledged not to be involved in any illegal acti vity, to strictly comply with the ti mber licensing conditi ons, to be vigilant on their ground operati ons, and to fully commit into using only legal ti mber in their respecti ve processing mills.

The government, on its part, will conti nue its close monitoring and strict enforcement to ensure that only legal ti mber would enter the supply chain.

In this respect, the government has established a ‘Taskforce on Illegal Logging’, of which members include state and federal enforcement agencies such as the PDRM, MACC, MMEA, Customs and Excise Department and major ti mber licensees, as well as Sarawak Timber Associati on (STA) which represents all major ti mber industry players in the state.

The taskforce is responsible in drawing up measures to further strengthen eff orts in combati ng illegal logging and other illegal acti viti es. Additi onally, all licensees are held responsible for the acti viti es of their contractors, workers and agents.

The government will conti nue to combat illegal logging through various improvement to and integrati on of various approaches in enforcement and compliance. It is willing to cooperate with any non-governmental organisati ons (NGOs) in preserving Sarawak’s forests, ensuring sustainable exploitati on of state’s resources, combati ng illegal logging and corrupti on in the ti mber industry — if they are sincere and share the same agenda with the state government.

Tackling illegal logging and regulati ng ti mber industry

TURN TO NEXT PAGE

Logging’, of which members include state

The Forestry Department will defi nitely take stern acti on against those found in possession of unlawful logs or ti mbers.

Many illegal sawmills are located deep in the jungle, like this one.

compliance. It is willing to cooperate with

TURN TO NEXT PAGE

Many illegal sawmills are located deep in the jungle, like this one.

Sapuan (second right) leads the enforcement team, which also included offi cers from MACC and police, during an inspecti on on a mill believed to be processing illegally-procured logs.

TOTAL OF CONFISCATED LOGS BETWEEN 2011–2015 (IN CUBIC METRES)TACKLING abuse in the state’s ti mber industry is one of the top prioriti es in Datuk Pati nggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem’s fi ght against corrupti on. He was aware

(Cap 126), 1954 with the new Forests Ordinance (Cap 71), 2015. It was passed

The introducti on of this new Ordinance

government’s resolute commitment in strengthening the management of our forests, ensuring the sustainability of our valuable forest resources, and enforcing

The new Forests Ordinance (Cap 71),

provide for more deterrent penalti es

seizure and disposal of illegal ti mber

to equip enforcement agencies with greater power to investi gate off ences and to facilitate such investi gati ons,

consti tuti on and protecti on of forest reserves, protected forests, state land

In strengthening preventive and enforcement activities, the

government has taken the following measures and initiatives

The government will no longer issue new ti mber licences in the

state land and permanent forest estate, except under very special

circumstances involving development of verifi ed Nati ve Customary

Rights (NCR) or alienated land.

The establishment of ‘One Stop Compliance Centre’ (OSCC) to bring

enforcement of compliance, parti cularly assessment of royalty to the

forest as close as possible to the felling site. The target in 2016 is to

establish 48 OSCCs all across Sarawak.

The applicati on of new technologies such as drones, Geographical

Informati on System (GIS) and remote sensing for forest management

and enforcement of compliance in a more effi cient manner.

Increased aerial monitoring, patrolling and inspecti on at strategic

‘road block’ locati ons, sawmills and export points.

Increased number and scope of joint operati ons between Forestry

Department and other enforcement agencies such as Malaysian Anti -

Corrupti on Commission (MACC), Malaysian Mariti me Enforcement

Agency (MMEA) and Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM).

Improve the state of readiness of the forestry agencies to respond

to public complaints and ti p-off s with respect to illegal logging and

illegal wildlife trade.

Strengthen state’s commitment towards sustainable forest

management by encouraging ti mber concession holders to obtain

forest management certi fi cati on.

Timber concession holders especially those within the Heart of

Borneo (HOB) area to obtain forest management certi fi cati on by 2017

as a way forward in line with the state government’s commitment in

sustainable forest management. Towards achieving this goal, Sarawak

has so far certi fi ed one Forest Management Unit (FMU) located in

Anap Muput, Bintulu.

Enhancing the ‘Sarawak Timber Legality Verifi cati on System’ (STLVS)

to strengthen the implementati on of the legality verifi cati on system

of ti mber and ti mber products produced in Sarawak. STLVS provides

clear understanding on the tracking and traceability of log movement

along the chain of custody — from the forests to the mills or export

points.

Source: Forest Department


IN terms of conservati on of forests and biodiversity, the government under the ‘Heart of Borneo (HoB) Initi ati ve’, has initi ated the ‘Transboundary Conservati on’ in collaborati on with Brunei and Kalimantan, Indonesia.

This programme will cover an area of 2.1 million hectares (ha) — stretching from Batang Ai to Lawas in Sarawak. The ulti mate outcome of the HoB will be the synergy between the state development agenda and the best industrial practi ces in biodiversity conservati on.

To date, the government had gazett ed 859,367.4ha of Totally Protected Areas (TPAs) in Sarawak. The key objecti ves of TPAs are to conserve and protect the natural scenic beauty together with the wildlife and their habitat, as well as to facilitate research and studies on the biodiversity.

TPAs comprise nati onal parks, nature reserves and wildlife sanctuaries. Currently, there are 32 nati onal parks, 13 nature reserves and six wildlife sanctuaries in Sarawak. The government is in the process of gazetti ng 31 more areas into TPAs, covering approximately 451,819ha.

By 2020, the state would have 1.3 million ha of TPAs.

Successful campaigns against illegal loggingSo far, campaigns against illegal logging have shown positi ve results. The number of cases investi gated in 2015 had dropped to 208, from 241 in 2014. Total logs seized in 2015 were 47,060 cubic metres (m²) versus 90,873m² in 2014.Twenty-seven suspects had been arrested in connecti on with forest off ences in 2015. In additi on, 33 wood processing mills had stopped operati ons. So far, 58 cases have been referred to the State Att orney-General for prosecuti on purposes.

This series of campaigns will be an ongoing process.

Monitoring downstream acti viti esSapuan disclosed that his department would no longer tolerate the irresponsible atti tude of downstream ti mber industry players and would take stern acti on against those found in possession of unlawful logs or ti mber.

He said aft er a grace period of one year following the endorsement of a new forest ordinance in April 2015, the government would go all out in clamping down mill operators and downstream wood-based industries found to be manufacturing or trading illegal logs and ti mber.

The Forests Ordinance 2015 includes provision for more deterrent penalti es. For example, those who build or operate an illegal sawmill can be charged under Secti on 62 of the Ordinance, incurring a penalty of not less than RM500,000 and not exceeding RM10 million AND/OR imprisonment of between fi ve and

Sapuan added that as of April 1, a tracking system would be enforced, in which all logs and ti mber taken out from the licensed areas must pass through one of the 48 OSCCs across Sarawak — each log to be marked with a royalty stamp before being delivered to the sawmills.

All enforcement agencies including PDRM and their marine department, MACC and SFC would assist the department to seize illegal logs and ti mber.

Since the enforcement of the new Ordinance, a total of 32 cases have been recorded involving the seizure of 6,000m² of logs without royalty stamp from illegal sawmills.

Sapuan warned operators not to buy or process illegal logs or ti mber in their mills, reiterati ng that the Forestry Department would conti nue its close monitoring and strict enforcement to ensure only legal ti mber would enter the supply chain.

“Any operator who commits a breach of the terms and conditi ons of their licence shall be guilty of an off ence under Secti on 62 (6)(b) of Forests Ordinance 2015 and upon

convicti on, liable to be punished with a fi ne not less than RM10,000 and not exceeding RM5,000 for each day which the off ence conti nues aft er convicti on.

“In additi on to that, those found in unlawful possession of any forest produce shall be guilty of an off ence and shall, upon convicti on, be punished under Secti on 96(1) and a fi ne of not less than RM25,000 and not exceeding RM150,000, or imprisonment not exceeding fi ve years — or both. Subsequent off ence shall be punished with a fi ne of not less than RM150,000 and not exceeding RM500,000, or imprisonment not exceeding 10 years — or both.”

He reminded operators to keep all documents of the logs and ti mber at their mills such as Transit Removal Pass, Royalty Pass, Shipping Pass, Land Transportati on Pass and Log Specifi cati ons. If sawmill operators were found in possession of any illegal logs or ti mber, their mill licence would be suspended or revoked.

Drones — Eyes in the skyMeanwhile, the use of drones would further enhance the capability of the Forest Department to monitor and curb illegal logging, especially in TPAs which include nati onal parks, nature reserves and wildlife sanctuaries.

Sapuan disclosed that an enforcement unit specialising in drone technology had been set up. These drones, he added, would be used to ensure that the TPAs would not be breached as there had been cases where some of these TPAs had been logged illegally.

“We have two types of drones — fi xed wings and quadcopter units. Once commissioned, we are confi dent that we will be able to monitor our TPAs as our highly-trained and skilled personnel should be able to provide more eff ecti ve and accurate informati on,” he said.

We issued a circular in January 2015, prohibiti ng possession of logs or ti mber without royalty but there are cases of those not adhering to the law. As of April 1, there will be no more excuses — enough is enough. We have given them a 12-month grace period; now we mean business. All logs and ti mber at any sawmill must have its royalty assessed.Sapuan Ahmad, State Forest Department director’

‘

seven years.“We issued a circular in January

2015, prohibiti ng possession of logs or ti mber without royalty but there are cases of those not adhering to the law. As of April 1, there will be no more excuses — enough is enough. We have given them a 12-month grace period; now we mean business. All logs and ti mber at any sawmill must have its royalty assessed,” he said aft er briefi ng mill operators and downstream wood-based industry players at Wisma Sumber Alam in Kuching recently.

The programme, ‘Enforcement on Legal Source of Timber at Sawmills in Sarawak’, was att ended by about 60 representati ves of relevant industry players. The series of briefi ngs, which kicked off in Sibu and att racted 92 parti cipants, was to ensure that all the state’s downstream ti mber industry players would comply with the rules and regulati ons pertaining to forestry.

FROM PAGE E15

Aiming for synergy between commercialism and biodiversity

This pile of logs is covered in branches and bushes to avoid detecti on from air.

The enforcers have also found logs being concealed underneath the mud in swamps.

Inspecti on also includes checks on barges plying Sarawak rivers, conducted in

collaborati on with the MMEA.

There have been ti mes when enforcers discover logs buried underground to conceal them from the authoriti es.

The use of drones will be commissioned by end of March 2016 to intensify the monitoring of illegal logging acti viti es in TPAs across Sarawak.

Data collected from aerial surveillance will be useful in identi fying areas that should be given more focus as far as forestry is concerned.

Increased aerial monitoring via helicopter — an undertaking between the Forest Department and PDRM — is among the initi ati ves by the government to enhance its enforcement acti viti es against illegal logging.



IN 2010, the federal government allocated RM2.5 billion under 10th Malaysia Plan (2010-2015) for the implementati on of the Rural Electrifi cati on Scheme (RES) grid line project. About 1,280 projects were approved, benefi tti ng some 69,000 households. As at December last year, a total of 1,204 projects had been completed to benefi t some 58,000 families.

At the same ti me, Awang Tengah said the government would conti nue its eff ort in providing electricity coverage through the grid system, or providing other alternati ves such as solar hybrid, micro hydro and diesel generator to areas located deep in the interior.

“For 2016, a total of RM360 million have been made available for RES projects through the grid system. About RM200 million will be allocated for the alternati ve systems,” he added.

With regard to electricity supply coverage, Sarawak’s present committ ed demand is 3,299MW and the grid fi rm generati on capacity is 3,544MW. In catering to the increasing demand for electricity in tandem with its economic growth, the state has achieved the following in 2015:

On a related matt er, the Public Uti liti es Ministry will embark on a new programme to boost electricity supply to the rural areas with Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB) to implement it. According to Assistant Minister of Public Uti liti es (Electricity and Telecommunicati ons) Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi, such measure is deemed crucial in addressing the problem of irresponsible contractors involved in RES projects.

Adenan, in declaring open the ‘Sejiwa Senada’ programme in Kapit recently, warned the contractors whose incompetency and lackadaisical atti tude had caused many RES projects being put on hold, that the government would not hesitate to dismiss them and ‘fi nd somebody else to fi nish the job’.

Dr Rundi said with respect to Adenan’s stern call, the ministry was fully aware of the negati ve issues surrounding the implementati on of RES projects.

“The ministry will conti nue to monitor and strive to expedite the completi on of these so-called ‘sick projects’, while embarking on a new programme to increase electricity

As we move ahead, the State conti nues to harness her abundant indigenous natural resources in water, gas, coal and also small renewable sources such as biomass, solar or bio-gas for power generati on to meet the increasing demand.Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, Public Uti liti es Minister

Powering Up Rural Areas

supply coverage to the rural areas.”There were several factors that

caused the delay in the RES projects, Dr Rundi acknowledged, pointi ng out that some of the contractors appointed by the federal Rural and Regional Development Ministry had shown performance described as ‘less than sati sfactory’.

“The state government is seriously looking into the matt er and as rightly pointed out by the Chief Minister, we are doing our best in resolving it by starti ng a programme – to be implemented by SEB – to supply (electricity) to every accessible rural home,” he said.

In his speech delivered during the ‘Sejiwa Senada’ programme in Kapit, Adenan said there were many RES projects that could not progress due to contractors being lackadaisical in their work.

The Chief Minister had taken the fi rst step of a programme to supply electricity to every rural household that had access to the state grid.

Adenan also stressed as the leader who had been pushing for rural development, he did not want people to only see ‘power cables hanging over their houses, but none connecti ng them with power’.

For 2016, a total of RM360 million have been made available for RES projects through the grid system, and about RM200 million will be allocated for the alternati ve systems, says Awang Tengah.

Adenan (second left ) and his deputy Datuk Pati nggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu (left ) join Awang Tengah (right) and other guests of honour during a programme in Kuching.

The occupant of this household has benefi tt ed from ongoing development in electricity supply coverage across Sarawak.

Rural Electrifi cation Scheme

Connecti on of electricity supply to

520,000 households out of 586,000

as at November. This is equivalent

to about 90 per cent.

The reducti on in tariff s for domesti c

consumers in January, followed by

industrial and commercial consumers

in June – benefi tti ng all businesses

and households in the state, who

are already enjoying the lowest

tariff in Malaysia and amongst

the lowest in Asean.

Enhancement of the grid security

and further improvement of the

reliability of power supply through

the ongoing 500kV Transmission Line

backbone project scheduled

for completi on in 2016.


IMPROVING basic infrastructure and ameniti es for the people, especially those living in rural areas, is a top priority for the government.

The state is fully committ ed in creati ng a wider coverage of road connecti vity, as well as treated water and 24-hour electricity supply across Sarawak with the noti on that access to basic infrastructure is a fundamental right of all.

Road development, electricity and treated water supply are important to the nati on’s socio-cultural advancement and part of the essenti al foundati ons of the country’s economy.

The government has invested signifi cantly to improve rural basic infrastructure.

Public Uti liti es Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said throughout 10th Malaysia Plan (10MP) — 2011-2015, the state had increased its coverage of treated water supply from 68 per cent to 80 per cent. For the 11MP, a total of 795 projects have been proposed for implementati on, slated to benefi t an additi onal 79,130 households.

For now, 218 projects have been approved with an initi al provision of RM3.54 billion.

“By extending the water supply further into the rural areas, the cost increases tremendously and some areas are so remote that they cannot be connected with any major regional supply network.

“For such areas, alternati ve systems have been implemented and will conti nue to be proposed for implementati on.

“My ministry will strive to implement all the approved projects successfully, and pursue them with the applicati on of more funds in the mid-term reviews of the 11MP,” said Awang Tengah, who is also Second Resource Planning and Environment Minister, during his ministerial winding-up speech at the State Legislati ve Assembly sitti ng last December.

One of the key projects that has been completed over the last fi ve years is the RM116.5-million Serian-Samarahan Water Treatment Plant in Slabi, launched in February last year.

It has the capability of generati ng 50 million litres per day (MLD) for the supply to a populati on of 4,500 across the two divisions, including in Tebedu, Gedong and Simunjan.

The Selangau Water Treatment Plant, with a capacity of seven MLD, began operati on in 2013; while the Ulu Mukah Water Treatment Plant — with a capacity of 2.27 MLD — was recommissioned last May, to address water shortage in the Mukah Division.

The government has also

completed the Kaki Wong Treatment Plant (25 MLD in capacity) in Krian to meet the needs of the populati on in Saratok District. The RM114-million plant has been benefi tti ng some 700 households since its commissioning in October 2014, with another 600 applicati ons in process.

In additi on, the Jemoreng Water Treatment Plant, with a capacity of 10MLD, was commissioned last September to cater to the needs of the people in Jemoreng, Bawang, Tian and Daro.

Awang Tengah also menti oned the whole Bau-Lundu-Sematan area should be able to enjoy a more reliable water supply from Batu Kitang Treatment Plant, upon the completi on of the following projects:

“To address the interconnecti on between Kuching and Sebangan, Sebuyau and other coastal sett lements, the scope of works have been included in the proposed Samarahan Coastal Regional Water Supply project. This will be implemented in the 11th MP with an esti mated cost of RM200 million,” he disclosed.

Chief Minister Datuk Pati nggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem, in his State Budget speech at the State Legislati ve Assembly last December, said the state government would conti nue to extend coverage of water supply, especially to the rural populati on.

A sum of RM260.7 million would be provided this year (2016) for the implementati on of various water supplies projects such as:

Miri water supply source development. Pipeline replacement at Lawas

town area and Sundar/Awat- Awat. Simunjan raw water source

development. Sungai Asap water supply

project.

These two litt le girls are among many Sarawakians who can now enjoy treated water supply in their villages.

Sarawak has increased its coverage of treated water supply, from 68 per cent to 80 per cent under 10MP.

Dedicated 8km pipeline from

the reservoir to Siburuh juncti on.

5.5km pipeline from

Stenggang reservoir to the

starti ng point of the Batang

Kayan project to supply water

to Lundu-Sematan-Biawak

areas.

Implementati on of non-

revenue water management in

Bau area.

Miri water supply source development.Pipeline replacement at Lawas town area and Sundar/Awat-Awat.Simunjan raw water source development.Sungai Asap water supply project.

A Kuching Water Board personnel monitors the pool at the Batu Kitang water treatment plant near Kuching.

Signifi cant spending onwater supply projects

Engineering and technology students from Executi ve College listen to a briefi ng on the water treatment processes during a fi eld trip to Batu Kitang plant.


THE state government has allocated RM230 million to the Housing Ministry for building between 10,000 and 15,000 aff ordable houses under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP) from 2016 to 2020.

Housing Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said the Housing Development Corporati on (HDC) would develop major aff ordable housing projects in Kemuyang, Sibu and Darul Hana as well as Sungai Beduan, Kuching.

Launched by Chief Minister Datuk Pati nggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem on Feb 13, the Kemuyang project involves 413 lots for the fi rst phase and 400 lots for phase two. They are for the extended families of the 2013 Kampung Dato/HIlir fi re victi ms.

“In terms of the public sector, we will build about 10,000 to 15,000 units of houses in the areas that have been identi fi ed. These are mainly in urban and suburban

areas because of our populati on demography,” said Abang Johari.

“The rati o of populati on between the urban and suburban areas is now 50:50 and by 2020, there is possibility that the rati o will be 55:45. So there is pressure for us to provide housing faciliti es.”

Under the 11MP, he said both the private and public sectors would work together to deliver 40,000 to 50,000 aff ordable houses costi ng below RM300,000 and middle-cost houses.

“We will try to deliver at least 55 per cent middle-cost houses and at least 30 per cent of aff ordable houses. We have to monitor and neutralise the increasing price of houses because currently most people, especially the fi rst generati on, can only buy houses that are below RM300,000,” he said.

On funding for HDC houses, he said loans could be obtained from commercial banks or Muti ara

Ensuring housing aff ordable for all Sarawakians The federal government will also

build aff ordable houses in urban areas through the 1Malaysia People’s Housing Scheme (PR1MA) in Kuching, Sibu and Bintulu.

“What we are doing is to provide houses to the metropolitan populati on, mixed populati on in the state. So PR1MA houses will cater for the needs of all the ethnic groups in the urban areas,” said Abang Johari.

There would be eight PR1MA projects in the state comprising 9,185 houses. For rural communiti es, he said the federal government had increased the quantum of loans for longhouse constructi on to RM50 million this year.

“Previously, we provided loans of RM15,000 per door (‘bilik’). Under 11MP, the Ibans, Bidayuhs and Orang Ulus who live in the longhouses can get their loans of up to RM50,000 per door,” he said.

1Malaysia People’s Housing Scheme (PR1MA)

Workers are seen at a constructi on site. Under the 11MP, up to 50,000 aff ordable houses costi ng below RM300,000 and middle-cost houses will be built in Sarawak.

Photo shows an HDC aff ordable housing project in Mukah.

Abang Johari (centre) and assistant minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah (right) at the launch of Premier Residences in Matang Jaya on November 21 last year.

RM230 million (Under 11MP) up to 15,000 unitsProjects include:

● Kemuyang, Sibu — 413 lots (Phase I), 400 lots (Phase II)

● Darul Hana, Kuching

● Sungai Beduan, Kuching

TURN TO NEXT PAGE

Mortgage and Finance Sdn Bhd, an independently managed HDC-owned fi nance company.

“Muti ara Mortgage and Finance will help to fi nance these HDC built houses. Our responsibility has

increased and we are giving faciliti es for people to own bett er houses and longhouses,” added Abang Johari.

PR1MA projects in Sarawak1. Vista Tunku — 1,877 units

2. Matang — 912 units

3. Matang 2 — 448 units

4. Semenggoh — 1,260 units 5. Sibu — 1,096 units

6. Petra Jaya 2 — 616 units

7. Sungai Plan — 1,656 units

8. Bintawa — 1,320 units

Housing master planLAST December, the Housing Ministry undertook a State Housing Development Study to produce a master plan for the long-term development of the state’s housing sector up to 2035.

The study would forecast the long-term supply of houses

required by cities and towns statewide, taking into account factors such as economic growth, urban migration and population growth.

This would enable the state government to plan in advance and allocate necessary resources to meet the future housing needs of Sarawakians.

Proposed new policy and guidelinesThe ministry has proposed a new aff ordable housing policy as well as guidelines to the State Planning Authority (SPA), which would involve several major enhancements to the state’s approach towards aff ordable housing.

The main objecti ves of the new proposed

policy are to:

● Increase private sector supply

of aff ordable housing,

● Control house prices for low-

medium and medium-cost houses,

● Improve design – more liveable

and conducive housing,

● Leverage on new housing opportuniti es,

● Address urban sprawl.

As housing is a concurrent subject under the consti tuti on, we proposed to the Prime Minister that empowerment on housing be given to Sarawak, but it remains in the framework of the Consti tuti on. With this, it will allow us to implement related projects.— Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg, Sarawak Housing Minister

Assistant Housing Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah (fi ft h left ) highlights an area to Adenan during the Kemuyang project launch. From front left are Second Finance Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, Wong’s wife Dati n Sri Pauline Leong, Adenan’s wife Dati n Pati nggi Datuk Jamilah Anu and Nangka assemblyman Dr Annuar Rapaee.

Combati ng irresponsible developersA new law requires developers to have a Housing Developer’s Account (HDA), to combat problems with abandoned housing projects and other problems caused by irresponsible developers.

The law under the Housing Ordinance sti pulates that funding for every project is strictly for that parti cular development and would be monitored by housing controllers and the bank.

Explaining the need for such regulati ons, Abang Johari cited the example of abandoned housing projects.

“Certain developers, aft er getti ng Project A together with bank fi nancing, they would use deposits paid by purchasers of that project to fund Project B.

“There is no proper management of their cash fl ow. When they become overburdened and cannot pay the bank, they would disappear and leave their buyers,” he said.

Amendments to the state’s Housing Ordinance would help to combat issues regarding abandoned housing projects and ensure future house buyers are protected from similar problems.

Green technologyHDC will use the latest green technology in future housing developments in collaborati on with CMS Property Development Sdn Bhd.

The two developers signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Borneo PlasTech Sdn Bhd last August to use the latt er’s shallow inspecti on chamber and

manhole system.“The use of this new product can

reduce the cost of constructi on compared with conventi onal methods,” said Abang Johari.

“The technology is suitable for underground piping for all uti liti es, and they are easier to fi x and install.”

The products are widely used in Australia, come with a 20-year warranty and are recyclable.

Autonomy in housingHousing may be one of the sectors that the state government would have greater autonomy over.

“We have discussed the issue on empowerment with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, and what we want now is more details on the sectors that will be handed over to the state government,” said Abang Johari.

“As housing is a concurrent subject under the consti tuti on, we proposed to the Prime Minister that empowerment on housing be given to Sarawak, but it remains in the framework of the Consti tuti on. With this, it will allow us to implement related projects.”

Abang Johari said the point of delivery of projects to the people has also been proposed, where the federal government would have to look for new approaches to ensure federal funding could be implemented using local methods.

“This strategic sector is specifi cally for rural projects such as roads, electricity supply and water supply, where Sarawak has its own methods in implementi ng the projects,” he said.

In January 2015, it was offi cially clarifi ed that residenti al homes are not subject to the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

“There will be procedures done by relevant parti es, such as the Customs Department, so the houses we sell will not have GST imposed,” said Abang Johari.

“As housing minister, I feel there will not be a severe increase in prices for residenti al buildings. Even if there is, it will not be that great because you don’t have to pay tax for land. In additi on, certain building materials do not att ract tax. Even if they do, you can claim as input-deducti on tax.”

Abang Johari said GST should also not be imposed on the selling price of a house.

“People have the misconcepti on that when a house is sold, it will att ract sales tax because of the world ‘sell’,” he said.

He urged developers and consultants to engage with the Customs Department to ensure correct informati on is conveyed.

“The housing industry involves consultants, engineers, architects, planners, and lawyers. So, if these professionals are in doubt as well, please refer to Customs. As far as I am concerned, we enforce based on the law we have, so we must educate the people on all provisions of the law,” he added.

No GST for residenti al homes

Challenges and opportuniti es in housing industry

Key recommendati ons:● Low-medium and medium price houses to be built under the proposed 30 per cent quota,● Aff ordable housing for monthly gross household incomes of above RM3,000 to below RM5,000; and above RM5,000 to below RM7,000,● Increased house size, improved design and specifi cati ons,● Development above 10 acres required to build 50 per cent low-medium and 50 per cent medium cost houses,

● Maximum permissible density for low-medium price houses and fl ats to be increased to miti gate high cost of land in urban areas and reduce overall development costs,● Lift s for low-cost fl ats or apartments.

A banner is seen at an abandoned housing project during Abang Johari’s visit to the site in November. Amendments to the Housing Ordinance would help to combat abandoned housing projects.

Photo shows an aff ordable apartment project developed by HDC in Batu Gong.

FROM PAGE E19



I don’t care what Putrajaya says – English ought to be the second language in the state. Now you are welcome to write in English or Bahasa Malaysia to correspond with the state government.Datuk Pati nggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem, Chief Minister

Educati on a subject close to his heartTHE Chief Minister Datuk Pati nggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem has been in offi ce for only two years, but within that short space of ti me, he has led the state through a breathtaking period of breakthroughs.

An intellectual with a thirst for knowledge and love of reading and history, he is a strategic thinker – the man was a practi sing lawyer aft er short sti nts as a journalist and teacher, before he entered politi cs.

As such, the vision, policies and acti ons of his administrati on have benefi tt ed from these experiences. Moreover, all these announcements have also captured media headlines.

Specifi cally, educati on is a subject close to Adenan’s heart. This is evident from the interventi onist approach and strong words by him on educati onal issues of the day. It is no surprise that educati on is a key arena in which the current state government is now asserti ng

greater autonomy for Sarawak.Tabling the state’s 11th Malaysia

Plan (11MP) at the State Legislati ve Assembly (DUN) in August 2015, he highlighted the ‘fl ip fl op policies’ that had come to characterise the federal government in educati onal matt ers.

“When the minister changes, the policy will follow suit and this is not helping anyone. In view of these constant changes at the federal level, we want to chart our way in educati on,” he asserted.

His underlying moti ves are noble and sincere. He despaired at the 2014 Auditor-General’s Report which revealed the ‘bad shape’ of

124 of 145 schools inspected in the state. It heightened his resolve to seek and allocate greater funding especially for rural schools in Sarawak. His simple observati on was: “If you want to look for the poor, they can be found in rural areas.”

English as the second offi cial languageAdenan, saddened by a report that more than 1,000 doctors in Malaysia gave up medical careers due to their poor command of English, spoke out: “The country is facing a dilemma by constantly

churning out thousands of unemployed graduates who can’t even form a sentence in English.

“I don’t care what Putrajaya says – English ought to be the second language in the state.

“Now you are welcome to write in English or Bahasa Malaysia to correspond with the state government.”

His rati onale was based on English being the global language of commerce, science, technology, literature as well as medium of interacti on between countries.

The 90:10 Initi ati veHe also drew att enti on to the anomaly in the posti ng of teachers to the state with the disproporti onate number of teachers from Peninsular Malaysia versus local teachers.

In response, Adenan initi ated the push to raise the prevailing

70 per cent (in September 2015) of Sarawak-born teachers serving in the state, to 90 per cent by 2018.

By February 2016, Welfare, Women and Family Development Minister Datuk Fati mah Abdullah was able to announce that Sarawakians comprised 77 per cent of the teaching workforce in primary and secondary schools across the state, while those from Peninsular Malaysia made up about 20 per cent of the total.

The rest were from Sabah and Labuan.

Applicati ons from 1,164 teachers to return to the peninsula were processed and approved.

Their posts were taken over by local teachers, while the remaining vacancies would be sourced from the local open market urgently.

“We are going towards that directi on, and the ‘90:10 Initi ati ve’ will defi nitely be achievable as scheduled,” Fati mah promised.

State assistance toChinese schools

Adenan’s administrati on will long be remembered

for the unprecedented

provision of state

assistance to Chinese

independent schools in Sarawak. It allocated RM3 million in 2014, and RM4 million in 2015. In March 2016, he announced a further RM5 million to the 14 Chinese private schools.

Since March 2014, the state government has given an increment of RM1 million annually for a total of RM12 million in grants to Chinese-medium educati on, promising more in the future.

“This is among the 50 key decisions that I have made over the past two years in offi ce and with another fi ve years, a lot of things can be done. Let me fi nish the job and I think I can do more,” Adenan said

Interventi on to assist JPA scholarsIn January 2016, students across the nati on were taken aback by the sudden suspension of Public Service Department (JPA) post-bursary sponsorships.

The distressed students and their parents were left helpless. A group of these students in Sarawak felt that the only thing they could do was to make a personal and direct appeal to Adenan, who welcomed their peti ti on with this response: “Yes, we will help them. I have given instructi on to Yayasan Sarawak to fi nd means on how best to help them.”

Extending help tounemployed graduatesIn March 2016, the chief minister launched the Graduate Enhancement Training Sarawak (GETS) programme.

Unemployed graduates will be att ached as GETS interns with a GETS-partner company over a period of 12 months under the programme.

During their internship the graduates will be paid a training allowance of RM1,000 (degree holders) or RM800 (diploma holders). The aim is to enable them to acquire work experience in commercial or industrial companies. Structured courses in English, as well as soft and self-marketi ng skills will also be provided to enhance their employability.

GETS partner companies will also stand to benefi t – they can maintain or expand their current business with the injecti on of GETS interns to bett er weather the challenging economic climate.

Sarawak United Associati on of Private Chinese Secondary Schools Management Board chairman Temenggong Dato Vincent Lau (centre) displays the latest RM5 million allocati on via cheque, presented by Adenan (third left ).

A group of aff ected local JPA scholars making a direct appeal to Adenan for help.

TURN TO NEXT PAGE

Aff ordable higher educati on expansion of higher educati on for locals through both public and private sectors.

One has only to scour local dailies, or visit the annual Borneo Post Internati onal Educati on Fair (BPIEF) to appreciate the broad spectrum of courses made available by universiti es and colleges in Sarawak, or foreign ones that have set up their branch campuses here.

There are currently over 30 insti tuti ons of higher learning in Sarawak, with a populati on of less than three million.

The acronyms of some of them are already brand names in the higher educati on sector — Fajar, SEGi, Sidma, Sunway, FAME, HELP, ICats, INTI, OUM, Unitar, UTAR and UCSI, among others.

The Curti n University Campus in Miri has a vibrant community of over 3,000 local and internati onal students. The Australian university, invited by the state government to operate in Miri in 1999, off ers undergraduate and post-graduate courses in languages, humaniti es, business, engineering and sciences including specialised studies in IT, communicati ons, media, geology, earth and marine science.

In Sibu, the newly-established University College of Technology Sarawak (UCTS) already boasts six faculti es in built environment, business and management, engineering and technology, computi ng, foundati on studies and postgraduate studies.

The Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus in Kuching off ers wide-ranging degree courses in business, computi ng, design, engineering and biotechnology, which can be completed enti rely at its Sarawak campus or parti ally at its Melbourne parent campus, while paying local tuiti on fees.

The local campus, established in 2000 in partnership with the state government, has an enrolment of about 4,000 students.

Over 90 per cent of them are absorbed by industries within six months aft er graduati on.

The university

recently announced new bursary schemes that will allow top SPM, STPM and Unifi ed Examinati on Certi fi cate (UEC) holders up to 80 per cent off their tuiti on fees.

Nevertheless, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) stands as the fl agship of Sarawak’s higher educati on sector.

The eighth public university in Malaysia, established in December 1992, is by far the largest full-fl edged university in the state with current enrolment of nearly 1,500 post-graduate and over 14,000 undergraduate students across eight faculti es and six niche insti tutes and centres.

A record 3,919 students graduated during its latest convocati on in November.

Moreover, the Unimas university

hospital is already in the pipeline. TVET – The Way Forward MEET 18-year-old Jordan. His parents found out very early that he was not much into books and reading. Their eldest son was always in his element when it came to cars, trucks and planes.

It was not just that he loved to play with such toys, but they also noti ced that he had an unbridled passion about fi ddling with, dismantling, re-arranging and re-assembling those toys — the bigger or the more complex they were, the bett er.

When he passed his SPM from SMK Muara Tuang last year, what to do next came quite naturally to Jordan and his parents.

He is now into his fi rst year at Industrial Training Insti tute (ILP) Kota Samarahan.

His parents paid an initi al sum of RM600 upon his registrati on for the two-year Automoti ve Certi fi cate Course, while all other expenses for room, board and fees were waived.

Jordan even receives a RM100 monthly training allowance throughout this two-year sti nt.

The youth has already expressed a desire to pursue a diploma aft er getti ng the certi fi cate, eyeing further skills training in car electronics, air-conditi oning, car spraying and painti ng.

He hoped to be an entrepreneur in the car repair business one day, but not before spending a few years working in established workshops to gain experience.

As far as his parents are concerned, they derive much sati sfacti on from the career path that Jordan has chosen.

The industrial training that Jordan is receiving and his future plans also ti e in nicely with what the state government has emphasised in recent years.

“There is nothing more serious, so tragic as to be trained for four to fi ve years to obtain a degree or diploma, only to fi nd there are no jobs that require the skills or knowledge that you have learnt,” Adenan told a gathering of school-leavers, parents, educators and their industry partners last year.

“There should not be any more mismatching of jobs against qualifi cati ons if we are going to industrialise. The future now lies in technical educati on and we need the skilled manpower like other developed nati ons.”

It was an opportunity for the chief minister to explain the importance for synergy between industrialisati on, educati on, employment and economic development in Sarawak under his administrati on.

In the next 15 years, the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) is projected to att ract over RM300 billion in investments and create 1.3 million new jobs.

More than 50 per cent, or 600,000, of these jobs are for skilled and semi-skilled workers.

The state will require a three-fold increase in enrolment for Technical Vocati onal Educati on and Training (TVET) in order to meet its need for such workers by 2030.

As at last year, 45 public and 36 private TVET insti tuti ons in Sarawak jointly produce an annual output of 11,000 certi fi cate holders in diff erent trades.

At this rate, the state would train 170,000 skilled workers by 2030 — a supply that clearly falls short of the projected demand.

The state government is urgently addressing the need to substanti ally increase the training capacity of TVET insti tuti ons.

The importance of cooperati on and mutual support between

government and private agencies in urgently developing the TVET sector is stressed.

Last year alone, fi ve new private training providers started operati ons in Sarawak.

Six government schools were also converted to become vocati onal colleges.

Yayasan Sarawak has been tasked to establish the Centre for Technical Excellence (Centex).

Under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP), at least two more Centex would be established — the one in Lundu already started operati ons last year even as the new campus was being built.

All Centex programmes are planned and developed with close and direct involvement from industry players to ensure that the training received by students would remain relevant throughout.

Assistant Minister in Chief Minister’s Offi ce (Promoti on of Technical Educati on) Datu Len Talif Salleh is spearheading the development and implementati on of specifi c strategies to att ract ‘our boys and girls to undertake TVET courses’.

Tabung Ekonomi Gagasan Anak Sarawak (Tegas) — an organisati on funded by the government — was set up to promote TVET, especially to youths from the rural areas.

Universiti es are and will remain an att racti ve choice for many ambiti ous Sarawakians, but there are good reasons and encouraging data showing that TVET has emerged as an increasingly worthy and popular opti on for many.

Enrolment in TVET insti tuti ons went up by 67 per cent in 2013, and 85 per cent in 2015.

Unimas graduates celebrate their achievement aft er the convocati on.

Students get hands-on learning at ILP Kota Samarahan.

Great opportunity for more people to benefi t from technical vocati onal educati on and traning.


FROM PAGE E21

ADELING, Hillary and Rubi are all university graduates. Adeling joined the job market a few months aft er getti ng her business degree, and has been gainfully employed in the private sector since.

Hillary is more adventurous — armed with a degree in fi nance, he entered the marketi ng line where he recalled with pride how his boss appreciated his input on strategic planning.

For a while, he and some varsity classmates were partners in a food business venture.

He is now in Singapore trying his hand at sales and marketi ng. Rubi earned her degree within three years aft er SPM.

The qualifi ed accountant was off ered her current positi on at the local branch of a multi nati onal giant — with a monthly pay of over RM2,000 — a month before she even graduated.

These are just three of the success stories of young, confi dent Sarawakians — benefi ciaries of the vast opportuniti es for aff ordable, quality university educati on available just at their doorsteps.

It was barely a generati on ago that the only access to study in a university was overseas.

Those wanti ng a post-secondary educati on had no choice but to leave home for several years to travel to Peninsular Malaysia (limited places during the 1980s and earlier), or to Singapore, Taiwan, India, Australia, New Zealand, Britain, Canada and the US.

Tuiti on fees and living expenses overseas was prohibiti ve, except for the fortunate minority who won scholarships or whose parents could aff ord them.

Today, the state government remains strongly committ ed to this winning formula of promoti ng the conti nued

Tremendous progress in healthcare and medical servicesTHE healthcare and medical services sector in Sarawak has seen tremendous progress over the years and is regarded as one of the best compared in the country.

Eff orts are constantly being made to upgrade and enhance healthcare delivery standards for the benefi t of all Sarawakians.

Assistant Minister of Public Health Datuk Dr Jerip Susil said the state government has conti nuously strived to deliver the very best healthcare and medical services to the people regardless of where they live.

“It is therefore crucial to highlight that the healthcare standards in Sarawak have been improving very steadily,” he said when launching Kuching Specialist Hospital’s new Siemens Magnetom Avanto 1.5 Tesla MRI last August.

Dr Jerip said there are now more medical service providers in the public and private sector compared to fi ve years ago and this was in line with the Ministry of Health’s targets to extend its reach in delivering high quality primary care to the people.

New healthcare projects

Constructi on work on the Petra Jaya Hospital is progressing smoothly and the hospital is expected to be completed and

Upcoming ProjectsTabuan Jaya Clinic – RM40 million

Siburan Clinic – RM35 million

SGH Clinical Service Block – RM53 million upgrade

Lift upgrading Air conditi oning Venti lati on projects Renovati ons Additi ons

New healthcare projects

Dr Jerip (seated right) is seen at the launching of the new MRI at Kuching Specialist Hospital. At right is hospital chairman Abdul Wahab Baba while medical director Dr David Sylvester Ling is at third right.

(From front, second left ) Dr Subramanian listens to an explanati on by Senator Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian (third left ) on equipment at the SGH Heart Centre in Kota Samarahan.

The 1Malaysia Mobile Boat Clinic, which operates along the Baram and Rajang rivers, is seen during a stop in Marudi.

Tremendous progress and

begin operati ons next year.The 300-bed hospital was

constructed to ease congesti on at the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH).

In February, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam proposed that the new Petra Jaya Hospital be converted into one specialising in maternal and child healthcare.

He said if this could be achieved, the existi ng women and children’s health services at SGH could be moved to the new hospital and thus free up around 300 beds at SGH.

Aft er visiti ng the SGH Heart Centre in Kota Samarahan, Dr Subramaniam also promised that his ministry would conti nue to empower health services in Sarawak by building three new clinics and hospitals as well as upgrading faciliti es at SGH.

He pointed out that the new clinic, which will be built in the Tabuan Jaya residenti al area, would cost an esti mated RM40 million, while the Siburan Clinic is expected to cost RM35 million. These projects are esti mated to be completed within one to three years.

“I have visited each health facility here in Kuching and the surrounding areas to see what needs to be upgraded so that the health faciliti es that are already available can be upgraded for

the citi zens of Sarawak.“As an example, aft er the

Tabuan Jaya Clinic is completed, it will help the villagers staying

around the area, especially the low income category, to get health services provided by the government,” he said.

He added that the lift upgrading, air conditi oning and venti lati on projects as well as renovati ons and additi ons to the SGH Clinical

Service Block would be carried out at an esti mated RM53 million.


TURN TO NEXT PAGE

S P SE C I A L U P P L E ME NTE24

Existi ng services

Though faced with many challenges, the state Health Department has always endeavoured to provide the best healthcare services to the people of Sarawak.

State health director Datu Dr Zulkifl i Jantan said the department’s success was due to the best medical and healthcare service network system.

“Healthcare service in Sarawak is provided through 23 hospitals located at all main citi es in Sarawak namely the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) in Kuching, and three district hospitals with specialist services in Sibu, Miri and Bintulu.

“Apart from that, we also have six district hospitals without specialist services and two special insti tuti ons namely Sentosa Hospital and Rajah Charles Brooke Memorial Hospital,” he said.

He noted that Sarawak has 267 government-run clinics statewide of which 208 are health clinics, 32 are 1Malaysia clinics, 25 are maternal and child clinics, and seven are rural clinics.

Rural healthcare

The healthcare of people in rural and interior areas of the state are cared for using several approaches to reach rural folk such as by river and air, as well as by road.

“We have the Flying Doctor Service (FDS), which was introduced in 1973 to provide basic healthcare services to people who are living in remote areas,” said Dr Zulkifl i.

“There are three helicopters under this service, which are based in Kuching, Sibu and Miri. The FDS

Healthcare service in Sarawak is provided through 23 hospitals located at all main citi es in Sarawak namely the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) in Kuching, and three district hospitals with specialist services in Sibu, Miri and Bintulu. Apart from that, we also have six district hospitals without specialist services and two special insti tuti ons namely Sentosa Hospital and Rajah Charles Brooke Memorial Hospital.

DATU DR ZULKIFLI JANTAN

Datu Dr Zulkifl i Jantan, State health director

covers 141 locati ons in the remote rural parts of Sarawak and att ends to around 70,000 outpati ents, children and antenatal mothers every year.”

He said the FDS team comprises a

medical offi cer, a medical assistant and two community nurses, who visit locati ons based on a schedule.

Dr Zulkifl i also pointed out that there are two additi onal helicopters based in Sibu and Miri specially for Medical Emergency Evacuati on

(Medevac) cases.Mobile health services via the

river are also provided through the 1Malaysia Mobile Boat Clinic, which operates along the Baram and Rajang rivers, while mobile health service teams also travel by land using four-wheel drive

vehicles to reach other rural desti nati ons.

“The state Health Department has also introduced the Village Health Promoter Programme since 1983 to provide basic health services to people living in remote areas.

“Up ti ll today, the department has trained more than 4,000 volunteers under this programme, who will be the representati ve of their village and assist in providing basic healthcare as well as to refer pati ents to clinics and hospitals for follow-up treatment,” he added.

Constructi on of the new Petra Jaya Hospital is expected to be completed next year, when operati ons will also begin.

The Flying Doctor Service covers 141 locati ons in the remote pockets of Sarawak att ending to around 70,000 outpati ents, children and antenatal mothers every year.

Medical personnel att end to visitors during a recent health campaign in Kuching.

Pati ents wait their turn at a 1Malaysia Clinic in Sibu.

FROM PAGE E23

Sunday, May 1, 2016


Advancing the rights of Sarawakian womenWOMEN in Sarawak have come a long way towards achieving equal status and opportuniti es resulti ng in instrumental and visible roles in the politi cal, social and economic transformati on of not only the state but also the country as a whole.

Sarawakian women are fast becoming acti ve contributors to the development of the state and more women are now agents of change in accelerati ng social, economic and politi cal progress.

Their achievements have not gone unnoti ced with the state government recognising their contributi ons to Sarawak over the years including during the state-level Women’s Day celebrati on last October.

Chief Minister Datuk Pati nggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem said then that Sarawakian women had contributed signifi cantly to the state’s development and put Sarawak on the world map with their achievements.

“Sarawak recognises the importance of giving women the equality that they deserve. Let us do our best to set a fi ne example for other states,” he said.

It was also during the celebrati on that Adenan pointed out that the state government had worked to ensure women would receive the faciliti es and services they need including the upgrading of

Sarawak recognises the importance of giving women the equality that they deserve. Let us do our best to set a fi ne example for other states.Datuk Pati nggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem, Chief Minister

the Sarawak Women’s Bureau.

Women’s and Family Department

The Sarawak Women’s Bureau was elevated to a full-fl edged department and renamed the Sarawak Women’s and Family Department (JWKS) in January 2015.

Welfare, Women and Family Development Minister Datuk Fati mah Abdullah said the department would have expanded roles and responsibiliti es relati ng to women and family development, capacity building, advocacy and social support.

“The department’s organisati on chart will also be experiencing restructuring as JWKS will be roping in new staff to beef up our current workforce of only 11 personnel,” she told a press conference last year.

She said the cabinet had approved up to 37 staff

for the diff erent units under the department, which would enable it to expand its scope more thoroughly to cater to and bring

greater benefi ts to all Sarawakians, especially women.

The Sarawak Women’s Bureau was approved on Jan 23, 1985 and offi cially formed on Aug 25, 1988.

Since Sept 30, 2011, the bureau has been under the purview of the Ministry of Welfare, Women and Family Development.

Equipping women with skills

The Wisma Wanita Training Centre (WWTC) in Kuching will equip Sarawakian women with skills and knowledge through specialised training courses.

Fati mah said the courses would help women to generate an income for themselves and train them to communicate confi dently.

“We must have our own training centre such as WWTC to help these women in acquiring skills and knowledge so they can learn to be independent and generate extra income for themselves,” she said when launching WWTC’s Beauty and Spa Course.

TURN TO NEXT PAGE

Associati on of Wives of Ministers and Assistant Ministers of Sarawak (Sabati ) president Dati n Pati nggi Datuk Jamilah Anu (front centre) takes a wefi e at an Internati onal Women’s Day celebrati on. She is fl anked by Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim (left ) and Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Women’s chief Dato Sri Empiang Jabu. Fati mah is at front third right, while Assistant Minister of Early Childhood Educati on and Family Development Rosey Yunus is at front second right.


WWTC off ers four courses conducted by professionals recognised by the Labour Department:

“The Sarawak Women’s and Family Department will also be monitoring and obtaining feedback from the parti cipants who have completed the course to identi fy those with potenti al so as to assist in developing the skills as well as to network among peers for more business opportuniti es,” Fati mah added.

She said WWTC also aims to serve as a women’s resource centre for those who want to know more about the progress and development of women in Sarawak.

Vital role of NGOsMore than 100 non-governmental organisati ons (NGOs) are registered with JWKS and another 78 NGOs registered with the Welfare Department.

Fati mah explained that

women’s NGOs in Sarawak serve as strategic partners of the ministry and can play key roles in various areas such as educati on, welfare, health, politi cs, and the environment, as well as to facilitate and support the eff orts of the government and contribute towards the bett erment of society.

“As such, it is important to empower women and enhance the role of NGOs with skills and knowledge through related acti viti es and programmes from ti me to ti me,” she said when launching the ‘Women

NGOs Empowerment Workshop’ last year.

She also noted that the primary strength of NGOs is that they are not strictly governed by bureaucracy, thus allowing them to act fast and effi ciently.

“They can also eff ecti vely facilitate upward and downward communicati on as well as carry out advocacy for targeted groups or subjects of their concern.

“NGOs can do bett er job in certain areas and we can complement each other,” she said.

Women in politi cs Younger generati on of women in Sarawak have been asked to give ti me to politi cs in additi on to carving out a career for themselves in professional fi elds.

During the launching of the book ‘Sarawak Women in Politi cs: The Pioneers’ in September last year, Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said women’s acti ve involvement in politi cs is crucial to conti nue the politi cal struggles in the state.

“I hope not all young generati on of

women in the state just wantto work in the professionalfi elds, but some must also give att enti on to politi cs because the politi cal form in the state (since before independence) must be preserved by the women,” he remarked.

In recalling the struggle of Sarawakian women in the politi cal arena, Taib said women were acti vely involved in politi cs aft er the Second World War where they played an important role in spreading awareness among Sarawakians of the importance of struggle because the world had changed very rapidly aft er the war.

“Actually, women had been involved and moved forward together with the male leaders to ensure the success of politi cal foundati on like the one that we can accept as heritage today,” he said.

Among the pioneers were Datuk Ajibah Abol, Baidah Salleh, Barbara Mendu Bay, Bibi McPherson, Chi Mei Si, Hadiah Yaman, Dati n Sri Hau Ngoi, Datuk Paduka Jorkinah Hashim, Lily Eberwin, Lucy Sanyin Miku, Datuk Tra Zehnder, Datuk Sharifah Mordiah Tuanku Fauzi and Datuk Paduka Pemanca Sharifah Rehanah Syed Razali.

Women entrepreneurs — A force to be reckoned withWomen entrepreneurs in Sarawak have fl ourished and made a signifi cant mark on the development

of the local economy.Their involvement in operati ng

their own businesses have shown their capabiliti es in an area once monopolised by men.

During the State Legislati ve Assembly (DUN) sitti ng last December, Industrial Development Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, in his winding up speech, lauded Sarawakian women entrepreneurs who have shown strong credibility in managing their fi nances, with the default rate among women in sett ling their business loans at only about 1 per cent.

“Ninety-nine per cent of businesswomen in the state are repaying their loans on ti me, demonstrati ng high commitment in managing their fi nances,” he said.

He said Amanah Ikhti ar Malaysia (AIM) is among agencies providing the highest micro fi nancing to women entrepreneurs.

As at October last year, RM155 million was provided to benefi t 34,181 entrepreneursin the state compared to RM165 million for 31,390 entrepreneurs for 2014.

“Women entrepreneurs have shown good performance when it comes to repaying their loans, at about 99 per cent.

“This shows strong commitment in managing their fi nancing.

“Kudos to Sarawak women entrepreneurs!” said Awang Tengah.

Kek Lapis Sarawak pioneer and entrepreneur Rabiah Amit (front, third left ) briefs (from front left ) Adenan, Fati mah and Adenan’s wife Dati n Pati nggi Dato Jamilah Anu on her products during an exhibiti on.

(Standing from left ) Fati mah observes a demonstrati on of facial treatments with Assistant Minister of Early Childhood Educati on and Family Development Rosey Yunus and Women’s and Family Department director Noriah Ahmad. Women have a photo taken in front of a billboard celebrati ng Sarawak women in the arts.

FROM PAGE E25

Creati ve Sewing and Tailoring

Beauty

Massage and Spa

Cooking


DATUK Pati nggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem’s fi rst offi cial menti on of his principles and acti ons was made during the ‘Lan Berambeh Anak Sarawak 2015’ programme held in Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) in Kuala Lumpur on Oct 24 last year.

Under this list, Adenan had outlined his achievements including those on policies — new and amended — beginning with the announcement of his chief-ministership on Feb 28, 2014.

At the event in PWTC, he urged those att ending to read the pamphlets on his principles and acti ons, remarking: “With me, what you see is what you get. No pretence.”

His call for another fi ve years to enable him to do more for the state has become a familiar quote in many functi ons — one that rings like this: “I am only asking for fi ve more years and aft er that, I don’t want to be the chief minister anymore. I am not aft er the positi on.”

The following highlights Adenan’s 53 principles and acti ons in detail.

Anak SarawakAdenan is ti reless when it comes to championing for the rights of Sarawakians, regardless of their culture and background.

1. Bumiputeras in Sarawak should not be classifi ed as ‘Lain-lain’ (Others).

2. Chinese are not ‘Pendatang’ (immigrants). Adenan has stressed ti me and again that the Chinese especially, the generati ons aft er the second one, are not ‘pendatang’. “If you care to look around Kuching, you can see thousands of Chinese graveyards, some of which are over 100 years old. Those people could not have died yesterday. They must have died 60 or 70 years already. So why should you call them ‘pendatang’? They are not the Bangladeshis or Burmese. They have been here for so many years,” he was quoted as saying on Feb 4, 2015.

3. Putrajaya is reminded that when making reference to, or defi ning Bumiputeras in any document or communicati on, it must include all nati ves in Sarawak other than the Malays.

4. Many illegal immigrants expelled — Immigrati on Department have been told to be more acti ve and vigilant.

Free or Reduced FeeTo say Adenan is a caring leader is

an understatement, since he has implemented several policies that place the welfare of Sarawakians above all else.

Even though his hands are ti ed when it comes to Goods and Services Tax (GST), Adenan has seen to it that the people’s fi nancial burden is cut down.

6. All ferry service fares throughout the state reduced to RM1 (from RM5 / RM10 / RM15 per crossing) eff ecti ve July 1, 2015.

7. Toll abolishment for Lanang Bridge in Sibu (May 24, 2015), Asean Bridge in Miri (June 1, 2015) and Tun Salahuddin Bridge in Kuching (Jan 1, 2016). Sarawak is now a toll-free state. While Jan 1, 2016 marked the

end of toll collecti on and operati on at the Tun Salahuddin Bridge aft er 12 years of concession, the Lanang Bridge in Sibu fi rst became toll-free in late May 2015, and the toll collecti on at the Asean Bridge in Miri was also abolished on June 1, 2015. During the countdown event held in connecti on with the offi cial toll abolishment for Tun Salahuddin Bridge, Adenan said: “I promise for as long as I am the chief minister of Sarawak, there will be no toll charges. The Pan Borneo Highway spanning over 1,000km that has a lot of bridges, will also be toll-free.” He added that the Prime Minister had also given his assurance that the Pan Borneo Highway would be toll-free once completed.

8. No GST on municipal services.

9. No quit rent (land rent) for residenti al properti es and agriculture land less than 100 acres. Adenan fi rst made this move known during a live broadcast interview on RTM’s TV1 on Feb 26 this year.

The confi rmati on was announced during a press conference held at his offi ce in Wisma Bapa Malaysia, also on March 15.

“With eff ect from March 15,

2016, land rent shall no longer be charged on these land. All arrears and surcharges, if any, are hereby waived,” Adenan told the media then. The decision would aff ect 360,422 land ti tles with land rent amounti ng to RM8.58 million — equivalent to 19 per cent of total land rent.

According to Adenan, 173,752 ti tles are on smallholder agriculture land — less than 100 acres — with rent amounti ng to RM3.62 million, or eight per cent of total land rent. The aff ected residenti al land involved 186,670 ti tles with land rent amounti ng to RM4.96 million, or 11 per cent of the total rent.

“Even though the quit rent is not much, for those living in the rural areas, it is a substanti al amount if they count in their cost of coming out to pay the quit rent,” Adenan was quoted as having said.

Notably, he also said Sarawak was the fi rst state in the country to implement such a policy.

10. Reducti on in assessment rates for residenti al properti es, between 10 per cent and 100 per cent.

Government Promises to Chinese Independent Schools (including the recogniti on of UEC)

Widely known as the chief minister for all — the Malays, Chinese, Ibans, Bidayuh, Orang Ulus and all other ethnic groups — Adenan’s administrati on is believed to be the

fi rst state to recognise the credenti al held by Chinese independent school students, the Unifi ed Examinati on Certi fi cate (UEC). He has made it clear that even though Putrajaya sti ll refuses to recognise UEC, the Sarawak government will not follow suit, but do it diff erently.

12. The state government recognises the UEC for Yayasan Sarawak loan / scholarship, and entry into the state civil service. At the ‘Leader Meets People’ session in Lundu on Feb 24, 2016, Adenan once again gave his assurance that UEC ‘is recognised in Sarawak’. “I don’t care what the federal government says. If UEC holders want to apply to work in the state civil service, they can do so. The same goes for those who

would like to apply for scholarship or loans from Yayasan Sarawak, we will accept UEC, too.” Adenan, who is also Yayasan Sarawak chairman, added that he was sti ll negoti ati ng for other universiti es in the state to accept UEC.

Petronas Commitments to Sarawak’s Requests As an oil-producing state in Malaysia, Sarawak deserves to be given more. The state government, under Adenan’s leadership, has not given up on negoti ati ng with Petronas with regard to the request to increase oil and gas royalti es from fi ve to 20 per cent. As Adenan’s administrati on is working towards this end, the chief minister himself has successfully secured annual contracts for local companies in the state, and also increased Petronas’ various assistance schemes to Sarawak.

13. Contracts to be given to Sarawak companies (baseline worth RM2.1 billion every year).

14. Increase in Petronas’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) — RM10 million per year.

15. Petronas Educati on Assistance / Technical School (valued at RM420 million for fi ve years).

16. Petronas has agreed to supply 450 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) of natural gas at special negoti ated prices for the power sector and non- power sector in Sarawak.

Rural Transformati on Adenan has repeatedly said he is very concerned about the urban and rural development divide, which leads to poverty among the rural folk in Sarawak. He has thus decided to create new division, districts and sub- districts, as well as to allocate extra millions to spur rural development. “As for the Bidayuhs, we have elevated Serian as a division. Among the divisions, Samarahan is for the Malays, Kapit for the Ibans, Miri for Orang Ulus and Mukah for Melanaus. So we set up a new division for the Bidayuhs,” said Adenan in an event at Damai Beach Resort on Jan 29 this year.

A Man of Principles and Actions

Sarawakians of all background hold up banners, declaring their solid support for Adenan. — Photo taken Dec 31, 2015

Adenan, with his wife Dati n Pati nggi Dato Jamilah Anu on his left , wave to the crowd during the ‘Lan Berambeh Anak Sarawak 2015’ programme in Kuala Lumpur.

1, 2015.

held in connecti on with the offi cial toll abolishment for Tun Salahuddin Bridge, Adenan said: “I promise for as long as I am the chief minister of Sarawak, there will be no toll charges. The Pan Borneo Highway spanning over 1,000km that has a lot of bridges, will also be toll-free.”

Minister had also given his assurance that the Pan Borneo Highway would be toll-free once completed.

8. No GST on municipal services.

down.

5. Reduce electricity tariff

depending on the

consumption units;

eff ecti ve Jan 1, 2015,

domesti c tariff is between

two and 40 per cent.

eff ecti ve June 1, 2015,

commercial tariff is

between 15 and 50 per cent.

eff ecti ve June 1, 2015,

industrial tariff is between

eight and 11 per cent.

16. Petronas has agreed to supply 450 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) of natural gas at special negoti ated prices for the power sector and non- power sector in Sarawak.

Rural Transformati on

is very concerned about the urban and rural development divide, which leads to poverty among the rural folk in Sarawak. He has thus decided to create new division, districts and sub- districts, as well as to allocate extra millions to spur rural development.12. The state government

involved 186,670 ti tles with land rent

11. Recognition of Chinese independent schools, given RM3 million in 2014, RM4 million in 2015 and RM5 million in 2016 Opening a new school block for Kuching Chung Hua Primary School No 1 on Feb 4, Adenan promised to give RM6 million to 14 Chinese independent schools in 2017, if he was re-elected as chief minister.

TURN TO NEXT PAGE


17. The government enhances its services to the rural areas with the creati on of; Serian as a new division. nine new districts — Tebedu, Subis, Beluru, Telang Usan, Sebauh, Bukit Mabong, Tanjung Manis, Pusa, and Kabong. Seven new sub-districts — Siburan, barrio, Tinjar, Long Bedian, Mulu, Nanga Budu, and Nanga Merit.

18. Extra RM1.5 billion has been allocated for rural development to bridge the gap between urban and rural areas. The Sarawak Budget 2016 was set to give greater emphasis on rural development, with hundreds of millions of ringgit allocated to implement various road and bridge projects to further improve the connecti vity in the state. “The projects included Kuala Serupai/Kuala Tatau Road, Bintulu; bridge over Kuala Tatau at Kampung Seberang, Bintulu; road network and drainage system for Samalaju New Township; Sungai Sibuti Bridge and access road, Bekenu, Miri; bridge across Sungai Bako, Kuching; and Long Lama Bridge across Batang Baram, Miri,” said Adenan when tabling the Supply (2016) Bill, 2015 at the State Legislati ve Assembly sitti ng last December. To accelerate growth in rural areas, Adenan said an additi onal sum of RM500 million would be allocated in 2016 for Rural Transformati on Programmes (RTP) across Sarawak. On top of that, he said a sum of RM166 million had also been provided for Minor Rural Projects (MRP).

No Non-Sarawak Politi cal Party Adenan has subscribed to the noti on that ‘Sarawakians can look aft er themselves well’. He is also of the opinion that non- Sarawak politi cal parti es could not have known the local issues bett er than the Sarawakians themselves. 19. No to Peninsular Malaysia- based parti es in Sarawak.

“Who knows Sarawak bett er than the Sarawakians themselves? I don’t claim to know Perlis, Kelantan and other states. We can take care of ourselves, and we know how to,” he told a townhall session ‘Kamek Ngan CM Adenan’ — the highlight of ‘Lan Berambeh Anak Sarawak 2015’ programme in Kuala Lumpur last Oct 24.

20. Umno agrees not to set up its politi cal branches in Sarawak. “I have always said this, we don’t want Umno to come here, not because we don’t like Umno, no — but because there is already Umno here, except the name is diff erent. More or less the same, isn’t it? And the Malays here especially, want to work together with the other Bumiputeras like the Ibans, Bidayuhs and so on. If we are successful in that area, why change it? I want you to understand, not because we don’t like Umni — no. We will work together with them, yes. I’ve explained it to the Prime Minister and he understands. And he has said to me, that they have no intenti on to come. So the matt er is academic,” Adenan said on Feb 14, 2015.

Greater Autonomy and Empowerment for Sarawak “The getti ng out of Malaysia is just stupid talk. We want autonomy, yes; but secession, no. We fi nd safety, security and prosperity in Malaysia. It was Malaysia before, is Malaysia now and will be Malaysia forever,” said Adenan at the launch of Nati onal Month and Fly Jalur Gemilang Campaign 2015 on Aug 10.

21. In recogniti on of our self- government on July 22, 1963, the state decided to declare July 22 as a public holiday.

22. The state government is committ ed to conti nue negoti ati ons with the federal government on the increase in oil royalty from FIVE per cent to 20 per cent. “I will not stop negoti ati ng unti l we get what we want,”

Adenan and other dignitaries lift the bar to mark the end of toll collecti on and operati on at the Tun Salahuddin Bridge in Kuching.

FROM PAGE E27

TURN TO NEXT PAGE

This photo dated Feb 6, 2016 shows the aerial view of works being done on the Pan Borneo Highway’s secti on at Simpang Nyabau-Simpang Bakun, which has soft , swampy soil — a challenge for the contractrors. This picture was taken during a ‘Pan Borneo Highway Tour with Media’, which Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadilah Yusof also joined.

Adenan greets the pupils of Kuching Chung Hua Primary School No 1.

said Adenan during the one- day State Legislati ve Assembly (DUN) sitti ng last Aug 17. He said he had also told Petronas that all Sarawak state government cared about was the oil and gas found in Sarawak. “If it is found in Johor, Pahang or Terengganu, I don’t care — it’s their business. But if it is in Sarawak, we make it our business. That is why we are the government of this state.”

23. Sarawak will insist on more autonomy as enshrined

in the Federal Consti tuti on, Malaysia Agreement 1963, Inter Governmental Committ ee (IGC) Report and the Cobbold Commission Report.

24. The fi rst phase of negoti ati ons secured a 13-point agreement with the federal government on the delegati on of powers, and empowerment to state authoriti es by way of administrati ve power.

25. The second phase of negoti ati ons now focuses on

laws that impinge on Sarawak’s rights under the Federal Consti tuti on.

26. The third phase of negoti ati ons on the devoluti on of powers from the federal government back to Sarawak will involve matt ers on fi nancial provisions.

New Administrati ve Policies27. Sarawak is the fi rst state where all ministers, assistant ministers, members of the

State Legislati ve Assembly and politi cal secretaries have undertaken the Integrity Pledge. Adenan ‘walked his talk’ when he undertook the ‘Integrity Pledge’ in just months aft er being in offi ce, in commitment to the agreement recommended by the Malaysian Anti -Corrupti on Commission (MACC).

28. ‘Alibaba’ deep-sea fi shing licences have been reviewed and cancelled, and any issuance of new licences is to be referred to the state government.

29. All recipients under welfare assistance programme receive extra RM50 per month. Adenan has also pledged to help the hardcore poor families especially those in rural areas across Sarawak, if Putrajaya sti ll refuses to consider the state government’s request to grant 1Azam funds this year.

30. Improve housing policy for more aff ordable homes for Sarawakians.

31. Eliminate all legislati on and policies that discriminate against women and to provide them with equal opportuniti es

Usage of English On this, Adenan remarked: “I have been labelled as not being nati onalisti c or patrioti c enough by others when I advocate the use of English in Sarawak. I am just being practi cal and logical. I don’t know who made the decision not to use English in the past, but it has adversely aff ected other people now.”

32. English to be the medium for non-nati onal schools sti ll under negoti ati on. Correspondences in state government can either be in English or Bahasa Malaysia.

33. English to be adopted as the second offi cial language of Sarawak, alongside Bahasa Malaysia.

A Man of Principles

and Actions

A Man of Principles and ActionsEnvironment, Sustainable ForestManagement and Enforcement34. Moratorium on Baram Dam.

35. Internati onal scholars and naturalist are welcome to do research in our nati onal parks.

36. Collaborati ons with non-governmental organisati ons (NGOs) encouraged.

37. No more new ti mber licences and state land for commercial plantati on.

38. The fi ght against illegal logging will be conti nued. Eighty-four (84) Occupati onal Ticket (OT) licences for ti mber extracti on cancelled or not renewed. The OT licences were cancelled in line with the state government’s serious commitment towards combati ng illegal logging, announced Adenan aft er opening the 43rd nati onal- level anniversary celebrati on of Malaysia Volunteers Department (Rela) on Feb 8, 2015. “Some (licences) already expired and we will not renew and some applied for renewal (and we do not approve). We reduce the number,” he said.

39. As a result of our fi ght against illegal logging, 36 sawmills have closed down.

40. Ten (10) per cent of the state’s land mass to be gazett ed as Totally Protected Areas (TPAs).

Sarawak Harmony Kuching became the fi rst city in Malaysia offi cially proclaimed as a ‘City of Unity’, said Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, a member of the Board of Trustees for 1Malaysia Foundati on. “This underscores the importance for all races and ethnic groups to work and live together, to do their best to make this country of Malaysia a truly multi -racial, multi -ethnic and multi -cultural nati on.” Lee pointed out the fact that various ethnic groups in Kuching had been able to live in peace and harmony justi fi ed the city to be bestowed with the status. “This is the basis for strengthening the nati on — for all Malaysians to realise that it is only through unity that we can bring the nati on together,” Lee told journalists during the 27th City Day celebrati on on Aug 1 last year. Adenan, who launched the celebrati on, called upon Sarawakians to conti nue upholding their belief in unity amidst diversity and showing the rest of Malaysia how to live in peace and harmony. His policies include:

41. Sarawak has no tolerance for racists.

Adenan delivers his remarks at the offi cial opening of Sejiwa Senada programme in Sibu.

FROM PAGE E28

Sunday, May 1, 2016S P SE C I A L U P P L E ME NT E29

Adenan takes a view across Kubah Ria Riverfront aft er launching Karnival 1Azam at the commercial centre near Kuching.

Sarawak Land50. Declare more communal land for the purpose of improving the livelihood and welfare of the people.

51. Recogniti on of Nati ve Customary Rights (NCR) land and the conti nuous undertaking of perimeter and individual surveys have succeeded in bringing more of these land onto the register and opening up opportuniti es for the nati ves to develop their land on commercial basis.

52. Recent amendment to Secti on 5 (5A) of the Sarawak Land Code would enable the Bumiputeras of Sarawak to acquire NCR land outside of their own community; thereby enhancing opportuniti es to develop NCR land.

53. Retaining the original terms of the parent ti tle to sub- divided plots erases landowners’ anxiety and guarantees the land tenure.

Adenan delivers his remarks at the offi cial opening of Sejiwa Senada programme

Customary Rights (NCR) land and the conti nuous undertaking of perimeter and individual surveys have succeeded in bringing more of these land onto the register and opening up opportuniti es for the nati ves to develop their land on commercial basis.


53. Retaining the original terms of the parent ti tle to sub- divided plots erases landowners’ anxiety and guarantees the land tenure

Teachers in Sarawak

Minister of Welfare, Women and Family Development Datuk Fati mah Abdullah said 1,164 teachers from Peninsular Malaysia had left Sarawak since Jan 1 this year. “There are now 31,652 local teachers and 8,173 teachers from other states,” she said on Feb 26, 2016.” Fati mah was confi dent that Adenan’s ‘90:10 Initi ati ve’ would be realised, adding: “We are going towards that directi on and the ‘90:10 Initi ati ve’ will defi nitely be achievable as scheduled. This shows that what the oppositi on claims — that the initi ati ves of Adenan are only talks — is not true.”

49. The federal government has agreed to Sarawak’s request that 90 per cent of teachers teaching in Sarawak are Sarawakians, by 2018.

42. Everyone is free to practi se their religions.

43. No restricti on on the use of the word ‘ALLAH’ — provided it is done with respect.

44. No restricti on on Bahasa Malaysia Bible in Sarawak.

45. No Hudud Law in Sarawak.

46. Bigots and extremists are not welcome in Sarawak as our state embraces cultural diversity, unity and harmony.

Technical Educati on Sarawak now produces 12,000 of skilled workers a year, while Adenan aims to produce 40,000 skilled workers annually. His objecti ve is in line with the state’s target to meet the demand of 600,000 skilled workers at Samalaju Industrial Park.

47. Sarawak gives priority to Technical and Vocati onal Educati on and Training (TVET), and has started its own technical insti tute — Centre of Technical Excellence (CENTEXS).

Adenan is always at ease with people from all walks of life when att ending any functi on where he is the guest of honour.

Pan-Borneo Highway Sarawak48. From Telok Melano, Lundu to Merapok, Lawas spanning a total distance of 1.089KM

will be upgraded, with the following benefi ts; accelerate economic development throughout the state. from two-lane road to

four-lane highway across Sarawak. modern bridges, proper rest-stop areas, designated lay-bys. reduced travelling ti me. enhanced safety on roads. toll-free.


Anak Sarawak1. Bumiputeras in Sarawak

should not be classifi ed as ‘Lain-lain’ (Others).

2. Chinese are not ‘Pendatang’ (immigrants).

3. Putrajaya is reminded that when making reference to, or defi ning Bumiputeras in any document or communicati on, it must include all nati ves in Sarawak other than the Malays.

4. Many illegal immigrants expelled — Immigrati on Department have been told to be more acti ve and vigilant.

Free or Reduced Fee5. Reduced electricity tariff s depending on the consumpti on units; eff ecti ve Jan 1, 2015, domesti c tariff is between two and 40 per cent. eff ecti ve June 1, 2015, commercial tariff is between 15 and

50 per cent. eff ecti ve June 1, 2015, industrial tariff is between eight and 11 per cent.

6. All ferry service fares throughout the state reduced to RM1 (from RM5 / RM10 / RM15 per crossing) eff ecti ve July 1, 2015.

7. Toll abolishment for Lanang Bridge in Sibu (May 24, 2015), Asean Bridge in Miri (June 1, 2015) and Tun Salahuddin Bridge in Kuching (Jan 1, 2016).

8. No Goods and Services Tax (GST) on municipal services.

9. No quit rent (land rent) for residenti al properti es and agriculture land less than 100 acres.

10. Reducti on in assessment rates for residenti al properti es, between 10 per cent and 100 per cent.

Government Promises to ChineseIndependent Schools (including therecogniti on of UEC)11. In recogniti on of Chinese independent schools, they’re given

RM3 million in 2014, RM4 million in 2015 and RM5 million in 2016.

12. The state government recognises the Unifi ed Examinati on Certi fi cate (UEC) for Yayasan Sarawak loan / scholarship, and entry into the state civil service.

Petronas Commitments to Sarawak’s Requests13. Contracts to be given to Sarawak companies (baseline worth

RM2.1 billion every year).

14. Increase in Petronas’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) — RM10 million per year.

15. Petronas Educati on Assistance / Technical School (valued at RM420 million for fi ve years).

16. Petronas has agreed to supply 450 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) of natural gas at special negoti ated prices for the power sector and non-power sector in Sarawak.

Rural Transformati on17. The government enhances its services to the rural areas

with the creati on of;

Ø Serian as a new division.Ø nine new districts — Tebedu, Subis, Beluru, Telang Usan,

Sebauh, Bukit Mabong, Tanjung Manis, Pusa, and Kabong.Ø Seven new sub-districts — Siburan, barrio, Tinjar, Long

Bedian, Mulu, Nanga Budu, and Nanga Merit.

18. Extra RM1.5 billion has been allocated for rural development to bridge the gap between urban and rural areas.

No Non-Sarawak Politi cal Party19. No to Peninsular Malaysia-based parti es in Sarawak.

20. Umno agrees not to set up its politi cal branches in Sarawak.

Greater Autonomy andEmpowerment for Sarawak21. In recogniti on of our self-government on July 22, 1963, the

state decided to declare July 22 as a public holiday.

22. The state government is committ ed to conti nue negoti ati ons with the federal government on the increase in oil royalty from FIVE per cent to 20 per cent.

23. Sarawak will insist on more autonomy as enshrined in the Federal Consti tuti on, Malaysia Agreement 1963, Inter Governmental Committ ee (IGC) Report and the Cobbold Commission Report.

24. The fi rst phase of negoti ati ons secured a 13-point agreement with the federal government on the delegati on of powers, and empowerment to state authoriti es by way of administrati ve power.

25. The second phase of negoti ati ons now focuses on laws that impinge on Sarawak’s rights under the Federal Consti tuti on.

26. The third phase of negoti ati ons on the devoluti on of powers from the federal government back to Sarawak will involve matt ers on fi nancial provisions.

New Administrati ve Policies27. Sarawak is the fi rst state where all ministers, assistant

ministers, members of the State Legislati ve Assembly and politi cal secretaries have undertaken the Integrity Pledge.

28. ‘Alibaba’ deep-sea fi shing licences have been reviewed and cancelled, and any issuance of new licences is to be referred to the state government.

29. All recipients under welfare assistance programme receive extra RM50 per month.

30. Improve housing policy for more aff ordable homes for Sarawakians.

31. Eliminate all legislati on and policies that discriminate against women and to provide them with equal opportuniti es.

Usage of English32. English to be the medium for non-nati onal schools sti ll under

negoti ati on. Correspondences in state government can either be in English or Bahasa Malaysia.

33. English to be adopted as the second offi cial language of Sarawak, alongside Bahasa Malaysia.

Environment, Sustainable ForestManagement and Enforcement34. Moratorium on Baram Dam.

35. Internati onal scholars and naturalist are welcome to do research in our nati onal parks.

36. Collaborati ons with non-governmental organisati ons (NGOs) encouraged.

37. No more new ti mber licences and state land for commercial plantati on.

38. The fi ght against illegal logging will be conti nued. Eighty-four (84) Occupati onal Ticket (OT) licences for ti mber extracti on cancelled or not renewed.

39. As a result of our fi ght against illegal logging, 36 sawmills have closed down.

40. Ten (10) per cent of the state’s land mass to be gazett ed as Totally Protected Areas (TPAs).

Sarawak Harmony41. Sarawak has no tolerance for racists.

42. Everyone is free to practi se their religions.

43. No restricti on on the use of the word ‘ALLAH’ — provided it is done with respect.

44. No restricti on on Bahasa Malaysia Bible in Sarawak.

45. No Hudud Law in Sarawak.

46. Bigots and extremists are not welcome in Sarawak as our state embraces cultural diversity, unity and harmony.

Technical Educati on47. Sarawak gives priority to Technical and Vocati onal Educati on

and Training (TVET), and has started its own technical insti tute — Centre of Technical Excellence (CENTEXS)

Pan-Borneo Highway Sarawak48. From Telok Melano, Lundu to Merapok, Lawas spanning

a total distance of 1.089KM will be upgraded, with the following benefi ts;

>accelerate economic development throughout the state.>from two-lane road to four-lane highway across Sarawak.>modern bridges, proper rest-stop areas, designated lay-bys.>reduced travelling ti me.>enhanced safety on roads.>toll-free.

Teachers in Sarawak49. The federal government has agreed to Sarawak’s request that

90 per cent of teachers teaching in Sarawak are Sarawakians, by 2018.

Sarawak Land50. Declare more communal land for the purpose of improving

the livelihood and welfare of the people.

51. Recogniti on of Nati ve Customary Rights (NCR) land and the conti nuous undertaking of perimeter and individual surveys have succeeded in bringing more of these land onto the register and opening up opportuniti es for the nati ves to develop their land on commercial basis.


53. Retaining the original terms of the parent ti tle to sub-divided plots erases landowners’ anxiety and guarantees the land tenure.

Adenan’s‘53 Principles and Action’

Graphic summary of


IT was a triumphant moment for the Dayaks on Oct 30, 2015 when the federal government approved the term ‘Dayak’ to replace ‘Lain-lain’ (Others) in the ‘Race’ category on offi cial government forms – a milestone for the community, having been referred to as ‘Lain-lain’ for more than 50 years.

This was announced and confi rmed by Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun, who said the move had been pursued vigorously by the Sarawak government.

“In Peninsular Malaysia, the term Bumiputera (‘Sons of the Motherland’) refers to the Malays and the Orang Asal (indigenous people).

“In Sarawak, the term Bumiputera refers to the status of the Dayak community, comprising many ethnic groups.

“As such, they are enti tled to some privileges and special rights,” Entulu was quoted as having said then.

Chief Minister Datuk Pati nggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem, although a Malay, is one of Sarawak leaders fi ghti ng vigorously towards ensuring that the Dayaks would get this request granted.

It is understood that Adenan, the fi ft h chief minister of Sarawak, wanted to restore the pride and dignity to the Dayaks.

Upholding Dayak identi tyAccording to Yayasan Tun Jugah research director Dr Robert Menua Salleh, the Ibans are, in fact, a highly civilised community as they have disti ncti ve laws, cultures and traditi ons that have stood the test of ti me.

The Ibans across Borneo are also a disciplined and courageous lot, which explains their culture of ‘bejalai’ – moving from places to places to look for bett er opportuniti es such as bett er land to culti vate paddy and other crops, as well as to set up new sett lements.

“Originally the Ibans were from Kalimantan, but they moved to Sarawak and eventually owned vast acreage of land later on.

“The ‘cawat’ or ‘sirat’ (loincloth) is a part of our culture, but one that should not be associated with being backwards or uncivilised,” he said, adding that as an ethnic group, the Ibans are naturally adaptable to various types of social and cultural environments.

On the issue of beliefs, Christi ans in Sarawak are sti ll allowed to use the word ‘Allah Taala’ to refer to God. The Dayak Christi ans have been using the term for generati ons and it has been embedded in their language for so long.

Adenan, on numerous occasions, had assured Sarawak Christi ans that it would be fi ne for them to pray

Pride and honour for the Dayaks

and sing songs of praise using the word ‘Allah’.

Having said this, the proponents of the ban against the usage of the word ‘Allah’ in Christi an

publicati ons, sermons and speeches were intensely vocal about it and the situati on got quite intense, including a series of courtroom batt les, but everything ended with

a federal court’s decision favouring the state government.

Adenan had stressed that Sarawak Christi ans could use the term simply because that was how they pray and praise God.

This signifi ed the racial harmony in Sarawak, ‘Land of the Hornbills’.

Social matt ersThe Social Development Ministry has been carrying out a number of studies on social issues over the past several years.

Minister Tan Sri William Mawan said these studies had been compiled into books based on the subject matt ers related to youth, volunteerism and urbanisati on.

“Those studies have become sources of reference for other agencies in their planning of programmes.

“The next project is to publish a research summary book pertaining to women and family,” he said during one of the State Legislati ve Assembly (DUN) sitti ngs last year.

In 2015, the research focused on ‘Sarawak’s Ethnic Cultures’ — undertaken with the objecti ves of documenti ng, preserving and conserving the state’s unique traditi onal cultures, for future reference.

The other programmes that the ministry implemented include

conducti ng forums to share fi ndings from studies and monitor the implementati on of social programmes by the resident’s and district offi ces, as well as other related agencies.

Allocati ons had also been set aside to enable these authoritati ve bodies to organise more acti viti es slated for social development.

The ministry, in collaborati on with the Nati onal Culture and Arts Department, has succeeded in its endeavour to unearth and develop talents in both traditi onal and modern performing arts such as dancing, singing, playing musical instruments and performing theatre.

One of the most visibly successful programmes slated for ongoing preservati on of arts and culture is the Simfoni Orkestra Negeri Sarawak (SONS), which was set up in 1988.

Mawan said he hoped non-governmental organisati ons like Yayasan Tun Jugah, Dayak Cultural Foundati on, Dayak Bidayuh Nati onal Associati on (DBNA), Amanah Khairat Yayasan Budaya Melayu Sarawak (AKYBMS), Melanau Associati on, Sarawak Dayak Nati onal Union (SDNU) and Federati on of Orang Ulu Associati on Malaysia (Forum), could assist the government in preserving and protecti ng the state’s arts and culture.The ‘Miring’ – a ritual to appease the Gods in the hope of receiving their blessings – is sti ll being performed at villages and longhouses across Sarawak.

File photo shows Iban girls fully dressed in traditi onal costumes as they welcome guests to their longhouse in Sarikei during a special occasion.

The womenfolk of a longhouse in Kapit work together to weave ‘pua kumbu’ – one of the Iban community’s most iconic craft s.

Sunday, May 1, 2016 S P SE C I A L U P P L E MMME NNNTE32

Major boost for state’s tourism industry

The Tourism Ministry will upgrade and improve facili es at:

• Bako Na onal Park• Semenggoh Wildlife Centre• Matang Wildlife Centre• Mulu Na onal Park.The discovery of a six-million-

year-old cave in Mulu will also bring added value to the Sarawak’s tourism sector.

Upgrade of na onal parks

Abang Johari (third right) witnessing the exchange of documents in December 2015 which was signed between Sarawak Tourism Board chief execu ve offi cer and Tourism Ministry permanent secretary Datu Ik Pahon Joyik (second le ) and Hong Kong Airlines Strategy and Planning Commercial Department manager Andre Zhang, while Assistant Tourism Minister Datuk Talib Zulpilip and the then-Chinese Consul-General Liu Quan looked on.

SARAWAK will have direct fl ights to Hong Kong from April following a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) and Hong Kong Airlines, a subsidiary of Hainan Airlines Ltd in December.

Under the MOU, Hong Kong Airlines would fl y its 174-seat A320 on the Hong Kong-Kuching-Hong Kong route twice weekly.

As part of the agreement, Tourism Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said STB would provide incen ves and support to ensure the sustainability of the route.

“On this endeavour, Tourism Malaysia and Malaysian Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) will also off er incen ves, apart from STB. The ini al agreement outlined the route to be fl own between Hong Kong and Kuching on Wednesdays and Sundays, with the me slots

Introducing direct fl ights to Hong Kong• Review tour guide licensing and syllabus,

• Event and Fes val Commi ee,• Gen Y project such as street

art, work opportuni es, youth ambassadors.

Medical tourismKuching may see more specialist hospitals following the rising number of medical tourists.

Of the 4.8 million tourist arrivals last year, a very high percentage came from medical tourism par cularly medical tourists from Pon anak and Jakarta, Indonesia.

“Such demand goes to show that the medical services our specialists off er are of quality. This is what we have to acknowledge because if our services are not sa sfactory, they will not come,” said Abang Johari.

He proposed the Sarawak Economic Development Corpora on (SEDC) equip its hotel facili es in Damai, some 35km from Kuching, with the necessary equipment to off er post-treatment services for medical tourists.

Ci ng the Maldives, he said medical tourists there received post-treatment at hotels for full recovery.

“This is a new concept that we shall embrace because we have nature that can off er fresh air for medical tourists who are in post-treatment or therapy to give them be er recovery,” he said.

THE state government has allocated RM20 million for tourism-related projects this year.

This include the expansion of North Yu Seng/Jalan Merpa , Miri (Tourism Belt); Bakam Point, Miri; riverbank beau fi ca on and walkway from Kampung Boyan to Fort Margherita; and the upgrading of Dalat Waterfront, Mukah (Phase III).

Under the federal Tourism and Culture Ministry, RM3.4 million has been allocated to upgrade Niah Na onal Park and RM2.5 million to re-develop the Heritage Trail from Kampung Bintangor to Kuching Esplanade, which will be carried out under the fi rst Rolling Plan of the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP) from 2016 to 2017.

Private sector supportMinister of Tourism Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg admi ed 2015 was a challenging year for the Sarawak Tourism Federa on (STF) and tourism stakeholders with the implementa on and impact of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), minimum wage, and the ringgit’s deprecia on.

The ministry set up a special pla orm known as The Sarawak Tourism Forum early last year with tourism industry players through STF.

“The Sarawak Tourism Forum acts as a venue to discuss policies, issues and current trends aff ec ng the tourism sector, while at the same me provide input for future improvement and development,” said Abang Johari.

The forum came up with 10 major proposals and eight working groups with priority areas being to:

• Establish a heritage body or council to regulate heritage conserva on,

• Ensure preserva on and future development of known heritage sites,

• Review and audit na onal parks, including the upgrading of facili es at Bako Na onal Park,

• Develop marke ng taskforce to address branding of Sarawak,

• Licensing of accommoda on providers,

Mulu will be among the na onal parks to undergo an upgrade and have be er facili es for tourists.

On this endeavour, Tourism Malaysia and Malaysian Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) will also off er incen ves, apart from STB.Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg, Tourism Minister

to be determined by the airline based on market demand and also the approval by the Hong Kong government,” he said.

A series of market introduc ons on Hong Kong and ci es across Southern China would be part of marke ng plans.

“These will include roadshows in the iden fi ed ci es, business sessions with Hong Kong Airlines offi cials and travel agents currently selling Malaysia in China’s southern

region — all of which will be followed up by familiarisa on trips.

“We will also further promote interes ng tourism products that we have through various tools, such as the crea on of media awareness and adver sing by means of digital, online and print (channels),” he said.

Boos ng tourist arrivals from ChinaSTB will leverage on STF and Malaysian Associa on of Tour and Travel Agents (Ma a) Sarawak to facilitate partnerships with Sarawak’s outbound agents to ensure seats for the outbound leg would be equally a ended to.

The board will also engage agents in Pon anak to create awareness of the Hong Kong-Kuching fl ight, tapping into passengers from West

Kalimantan.Abang Johari said Tourism Malaysia

offi ces in Hong Kong and Guangzhou would be engaged and syndicated to leverage on their market presence, towards ensuring the state’s marke ng interests are monitored and coordinated and assist in the marke ng of the fl ight to Sarawak.

He said the direct fl ight should be able to drive tourist arrivals from China, where the realis c fi gure of 80 per cent would be possible.

“We feel that this ini a ve would benefi t us a lot as it would provide greater convenience to travellers, especially those coming here for MICE (mee ngs, incen ves, conferences and exhibi ons) events because by taking direct fl ights from Hong Kong, they would go through only one immigra on check,” he added.

TURN TO NEXT PAGE


KUCHING was offi cially declared the City of Unity on Aug 1, 2015 by Chief Minister Datuk Pati nggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem at the Kuching City Day celebrati on.

“We are indeed honoured to be chosen as the city in our country to be the number one in terms of how to live in harmony with one another. Let us, in this troubled ti mes when there is tension among races, religions and cultures, show them how to live together in peace and harmony,” he said.

“Let us be an example to the rest of Malaysia, that we believe in unity and in diversity. Even though we are diverse, several cultures and so on, we can and we will live together in unity and in peace.”

The concept was suggested by the 1Malaysia Foundati on following studies in all citi es in Malaysia to assess and identi fy those with qualiti es rooted in unity.

“Apparently from the studies, it shows that Kuching has met all the strict criteria listed in the justi fi cati ons, especially in terms of accepti ng cultural diversity, mutual understanding and true harmony,” explained Tourism Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg.

“The other criteria include city status, large ethnic and cultural diversity, good schooling system and so on.”

Acti viti es planned include an internati onal forum on unity where internati onal scholars will give talks and share their experience on unity.

“This is not only in the context of Malaysia but rather the internati onal dimension. This is a very important forum to share our experience and vision as we will also be declaring a part of our city as a cultural heritage site,” said Abang Johari.

He said the heritage area of Kuching, where major places of worship sit within walking distance, is where the signifi cant traits and characteristi cs of a city with high acceptance for diversity can be seen.

“And there is of course our interacti on among various communiti es – the Malay, Chinese, nati ves and even foreigners – the warm hospitality like no other where even foreigners could feel a sense of belonging in the city.

“We also want to get young people to be involved through various competi ti ons that could refl ect our interacti ons with a diversity of people within our community which is embodied in our nati on-building,” he said.

(Front centre) Adenan offi ciates at the Kuching City Day event with Kuching North Datuk Bandar Datuk Abang Abdul Wahap Abang Julai (right) and Kuching South Mayor Datuk James Chan as other dignitaries look on. Abang Johari is at left .

The fi rst-ever ‘City of Unity’

Bidayuh women in traditi onal costumes ready to welcome guests at an event.

Traditi onal buff alo races can be developed as a tourism att racti on in Lawas.

Tourists enjoy a performance at the Rainforest World Music Festi val.

FROM PAGE E32


THE state government will continue to engage and empower youths across all levels and through comprehensive outreach programmes that involve sports, education, business, culture and volunteerism.

At the state-level Youth Day celebration in Bintulu last June, Social Development Minister Tan Sri William Mawan said such approach would be undertaken to ensure that the potential and capability of the younger generation could be fully utilised, particularly towards technical development.

“The youths of today are the leaders of tomorrow. The emphasis on technical and skills education is in line with the development of SCORE (Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy).”

He said his ministry had outlined various outreach programmes in the hope that they would encourage the youths to become

more proactive.On the state-level Youth Day,

themed ‘Youths Uphold Nation’s Transformation’ (‘Belia Tonggak Transformasi Negara’), Mawan said the government had agreed that the celebration, along with all activities that went with it, would be ongoing till the end of the year across all districts.

“It also aims at giving rural youths the same opportunity as their urban counterparts in terms of involvement in these activities. Moreover with us hosting the Malaysia Games, we would require more youth volunteers. As such, they should start from now by taking part in activities lined up during Youth Day.”

Several youth awards were also presented at the event by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem, namely the ‘Special Youth Icon’ to Jamery Siga, ‘Sports Youth Icon’ to Diana Bong Siong Lin, ‘Special Recognition for Youth

Arts Association’ to SMK St Joseph Kuching, ‘Youth Association Award’ to Angkatan Belia Islam Sarawak

(Abim), and a special accolade to Li Han Boon of the Young Malaysian Movement Sarawak.

Engaging and empowering youths

Adenan (sixth right) and Mawan (fi ft h left ) joining other disti nguished guests for a memento photo-call with the award winners at the state-level 2015 Youth Day celebrati on in Bintulu.

These youths represent the parti cipants of the Youth Day celebrati on in Bintulu in the ‘Youth Pledge’ ceremony.

A silat exponent displaying

some intricate

manoeuvres with a

machete during a session.

GREATER focus on youths was on the 2015 Agenda of Kuching City North Commission (DBKU), which was launched by Adenan early last year.

North Kuching Datuk Bandar

Datuk Abdul Wahap Abang Julai said the main agenda for 2015 focused on two areas — tackling social issues involving youths and their own housekeeping.

“In our eff ort to make Kuching the most talked about town in 2017, we need the support of everyone, especially youths who are the pillars of our future. For

that to be possible, social ills among youths must be tackled,” he said.

These feisty girls conducti ng a group Tang Soo Do demonstrati on.

More focus on youth acti viti esA SERIES of ‘Tegas Youth Forums’ was held across the state to gather input from the group and then formulate a policy to empower them towards becoming movers and shakers in the state’s development.

The four-part series, held from September to November last year, was run by Sarawak Bumiputera Trust Fund (Tegas) in collaborati on with the Workforce Development Unit of Chief Minister’s Offi ce.

Tegas chairman Datu Len Talif Salleh, who is also Assistant Minister in Chief Minister’s Offi ce (Promoti on of Technical Educati on), said the forum aimed to raise the state’s Technical and Vocati onal Educati on and Training (TVET) sector to a higher level.

The government had identi fi ed TVET to play the main role in producing skilled and semi-skilled workforce in the state’s aspirati on to produce a high income society and become a developed state within the next 15 years.

Youths were advised to grab the opportunity to have a dialogue with the chief minister; to discuss issues ranging from social, economy to politi cs; and to know the government’s stand and policies to strengthen the state’s development. Its target group was those aged 18 to 35, including higher learning students and members of non-governmental organisati ons (NGOs).

“The chief minister has targeted to produce an average of 40,000 skilled and semi-skilled workers annually. The state records, on average, 40,000 SPM school-leavers every year,” said Len, adding that there was sti ll much to be done to ensure that students would be exposed to TVET for the job market.

Gaining input from youths via forums

(Abim), and a special accolade to Li Han Boon of the Young Malaysian

These youths represent the parti cipants of the Youth Day celebrati on in Bintulu in

More focus on youth acti viti esA young marti al arti st showing his skills during a wushu challenge.

TURN TO NEXT PAGE

THE Youth and Sports Department of Sarawak plays a vital role in the promoti on and development of sports in the state. Its director Abdul Haris Ishak said his department is working very closely with the Social Development Ministry, Sarawak Sports Corporati on, Sarawak State Sports Council (MSNS), state Educati on Department and other youth and sports bodies and agencies to promote and develop sports.

“We work hand in hand with the Sarawak government to increase the involvement of the people in not only competi ti ve sports, but also in mass/community sports through various programmes,” he said in an interview.

Abdul Haris said his department provided numerous sports faciliti es throughout the state that were accessible to the people, in line with the federal government’s ‘Sports For All’ policy.

“We have built futsal courts not only in the urban but also in the rural areas to provide an avenue for the youths to play futsal. Sarawak has the biggest number of 1Malaysia futsal courts in the country, with 239 and three more to be added — two in Tebedu and one near Jalan Jambusan in Bau.

“We also have 1Malaysia gymnasiums in Sri Aman, Sarikei, Kapit, Miri and Limbang, community sports multi -purpose a hall in Mukah, syntheti c football fi elds in Kuching and Bintulu, and a gym at UTC (Urban Transformati on Centre) Kuching. Apart from that, we have the Aquati c Centre of Excellence at the Youth and Sports Complex in Kuching for the training of swimmers and divers to ensure

that Sarawak would remain a powerhouse in aquati cs,” he added.

Abdul Haris said the multi -purpose hall at the Youth and Sports Complex could also be used for sports such as sepak takraw, badminton and volleyball. Adding on, he also said the sports faciliti es provided by Sarawak Youth and Sports Department were very popular and fully uti lised, especially the 1Malaysia futsal courts in the rural areas.

“As we know, there are limited sports faciliti es in rural areas, so the futsal courts there are very popular and fully uti lised by the youths. For the hosti ng of Sukma (Malaysia Games) XVIII, we are building a squash centre — a project that commenced on Aug 25 last year, and is expected to be fi nished on April 24 this year. We are hoping to produce more world-class players like Nicol Ann David.

“We have also helped to upgrade the Serian Sports Stadium, of which the works were completed on Sept 11 last year.”

According to Abdul Haris, his department also provides assistance to paralympic athletes through funding for talent identi fi cati on, and I-Train programmes as well as sponsorships for paralympic athletes to compete in nati onal or internati onal events.

“Our state paralympic team have an excellent track record, having won the Malaysian Paralympic Games for a record 11 consecuti ve ti mes. Some of them have even represented Malaysia in swimming and powerlift ing — in SEA Games and World Paralympics — and brought back medals. We are all very proud of their achievement.”

Abdul Haris said while his side

provided funding and assistance to youth and sports organisati ons, they needed to become registered bodies recognised by the government.

Last year, the department were given RM1,043,195 to implement 32 programmes and this year, the esti mated

budget was RM817,837 for 16 programmes.

Provision of sports faciliti es for youths

For the hosti ng of Sukma XVIII, we are building a squash centre — a project that commenced on Aug 25 last year, and is expected to be fi nished on April 24 this year. We are hoping to produce more world-class players like Nicol Ann David.— Abdul Haris Ishak, Sarawak Youth and Sports Department director

Abdul Haris says the Aquati c Centre of Excellence in Kuching is to be used for the training of swimmers and divers to ensure that Sarawak would remain a powerhouse in aquati cs.

The Youth and Sports Complex at Jalan Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce in Kuching.

Youths engaged in a futsal game at one of the 1Malaysia futsal courts in the state. The pool inside the Aquati c Centre of Excellence inside the Youth and Sports Complex.


FROM PAGE E34

(From left ) Jonathan, Voon, Ho, Daniel and Pete pose with SMK St Columba principal and management board members aft er receiving certi fi cates of recogniti on from Miri Educati on Department offi cer Dr Hassan Hasbollah.

Coach Filicia (front row, right) with Beluru weightlift ers in a photo-call during the Sukma Baton Run.

The district went on to produce Filicia Muyat and Sylvia Buda, Sukma weightlift ing gold and bronze medallists, respecti vely.

Consequently, Entri forwarded Filicia’s request to the state authoriti es to set up proper faciliti es at SMK Bakong and SMK Tinjar to develop future weightlift ing champions.

Upon the approval of the Sarawak Sports Council (MSNS), Filicia and Sylvia were soon appointed full-ti me coaches based at the two schools.

Out of the nine student weightlift ers shortlisted for the upcoming Sukma, fi ve – Bapi Muyat, Dixson Gansul, Sheerra Bunyau, Christopher Merayang and Riska Dunstan – are touted as medal prospects. Filicia att ributed their success to the right ingredients in their physique and the natural ability of the talents in Baram. She beamed with pride when talking about her charges to The Borneo Post: “They are all fi rst-ti mers but they have progressed very well in such a short period of development.”

Lee Yong and Grace with their Best Athlete awards at the 2015 MSSM Inter-State Track and Field Championships.


TURN TO NEXT PAGE

People expect weightlift ing athletes to be in a big-size body fi gure. But we wanted to defy the odds, and we made it with athletes with a smaller-size body fi gure. Perhaps, the judges were impressed by the surprise.Teacher-advisor, SMK St Columba MIri

SARAWAK is on track to top the medal tally come the hosti ng of the 18th Malaysia Games (Sukma) on July 22-31, 2016. The confi dence is not only based on preparati ons across over 20 sports that have been put in place in recent years, but also on macro factors in youth development – infrastructure, policies and programmes – that sustain an environment conducive to ensuring long-term success. Certainly, there are human factors as well – administrators, offi cials, coaches and athletes.

In February, Mukah hosted the annual 2016 Sarawak Schools Sports Council (MSSM)’s Cross-Country Championships. Samarahan took home three trophies while Kapit, Sarikei and Mukah walked away with one each, but the hosts were elated when they clinched the overall championship crown aft er their Girls’ Under-18 and Under-12 teams fi nished second, and their Boys’ Under-15 and Under-12 teams ended third to add to their Girls’ Under-15 victory.

Mukah’s triumph was but another example of how youths from smaller towns could compete on par with their city counterparts in state-level competi ti ons. This could be att ributed to improvement in faciliti es and equipment to match those in more urbanised centres, as well as the passion of coaches and teachers dedicati ng themselves to harness available talents across

Anatomy of success for youth development in sports

various parts of Sarawak. A month aft er Mukah’s outi ng,

three students from Miri also surprised many by performing so well in another sport that they now stand a chance to represent Sarawak in July’s Sukma. Ho Hong Huat, Pete Michel and Daniel Nyuin of SMK St Columba won their respecti ve weight categories in the pre-Sukma Inter-Division Weightlift ing Competi ti on. Their tally of fi ve gold medals also helped Miri to clinch the overall ti tle at the state-level event. The ecstati c teacher-advisor of the school’s weightlift ing club remarked: “People expect weightlift ing athletes to be in a big-size body fi gure. But we wanted to defy the odds, and we made it with athletes with a smaller-size body fi gure. Perhaps, the judges were impressed by the surprise.”

He was also quick to att ribute their success to coach Jonathan Patrick.

Next, nine weightlift ers from two schools in Beluru District have been shortlisted for the upcoming Sukma — a mark of success that was envisioned 20 years ago and is now closer to the target of making Beluru the future weightlift ing powerhouse in Sarawak.

AT the 17th Sukma in Perlis two years ago, a 14-year-old girl caused a major sensati on when she threw the hammer further than the winning distance in the 2013 SEA Games. Grace Wong was actually the latest of a long line of throwing champions from Sarikei. A year later, she and nati onal teammate Jackie Wong, also from Sarikei, both won bronze medals at the Singapore’s SEA Games.

For the record, Sarikei has produced the men’s champion hammer thrower in the last fi ve editi ons of Sukma. In fact, they have been winning the event at the nati onal inter-state MSSM track and fi eld championships every year since 2008. All these throwers, male and female, are trained at Sarikei’s Centre of Excellence for Athleti cs (Throwing Events) set up by MNSN, under the charge of dedicated local coaches led by Ling Neng Thung and Liong Shuen Kiong.

The ‘Amazing’ Grace, who will be competi ng in her second Sukma this year, has been a seasoned ‘veteran’ in Sarawak conti ngent at the annual inter-state MSSM championships. She has won at least one gold medal at the nati onal schools meet every year since 2010 – back when she was sti ll in Primary 5. Last year, she and teammate Quek Lee Yong were adjudged the respecti ve ‘Best Girl and Boy Athletes’. Lee Yong is a junior world-class 400m hurdler who smashed the 34-year-old Sarawak state record last year when he was only 17. He fi nished fourth at the

Commonwealth Youth Games in September 2015. Two months later, he further improved his personal best ti me to 52.18secs, earning him a spot in the top six of the all-ti me nati onal rankings for 400m hurdles. Lee Yong, who hails from Selangau in Sibu Division, is another veteran student athlete. In fact, the Sarawak conti ngent at last year’s MSSM meet comprised athletes from all corners of Sarawak.

Some, like Lee Yong, have been able to conti nue making remarkable strides because they have chosen to transfer themselves from various towns in Sarawak to study in the state’s only sports school in Tabuan Jaya. The reputati on of the state conti ngent at the annual MSSM meet through the years is legendary. Sarawak has won the overall nati onal ti tle for 19 of the last 23 years. The state school athletes will be eyeing their seventh consecuti ve overall championship trophy this year.

SPORTS should rightly be extended to youths with special needs and physical disabiliti es as well.

This is also another arena of youth development in which Sarawak provides a shining example to other Malaysian states and the world. Forty-four community-based rehabilitati on centres are spread out in the state where the special needs of these youths and children are att ended to.

Well-conceived plans are already in place to integrate these students into selected primary and secondary schools.

Modules such as those in the popular ‘Healthy Athletes Programme’ appeal to children with special needs and their parents. In sports, the state has ensured that there are reward incenti ves equivalent to those available for able-bodied athletes.

The relevant agencies conduct systemati c training for managers, coaches and volunteers involved with

athletes with physical disabiliti es or special needs. They also develop specifi c programmes and strategies to discover and develop a conti nuous cycle of new athletes.

On this, Welfare, Women and Family Development Minister Datuk Fati mah Abdullah said: “We do not bank on previous athletes but also conti nue to work on discovering and training more new talents.”

Immediately aft er the 18th Sukma, Sarawak will also host the 18th Malaysia Paralympics on Aug 2-9, 2016. The state paralympians will be going all out to defend the overall ti tle that they have held for the past 22 years – Sarawak paralympians have been nati onal champions since 1994. This year, they will be targeti ng their 12th consecuti ve nati onal ti tle.

Last year, four Sarawak athletes also represented Malaysia to compete against the world’s best at the 2015 World Summer Games for Special Olympic Athletes, held in Los Angeles, California in the US.

Sports – Arena for all youths

Grace winning the hammer throw at the 2014 Sukma. Her distance of 55.82m propelled her into the elite bracket of throwers in Southeast Asia.

Fati mah (front, fourth right), Sarawak offi cials and paralympians celebrati ng aft er Sarawak won the Nati onal Paralympics ti tle for the 11th consecuti ve ti me.

Fati mah (right) and Sarawak Special Olympic offi cials sending off Sharifah Saidatul and Nur Nadhirah to compete in the 2015 World Summer Games held in the US.

Jackie Wong broke the nati onal record again in March 2016 with a throw of 64.5m.

Sunday, May 1, 2016S P SE C I A L U P P L E ME NT E37 FROM PAGE E36

Telecommunicati ons: All about inclusion in the digital era

Bario, a sub-district in northern Sarawak, is connected to the Internet via the setup of a ‘Very-Small-Aperture-Terminal’ (VSAT) satellite unit (inset). Adenan hopes to see all areas in Sarawak, especially the remote pockets, to have access to the Internet soon.

SARAWAKIANS can expect bett er communicati on as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has

pledged that the state would not be left out in the nati onal agenda of

new economy or digital era, with Putrajaya injecti ng

millions of ringgit into implementi ng enhancement projects in the state going forward.

The premier, in speaking at the launch of the Malaysia Inklusif Negara Digital (Minda) – or the Malaysian Nati onal Digital Inclusion – at Kuching Waterfront on March 12, said the connecti vity recovery plan in terms of cellular phones for Sarawak was ongoing, and that the government aimed to achieve an 85 per cent coverage.

“RM290 million has been approved for this fi rst phase and we will make sure that all areas, including longhouses, would enjoy such services.” He also pointed out that high-speed broadband services in urban areas would also be further enhanced up to 10 megabits per second (Mbps), while the target for rural areas would range between 4mbps and 10mbps.

“This is what we will do in Sarawak. With high-speed broadband, we can have bett er voice and network data. It is to help e-learning, e-government, e-banking, e-commerce and so forth.”

Najib assured Sarawakians that he would be in the state again in April to launch the second phase of the enti re enhancement plan – cellular communicati on services of 4G and 3G.

He said to implement this second phase, at least RM1.8 billion would be required and it (Phase II) would be implemented via public private initi ati ves (PPI). He said the government through the Malaysian

Communicati ons and Multi media Commission (MCMC) was also in the process of widening cellular and WiFi coverage in Sarawak.

“MCMC will also be establishing 150 communicati on towers and 438 WiFi spots in collaborati on with telecommunicati on corporati ons, namely Celcom, DiGi, Maxis, RedTone and Measat. Besides, we are also constructi ng an undersea cables, which is expected to be completed in three years, at a cost of RM850 million.

“The new economy will be implemented for Sarawak as we want Sarawak to be on par with ‘Semenanjung’ (Peninsular Malaysia). And this will happen in the coming years.”

Adenan to MCMC: Finish the jobNAJIB’S announcement was no doubt good news for Chief Minister Datuk Pati nggi Adenan Satem, who had called on the federal government to assist Sarawak in terms of developing its Internet connecti vity, parti cularly in the rural areas.

“What I hope to see is that all the areas in Sarawak would get access to the Internet soon, especially in the rural areas in Sarawak as they need it (Internet) the most,” Adenan said at the same event.

At another event on Jan 15, Adenan also appealed to MCMC to

pay due att enti on to the needs of rural Sarawakians, rather than just setti ng up infrastructure that did not functi on.

“In some rural parts of Sarawak, some broadband network infrastructure or communicati on towers are there; but they off er no communicati on services to our rural folk.

“What is the use of having the towers there that do not transmit data? They say there are some problems with our contractors and so forth. I want to ask MCMC to take parti cular att enti on to this matt er. When you do it, you fi nish the job,” he was quoted as saying then.

Meanwhile, Communicati ons and Multi media Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak gave his assurance that MCMC would ensure that all its telecommunicati on towers in the state would be functi onal by the end of March.

“Eighty-fi ve per cent of the towers are functi oning. We hope that by end of this March, the people could use all of them,” he told reporters aft er paying a courtesy call on Adenan at the latt er’s offi ce in Wisma Bapa Malaysia on March 11.

As at November last year, Sarawak had a total of 203 telecommunicati on towers, while another 85 towers had been proposed to be erected this year.

In February, MCMC issued a statement stati ng that a total of 19 telecommunicati on towers had been repaired around Sarawak in its eff orts in increasing cellular services, especially in the rural areas.

The 19 telecommunicati on towers menti oned are those in Nanga Ibau, Lepong Baleh, Pelajau, Nanga Mujung, Ulu Yong, Nanga Serian, Nanga Sut and Nanga Yong in Kapit; Kampung Binjai, Belimbing, Nanga Medamit and Ulu Pandaruan in Limbang; Uma Lahanan, Uma Baloi Liko and Bakun Road, Sungai Assap intersecti on in Belaga; Kampung Long Sebangang, Kuala Briwan and Ulu Merapok in Lawas; and Rumah Jarau in Song.

At the same ti me, a total of 163 WiFi coverage areas under the ‘Community WiFi’ initi ati ve (previously ‘Kampung Tanpa Wayar’) were also fully functi onal.

They are 57 locati ons in Kuching, 26 in Serian, 20 in Sri Aman, 16 in Asajaya, 11 in Limbang, nine in Samarahan and Bintulu, fi ve in Lundu, three in Lubok Antu and Simunjan, and one in Tatau.

As such, upgrading works on increasing cellular services quality in Sarawak’s rural areas will conti nue and should reach completi on according to schedule, despite the delays due to fl ooding and in certain cases, vandalism.

A telecommunicati on tower at Bukit Antu near Jalan Batu Lintang, Kuching. MCMC assures Sarawakians that all its telecommunicati on towers across the state would be functi onal by the end of March.

A student undertakes research with the help of the Internet – a task made possible and more convenient these days, thanks to broadband connecti vity.

Nowadays, mobile phones have become a necessity rather than a luxury for all Sarawakians, and Najib has pledged that Sarawak would not be left out in the nati onal agenda of new economy or digital era.

The government’s connecti vity recovery plan in terms of cellular phones for Sarawak is ongoing, with the aim of achieving an 85 per cent coverage.

Broadband connecti vity allows business owners, such as this businesswoman, stay connected with their clients and associates. It has been announced that high-speed broadband services in urban areas would also be further enhanced up to 10Mbps, while the target for rural areas would range between 4mbps and 10mbps.



There is still much work to be done towards industrialisation of the state’s economy but Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem had been quick to stamp his mark.

In less than a year since he took office, Adenan led an investment trip to South Korea in Dec 2014 to firm up a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hu-Chems Fine Chemical Corporation, a unit of South Korea’s Taekwang Industrial Group for the intention to set up an ammonia plant in Bintulu.

Adenan, in his address before the MoU signing between the state government and Hu-Chems said the agreement marked a significant milestone in the state’s pursuit towards industrialisation as envisaged in the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) programme.

Hu-Chems has pledged to invest US$1 billion to construct an ammonia-based chemical manufacturing plant in Tg Kidurong, Bintulu.

The plant, which will become the first to produce ammonium nitrate

in the country once completed in the next few years has the capacity to produce up to 600,000 tons of ammonia, 400,000 tonnes of nitric acid and 200,000 tons of ammonium nitrate a year.

The Korean firm is also looking to increase the capacity production of ammonia to a million tons in the future and turn Bintulu into a hub for fine chemical industries in Southeast Asia.

Apart from that, Hu-Chems has plans to build a second project for its downstream industries such as polyurethane, synthetic fibre and fertiliser with the materials produced in the Phase 1 plant.

The second project will enable the vertical integration of Phase 1 produced materials in addition to reinforcing product competitiveness , making Bintulu the hub of fine chemical industries in Southeast Asia.

Besides South Korea, Adenan is keen on witnessing more investment from China to invest in various sectors in Sarawak.

During a courtesy call on Adenan early this year, Shanghai Taison Pulp-Making Group of China

Leading Sarawak towards greater industrialisati on

Adenan (fi ft h left ) and from left State Planning Unit director Datu Ismawi Ismuni, State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Morshidi Abdul Ghani, Infrastructure Development and Communicati ons Minister Dato Sri Michael Manyin, Wong and representati ves from China State Constucti on Engineering Corporati on Ltd, Blue Ocean Energy Co Ltd and Blue Energy Technology Co Ltd in a group photo aft er the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the state government and the companies last year.

Touted as the ‘catch up plan’ to bridge the development gap between rural and urban areas, the state government through the State Planning Unit (SPU) has formulated the Sarawak Socio-Economic Transformati on Plan (SETP) to accelerate economic growth.

SETP is a comprehensive, integrated and balanced plan which covers a span of 15-year to accelerate income growth and reduce income disparity by 2030.

Adenan believed for Sarawak to achieve high income by 2030, the state’s economic growth is expected to grow at 6.5 per cent per annum.

Thus, he said, “Under SETP, we will focus our eff orts on creati ng high-income opportuniti es in new potenti al sources rather than diluti ng our att enti on on marginal improvements in old industries.

“Private investments will be the main driver in the new sources of growth leveraging on the non-oil industries with the Government acti ng as facilitator to explore these potenti als,” he stressed.

Simultaneously, SETP’s fi rst phase from 2016 unti l 2020 coincide with the development of the Eleventh Malaysia Plan (11MP) and will be implemented.

Adenan said: “Under the Eleventh Plan, eff orts will be taken to transform the state economy from commodity-based to more value added economy.

“This will be achieved through industrialisati on capitalising on the availability of natural resources in the state.

“Steps will be taken to ensure that the processing of our natural resources up to fi nished products is carried out in the state to meet the global supply chain,” he pointed out.

Adenan noted the oil and gas (O&G) sector formed a major component of the state economy.

However, he outlined that despite playing a big role for the economy, the O&G industry did not help to raise the income of Sarawakians.

Therefore, he opined that there is a need to focus on the development of the non-oil industries to value-add the economy.

For instance, he said the state need to emphasise on the

Stepping up through SETP

Adenan said the state government acknowledged that private investment is the key driver for successful and vibrant economic development initi ati ves.

In the last two budget speeches which Adenan delivered at the State Legislati ve Assembly, he conti nued to maintain the fi scal positi on of the state would be in good health.

With budget surpluses accumulated over the years and conti nuing to grow the state’s reserves to over RM20 billion, his administrati on’s prudence approach in managing the revenues and expenditures have received plaudits from the internati onal community.

Barely 10 days aft er Adenan tabled the state’s 2016 Budget last year, internati onal credit rati ng agency Standard & Poor’s Rati ng Services (S&P) which evaluates the state’s fi nancial standings, has affi rmed its ‘A-’ long term issuer credit rati ng on Sarawak with a stable outlook.

S&P in a statement said it has also

affi rmed the ‘axAA’ long-term Asean regional scale rati ng on Sarawak.

S&P noted the affi rmed rati ngs on Sarawak refl ected its view of the state’s very strong budgetary performance and excepti onal liquidity.

It observed that Sarawak’s budgetary performance was very strong with forecasts that the state’s operati ng surpluses will average around 62 per cent of its annual operati ng revenue from 2013-2017.

S&P, nonetheless opined Sarawak’s sati sfactory fi nancial management and average budgetary fl exibility were neutral to the rati ngs.

S&P explained that due to Sarawak’s politi cal and economic importance, the state has a supporti ve relati onship with the federal government.

“Sarawak has a strategic positi on within the federati on, accounti ng for half of the country’s crude oil output and being the sole provider of liquefi ed natural gas.

“This factor underlines the state’s importance to the federal government

and anchors our expectati ons that Sarawak can withstand politi cal changes at the federal level,” it said.

S&P said it assessed the fi nancial management of Sarawak as sati sfactory, supported by the state government’s politi cal and managerial strengths.

Earlier on in October 2015, another internati onal rati ng agency, Moody’s Investors Service had assigned its A3 rati ng for Sarawak with a stable outlook and believed the state’s economy is expected to remain resilient against the impact of falling commodity prices in the near-term.

Nonetheless, it cauti oned that a prolonged period of low oil prices could erode the state’s fi nancial strength.

In a statement, Moody’s said Sarawak’s resilience is based on its history of conservati ve budget planning, strong liquidity, high degree of budgetary fl exibility and the economic benefi ts originati ng from the weakness in the ringgit.

Strengthening Sarawak’s fi nancial positi on

“He is pro-business and keen to protect local entrepreneurs.His policies basically emphasize on economic growth via SCORE and strongly promoti ng parti cipati on of Sarawak-based companies and home-grown entrepreneurs.“For example, with the reduced tariff , it will help local manufacturers in lowering their overall producti on cost and hence, be more competi ti ve in the market. I am expecti ng more development funds to be allocated for infrastructure development, and thus, help to spur economic growth for all sectors, parti cularly constructi ons and material supplies,” he said.Aaron Toh, Sarawak Cable Bhd’s chief executi ve offi cer

Corporate leaders view on AdenanAdenan has not just won the hearts of the public, but he has also won praises from some of the corporate leaders in Sarawak.

When asked to describe Adenan, the policies he has introduced for one, the reducti on of commercial power tariff and the hope for

the next state government, they are opti misti c that the politi cal landscape will remain supporti ve for businesses and investment.

“Sarawak has developed greatly in recent years under the directi on of strong leaders who have had a clear vision about what needs to be done and also the ability to realise these visions.“We see this conti nuing with our current Chief Minister (Datuk Pati nggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem). We see these as positi ve initi ati ves to support the state’s economic development and to respond to the current challenging global business environment.“We hope that the next state government will conti nue to pursue its support for SCORE and for economic development so that the state is able to achieve its target of being a developed state by 2030. Datuk Richard Curti s, Cahya Mata Sarawak Bhd’s group managing director

“Our Chief Minister (Datuk Pati nggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem) is a very simple but wise, strict but kind man. He is not given to many airs and is a deep thinker. This was evident even before he became our chief minister.I am of the fi rm opinion that the policy changes enacted

by our Yang Amat Berhormat Chief Minister is a move in the right directi on.“Time changes everything and I believe that he is going to put his personal stamp on his way of doing business. His focus on the welfare of Sarawakians is supremely evident in his policies. When asked on the

next state government, he expressed, “Having lived off shore for many years, I fi nd our previous government overall scores high

marks with me. The present government has conti nue to score high marks in two areas, environment and focus on the future well-being and harmony of Sarawakians in Sarawak.

Dato Steve Ng, Plaza Merdeka Holdings Sdn Bhd’s managing director

by our Yang Amat Berhormat Chief Minister is a move in the right directi on.“Time changes everything and I believe that he is going to put his personal stamp on his way of doing business. His focus on the welfare of Sarawakians is supremely evident in his policies. When asked on the

next state government, he expressed, “Having lived off shore for many years, I fi nd our previous government overall scores high

marks with me. The present government has conti nue to score high marks in two areas, environment and focus on the future well-being and harmony of Sarawakians in Sarawak.

Dato Steve Ng, Plaza Merdeka Holdings Sdn Bhd’s managing director

“He is pro-business and keen to protect local entrepreneurs.His policies basically emphasize on economic growth via SCORE and strongly promoti ng parti cipati on of Sarawak-based companies and home-grown

manufacturers in lowering their overall producti on cost

have had a clear vision about what needs to be done and also the

“We see this conti nuing with our current Chief Minister

development and to respond to the current challenging

“We hope that the next state government will conti nue

development so that the state is able to achieve its target

“My hope for the next state government will be that we would give Adenan a stronger mandate to carry out the unfi nished tasks such as the increase in oil royalti es, restoring our autonomous rights and getti ng more power for Sarawak from Federal Government through the devoluti on.“Remove as much possible unfair policies that are based on race alone and implement policies that are based on the people’s needs. With more autonomous rights and devoluti on, Sarawak can expect less cost of doing business and bureaucrati c procedures reduced.”Sim Kian Cheok, Sarawak Housing and Real Estate Developers’ Associati on Kuching branch advisor

“My hope for the next state government will be that we would give Adenan a stronger mandate to carry out the unfi nished tasks such as the increase in oil royalti es, restoring our autonomous rights and getti ng more power for Sarawak from Federal Government through the devoluti on.

president Wu Mingxi disclosed that the group is interested to set up a pulp and paper factory in Bintulu

with an investment amounting to US$4 billion.

Wu believed that the

company’s decision to establish a manufacturing plant in Sarawak were due to the readily available

natural resources and the investment-friendly environment and political stability.

Concurring with Adenan, Second Finance Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh said the state hoped for more investors from China to invest in Sarawak.

He disclosed during an event last year that China was Sarawak’s fourth largest trade partner in 2014 with total trade amounted to RM11.8 billion and contributed approximately eight per cent to the state’s total trade.

“We believe given the vast opportunities in Sarawak, China can play on even more active role in the development of our state economy,” he said.

Thus, as a measure to facilitate private investments into Sarawak, the state government has made a move to reduce the electricity tariffs for commercial and industrial consumers.

Going forward, Adenan said for industrialisation to take place, the state government will encourage the establishment of more export oriented industries in view of the small domestic market.

“Under SETP, we will focus our eff orts on creati ng high-income opportuniti es in new potenti al sources rather than diluti ng our att enti on on marginal improvements in old industries.”Datuk Pati nggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem, Chief Minister

development of the downstream industries for the O&G sector, especially in petrochemical industry.

Adenan added the ti mber industries will be further developed to ensure more downstream acti viti es are being carried out to produce high value-added fi nished products to meet global market.

He noted steps will be taken to reduce the export of logs to strengthen the development of those high value-added downstream acti viti es.

Furthermore, he observed there is a huge demand for food in the global market especially for fruits, vegetables and livestock.

For that, Adenan noted Sarawak, with suffi cient arable land, has the potenti al to be one of the primary producers and suppliers of food in this region.

“Under the Eleventh Plan, we have identi fi ed areas in the state that can be developed into food basket and agriculture producti on zones that will fi t into the global supply chain.

“We need to organise and mobilise our local farmers to collaborate with the right investors that bring along with them capital, technology and market.

“(Thus), we must transform our agriculture sector through greater private sector parti cipati on.

“Eff orts will also be made to develop more agriculture supporti ng infrastructure and to strengthen transportati on and logisti cs faciliti es,” he revealed.

Adenan said the state government is committ ed to building the required business infrastructure to support business and economic development.

“We will intensify our eff orts to develop growth enablers namely roads, airports, ports and uti liti es such as power, electricity, telecommunicati on and informati on, communicati on and technology (ICT) infrastructure.

“These enablers are criti cal ingredients to facilitate business and investment acti viti es in the State.”

“At the same ti me, these enablers will help us bring in more development to the rural areas through bett er connecti vity and accessibility between the rural areas and urban areas.

“Accessibility to the State hinterland areas has to be developed as these areas have enormous economic potenti als to be tapped,” he said.


SARAWAK’S industrial development has grown by leaps and bounds under the guidance of the Ministry of Industrial Development and with Chief Minister Datuk Pati nggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem at the helm.

As part of the 11th Malaysian Plan (11MP) and Adenan’s vision of developing rural areas of Sarawak to bridge the economic gap and reduce wealth disparity between urban and rural areas, more industrial estates as well as new infrastructures are expected to be established in rural towns.

As chairman of Regional Corridor Development Authority (Recoda), the agency tasked with overseeing and managing Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE), Adenan had said in his chairman’s message of SCORE, “SCORE is a key component of our overarching goal to turn the State of Sarawak into a developed economy and a high income State by 2030.

“SCORE will sti mulate economic initi ati ves in rural as well as urban areas, which will improve the living standards of every Sarawakian, no matt er where he or she lives in the state.

“Sustainable rural development is vital to the economic development of the state.”

To accelerate the developments of rural regions, new industrial estates will be developed in every rural or smaller towns throughout the state under the 11MP to facilitate the growth of SMEs in rural regions, Adenan said in a recent news report.

Based on the Sarawak Government’s offi cial website, there are currently four main agencies developing industrial zones and estates throughout Sarawak which are the Ministry of Industrial Development (MID), Sarawak Economic Development Corporati on (SEDC), Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporati on (STIDC) and the Bintulu Development Authority (BDA).

There are also 20 industrial estates that have already been developed or

Adding value to Sarawak’s industries

are under planning.According to Adenan, the

initi ati ve is in additi on to the RM3 billion allocati on set aside by the government to develop more than 7,200 hectares of industrial land throughout Sarawak, including the 706 acres in Samalaju Industrial Park in Bintulu, in an eff ort to encourage and support the growth of SMEs.

“The government acknowledges the importance of SMEs as the backbone of economic development and in uplift ing the livelihood of the communiti es, especially in the rural regions.

“Based on the 2011 Economic Census, the SMEs which are mainly in the services and manufacturing sectors make up 98 per cent of the total establishments and have a signifi cant contributi on to the state and nati onal economy,” he said.

The SCORE-card so farUnder SCORE, Samalaju Industrial

Park has already att racted 15 companies with total investments exceeding RM25 billion and investments from large internati onal fi rms and these are expected to provide opportuniti es for SMEs on

their own or in collaborati ve clusters to supply goods and services to them.

Second Minister of Resource Planning Environment and Industrial Development Minister, Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan, had also recently highlighted that the state government is looking to develop new industrial estates in at least six rural towns under 11MP, to facilitate the growth of SMEs.

Among the areas identi fi ed were Lundu, Betong, Sri Aman, Sebuyau, Marudi and Bau.

He said the government acknowledged the importance of SMEs as the backbone of economic development and uplift ing the livelihood of the communiti es and as such, had set aside 706 acres of land within Samalaju Industrial Park for SMEs.

Assistant Minister of Industrial Development (Investment and Promoti on) Datuk Julaihi Narawi highlighted last year that the setup of several industrial estates in smaller towns across the state would further boost rural SMEs, especially those engaged in food and food-based industries, knowing that the raw materials could be easily sourced in

those areas.Julaihi stressed that the move is

hoped to not only boost these SMEs, mainly those running downstream food-based processing and manufacturing, but also to increase the income of the rural people which is in line with the government’s mission to transform and develop the rural areas.

“When we (government) talk about transforming the rural areas, it is not only about bringing physical development such as roads, but also to increase the income of the people there.

“This is why we (government) are serious in setti ng up industrial estates (across rural towns) to provide business platf orms for the people,” he stressed.

Those involved in small and medium industries (SMIs) in the state are also not left out of the SCORE’s race to achieving high-income development across the state as the state government has assured assistance for this sector.

In a recent report, Julaihi said the sector has now become a signifi cant contributor in the country’s economic growth.

“The state government has invested some RM3 billion to develop over 7,200 hectares of industrial land in major hubs such as Kuching, Samarahan, Bintulu, Miri, Sarikei and Tanjung Manis. The government also plans to develop more industrial estates across the state to support local investors.

“All these eff orts prove that the government is committ ed in its provision of support to SMIs,” he said.

He added to further help them, the state government had also provided industrial lots with full-fl edged infrastructure to make it easier for them to set up factories.

“Other aid such as fi nancing and consultati on would be provided by the government to help local SMIs expand their operati ons in domesti c and internati onal markets. However, these initi ati ves will present no benefi ts if local manufacturers do not fully uti lise them.

“For the SMIs here, now is the ti me to accept the challenge and sign up for the programmes off ered by the government,” Julaihi said.

When we (government) talk about transforming the rural areas, it is not only about bringing physical development such as roads, but also to increase the income of the people there. This is why we (government) are serious in setti ng up industrial estates (across rural towns) to provide business platf orms for the people.Datuk Julaihi Narawi, Assistant Minister of Industrial Development (Investment and Promoti on)

As Sarawak undergoes tremendous industrial and infrastructural growth throughout the state, demand for energy has increased almost 100 per cent in the last fi ve years. Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB) had recently revealed that demand from industrial, commercial and residenti al customers has increased from 1,182 MW in 2011 to 2,284 MW in 2015, an increase of 92 per cent.

The group also said in its website that its projecti ons indicate that by the middle of the next decade, residenti al, retail and commercial customers in Sarawak will require 2,000 MW, while SCORE customers will consume at least 6,000 MW.

This demand for power in the state will total to about 8,000 MW by 2030.

“Demand from the industries already present within SCORE will undoubtedly increase, but we are also driving more demand due to the promoti on of SCORE to new customers and industries.

“The majority of power that is currently being produced is hydropower, hence it is sustainable and priced at a globally competi ti ve bulk power pricing level, which is comparati vely low in the Asean region,” SEB’s group chief executi ve

Call for cleaner energy offi cer Datuk Torstein Dale Sjotveit told Oxford Business Group in its The Report (Sarawak) 2015.

At the World Hydropower Congress (WHC) 2015 plenary session enti tled ‘Assessing Demand and Opportuniti es: ASIA’ held in Beijing, China, last year, Awang Tengah had highlighted that the development of the hydropower sector provides the foundati on for Sarawak’s strategy to reach a high income economy by 2020 through the establishment of SCORE.

This, he pointed out, would in turn trigger growth and job opportuniti es for Sarawak, parti cularly for those in the remote interior living near hydropower sites.

“The essence of SCORE is to industrialise the state by leveraging on Sarawak’s competi ti ve advantage in bulk hydropower.

“In doing so, we are able to att ract investors mainly from energy intensive industries – thereby promoti ng growth, jobs and development for Sarawak, including those in the interior and indigenous people living near the hydropower sites,” he said.

The essence of SCORE is to industrialise the state by leveraging on Sarawak’s competi ti ve advantage in bulk hydropower. In doing so, we are able to att ract investors mainly from energy intensive industries

– thereby promoti ng growth, jobs and development for Sarawak, including those in the interior and indigenous people living near the hydropower sites.Datuk Amar Awang Tengah

Ali Hassan, Second Minister of Resource Planning Environment

and Industrial Development Minister

Meeti ng energy demandsSCORE is also premised on building

and providing aff ordable as well as abundant clean, renewable energy such as hydropower to att ract energy-intensive industries into new growth nodes in the state.

Hydropower, a clean and cheap source of energy, according to Chief Minister Adenan, been proven as a a sustainable engine of growth as demonstrated in developed nati ons such as Norway, Canada, New Zealand and Australia and other countries.

The Report (Sarawak) 2015, by OBG, was of the same opinion, stati ng that although costly to build, dams off er cleaner energy and a solid commercial return as running costs are considered low and they have a long lifespan.

SEB’s website revealed that the Sarawak Government had identi fi ed in 1979, a total of 155 potenti al hydropower sites, of which 51 were short-listed to explore the potenti al of renewable hydropower energy to generate up to 20,000 megawatt s (MW) of electricity with a total energy output of 87,000 gigawatt s per hour (GWh) per year.

Not long aft er, Sarawak ventured into the hydropower industry with the 94-MW Batang Ai hydroelectric plant (HEP), SEB’s fi rst milestone project over 30 years ago in its journey towards renewable energy in the state.

At an event commemorati ng Batang Ai HEP’s 30th anniversary in August 2015, Sjotveit said that Batang Ai was testament of Sarawak’s ability to construct, implement and operate hydroelectric power plants

“The successful constructi on, implementati on and operati on of Batang Ai HEP gave Sarawakians valuable knowledge and experience in designing, building and operati ng hydroelectric power plants.

“Although three decades would pass before Sarawak Energy embarked on our next hydropower project in Murum, it certainly marked the beginning of a signifi cant change on how Sarawak would be powered.

“Batang Ai showed how we could harness the abundant potenti al of Sarawak’s rivers to produce clean, reliable and sustainable energy and in the process reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, he said.

In his speech, Sjotveit higlighted that not only did the hydroelectric plant increase the state’s generati on capacity by delivering an additi onal

108 MW of power to Kuching, it also brought about economic opportuniti es to the people in Batang Ai and its surrounding areas.

Apart from Batang Ai HEP, the state has to date, also seen the development and completi on of two other hydroelectric projects: the Bakun dam and Murum dam.

The Bakun HEP, the largest hydropower plant in Malaysia with an installed capacity of 2,400 MW, is located on the Balui River in the Upper Rajang River basin, 37 kilometres upstream from Belaga town. According to Sarawak Hidro Sdn Bhd’s (Sarawak Hidro) website, Bakun’s physical infrastructures were completed in 2010 and it began commercial generati on of electricity in 2011.

In the report, OBG said Bakun is considered to be the largest dam in Asia, outside of China, and consti tutes South-east Asia’s largest civil engineering project to date.

In an interview with OBG, Sarawak Hidro managing director Zulkifl e Osman revealed that the power purchase agreement with SESCO was inked in June 2011, and they have been transmitti ng electricity since August of the same year.

“The power is transmitt ed all over Sarawak via the grid, including to areas within SCORE, which has managed to secure 19 approved projects with a total esti mated investment of RM30.4 billion (US$9.25 billion).

“With the bulk of such investments

being put towards manufacturing faciliti es for energy-intensive industries such as aluminium and manganese smelters, we believe the project’s contributi on towards supplying reliable, green and cheap energy has made a direct impact upon investors’ confi dence in that area.

“SCORE will certainly conti nue to grow in size, and we welcome the challenge of ensuring that SCORE gets all of the energy it needs in the coming years, he said to the Oxford Business Group.

In November 2015, Osman told The Borneo Post that the Bakun dam would be able to supply about 1,700 MW of HEP to the state’s energy needs by 2016 from the then 1,000 MW to 1,100 MW.

As for the Murum dam, it is the second HEP developed by SEB which the group underlined, “marked the start of an ambiti ous expansion and development programme of hydroelectric generati on in the state to support the SCORE agenda.”

Located on the uppermost part of the Rajang River Basin, Torstein revealed last year that the last of the four turbines at the plant offi cially started commercial operati on in June.

With the 944-MW Murum Dam now fully operati onal, the additi onal power will be added to the mix, bringing the total installed capacity of hydropower to around 3,500 MW. The new hydropower stati on will also increase the state’s rati o of clean,

renewable and sustainable energy mix.

Sjotveit disclosed last month that 70 per cent of the state’s current energy mix is renewable, aff ordable and abundant hydropower, progressing towards a balanced generati on mix of 60 per cent hydro, 20 per cent coal and 20 per cent gas to avoid over-reliance on a single source.

Meanwhile, according to SEB, a further 10 hydropower projects are at various stages of feasibility or pre-engineering which could generate a collecti ve output of 30 terawatt hours of additi onal energy.

To date, the government is now focusing on building the Baleh dam, a project well received by the people in Baleh, Kapit.

Meanwhile, RECODA esti mates the central corridor region contains 20,000 MW of hydropower potenti al, 1.47 million tonnes of coal reserves and 50.12 trillion scf of natural gas.

“A large porti on of the available energy mix is concentrated near the district of Bintulu, and most early-stage energy-intensive SCORE investments are taking place in the 8,000-hectare Samalaju Industrial Park (SIP), located 60 km north of Bintulu town,” it said.

Overall, with the right support, SCORE’s industrial and hydropower development are set to boost Sarawak’s growth trajectory and economic contributi on to the nati on.


KUCHING: With an increasing graduate count, Sarawak seems to have proven itself that not only does it have natural resources to off er but also human capital as well.

However, does the opportuniti es provided match the amount of graduates produced by local insti tuti ons?

With the increasingly worrying state of the global economy, focus now should be on creati ng more jobs in the terti ary and quaternary sectors as these sectors rely more on skill and services rather than physical elements.

SarawakJobs.com in its recent report ti tled ‘Salary Survey Report 2015/2016’ noted that in Sarawak, the top 10 sectors that graduates look at are engineering, fi nance and business, educati on, self-employment, travel tourism, design, computi ng, Government and fi nally Sales.

“In reference to the list, Engineering takes fi rst place, with Accounti ng/Finance/Banking Sectors coming in at second and Business and Professional services in third positi on.

“If you look closer by examining the average salary that one could earn, it makes Engineering even more att racti ve as it has one of the highest average pay.

“Apart from having a higher salary than most other sectors, Engineering is no doubt a crucial profession and an extremely broad one which encompass a range of specialised elds of engineering that is essenti al to overall economic growth and technology advancement.

“Based on the average salaries gathered from employees surveyed, fresh graduates seeking jobs in this sector can expect salaries ranging from RM 2,191 to RM 3,115.”

An interesti ng point to note is that jobs in the accounti ng, fi nance and banking sectors remain a favourite choice among fresh graduates, being in high demand at all ti mes.

In view of the numbers of job vacancies in SarawakJobs.com, job opportuniti es in this sector grow steadily across Sarawak. Fresh graduates seeking jobs in this sector can expect to get an average salary ranging from RM 1,856 to RM 2,685.

Matching demand with supply Assistant Minister in the Chief

Minister’s Offi ce Datuk Len Talif Salleh had said that this was due to a mismatch between industry requirements and the graduates’ qualifi cati ons.

“To tackle this issue, Cuepacs Sarawak urges the government to

Aligning jobs with human capital in Sarawak

In reference to the list, Engineering takes fi rst place, with Accounti ng/Finance/Banking Sectors coming in at second and Business and Professional services in third positi on. SarawakJob.com

consider providing employment opportuniti es to graduates from insti tuti ons of higher learning.

“Otherwise, this will defi nitely disappoint the graduates, who are hoping that the government will provide employment for them.

“Their parents’ hopes, too, would be dashed aft er having sent their children for higher educati on and yet cannot assist in improving the welfare of their families as they are unable to get employment.”

Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Service (Cuepacs) Sarawak wants the government to consider opening up job opportuniti es for graduates yet to be employed.

Voicing concern over the number of graduates sti ll seeking employment, state Cuepacs president Ahmad Malie said getti ng them employed could prevent undesired social ills from cropping up.

Ahmad was commenti ng on the media report that unemployment among graduates was substanti al and of concern to the state.

It was reported that based on data from the Stati sti cs Department and Jobs Malaysia there were about 15,000 to 20,000 unemployed graduates in the state, and the

emphasis on technical educati on to meet the demand required by this fi eld especially for SCORE.

“We are targeti ng a human capital of 600,000 by year 2030 to help develop SCORE,” said Assistant Minister in Chief Minister’s Department (Technical Educati on Promoti on) Datu Len Talif Salleh.

He added that the government wants to create as many graduates as possible in the fi eld of science, engineering, technology and so on, and with Sarawak short on funding to achieve its mission by 2020, the state can only realisti cally expect to meet the target by 2030.

“We will develop SCORE with the help of the 115 skill-training insti tuti ons like Polytechnic schools, iCATS, UTM, SPACE, Unimas, UiTM, and so on.”

Adding to this, Adenan noted during the Sarawak Career and Training Fair that the federal government’s ‘very bad policies’ have resulted in a high number of unemployable graduates due to their qualifi cati on not meeti ng those required by the job market.

“These policies are not thought of properly and the results can be disastrous”, noted the chief minister.

“Now we are landed with thousands of unemployed graduates.”

Housing minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg added to this senti ment that students should be encouraged from a young age to take up subjects which will improve their prospects of getti ng a job later.

According to a recently released stati sti cs, there were at least 15,000 unemployed graduates in Sarawak many of whom had degrees in humaniti es and social sciences.

Abang Johari said parents and teachers should inculcate an interest among young school students in subjects which would meet the requirements of the job market.

For instance, he said, teachers could provide a fun and conducive learning environment for subjects like Mathemati cs.

“We need to change the mindset among students that Mathemati cs is diffi cult even before they start learning it,” he added.

Earlier this week it was reported that some 15,000 to 20,000 graduates in the state were unemployed, according to data from the Stati sti cs Department and Jobs Malaysia.

Higher educati on = higher job pay?The report further noted that fresh

graduates holding a higher educati on makes more money on the average than those with a lower degree. This, however, does not negate the gap between expected salary and actual salary earned.

“From the data collected, we found that 75.7 per cent of the Postgraduate Degree students surveyed expect to earn no more than RM3,000 monthly upon graduati on,” it said, adding that this was the opinion of six out of every eight Postgraduate Degree students surveyed.

Half of them outlined their desired salary amount ranges between RM2,001 to RM2,500, making this the most desired salary range.

“On the other hand, 24.3 per cent of Postgraduate Degree students surveyed expect no less than RM3,001 for a start,” it added.

Fresh graduates and new entrants to Sarawak’s work force feel the grind of fi nding job opportuniti es here,

Nicholas Jeff rey, an interacti ve multi media computi ng graduate is now currently working in sales due to the lack of opportuniti es in his chosen fi eld. However, he does note that there has been some slight improvements.

“Tan Sri Adenan is doing the right thing to acknowledge the UCE/LCE certi fi cate as well as enforcing the use of English. This would highly improve the viability of our people.”

Another interviewee who only wanted to go by Ong, expressed similar noti ons stati ng that the increase in job opportuniti es are ‘not very signifi cant’.

However, the multi media degree holder said, “With local universiti es such as Unimas accepti ng private Chinese highschool graduates, there would be less brain drain from the state as they now have the opportunity to work in Sarawak rather than being forced to go back to China or Taiwan.”

Meanwhile, Wong, a business degree holder however is more criti cal and noted that there is more room to improve if the state is serious about hitti ng its target of a high income nati on.

“In terms of getti ng the job done, I think Adenan is doing great. He has constantly highlighted the plight of Sarawakians and has echoed many senti ments of the people as well.

“However, the few areas that

need improvement in the state is the range and availability of jobs especially for the newer graduates as Sarawak is sti ll suff ering a large brain drain due to the lack of competi ti ve edge when compared to other states such as KL or Selangor.”

Wong explained that despite the state government’s emphasis on the numerous jobs that are available, many of them are on either the primary or secondary sectors.

“Imagine studying internati onal trade and business law only to come out to work as a sales representati ve or even as a part ti mer as openings that require your skills are not available locally.

“Many Sarawakians would love to stay in the state as a majority of us a extremely proud to be Sarawakians but due to the lack of choice, low wages, limited growth prospects and other miti gati ng factors, we are forced to move out,” he noted.

He also expressed a concern about the wage disparity between the Bornean states and the peninsular.

“Despite the argument that the cost of living in Sarawak is lower, items sold here are usually higher in cost due to logisti cs.

“I also believe that where you work should not dictate the level of wage as I sti ll fi rmly believe that wages should be based on overall skill needed to get the work done. If working the same positi on but I was off ered more money elsewhere, there is no choice but to move.”

WORD FROM THE GROUND

(SOURCE: SarawakJobs.com) (SOURCE: SarawakJobs.com)

(SOURCE: SarawakJobs.com)

(SOURCE: SarawakJobs.com) (SOURCE: SarawakJobs.com)

“In contrast to the group of Diploma and Bachelor’s Degree students, we noti ced that the Postgraduate Degree students are more pragmati c in terms of their starti ng salary expectati ons since the diff erence between the average desired starti ng salary amount (RM 2,854) is just 33 per cent higher than the average starti ng salary (RM2,145).”

To assert this point, 55.4 per cent agree that the actual salary does fall within their expected salary range.

The importance of salary can not be disputed as 75 per cent

of graduates interviewed by SarawakJobs.com said they will quit their job for a bett er pay that is off ered elsewhere. Only minority 25 per cent are either unsure or will not leave their job just because of a higher pay.

“Let’s face it, Money talks. No matt er how much one may love his/her role, coworkers, work environment, benets and conditi ons of their current employment, when opportunity knocks, especially with money as one of the key factors, people may choose to leave their comfort zone,” it said.

number of graduates applying for jobs in the state Civil Service was 40,834.

However, the state is trying to address this issue by intensifying eff orts to bring down the unemployment rate through 1Malaysia Training Scheme (Skim Lati han 1Malaysia or SL1M).

Organised by the Economic Planning Unit in the Prime Minister’s Department, SL1M is an enhancement programme to improve employability and marketability of graduates. Workforce Department Unit director Dr Abdul Rahman Deen said the scheme would help job seekers, including the state’s 15,000 to 20,000 unemployed graduates.

The unit will be holding state-level SL1M 2016 that feature open interviews at the Borneo Conventi on Centre Kuching (BCCK) on March 26 and 27.

“The state is concerned about the unemployment issue and supporti ve of programmes to help graduates fi nd jobs. The state government is working with 1Malaysia Training Scheme (SL1M) to help them,” Abdul Rahman said at press conference.

He said parti cipants of company att achment programmes were likely to be absorbed by the companies, so the programme is a golden opportunity for prospecti ve employers and potenti al employees to link up.

“Companies should take advantage of this programme as Chief Minister Datuk Pati nggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem wants to ensure graduates are given the opportunity to take up jobs that befi t their level of educati on,” he said.

“This programme assists graduates (degree, masters and PhD holders) to get jobs and improve their livelihood especially those from lower income families and from rural areas,” said Norashikin Datuk Ismail who heads the SL1M secretariat at the press conference.

Job placements within SCOREThe state is placing a lot of


MANY may not know that Lundu and Kuching are actually linked by more ways than one. Generally people would travel between the two via Bau — about 100km from Lundu.

As the Bau-Lundu Road has been properly maintained and where the scenery along the journey is green and enchanti ng, it has never been an issue.

However, there is one stretch that not many people know about, which cuts through Sampadi and links with the Samariang area near Petra Jaya. It snakes across plantati ons, farms and secondary forests, while the horizon is lined with mountains with obscure names — possibly none at all. The road has very few travellers, which makes cruising along it is a pleasant and relaxing ride.

Unbeknownst to many, the road recently underwent upgrading — from a bumpy and dusty plantati on road to one that is smooth and decent.

The only diff erence between this road and the Bau-Lundu one perhaps is the fact that travellers have to cross seven rivers along the former — all bridged except one, which happens to be the largest among the seven: Batang Rambungan. Two ferries are available to take travellers on board their vehicles across both sides of the river.

Taking a ferry-ride can someti mes become highly-romanti cised — the delicate manoeuvring of the vehicles on board the fl oati ng machinery, the slow-paced wade across the river that is accompanied by the churning of the engine, and the orderly disembarkment upon reaching the other side.

However for many Sampadi folk, such as 69-year-old Rajus Brahim of Kampung Sampadi Slenggok,

it would be more ‘romanti c for them if they did not have to solely depend on the ferry service.

“We do hope a bridge would be constructed across Batang Rambungan to complete the missing link,” says Rajus, a former private sector employee.

With such bridge, the journey between Lundu and Kuching could be shortened by at least 20 minutes. Currently a one-way trip takes about an hour and 20 minutes.

Rujus also hopes to see the establishment of more commercial centres and shophouses slated for the Bumiputeras in Lundu — the fi nancial, administrati ve and commercial centre of Tanjung Datu state consti tuency.

However, Sampadi folk like Rujus, Kapitan Chen Khee Fui and Jee Fah Shin are generally enthusiasti c about the development that has taken place and are going to take place in areas within the Tanjung Datu consti tuency.

“We are very happy with the

development here — we have everything, and we know that there will be more to come,” says Chee, adding that he is parti cularly pleased with the plan of turning Lundu District into an educati on hub where the younger generati on would not need to leave town to pursue higher studies. He even observes that a site has been identi fi ed towards this objecti ve.

Sti ll, Chee wishes for one more thing to really complete the general development of Lundu and its surrounding vicinity — for the wooden bridge across Sungai Limau to be upgraded into one with solid metal base.

This bridge is among the six along the Sampadi route, as menti oned earlier.

“It is our wish that the (Sungai Limau) bridge could be upgraded into a metal one.”

Meanwhile Jee, who is also secretary of Sampadi Tai Pak Kung Temple Associati on, wishes for the temple to be connected to the

power grid.“Electricity was brought to

Kampung Sampadi Cina, near Kampung Sampadi, years ago. We don’t quite understand why, but four Bumiputera households and the temple remain not connected (to the grid),” he says, adding that the temple is about 100 years old and currently, it is sti ll running on generators.

“We have tried many ti mes to talk with the authoriti es (about the situati on). Honestly, I sti ll don’t understand why we (the temple) together with the four Bumiputera household are sti ll not connected to the grid,” says Jee.

Development in totalityAcross all state consti tuencies under the Santubong parliamentary area (Tanjung Datu, Pantai Damai and Demak Laut), there is one consistent, recurring theme — tourism.

It is learned that a blueprint to develop Lundu into a new satellite

We do hope a bridge would be constructed across Batang Rambungan to complete the missing link.Rajus Brahim, Kpg Sampadi Slenggok resident

town is now in the pipeline.“The masterplan will be

consistent with the state government’s plan to turn the whole coastal area from Muara Tebas to Tanjung Datu as a tourism belt,” Natural Resources and Environment Minister Dato Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, who is also Santubong MP, disclosed recently.

He said several consorti ums had been engaged to come up with their proposed plans, of which the best would be selected by the state government to be implemented under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP).

“It (masterplan) will be private sector-driven, but the government will do the necessary planning and provide the necessary infrastructure. Also, we do not want the private sector to ask too many things from us — they would have to come up with the money,” stressed Wan Junaidi, indicati ng that the proposed new township would not be far from Lundu town.

“The people will know that we are actually doing something for Lundu and once they have, it would be easier to convince them to parti cipate in the whole process of development there.”

On Tanjung Datu, Wan Junaidi said the Lundu-Sematan area would be opened up for major developments based on eco-tourism, pointi ng out that the Pan-Borneo Highway would stretch from Tanjung Datu on the southern ti p of Sematan, right up to

Sabah.“The mammoth project will

open up more land, which will benefi t the local people. On top of that, tourists will be able to visit Tanjung Datu Nati onal Park as well as the Simunsam Wildlife Sanctuary via road in the near future. At the moment, these two tourism sites could only be reached via boat.

“Now that the project has started, it would also be easier to att ract businessmen to build more chalets, hotels and resorts in Sematan and Lundu, which have beauti ful beaches for picnic, fi shing and snorkelling. The whole area will be well patronised as there are many natural att racti ons there, such as the turtle sanctuary in Talang-Talang Islands and dolphin sightseeing. This area is also famous for its Raffl esia fl owers on Mount Gading, drawing many visitors annually.”

Wan Junaidi said in short, both Sematan and Lundu — together with the whole costal area from Tanjung Datu to Muara Tebas — would one day become a major tourism belt of which its full potenti al must be fully tapped.

Joy for the localsThe approval for the waterfront projects in Lundu and Sematan, as well as the embankment projects in Kampung Santubong and Kampung Buntal is music to Au Chen Kiong’s ears.

The shopkeeper in Sematan, who is in charge of the business set up by his father in the 1950s, noti ces throngs of tourists coming to his town every weekend and every ti me there is a festi val.

“Sematan is just a nice place — one that I choose to spend my reti rement years,” says Au, whose shop faces the South China Sea.

THE consti tuencies of Satok, Samariang and Tupong can be considered semi-urban as they comprise both well-developed and developing areas — a merge of bustling mixed hubs with quaint villages, the populati on of which consisti ng mostly Malays.

As far as overall development is concerned, it appears that most of the ‘needs and wants’ of the people have been delivered.

Satok has fl ourished over the years, being the recipient of various projects that have transformed this consti tuency into a bustling sub-urban area. One of the most recent developments is focusing on the facelift of Sungai Sarawak banks through a series beauti fi cati on projects such as the constructi on of a waterfall in front of the iconic Fort Margherita and the constructi on of a 1km walkway/waterfront stretching from Kampung Tanjung to Kampung Sungai Bedil, scheduled for completi on by 2018.

The latt er is under the prerogati ve of the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, regarded as being a part

of nati onal projects under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP). It is slated to complement the ongoing Darul Hana Urban Redevelopment, and also Kuching as a whole, upon completi on.

Moreover Satok received allocati ons totalling RM4.2 million for three projects in July 2015 — all of which slated towards improving infrastructure and faciliti es across the consti tuency.

The fi rst project featured the installati on of LED lights near Jalan Satok, costi ng RM1.2 million, while the second went for the installati on of traffi c lights, each costi ng RM500,000, to ease the congesti on at the two intersecti ons there — namely those at Jalan Datuk Ajibah Abol-Jalan Haji Mataim, and Jalan Haji Mataim-Jalan Muhibbah.

The remainder of the allocati on was set aside for the constructi on of a bridge connecti ng Kampung Kudei Lama with Kampung Kudei Baru, and another at the rivermouth of Sungai Bintangor to link Kampung Masjid to Kampung Madrasah — each structure costi ng around RM1 million.

Apart from that, constructi on

is underway for a police kiosk near Sungai Bintangor to improve surveillance and security in the area.

The same thing can also be said about Tupong and Samariang, with the former currently undergoing a number of projects slated for addressing traffi c woes there.

The works include those on the road from Emart Matang stretching up to Sungai Maong.

For Samariang, the focus seems to be on managing fl oods, via the setup of a taskforce committ ee that would be readily mobilised every ti me it (fl ooding) occurs.

The government has also issued land ti tles under Secti on 18 of State land Code for a number of villages in these two consti tuencies — an ongoing exercise that have been implemented in stages since 2011.

As at August 2015, 666 lots received the land ti tles — 96 lots in Kampung Pinang Jawa in Tupong, and 570 lots across fi ve villages in Samariang. This fi gure was out of the total 25,876 land ti tles issued under the Secti on for residenti al areas in Kuching as at the same ti meline.

Of routes, bridges and tourism spots The road that cuts across Sampadi, which not many people know about.

The ferry that crosses Batang Rambungan.

A row of quaint shoplots in Sematan town — built more than a century ago.

The town of Lundu — the fi nancial, administrati ve and commercial centre of Tanjung Datu state consti tuency.

The Kubah Ria Complex that is next to Medan Niaga Satok.

The bustling Medan Niaga Satok — a landmark that is synonymous with the consti tuency’s name.

Progress in semi-urban consti tuencies


THE consti tuency of Tasik Biru, which covers about two-thirds of Bau District, has seen tremendous development over the past two decades.

Twenty years ago, basic infrastructure was sti ll very lacking there, with the majority of villages not connected by good tar-sealed roads, or supplied with treated water and electricity from the main grid.

Today, the local communiti es are enjoying these basic ameniti es.

The town itself had a small populati on back then, with a small Fire and Rescue stati on and not many schools. It was also prone to be hit by fl ooding.

However following the state government’s initi ati ve to bring in low-cost housing project to Jambusan in the late 1990s, local developers have been venturing into Bau — resulti ng in a healthy emergence of new houses and shoplots.

A bigger fi re stati on was built and has now become the state Fire and Rescue Academy under the purview of the Fire and Rescue Department.

A new police stati on has also come up and towards addressing the fl ooding woes, a RM33-million fl ood miti gati on project has been undertaken.

Educati on-wise, the local children go to SK Bau for their primary

educati on, while SMK Paku and SMK Singai have been established to solve the overcrowding at the existi ng two secondary schools — SMK Bau and SMK Lake.

For the record, SMK Singai is now under constructi ons and is expected to be ready in a year or so.

Additi onally, requests to build SMK Jagoi and to upgrade SMK Lake have also been brought forth to the government.

Moreover, the proposal for Bau to have its own vocati onal college has received the green light from the federal government, to be commissioned under the 11th

Malaysia Plan (2016-2020). Amidst all these positi ve

developments, there is sti ll a lot more to be done for this rural consti tuency, which envisions itself to have more urbanised satellite towns and modern villages.

The next phase of development for the consti tuency seems to be on ensuring the commissioning of all the proposed SMK Singai, SMK Jagoi, SMK Lake and vocati onal college projects — as soon as they get the approval.

Other highlighted planned developments are the estate for light industries in Bau, the Western Sarawak Tourism Development Plan slated to be part of the overall Southern Sarawak Corridor as proposed by Regional Corridor Development Authority (Recoda), high-technology farming and bio-technology freshwater fi sh rearing, as well as childcare and learning centres.

Notably, the proposed Bidayuh Cultural Village at the Research and Development Movement of Singai (Redeems) Centre and the Bau Hakka Cultural Village have also been regarded as highly meaningful projects with respect to local culture and tourism. If fully operati onal, both proposed projects would sti mulate rural development, creati ng jobs and encouraging entrepreneurship for the rural people.

THE community of Opar in Bau is looking forward to having more infrastructure developments in the area — a wish that seems to be heading towards realisati on judging by the rate the Pan Borneo Highway project is going.

There, the secti on of the highway runs across Telok Melano in Lundu. Upon completi on, the area is expected to provide more business opportuniti es to the small-scale traders, farmers and hawkers.

They are also looking forward to seeing more vibrant progress under the Opar Rural Growth Centre (RGC).

Sikem Joheng, 59, of Kampung Jugan says they have been waiti ng for the highway so that their produce would not only be bought by the locals, but also those from outside Lundu.

“Taking about the infrastructure, we hope the government would help set up bett er and bigger stalls for us hawkers because this is a very strategic place. We have been promised this but it has to wait unti l the road constructi on is completed.

“Yes, it will take some ti me but we are very much looking forward to it.”

Fellow hawker Mariati Abdullah, 55, of Kampung Tembawang Baru who sells vegetables at her stall

by the roadside, says they are very grateful for the provision of all the faciliti es there.

“We can’t wait to have the Opar RGC fully ready. Having said this, I believe that we are a fortunate lot, having received many assistance. The farmers also get a lot of help from the government through the Agriculture Department, which provides subsidised ferti lizers and consultati on on farming,” she adds.

Overall, the Opar folk seem to be quite enthusiasti c about the GRC, especially those living along the Bau-Lundu Road.

The centre is also aimed at boosti ng the cross-border business, which has been running since 2011.

It is worthy to note that the key crossing between Malaysia (Sarawak) and Indonesia (Kalimantan) is located in Opar, facilitated by the Customs, Immigrati on and Quaranti ne (CIQ) Complex in Biawak.

Electorate-wise, Opar has a total of 9,737 voters — the majority of whom are Bidayuhs.

Going forward, there are a number of development plans proposed for Opar, including a road set to connect the villages in the heart of the consti tuency with Kampung Selampit.

AT present, the state’s educati on hub Kota Samarahan is the main administrati ve nerve for the state consti tuencies of Muara Tuang, Asajaya and the newly-created Stakan.

As a town, it is a bustling centre with booming commercial and residenti al developments — the latest being Bandar Riyal, formerly known as Kampung Merdang.

Soon, the townsfolk will see Aiman Square — a commercial square set to house 120 shops,

a sprawling food court and two supermarkets.

Another major development is the HSL Centre — an all-inclusive high-end residenti al development that comes complete with malls and a host of public faciliti es.

The popular landmarks in and around Kota Samarahan are Summermall, Samarahan Heart Centre, Wisma Salcra, the Nati onal Public Administrati on Insti tute (Intan) Complex, Samarahan Civic Centre and the army base — known

to many as Muara Tuang Camp. Further into the town are the state and federal government offi ces, as well as the police and fi re stati ons, and government clinic.

The town is perhaps most known as the home to Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), the local campus of Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) and the Samarahan Industrial Training Insti tute (ILP).

The river, Batang Samarahan, will soon have a bridge across it — a RM95-million project that includes a pedestrian lane, scheduled for completi on by 2018.

At present, there is a ferry service operati ng there.

With all these faciliti es having been put in place, Kota Samarahan may one day rival Kuching in terms of aestheti c and physical development. Even now, it is regarded as a satellite town for those from Kuching, Serian, Sebuyau and Padawan — thanks to the existence of the good road network.

It would not be too far-fetched to say that Kota Samarahan is the next big thing aft er Kuching, Sibu and Miri.

For Samarahan Walikota Datuk Peter Minos, this is something to look forward to — not ruling the possibility that the town could be

elevated to a city status by 2030, if the current growth of development and populati on is anything to go by.

“We see malls and shophouses mushrooming as the populati on rises. Who knows by 2030, Kota Samarahan could become a city,” he said, pointi ng out that the whole of Samarahan currently has a populati on of over 170,000 and is increasing at the rate of six per cent every year — making it the fastest-growing town in Sarawak.

“By 2030, Samarahan may have a populati on of over 300,000.

“The existence of Unimas, UiTM and ILP affi rms Kota Samarahan’s status as the educati on hub of Sarawak. The setup of these two universiti es was followed by the upgrading and development of more government offi ces, housing estates and commercial centres — big and small.

“There are now 82 residenti al estates and 20 more (are) coming up,” says Minos.

The people, however, have some wishes too, he adds.

“Perhaps, a full-fl edged hospital for the Samarahan folk, as well as an improved road system to address the current traffi c jams.”

Kota Samarahan envisions city status by 2030

TASIK BIRU fl ourishes through two decades of progressOpar folk set sight on Pan-Borneo, RGC projects

The Fire and Rescue Academy in Bau that caters to trainees from all over Sarawak.

The Bau Lake, from which the district’s name derives.

The signboard for the Opar RGC project near Kampung Stungkor along Bau-Lundu Road.

The Jalan Dato Mohd Musa secti on of Bandar Riyal.

Summermall — the shopping and lifestyle emporium in Kota Samarahan.

Visitors going to Unimas would pass this landmark arch at the main entrance.

THE rati onale behind the creati on of Stakan is for the area to be bett er serviced by a new representati ve, since Kota Samarahan is facing rapid growth, both in terms of populati on and physical development.

The new predominantly-Bumiputera consti tuency — carved out of Muara Tuang and a bit of Kota Sentosa (which is within Stampin parliamentary consti tuency) — covers the areas from Kampung Merdang up to Stakan in Kota Samarahan, and also those along Mile 12 of Jalan Kuching-Serian.

It will have fi ve proposed polling stati ons to accommodate its electorate of over 12,700: Stakan with 6,700 voters, Sidanu (2,512), Merdang (1,688 voters), Quop (1,114), and Pengkalan Kuap (742).

The consti tuency is actually home to people of diverse social background, despite it being regarded as a predominantly-Bumiputera area.

Moreover due to its close proximity

to Kuching city, as well as the spillover from the boom in Kota Samarahan, Stakan is expected to experience rapid growth as well and this may come soon, seeing that the new township of Bandar Riyal has been set up.

Its consti tuents also hope to see

more good things coming from the government of the day, comprising more allocati ons for development, the creati on of ample business opportuniti es and also the focus on the people’s well-being.

Stakan: Benefi tti ng from spillover eff ectThe township’s main wet market near Jalan Dato Mohd Musa, which also has a food court.

THE fl oods that hit many villages in Serian in February have been described by many as the worst to hit this district over recent years.

The disaster seemed to be more widespread this year, with villages having never experienced fl ooding were also inundated.

In this respect, it is interesti ng to note that almost all the aff ected villages are under Bukit Semuja — a new consti tuency that was created following the re-delineati on exercise last year.

The centre is in Serian town — a booming place expected to experience more developments, following the elevati on of Serian to the state’s newest administrati ve division last year.

As such, Bukit Semuja is described as a semi-urban consti tuency despite the town being surrounded by many villages.

On this, Kampung Slabi Sangkam headman Budan Mehir expresses his hope that the villages in and around Bukit Semuja would not be overlooked, adding that the majority of the local communiti es are sti ll depending on agricultural acti viti es as their main source of livelihood.

“The February fl ooding did cause hardship to the village folk, as many crops were destroyed.

“None of the houses in my village was hit by the fl oods, but the access road was submerged, making it impassable for days and leaving us cut off from the main road.

“How did the road get fl ooded, we really don’t know. So, I hope the government would look into some

THIS consti tuency, formerly known as Bengoh, is one of three under the Puncak Borneo parliamentary area — the others are Tarat and the newly-created Serembu.

All three are predominantly-Bidayuh, with the electorate in Mambong and Tarat each numbering more than 16,000, while Serembu has over 9,000, as per the latest gazett ed data from the Electi on Commission.

Notably, several villages previously under Tarat — Kampung Nusaraya, Kampung Biya Kakas, Kampung Biya Parang, Kampung Biya Assum, Kampung Biya Sapit, Kampung Biya Kamas, Kampung Biya Jaber, Kampung Annah Rais, Kampung Sibuang, Kampung Simuti , Kampung Sibakar, Kampung

Abang and Kampung Batu Gong in Upper Padawan — are now parts of Mambong.

Generally, the majority of villages have access to clean water and electricity supply, as well as tar-sealed roads; and such infrastructure will soon reach those yet to enjoy them.

For instance, several road projects aimed at connecti ng more villages in the Upper Padawan have been approved by the state government and would be launched soon.

However, the focus is not solely on physical development but also that of human capital and socio-economy such as educati onal programmes aimed at producing more knowledgeable future generati on, as well as the

proposed opening of land for commercial farming and rubber block planti ng.

Tourism is also a high-potenti al sector here, especially in Mambong and Tarat which are known for their waterfalls and Bidayuh homestays.

For Kuching Division Bidayuh community leader Temenggong Austi n Dimin Niyon, he hopes that his home consti tuency Mambong and its neighbouring areas would conti nue to receive more developments.

“The areas have been enjoying tremendous progress and we hope that our representati ves could work closely with the government of the day to ensure that this would conti nue to be so,” he said.

details like improving the drainage here,” says the local community leader.

Rising to prominenceOn Serian town, it is a bustling centre fi lled with acti viti es and people coming in and out — thanks to its strategic locati on along the Kuching-Sri Aman Road.

This is further boosted by the establishment of several fi nancial insti tuti ons such as commercial and consumer banks, as well as the setup of new supermarkets.

The ongoing eff orts by Serian District Council (SDC) in making Serian a ‘Must-Stop Town’ for those travelling along Pan Borneo Highway have also contributed to this.

There are already new commercial centres and housing areas being developed, with growth plans for Serian town to include expansion on

a 68-acre land near Tangga Bypass, including a 33-acre site for a state government complex to befi t Serian’s status as a division.

The Pan Borneo Highway stretch in Serian, from the town’s roundabout to Pantu Juncti on spanning more than 70km, will also be extended into dual-carriageway beginning this year.

However for frequent traveller to Serian town, Way Dikod, he says it is getti ng increasingly diffi cult to get any parking space in town during dayti me due to high number of vehicles.

He adds that while he’s happy to see such encouraging growth, he also hopes to see a proper 24-hour food court in Serian for the convenience of those travelling along the Pan Borneo Highway, or for those going to Serian at night for leisure.

Skills-training centreIt is learned that Serian would soon

house the state’s fourth Industrial Training Insti tute (ILP) as a site has been approved for the constructi on of the insti tuti on, which will off er local youths the opportunity to go for skills training.

Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Richard Riot believed that as the state’s newest division, Serian

deserves an ILP — in line with government’s vision to produce more skilled workers to meet industrialisati on needs by 2020.

“The project has been approved by the federal government, but like any development programme, it would not be completed that fast.

“(Nonetheless) I can assure you that ILP Serian is my baby and will be my legacy,” says the minister, who is also Serian MP.

With the ILP coming up, and the town set for further extension, Serian as the nerve centre of Bukit Semuja is expected to grow towards becoming a more vibrant town.

Bukit Semuja — Semi-urban consti tuency in rural setti ng

Mambong, Serembu and Tarat — Of waterfalls and homestays

THE elevati on of Serian into a division last year has brought much hope and excitement to the consti tuents of Tebedu and Kedup, in that they crave for more developments to improve their socio-economic level.

There is anti cipati on that more developments would take place, as they expect more projects to be implemented now that Serian would be allocated with its own budget.

Tebedu and Kedup — both stretching up to the border shared with Indonesia’s Kalimantan Barat — have been the components under Serian parliamentary consti tuency since 1996.

The re-delineati on exercise last year saw the creati on of Bukit Semuja, which was carved out of Tebedu and Kedup.

Tebedu and Kedup are also predominantly-Bidayuh — some 90 per cent of the overall electorate are from that community.

Between the two, Tebedu seems slightly more progressive as it has a township (Bandar Muti ara), a district offi ce (it was announced a district last year), an industrial zone, an inland port and also a Customs, Immigrati on and Quaranti ne (CIQ) Complex at the border-point with Indonesia.

Community-wise, every village seems to be well connected via roads and also have electricity and clean water supply.

Going forward, the requests to have more telecommunicati on towers across the consti tuency and also the setup of a Level-4 government clinic have been forwarded to the government.

Kedup, on the other hand, is concentrated in the hinterlands of Serian since the urban Serian town has been included under Bukit Semuja and as such, not all villages there enjoy treated water supply and tar-sealed roads like their Tebedu neighbours have.

Agriculture is the main economic acti vity there, with acres of land already being turned into oil palm plantati ons by a state agency, but concerns have been raised over its environmental impact to the rivers there.

On the positi ve side, some 60 villages in the consti tuency may fi nally be supplied with clean treated water through projects implemented under the current 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP).

Currently, these villages depend on gravity-feed system for their water supply.

It is learned that the consti tuency has been allocated with RM150 million for pipe connecti on works to supply the villages with water from Slabi Water Treatment Plant.

In terms of road infrastructure, all villages in Kedup are quite well-connected, although between two and fi ve per cent of those roads have yet to be tar-sealed.

It is hoped that under 11MP, some villages including Sungai Paoh and Marakai that have yet to enjoy electricity supply, would be connected soon.

Additi onally, a request has been made on upgrading the Bunan Gega police outpost towards bett er control the cross-border movement, towards addressing the many crime cases committ ed by foreigners in the consti tuency.

The proposal states for the outpost to be headed by a sergeant and manned by eight to 10 personnel — an increase over the current two-men strength led by a lance corporal.

WishlistCouncillor Lawas Musan of SDC says agriculture remains the core acti vity in Serian and as such, many village folk would be very appreciati ve if roads linking their farms with their villages could be built.

He believes this would encourage them to go for commercial farming instead of one just for subsistence.

“We must not underesti mate local crops like chillies, pineapples and ‘terung asam’ (sour brinjals). These are always in demand, and it is about ti me to encourage the folk here to plant them on a larger scale.”

He also wishes for the upgrading of the Serian-Tebedu Road including works on making it a dual carriageway, so as to encourage more people to visit Tebedu and in turn, boost the economy there especially in Bandar Muti ara.

This is because the trading at the inland port would pick up in the next few years, following the pledge by the Indonesian government to develop the Enti kong border area.

“Notably as we are enjoying the basic infrastructure and faciliti es, uti liti es such as treated water supply need to be improved. In some villages, there are ti mes during the day when the water pressure is so low, it causes us much inconvenience. I hope this would be looked into by the government of the day,” says Lawas.

Meanwhile, Kampung Mentung Merau chief Stephen Juwe relays the wish of his fellow villagers in Kedup of having treated water supply — hopefully to materialise within the next few years.

He also hopes for more commercial-agriculture programmes from agencies such as Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda) and Integrated Agriculture Development Area (IADA) to be extended to more villages, towards enabling the local farmers to earn bett er incomes and thus, improve their livelihood.

There is also a wish for Kedup to have its own township, just like Bandar Muti ara in Tebedu.

New division, new hope

Temenggong Austi n (fourth left ) witnessing the handover of a mock key to SK Taba Sait, of which building is formerly Naim Group’s site offi ce for the Bengoh Dam project.

The Braang Bayur Health Clinic is a great convenience for villagers in Padawan.

Serian also boasts several tourism and leisure att racti ons, such as the ever-popular Ranchan Waterfall Recreati on Park.

Serian Resident’s Offi ce and its district are adjacent to each other.

The Louis Juncti on Commercial Centre is the latest commercial development having been established in Serian town.


The entrance to Tebedu Inland Port — the fi rst of its kind in Sarawak that recorded trade volumes valued at RM395 million in 2014.


BEFORE the constructi on of the Batang Ai dam in 1985, Lubok Antu – an area in the state that borders with the Indonesian town of Badau in Kapuas Hulu Regency – was solely known for its unique name.

Literally, ‘lubok’ means river eddy while ‘antu’ means ghost. A combinati on of the two is enough to deter any outsider from coming in.

Linguisti cs aside, Lubok Antu is regarded as the cradle of Sarawak Iban civilisati on.

Prominent Iban historian and writer Benedict Sandin wrote that the Ibans could trace their ancestral roots to the area, believed to be the gateway for their forefathers from Hulu Kapuas in present-day West Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Today, the district under Sri Aman Division is home to 31,400 people, the majority of whom are the Ibans.

It is interesti ng to note that the Lubok Antu District Council (MDLA) was formed under the state government’s Local Authoriti es Ordinance in 1956 – about a year before the independence of Malaya, and eight years before the formati on of Malaysia.

Within the district, Engkilili is its sole sub-district under the governance of Engkilili Sub-District Offi ce.

Within the context of electoral areas, Engkilili and Batang Ai are the state consti tuencies under Lubok Antu parliamentary area.

Many of the folk here sti ll live in longhouses – with some, like those in Skim Skrang, live in individual units.

Five years ago, there was no road connecti vity linking areas such as Ulu Skrang, Ulu Batang Ai and Ili Batang Ai with the outside world. Back then, the main mode of transportati on was via boat – a journey that could take up to 10 hours per way.

Things have changed since, with many road projects being undertaken there. Last year, the Phase II of Ulu Skrang Road was announced and the RM3.6-million budget for the constructi on of seven bridges along Ulu Skrang Road was approved.

The only areas that seem to need proper roads are Ulu Engkari and Ulu Lemanak. Adding to this, there are sti ll some households that have yet to be connected with treated water and electricity supply, but they have been assured by the government that the uti liti es would reach them soon under the ongoing Rural Transformati on Project (RTP).

In the earlier-menti oned Skim Skrang – a semi-rural neighbourhood near Sungai Skrang Bridge – it has its own community hall that is large

enough to accommodate 600 people at one ti me.

Other public infrastructures are two secondary schools (SMK Lubok Antu and SMK Engkilili) and at least 28 primary schools, three police stati ons (one each in Lubok Antu town, Engkilili town and Skim Skrang), and also two sports complexes

Interesti ngly, Betong Hospital, SMK Datu Pati nggi Kedit and SM Vokasional Betong are actually under Lubok Antu, despite their associati on with Betong parliamentary consti tuency.

Beyond hydropowerThe Batang Ai dam, which was completed in 1985, has become Lubok Antu’s prominent infrastructure in that it was the state’s fi rst ever hydroelectric power (HEP) dam – years before Bakun.

“It (Batang Ai dam) is defi nitely the modern-day icon of Lubok Antu but beyond that, it has also brought in other developments for the people,” says Hillary Bakir Ilun of Sebangki Pandak, Lubok Antu, referring to the Lanjak Enti mau Nati onal Park and the resort there.

There is also a Customs, Immigrati on And Quaranti ne (CIQ) Complex not far from Lubok Antu town, serving as the checkpoint for people travelling between Sarawak and Kalimantan.

Local livelihoodFarming and tourism have always been the major economic acti viti es of the people in Lubok Antu.

Lemanak, with its well-preserved traditi onal Iban longhouses, is a top tourism att racti on, while fi shing enthusiasts would fi nd the areas around Batang Ai dam a ‘true paradise’. It has also ventured into eco-tourism and fi sh cage-rearing.

The cash crop is pepper, which the farmers began to culti vate several years ago when the price of the commodity soared. Prior to that, they engaged in rubber-tapping, but abandoned that acti vity due to the signifi cant drop in prices.

“Now that there is a (Ulu Skrang) road that helps connect us with the outside world, it has become easier for the pepper planters to transport their yields to towns, and also for other small-scale farmers and vendors to sell their agricultural and jungle produce – much more convenient than boarding boats back in the days,” said Velly Rabong, a village chief from Ulu Skrang.

Another crop that has begun

This arch welcomes all coming to Nanga Bunu, an Iban longhouse in Skrang.

An aerial view of the water catchment area not far away from Batang Ai dam. One can a network of roads sti ll under constructi on.

Lubok Antu — Cradle of Iban civilisati on

A glance at Balai Ringin, Bukit Begunan and Simanggang

Batang Strap Pantu Bridge was completed in 2009 at a cost of around RM20 million.

The statue of an ott er, which is among the most iconic of all Balai Ringin’s landmarks.

Residents of a longhouse in Ulu Skrang perform traditi onal Iban welcome dance to greet guests arriving there for a gathering.

BALAI Ringin, one of the three state consti tuencies under Sri Aman parliamentary area, is a quaint area about 75km from Kuching.

The predominantly-Iban area has been experiencing holisti c developments over the years through numerous projects, aimed at improving its socio-economic landscape.

Many see this as warranti ng the elevati on of Balai Ringin into a sub-district, to follow suit the elevati on of Serian from district into a division.

Many also see that planned constructi on of a new commercial township and a new mini sports complex would further reinforce such proposal.

Balai Ringin is also the recipient of the Rural Electrifi cati on Scheme (RES), getti ng RM100 million in allocati ons slated for providing 35 per cent in electricity supply coverage in 2006 and up to another 80 per cent last year.

An additi onal of RM10 million has also been set aside to carry out the RES this year.

For the next consti tuency Bukit Begunan, the most obvious development is the upgrading of the feeder roads and overall electrifi cati on of the longhouses.

Among the gravel roads having undergone tar-sealing are those in Lachau, Kara, Sungai Besai, Selanjan Road, Bukit Balau, Jungkong Road,

This community hall in Skim Skrang is the largest of its kind in Lubok Antu.

The gateway arch that beckons all to Engkilili town.

to gain prominence in oil palm, especially in Merindun where there are several oil palm processing plants.

Going back to pepper, Ulu Skrang may one day become the state’s blackpepper hub especially the areas on the Lubok Antu-Betong border.

According to Nanga Murat village chief Nudong Lias, the soil and conditi on in Ulu Skrang seem to be the most viable ingredients for planti ng blackpepper.

“Researchers have come to my area and studied the soil here. According to them, the results have been very positi ve.”

Nudong also hopes that the government would also look into another potenti al cash crop for Ulu Skrang — hill paddy.

“Living in this area, farming is the key source of income for my people. Thanks to government aid, we are sti ll able to maintain this way of life,” he adds.

Melugu, Po Ai Road, Engkramut Road, Tanjung Bijat Road and Melugu Scheme Road.

Over 90 per cent of longhouses in Bukit Begunan are enjoying a 24-hour electricity — thanks to the RES.

The consti tuency also has new open multi purpose halls in SK Munggu Bringin and SK Melugu, and will soon see the constructi on of two more in Gua and Melugu Scheme, to be commissioned at a cost of RM1 million.

All three consti tuencies appear to have its own niche when it comes

to landmark developments, and Simanggang is no diff erent.

The two major projects that it has been allocated with are the RM200-million Sri Aman Hospital and the RM43-million upgrading works on the Bayai water treatment plant.

It is also the recipient of a RM110-million allocati on under RES, slated to power up all households across the consti tuency. So far, the coverage has reached 95 per cent, with the remaining fi ve per cent that covers areas in Ulu Undop, Sebangkoi and Batu Lintang to come soon.


THE people of the new consti tuency of Gedong defi nitely want more developments and economic opportuniti es to come their way.

In this respect, Penghulu Abang Ronee Abang Sa’adili believes that this is where the Rural Transformati on Centre (RTC) comes into play.

“Gedong is famed for its pineapples but more than that, there are various other agricultural acti viti es that the people here can be involved in,” says the local community leader.

Abang Ronee points out that with the completi on of Sungai Buluh Bridge and the road linking Simunjan with Gedong, travelling ti me has been shortened and mobility has been further enhanced.

“This would translate to more economic acti viti es and opportuniti es for the locals to market their products outside (Gedong).”

Gedong, adds Abang Ronee, can also parti cipate in the tourism industry despite its status as a rural consti tuency.

“With bett er road connecti vity now compared to years before,

Agro-tourism a viable prospect for GedongGedong is famed for its pineapples but more than that, there are various other agricultural acti viti es that the people here can be involved in.Penghulu Abang Ronee Abang Sa’adili, local community leader

we strongly feel that agro-tourism should be an area that can be looked at. We welcome those wanti ng to further explore this possibility, and also to see how the locals can be assisted in this area.

“All this while, all the relevant government agencies have been doing a good job in assisti ng the locals, parti cularly in the agricultural sector.

“What we need now is something bigger — one that could lift the status of Gedong to be on par with other developing rural towns in

Sarawak,” he adds.On another matt er, Abang Ronee

appreciates the eff orts by both state and federal governments of not leaving out the rural Sarawakians when it comes to educati on.

“The new SK Abang Kadir is a

statement by the government that highlights the importance of educati on for the rural community, and we’re glad by that.”

However, the penghulu also hopes that there would be a vocati onal college or technical training centre

in Gedong, adding that this would provide the local youths not only with a platf orm for them to acquire technical skills and knowledge, but also for them to stay and serve in their hometown.

“We do want the youths to stay

and give back to the community. Normally they would go out (of Gedong) to study, later to work and sett le down there. If possible, we do not want this to happen — we would want the new generati on to lead the development in Gedong,” he adds.

Progress backed by key bridge project

PENGHULU ABANG RONEE ABANG SA’ADILI

Masjid Al Khawtsar is among the most prominent of all landmarks in Gedong.

The Gedong Bridge that leads to Simunjan.

THE whole parliamentary area of Batang Sadong comprises the state consti tuencies of Sadong Jaya, Simunjan and the newly-created Gedong.

They are considered predominantly-Bumiputera, with agriculture sti ll remains as the major economic acti vity by the people.

However, they are also recipient of the Batang Sadong Bridge and the clean water supply projects — the largest so far for Batang Sadong.

The att enti on is clearly on the latt er, as Batang Sadong was plagued by serious water crisis back in 2012.

SADONG JAYAThis consti tuency is set to see further development, seeing

that it has been allocated with RM8.58 million for a number of road projects, RM5 million for infrastructure works, and RM2.2 million for suraus and mosques.

As far as road connecti vity is concerned, the people of Sadong Jaya are enjoying good access with many owning cars and motorcycles. It also appears that almost all villages across the consti tuency are connected to treated water and electricity supply.

Another signifi cant project is the RM1 billion Batang Sadong Bridge, upon which completi on would accommodate even more projects coming in and in turn, raise the standard of living for the people.

SIMUNJANJust like Sadong Jaya, Simunjan is

also set to benefi t tremendously from the bridge project.

Over the past fi ve years, the pace of development has been steady there but things would speed up once the Batang Sadong Bridge and also the Simunjan-Gedong link road are ready.

Another area of focus is educati on — similar to Gedong.

Simunjan folk also dream of having a dedicated insti tuti on in the consti tuency — be it a vocati onal school, a skills training centre or a full-fl edged college.

Over the recent years, plans have been announced about turning Simunjan into the state’s ‘Agropolis’ with the focus on herb farming, as well as plantati on of cocoa, paddy and oil palm.

The nearly completed Batang Sadong bridge.

The road that leads to the bridge linking Simunjan with Gedong.


THE Batang Lupar Bridge stands as a highly signifi cant infrastructure ever undertaken in the state — if the coastal development plan were to be implemented eff ecti vely.

The RM800-million project is slated towards providing accessibility for the people in the coastal region and also an alternati ve route for travellers, as well as transporters of goods and services moving to-and-from the state’s southern and northern.

Batang Lupar MP Dato Sri Rohani Abdul Karim sees the bridge as a channel of ‘rezeki’ (fortune) for the people as it would boost economic development in the area.

Moreover, the bridge would ensure that the 5,000-hectare Batang Lupar ‘Rice Bowl Project’ and food producti on hub have a reliable, uninterrupted connecti vity.

According to her, the ‘Rice Bowl Project’ is crucial in addressing the nati on’s current 30 per cent shortage in rice producti on.

Under Batang Lupar, there are three state consti tuencies: Lingga, Sebuyau and Beti ng Maro.

Lingga For local coff ee-shop owner — who wants to be known only as Yeo — there is a need to develop various industries in order to increase employment opportuniti es that could att ract more people to Lingga.

“I think this is the most important thing to help Lingga to fl ourish again. The youths are leaving the town to fi nd jobs in big citi es.

I think this is the most important thing to help Lingga to fl ourish again. The youths are leaving the town to fi nd jobs in big citi es. coff ee-shop owner in Lingga

“We cannot deny that the young people have no choice in this regard. The populati on has begun to shrink, albeit slowly. How could we grow a town without its people?”

Yeo hopes that whatever development taking place in Lingga, it should also take into account of the long-term impact and benefi ts, as well as the well-being of its people parti cularly the traders.

“We all sti ll need to sustain our livelihood — even in such a small town.” For Maludam resident Musa Bohari, acknowledges eff orts by the government of the day in making their lives bett er.

“I can see how they (government) put focus on rural development, even for Maludam. The government’s wharf here, for example, remains among the main entry points to Maludam if you use the waterways.

“It used to be all wood, but it has been upgraded to concrete,” he points out.

Musa also notes that road developments have allowed freedom of movement that can translate into other development such as the setup of a new commercial centre there, which is in

progress.On this note, he wishes such

change and progress, despite coming in gradually, would be an ongoing process.

Meanwhile another resident Safi ee Golong highlights the availability of prawns going for RM20 per kilogramme, and a crab species locally known as ‘Ketam Kalok”, priced at RM25 per kilogramme — far cheaper than those one could fi nd in the larger towns and citi es.

According to him, these are just some of the varieti es that are procured and sold in Maludam — thanks to the usage and availability bigger vessels that allow the fi shermen to venture further into sea.

Having said this, Safi ee hopes that the government to conti nue looking aft er the well-being of the fi shing and seafood industries in Maludam.

“These have been some positi ve changes that we’ve seen over the years. The government has been giving the fi shermen subsidies on petrol to run their boat, which is good.

“Let’s just hope that this would conti nue.”

SebuyauBack in the early and middle 20th century, Sebuyau town was a thriving fi shing port where apart from fi shing, the local folk were also involved in the preservati on of fi sh.

Kapitan Law Khin Seng, 57, shows the preserved snout of a saw shark caught by his grandfather caught fi shing in the South China Sea a long

ti me ago — as if to further prove this point.

“There was plenty of fi sh off Sebuyau back then, even this shark,” he claims.

Law, who is the third generati on of Teochew trader and the fourth Chinese Kapitan in Sebuyau town, then speaks of a ‘wind of change’ taking place in his hometown.

“The rural transformati on drive has given us bett er connecti vity, the technology, the bridge, the roads and the ferry service. Economy-wise, we are seeing a boost not only in Sebuyau but also in other small towns and communiti es.

As with other Batang Lupar folk, Law highlights the impact brought upon by the completi on of the Batang Lupar and Batang Sadong bridges, which has made Sebuyau connected to the ‘rest of the world’.

“I sti ll remember in the past, we had to take big, fast boats that broke through the waves on the way to Kuching. Back then, it was the only way of transportati on. Now, it’s a thing in the past.”

Law hopes that with the establishment of the proposed Sebuyau Town Commercial Centre, the fi shing port would once again fl ourish like it was years ago.

“I also wish that more Chinese traders would come back to do business in Sebuyau.

“This is a beauti ful place, with the potenti al to be transformed into a modern coastal town complete with well-equipped marinas to harbour ships and vessels,” he adds.

AGRICULTURE and fi sheries are sti ll the primary economic acti viti es in Beladin, but this small town in the state consti tuency of Beti ng Maro is far from being under-developed.

It is, in fact, regarded as the largest fi shing village in Sarawak where it has 2,000 households and a populati on of about 10,000. Connecti vity-wise, one has to travel on board ferry to reach Beladin from Pusa.

However, the local folk could look forward to receiving a number of projects that are in the pipeline, says local community leader Zaini Karim.

“The constructi on of the district’s clinic is ongoing, the LKIM (Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority) complex is now 90-per cent completed, RM20 million has been allocated for the constructi on

of the district’s police headquarters and a ‘Sekolah Agama’ (Islamic religious school) would also be built,” he notes, emphasising that upon the completi on of the LKIM complex, the major fi shing industry and its downstream operati ons would be more vibrant than it already is.

The most anti cipated of all developments, Zaini adds, would be the Batang Lupar and Batang Sadong bridges that would improve accessibility and open up the area.

“All we ask from the government of the day is to bring more developments to Beladin, so that the people would prosper. This town has seen signifi cant progress since 2011.”

On issues that need addressing, Zaini highlights the proposed installati on of streetlights along the

village roads.“It is more on safety, especially

at night. “Moreover, we hope that the

government could provide us with proper stalls for the weekend market, which has been att racti ng huge crowds comprising not only of locals but also those from outside Senadin.”

Zaini also menti ons that piped water is sti ll an issue, but he adds: “We know that it is under development — a project costi ng about RM8 million.” For local resident Hashimah Sahari, 38, she concurs with Zaini that Beladin has seen positi ve development over the past fi ve years, especially aft er the new commercial area was set up.

“The town is defi nitely livelier and more vibrant now. I manage the

weekend market, which runs once a month and that single event brings in a lot of people.

“We, however, do hope that the corporate sector could off er the sponsorships to carry out acti viti es, while the government could provide us with a proper venue,” says the operator of Norlan Cafe.

For administrati ve personnel Mohd Zashazeren, 29, the youths in Beladin do not seem to be parti cularly acti ve and moti vated.

“Most the young people are working in big citi es like Johor and Singapore; they only come back during the festi ve holidays.

“The youths in this town seem to lack moti vati on. My guess is that they need an avenue to gather like a football fi eld. Having said this, there’s a mini stadium here but it’s not fully uti lised,” he observes.

The Batang Lupar Bridge would ensure that the 5,000-hectare ‘Rice Bowl Project’ and food producti on hub have a reliable, uninterrupted connecti vity. A fi shing boat cruises along the Maludam River.

Law and his grandfather’s legacy — the preserved snout of a saw shark.

Batang Sadong Bridge stretches 1.45km across Batang Sadong River, which lies between Sebuyau and Simunjan town.

The new bazaar, which was built fi ve years ago, has made the economic landscape in Beladin even more vibrant.

A ferry laden with passengers and vehicles crosses Batang Saribas, heading to Beladin from Pusa.

Mohd Zashazeren believes his hometown deserves a football fi eld to encourage the youths to be more acti ve.

The Beladin folk could look forward to receiving a number of projects that are in the pipeline, says Zaini.

Beladin — An impression of rural progress

Accessibility vital for communiti es in Batang Lupar


SINCE its elevati on into the state’s 11th division in March 2002, Betong has been enjoying rapid infrastructure and economic growth, spurred by its agriculture sector and human capital development.

So far, road coverage has reached 96 per cent, connecti ng almost all 300 villages and longhouses under the jurisdicti on of Betong District Council.

Supply coverage of treated water, as at last December, was at 86 per cent while 24-hour electricity reached 76 per cent of its over-60,000 populati on.

According to district offi cer Friday Belik, plans under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP) to connect the remaining households with these faciliti es are underway.

He is confi dent that road connecti vity, treated water and electricity supply penetrati on will hit 100 per cent by 2020.

“The government is committ ed to creati ng road linkages that will connect the whole of Betong Division 100 per cent.

“By 2020, all villages and longhouses will be connected with road infrastructure.

“The same can be said on the planning for treated water supply and RES (Rural Electrifi cati on Scheme) projects here.

On a whole, infrastructure development and provision of basic faciliti es in Betong is on track and not far behind other divisions,” he reports.

Touching on the remaining four per cent yet to be connected with road infrastructure, Friday says there are about eight longhouses yet to have proper road linkages such as the areas in Lempaong, Ulu Spak, Padeh, Melayu and Rantau Lelayang.

As for the 96 per cent, Friday admits that not all are tar-sealed — some are either concrete or gravel.

As for Layar and Bukit Saban state consti tuencies under Betong parliamentary area, Friday points out Layar — where Betong town is located — as being the ‘more vibrant one’ as far as development is concerned.

In Bukit Saban, 80 per cent

AFTER decades of lacklustre economic performance, Saribas has now emerged stronger — thanks to the vast infrastructure development, reform in agriculture acti viti es and the reinforcement of human capital.

The consti tuency’s main district of Debak is getti ng more vibrant by the day due to the growing number of businesses and pett y traders.

What was once a quiet town, has now become congested especially during weekends, due to the rising spending power of the 22,500 populati on in Saribas.

Temenggong Piee Alwi, 62, a community leader from Kampung Debak Laut, has experienced fi rst-hand the rapid development in Saribas, especially over the past fi ve years.

Road infrastructure, penetrati ng up to 90 per cent across the consti tuency, has greatly benefi tt ed the farming community.

Smallholders in rubber, oil palm, pineapple and paddy farming are rapidly growing, thanks to the good road network.

Piee explains that cash crops including other agro-based products are now easier to be transported, leading to improved income and economic sustainability for both farmers and traders.

“In general, the economic growth here is evident. The increased spending power of the people here can be seen by the number of stalls set up at the weekend market or during festi vals.

“Debak town would experience quite heavy traffi c as the people come to shop. They are not only from Saribas, but across the Betong Division.

“When you look at the households, almost every family owns a vehicle now, with those owning more than one are considered normal. Having a vehicle nowadays is no longer a luxury, but a necessity.

“This is defi nitely one sign of the improving socio-economy,” says the reti red police offi cer and former councillor.

Quite impressively, many local youths are involved in modern farming — the modern term for them would be ‘agro-preneurs’.

“There is a big diff erence in

Piee (second left ) and Kampung Tuie chief Marikan Mahli (left ) visit the local market and interact with traders.

Saribas gets more vibrant by the day

Agriculture, human capital fuel Betong’s growth

The government is committ ed to creati ng road linkages that will connect the whole of Betong Division 100 per cent. By 2020, all villages and longhouses will be connected with road infrastructure.Friday Belik, Betong district offi cer

This sports stadium provides an avenue for the townsfolk to engage in healthy acti viti es.

The Kabong District Offi ce, which is the seat of administrati on for the area.

Kolej Vokasional Betong trainees concentrate on a task at hand during a practi cal session.

economic growth and infrastructure development here over the last fi ve years. Awareness among the people of the importance to be self-suffi cient is also improving,” Piee observes.

On what should be improved in Saribas, the community leader hopes that road connecti vity, treated water and 24 hour electricity supply would reach 100 per cent under 11MP.

He also calls for more low-cost housing projects.

It is learned that two rural transformati on service centres costi ng RM34 million would be built to accommodate the demands in Tanjung Assam, Sebemban and Balingan areas, and also those across Mangut, Tuie and Supa.

A bridge across Sungai Rimbas was also completed at a cost of RM46 million in Pusa.

Coastal rural road connecti ng Supa, Tuie and Medang was completed early last year at a cost of RM76 million.

Also completed was the Bungin

road (RM4.5 million) and Jalan Kampung Medang (RM4.7 million), which connects most of the main rural sett lements across Betong division.

Treated water supply project connecti ng areas in Tanjung Assam, Sebemban and Balingan, as well as areas in Kampung Serembang and Manggut, was completed in 2014.

The past fi ve years also saw the completi on of bund roads and irrigati on in Kampung Bungin, Serembang, Manggut, Tuie, Serabang, Supa and Medang under Kalaka-Saribas Integrated Agriculture Development Area (IADA).

Other developments included the fl ood miti gati on projects under the Drainage and Irrigati on Department.

Sixty per cent of villages in Saribas have been connected with treated water supply.

Those sti ll on the waiti ng list are Kampung Tuie, Serabang, Supa, Medang, Rumah Buda Ili and Rumah Buda Ulu.

However, a piping project worth RM3.3 million was completed last year in Kampung Buda Spaoh and Rumah Lubok Debak.

A budget of RM20 million was approved under the 11MP for water connecti on project in Kampung Manggut to benefi t those in Tuie, Serabang, Supa and Medang.

Moreover, a proposal has been submitt ed to the state government for the constructi on of a 9.5km road connecti ng Debak with Kampung Tuie.

The Debak Health Clinic is also undergoing upgrading, with the installati on of a kidney dialysis machine.

A request has also been put forth for the relocati on of SK Sebemban to higher ground, as the current site is exposed to the threat of a riverbank erosion.

Other new infrastructures in Saribas include a multi purpose hall, Nati onal Registrati on Department (NRD) offi ce and a police stati on, of which the constructi on is ongoing.

of the households are enjoying power supply, and 95 per cent clean water supply.

Paved roads also cover 90 per cent of the area.

“Infrastructure and economic developments remain an important agenda to develop Betong and its people.

“Since the introducti on of the Rural Transformati on Programme (RTP), over RM30 million has been spent to improve infrastructure in this district, including upgrading of roads.

“We understand that any development initi ati ve could not be carried out altogether at the same ti me due to the amount of planning and funds needed. The government is doing its best to bring development to the people in both urban and rural areas.

“Now, we hope for a conti nuous cooperati on from the people to be supporti ve of the government’s initi ati ve to bring in development,” Friday conti nues.

On socio-economic development,

he att ributes the thriving agriculture and agro-based sectors in Betong to the aid and subsidies provided by various government agencies such as the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) and Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda).

At present, rubber plantati on areas have reached more than 14,000 hectares.

Pepper is also another major, profi table commodity — the commercial farms cover over 92,000 hectares of land.

“Commercial oil palm planti ng stretches throughout the division from Betong all the way to Saratok. The number of smallholders has signifi cantly increased over the past few years and they are now by the thousands.

Hopefully, more would take the opportunity to parti cipate in agriculture.” Rubber, oil palm, pepper, paddy and other cash crops, as well as a host of cott age industries, aquaculture and livestock breeding are the

main focus in Layar-Spak Rural Growth Centre and Gunung Sadok Agropolitan Master Plan.

Human capital development Betong will conti nue its push for human capital development through the setup of several educati onal insti tuti ons catering from pre-schoolers to school-leavers.

The Mara Junior Science College (MRSM) here was established in 2008 at a cost of RM48 million, its community college in 2009 and the GiatMara Training Centre.

Additi onally, it also has Kolej Vokasional Betong and the RM20-million Metro Polytechnic at the new township extension area, with a student capacity of 1,508.

“Extensive human capital development in Betong is to make sure that the people here would not be left behind in terms of educati on. The increasing youths and students populati on certainly helps socio-economic development as the increasing community strengthens spending power and ensures

thriving local economy. These students will become the main draw for businesses and in-migrati on to come to Betong.

“In additi on, experience has taught me that many students who went on to become successful individuals would certainly return home to give back to society, in whatever capacity,” says Kolej Vokasional Betong director Mohamad Sahran Amin.

According to him, for a district or division to grow, it must have a strong foundati on and a large pool of quality human capital.

“These individuals are the ones who will come back and create economic opportuniti es.”

Currently, the vocati onal college under Mohamad Sahran’s charge has 694 students this year, and it target to produce 240 graduates annually.

Quality of life The priority conti nues to be on enhancing the quality of life of the Betong folk, encompassing a wide

spectrum including populati on growth, provision of aff ordable homes, sports complex, recreati onal park, hospital, places of worship and social services.

The Tan Sri Datuk Amar Stephen Kalong Ningkan Sports Complex was built near the state government offi ce complex near Jalan Seti a Raja, while a public swimming pool is being planned to be constructed nearby.

In additi on, Betong also boasts a fully-equipped 1,000-spectator football stadium.

A recreati onal park is under development at the new township.

Over the past years, an irrigati on system project was completed to water from the town through Sungai Entanak and its tributaries such as Sungai Engkabang.

Some small outlets are also discharged directly to Batang Layar.

A secti on of the irrigati on system also served as a lake at the recreati onal park.

Kabong — The ‘new player’ in townKABONG is poised to experience an accelerated pace of growth, following its elevati on from sub-district to a full-pledged district late last year.

As a new state consti tuency, it is under the jurisdicti on of Saratok parliamentary area.

At present, Kabong District has its own team headed by a district offi cer to oversee the planning and implementati on of development programmes. With the creati on of Kabong as a new consti tuency, it will have an assemblyman from whom the people and local authority could request for development funds from the government.

Kabong District has an administrati ve area of 398.14km² and based on 2004 Stati sti cs, it probably has a populati on of more than 13,000 people now, he majority of whom are farmers and fi shermen.

The Malays reside in 27 villages mostly in the coastal areas and they make up the majority of the populati on — about 80 per cent.

The Ibans live in 26 longhouses, comprising 17 per cent of the populati on and the rest are Chinese.

The Malays especially the women, aided by various agencies, are involved in cott age industries such as processing salted fi sh, seafood and various types of local snacks such as banana, potato and tapioca

chips.They are also known for producing

‘gula apong’ (dark, thick sago palm sugar) and traditi onal delicacies based on ‘gula apong’, which they sell in nearby towns like Saratok and Sarikei, as well as to visitors coming there.

The Ibans are also mostly farmers benefi tti ng from incenti ves and schemes provided by government agencies like Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda), Sarawak Land Consolidati on and Rehabilitati on Authority (Salcra) and the state Agriculture Department.

Kabong also has tourism att racti ons like Tanjong Kembang Beach, where the annual beach festi val takes place and has been included on Betong Division’s tourism calendar.

Other popular desti nati ons are Pantai Gerigat and Pantai Alit — all with good potenti al to be developed into popular tourism havens.

Kabong was carved out of Kampung Selalang under Kuala Rajang (formerly known as Belawai) and Kalaka.

It has a total of 9,157 registered voters.

It is the third state consti tuency under Saratok parliamentary area — the other two are Krian and Kalaka.


Samalaju — A name synonymous with hi-tech heavy industry

We do hope to see more job opportuniti es available for the locals, based on

their academic credenti als and experience. Understandably, these companies (operati ng in industrial hubs) can employ foreign workers especially the specialists; but if there are local experts available, then they should give the

priority to them (local minds). It is our hope that Bintulu would

conti nue experiencing rapid growth,

especially in SCORE (Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy) areas. — Temenggong Abang Suhaili Abang Mohammad, local community leader

THE name Samalaju has always been synonymous with the state’s high-technology industry, in that this area houses two major heavy industrial hubs — the Kidurong Industrial Estate and Samalaju Industrial Park.

As a new state consti tuency, which is predominantly-Iban, it is under Bintulu parliamentary area and its electorate numbers at 12,927.

Its neighbouring state consti tuencies are Jepak, Tanjung Batu and Kemena.

Samalaju is divided into eight polling districts — Sibiew Similajau, Tanjung Kidurong, Suai, Melor, Mawar, RPR Kidurong, and LKTS Suai.

Local community leader Temenggong Abang Suhaili Abang Mohammad says while there is no major issue in the consti tuency, the people do want to see more community-centric developments.

“We do hope to see more job opportuniti es available for the locals, based on their academic credenti als and experience.

Understandably, these companies (operati ng in industrial hubs) can employ foreign workers especially the specialists; but if there are local experts available, then they should give the priority to them (local minds).

“It is our hope that Bintulu would conti nue experiencing rapid growth, especially in SCORE (Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy) areas,” Abang Suhaili adds.

For Temenggong Datuk Barry Yek Siew Hui, he is very concerned about the need to have proper development masterplan to ensure that it could be eff ecti vely implemented within the given ti meframe.

“We want to look into the future of Bintulu becoming a beauti ful and friendly industrial city by year 2020.

“Everybody has to be civic-minded, through educati on.

In this respect, the media should conti nuously educate the people and to upgrade their thinking about the

importance of educati on for their future.” Yek also realises that while every development brings its own challenges and problems, it is crucial for all parti es to play their respecti ve roles in addressing and solving them.

“This is why I stress on being civic-minded.

Even with world-class faciliti es and enforcement, without civic-mindedness, problems would remain unsolved.” Yek also acknowledges that with Bintulu being in the centre of SCORE, many would stand to benefi t from it.

“The vision for development must include plans that encompass key areas such as socio-economy and humanity for the next 50 years.

“Bintulu itself has the potenti al to be upgraded into a city by 2020 — this is one vision,” he says.

Jepak GENERALLY, the people of Jepak are quite sati sfi ed with the projects across this consti tuency such as the

reconstructi on of Surau

Darul Iman in Kampung Sebuan Kecil Jepak and upgrading works on the

abluti on area in

Masjid

We do hope to see more job opportuniti es available for the locals, based on

their academic credenti als and experience. Understandably, these companies (operati ng in industrial hubs) can employ foreign workers especially the specialists; but if there are local experts available, then they should give the

priority to them (local minds). It is our hope that Bintulu would

conti nue experiencing rapid growth,

especially in SCORE (Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy) areas. — Temenggong Abang Suhaili Abang Mohammad, local community leader

Jepak.Other faciliti es in Jepak include

Mara Skills Training Insti tute (IKM), Advanced Technology Training Centre (AdTec) and SMK Kemena.

Nonetheless, a bridge over Sungai Kemena linking Kampung Jepak

with Bintulu town would be a much welcomed move, says

Penghulu Drahman Kawi.Currently, the people

of Kampung Jepak rely on river

transportati on and also the Bintulu-Sibu Road.

“In representi ng local villagers here, I hope this project would be given adequate provision towards the accelerati on of its

constructi on,” he adds.Apart from that, he also calls

for Kampung Jepak to have a religious school in additi on to

an existi ng primary school.“I’m also requesti ng

for the setup of a new

primary school in the village.Perhaps we can propose for it to

be built under Kampung Warisan Jepak sett lement scheme.” Jepak has been undergoing favourable growth since the 1970s, following the implementati on of several large-scale industries such as oil and gas, oil palm, ti mber and other downstream acti viti es.

This area is expected to reap the many benefi ts, including the provision of more housing units for

TEMENGGONG DATUK BARRY YEK SIEW HUI

The Samalaju Port

One of many plants operati ng in Samalaju Industrial Park.

the people, via SCORE.Kemena Here, the people are

involved in a joint-venture with an established plantati on group on developing the Nati ve Customary Rights (NCR) land through large-scale oil palm planti ng.

The parti cipants have even gained dividends from the operati on.

Moreover, Kemena folk who are involved in agriculture and livestock breeding have formed Selad Sebemban Smallholder Farmers Associati on, with fi nancial support from the government, through relevant agencies.

This venture ensures that not only the NCR would not be left idle, but it also helps parti cipants improve their socio-economy.

Meanwhile, the implementati on of key faciliti es such as road network that links with Hulu Sebauh, ferry services between Sebauh and Hulu Sebauh, Sungai Sebauh riverfront and NCR perimeter survey have also helped a lot, as far as progress in Kemena is concerned.

SamalajuAerial view of Samalaju Industrial Park.

PENGHULU DRAHMAN KAWI


THE implementati on of Sibu-Tanjung Manis Road that links with

Daro and Matu-Jemoreng has made the towns bett er

known by many than they

were before.Travellers going to Daro and then,

to Matu/Jemoreng via the stretch that connects Daro and Mukah would board ferries that crosses Batang Igan, while those using the road connecti ng Daro and Sibu would

cross Muara Lassa.Sti ll, the growth

of these towns remain vibrant,

Improved land connecti vity a boon for Daro, Matu/Jemoreng

primarily due to its coverage under the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE).

Notable, the traffi c going to and coming from the town has been quite busy, with lorries and trading vans plying the roads.

Such positi ve progress can be att ributed to the development of the road system, parti cularly the improved Sibu-Tanjung Manis-Daro dan Sibu-Mukah-Daro roads.

Another form of communicati ons, namely telecommunicati on, is a non-problem for the folk in Daro, Matu and Jemoreng — almost all of them own mobile phones.

Implementati on of water supply projectThe water supply needs for the people in these areas are addressed through the RM79-million rural water supply project that includes a treatment plant in Hulu Kampung

The growth rate has been quite tremendous over the past several years and it is sti ll on-going.— Kuswadi Kana, Kampung Jemoreng resident

Jemoreng. It has the capacity to supply 10.5 million litres per day (MLD). Moreover, the proposed RM350-million Igan Bridge project should further spur the growth there, upon its implementati on.

“The growth rate has been quite tremendous over the past several years and it is sti ll on-going,” says Kuswadi Kana of Kampung Jemoreng, who adds that Igan, Daro and Matu could only be accessed via river transportati on before they had road network.

“Now, you can reach Daro, Matu and Jemoreng directly from Sibu or Mukah via land — thanks to the eff orts by our government in bringing progress to us, which in turn helps elevate our standard of living,” highlights Kuswadi, who is working in Sibu.

For Sibu Melanau Associati on deputy chairperson Dayang Rohayah Awang Yahod, she hopes that there would be more skills-training insti tutes in Matu/Jemoreng, in additi on to a GiatMara centre in Daro, which off ers automoti ve training to youths.

“This is another means of development — one that focuses on skilled human capital,” says the lecturer at Sarawak Agriculture Insti tute.

This row of wooden shophouses retains the quaint atmosphere in Matu town, which has been enjoying positi ve progress over the years.

The Daro Public Market, one of the town’s landmarks.

This row of wooden shophouses retains the quaint atmosphere in Matu town, which has been enjoying positi ve progress over the years.

A telecommunicati on tower in Daro, which provides mobile coverage for the locals.

a treatment plant in Hulu Kampung lecturer at Sarawak Agriculture Insti tute.

The Daro District Offi ce, the town’s seat of administrati on.

The Daro Kemas (Community Development Department) acti vity centre.

The building that houses various government agencies in Daro District.Passengers and their vehicles disembark from Serdeng ferry that crosses Batang Paloh.


THE people of Semop are looking forward to receiving more development project in line with Chief Minister Datuk Pati nggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem’s focus on rural transformati on.

One parti cular area of att enti on is educati on, in which Pulau Bruit — an area under the state consti tuency — saw SK Semop receiving its fi rst batch of students in January 2016.

Bruit Area Fishermen’s Associati on (PNK) chairman Councillor Ismaily Johari views the school as signifying the importance of educati on for children in the rural areas.

“We can have physical development, but it is equally important to also focus on human capital development. This secondary school is an indicati on of this— slated for our youngsters.”

Additi onally, Ismaily opines that the implementati on of the Rural Growth Centre (RGC) should boost the overall development in Semop.

According to him, 307 housing units di RGC Semop that comes equipped with faciliti es such as a community hall, recreati on area, mosque and shophouses.

“It may take some ti me, but the potenti al for the RGC to enhance the overall development of Semop is defi nitely there.”

Road networkIt is undeniable that having decent road network is vital in channelling growth into any area, especially the rural ones.

In this respect, the majority of communiti es in Semop are enjoying

good connecti vity, which helps a lot in elevati ng their socio-economy.

Residents in the northern part of Pulau Bruit, in parti cular, are able to move around — thanks to the gravel road that links Sungai Nai with Kampung Penuai. The sretch connects the people there with Daro town, Tanjung Manis and also Sibu.

In essence, it is an oil palm plantati on road that was undertaken by the government for the convenience of the local communiti es.

Moreover, another 8km gravel road linking Kampung Penuai with Kampung Salah Kecil is underway, with the works having commenced in December last year and are expected to fi nish by March 2017.

“It is hoped that with the completi on of the road project, it would boost socio-economic growth in Semop as it would enable access for many government departments and agencies to come in and bring more projects for the people,” says the secretary of Semop branch of Sarawak United Nati onal Youths Organisati on (Saberkas), Gusti Sahdan.

“The eff orts by the state government in providing these basic faciliti es are highly appreciated. They really help in boosti ng the local smallholding industries, such as the processing of smoked prawns and ‘lumek’ (a type of soft -boned fi sh).

“Having good connecti vity defi nitely helps to boost marketi ng acti viti es of these products,” he adds.

Kuala Rajang to benefi t from impact driven by SCORE

THE Kuala Rajang state consti tuency, which encompasses parts of Sarikei and Mukah divisions including Tanjung Manis, is the new name of what used to be known as Belawai — a change that was part of the recent redelineati on exercise on electoral boundaries last year.

Belawai, as an administrati ve area on its own, is sti ll known as it is and recently, it was elevated to district status from sub-district.

This indicates that the state government has plans for this rural consti tuency, including the setup of the halal hub under the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) master plan.

Datu Len Talif Salleh, in his capacity as the then-Assistant Minister under Chief Minister’s Offi ce, said the elevati on to district status was aimed at enhancing its administrati on and boosti ng its economic growth.

The move to make Belawai a full-fl edged district was also in line with the focus on rural development, as championed by Chief Minister Datuk Pati nggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem.

Pemanca Dandan Sidi, 70, the community leader for Tanjung Manis, says the area — once a quaint fi shermen’s community — has undergone tremendous changes over the years including having its own airport.

“There are many beauti ful houses in Belawai, as well as faciliti es like good roads, schools, clinic and treated water supply. The cott age industry here is also quite vibrant.

“The residents should be proud in seeing such encouraging development,” he says.

Dandan also believes that Tanjung Manis — also a full-fl edged district — is poised towards vibrant growth going forward.

“Our wish is that the rural transformati on could be expedited,” he adds.

On development in the Sare area, local community leader Penghulu Bidai Gisang, 51, says fellow residents are very content as all the basic necessiti es seem to be in place.

“I believe that our state government can do more for rural communiti es like us.”

The road networks connects towns, neighbourhoods and longhouses — facilitati ng the people in their daily routi nes like shopping for groceries. Treated water supply has also reached more than two-thirds of total households.

They also enjoy telecommunicati ons coverage, thanks to the setup of three telecommunicati on towers there.

For Selalang, Penghulu Amir Hamzah says the residents are

all for the plans by the state government to bring progress to their area, especially development projects.

“The road network, water supply and also an Internet centre are all indicati ve of the government’s concern on developing Selalang. We now have a new hall that serves to facilitate any acti vity by the community here,” the 52-year-old community leader says on behalf of some 1,000 Selalang residents who comprise fi shermen, workers in wood processing plants and those in the civil service.

Road network, rural projects to expedite Semop’s progress

Len Talif (third left ) with a delegati on during a visit to Masjid Arqam in Kampung Belawai.

The Tanjung Manis District Offi ce.

The Tanjung Manis Airport — an indicati on that the district is poised towards vibrant growth going forward.

Public Uti liti es Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan (fourth left ) with Len Talif (left ) and others take a closer look at Tanjung Manis District’s development model at an event.

The fi shing industry is sti ll the main livelihood for many Pulau Bruit folk. Fishing boats line up along a river in Pulau Bruit.


The magic that is Murum

Photo shows the ‘Belawing’, which is the ‘Heroes’ Monument’ for the Kayans, erected at Rumah Bakah in Sungai Asap.

Well-educated community leaders Umek (right) and Saging (left ) with fellow Sungai Asap residents.

(From left ) Fellow longhouse headmen Ballrully, Joshua and Lichong.

Pupils att end class in SK Tegulang.

I understand that there is already a plan to set up a new primary school in Sungai Asap. We hope that it would be named SK Apau Koyan. Hopefully, the project would commence soon.— Pemanca Umek Jeno, Sungai Asap community leader

A trader arranges jungle produce at her lot in Sungai Asap Bazaar.

THE recently re-delineated consti tuency of Murum is a land of energy and beauty. Situated on high country, it is constantly surrounded by white clouds and green mountains.

The lake created aft er the impoundment of the Murum dam made it an even more enchanti ng place with its large stretch of calm and darkish water. The lake area has a strange mysterious ambience, much like the Loch Ness where some ancient monsters might just emerge from the deep at any ti me.

While there are some mysterious aspects about Murum, there are also some bright sunny sides about the place, especially when the people here are concerned. They are simple, direct and friendly with smile as bright as sunshine. What is most notable is their warm hospitality. It is something that no visitors can forget, as it comes so readily and genuine.

Murum, being the land of resett lers, has more than fi ve ethnic groups. It is indeed an epitome of cultural integrati on which Sarawak is very proud of.

Against the backdrop of green mountains and white clouds, there is always the colourful cultures of various ethnic communiti es there, making it one of the most interesti ng places in Sarawak.

Consisti ng of Long Murum, Sungai Asap and Tubau, Murum is the new powerhouse alongside with Belaga state consti tuency.

Sungai AsapThis is resett lement site for those aff ected by the Bakun dam project — a place that is quite unique. While the community leaders are

wise and intelligent, as they are simple and friendly. A meeti ng with them at the mini Sungai Asap Bazaar was one that was full of laughter and delight.

The local community leaders, when met at a quaint shop in town recently, recommended to us the ‘Mee Soup Ikan’ — noodles in a broth of catf ish and soya sauce.

At a glance, the cooking method was not unique as it was just like the normal Foochow noodle soup. What made it diff erent, however, was the

fresh catf ish, which lift ed the dish into a totally new level — making it a must-try for both locals and travellers.

The experience was made even more memorable by the abundance of fresh fruits. Aft er the ‘Mee Soup Ikan’, local community leader Pemanca Umek Jeno suddenly fi shed out ‘mata kuching’ (a relati ve of the lychee), rambutan and durian from his four-wheel drive vehicle (4WD) — as if the fruits were grown from it.

Sitti ng at the shop savouring the fresh fruits while watching the dust ‘dance in the air’ whenever a 4WD passed by, one could not help but noti ce the positi ve vibe and vibrant energy in the air.

Umek and his followers are very happy with the basic faciliti es available in Sungai Asap — the road connecti vity, the schools, the clinic and the presence of government agencies.

Sti ll, they would want to see more shops being set up in the area.

“We also need more banks to open their offi ces here. With more shophouses, it would enable the banks to come and set up their branches here,” he said.

Fellow community leader Penghulu Saging Bit, meanwhile,

said there was a proposal to set up another primary school to cater to the local community, in additi on to the existi ng SK Batu Keling and SK Long Gang.

“I understand that there is already a plan to set up a new primary school in Sungai Asap. We hope that it would be named SK Apau Koyan,” he grinned. “Hopefully, the project would commence soon.”

Long MurumLike the Sungai Asap folk, the residents of Tegulang like Saran Joo are also resett lers.

Saran likes his new longhouse, saying that compared to the unit in old Long Wat, the new place which is a unit within Saban Longhouse, is much bett er.

“It got standard,” as he describes it.

As many as 89 Penan families from the old Long Wat are now residents of nine longhouses in the new Long Wat resett lement.

Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB), in helping the community to slowly adapt to modern living, has been giving each household a monthly fi nancial aid of RM850. Presently, the subsidy comes in the form of RM600 worth of food and RM250 cash.

TubauThe Tubau folk are looking forward to be included under the new consti tuency of Murum.

Longhouse headmen Joshua William, Lichong Along and Ballrully Kenai hoped that with Tubau becoming part of Murum, the place would receive the spillover eff ect from the development in Baleh and Belaga.

“It’s a new consti tuency (Murum) and we hope that by being part of it, development would come to our area. Moreover, we would like to see Tubau Bazaar to become as vibrant and thriving as Sungai Asap Bazaar,” he said.

One of the longhouses in the Tegulang and Mentalun resett lements in Murum.


Bukit Goram, Pelagus and Kati bas: Focus on bett er connecti vity

BUKIT Goram should be the recipient of the spillover from the development that has been taking place in Pelagus — the state consti tuency from which it was carved out of.

However in terms of electorate, it has the largest number among the three consti tuencies under Kapit parliamentary area — at a total of 11,827, versus Pelagus’ 7,207 and Kati bas’ 9,692.

Geographically, it covers the namesake Bukit Goram, Sungai Melipis up to Sungai Seranu of Rajang River, Sungai Ulu Yong, Sungai Sesibau, Kapit town and Bleti h.

Geographically, Pelagus and Bukit Goram encompass a huge landmass comprising mostly rugged mountainous terrains. These areas are home to some 550 longhouses and villages but they have low-density and scatt ered populati on — an average of three person per square kilometre.

Generally, the consti tuents are glad that about 70 per cent of Sarawak Budget 2016 would go for rural development but they sti ll feel that as a whole, Kapit remains lagging compared to other divisions.

For local community leader Penghulu Esit Nalo, a Bagatan from Rumah Seking in Nanga Merit, the ‘key ingredient’ in allowing more developments to come in is the steadfast willingness and commitment of the people’s representati ve.

“The government has done so much to help rural folk and it seems that it (government) has been going all out in disseminati ng informati on about the policies to us (rural people).

“The rural folk of today have bett er politi cal awareness than before — we want acti on and results. Our main concern is to have improved basic infrastructure and ameniti es to uplift our quality of life.

“Having said this, we want our elected representati ve to work, instead of ‘makan gaji buta’ (earning undeserved salaries),” he says.

The ongoing RM700 million Jalan Kapit-Song-Kanowit road project, scheduled for completi on by 2018, would realise the local folk’s dream of being connected with other major towns and citi es across the state. Currently, it takes up to three hours to reach Kapit via boat ride from Sibu, or fi ve hours from Belaga along the mighty Rajang River. The major existi ng roads in Kapit are as the following: Melekun-Nanga Gaat (Phase 1) spanning 16km, Bukit Goram-Nanga Yong (16km), Selirik (10.3km), Lepong-Baleh (7.4km), Rumah Kuta-

Ugap-SK Rantau Panjai (6.6km) and Ulu Sungai Kapit (6.2km).

Kapit is rich in natural resources. The ti mber industry provides the majority of employment opportuniti es to the locals, followed by coal mining in Nanga Tulit opposite Nanga Baleh. Commercial agriculture, however, is underdeveloped due to lack of road connecti vity. In this respect, the government has been encouraging landowners to venture into rubber and pepper planti ng to add value to their land.

Physical developmentsFor Pelagus, Esit highlights several issues that need to be addressed. For one, he menti ons the constructi on of roads from Belaga to Nanga Tulit, from Nanga Merit to Kapit town, as well as between Tatau, Sangan and Nanga Merit.

Additi onally, he also calls for the appointment of a state administrati ve offi cer (SAO) for Nanga Merit Sub-District and the setup of a secondary school to cater to the rural students.

During a recent visit to Belaga, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that the RM170-million Jalan Belaga-Nanga Merit would be constructed under the ‘Jiwa Murni’ programme

— a collaborati on with the Royal Malaysian Army.

It has commenced this year and expected to be ready by 2019.

Meanwhile, Kapitan Kong Chak Hee discloses the setup of Kapit Chinese Community Leaders Associati on, chaired by Temenggong Tan Kian Hoo. Its members include the leaders of the community including the Pemanca, Penghulu and Kapitan — with the aim of forging closer rapport between the Chinese and the government.

“It’s untrue to say that the Chinese don’t support the government. We all want development and our main concern is to correct this mispercepti on.

“We know that the government could do more for the ‘rakyat’ (people).”

Nevertheless, Kong says there is a lot more to catch up as far as Kapit is concerned.

“Kapit in under SCORE (Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy)’s radar. As such, there should be a proper skills-training centre for our youths, some of whom are not academically-inclined.

Such technical or vocati onal insti tuti on can provide proper training to our youths so that they would be ‘armed’ with the skills and technical know-how, exposing them to viable job opportuniti es.

“Also, we need to boost the manpower in Kapit Hospital. We need senior medical offi cers, surgeons and physicians so that our pati ents would not have to be referred to Sibu Hospital — a process that is both ti me-consuming and costly.

The coastline splendour that is MukahTHIS coastal area used to rely on fi sheries and sago palm as its main economic acti viti es but now, it focuses on commercial farming and energy-intensive industries — thanks to Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE).

Mukah is benefi tti ng from the massive capacity of energy powered via hydroelectricity and coal, which generate the aluminium processing in Balingian.

The people across this land, which encompass the state consti tuencies of Dalat, Tellian and Balingian, are the recipients of the job opportuniti es opened up by aluminium-processing and coal-fi red plants.

The rate of growth is expected to become more vibrant upon the completi on of Mukah’s new airport and the highly-anti cipated Pan Borneo Highway.

Such progress also goes beyond physical development. Today, Mukah houses Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), its own polytechnic and also Mara Junior Science College (MRSM) — all aimed at producing quality skilled human capital for the future

Culturally, Mukah hosts the annual Kaul Festi val — a traditi onal celebrati on of the Melanau that has been running for generati ons. The event has been drawing in tourists from near and afar — adding tourism to its list of key revenue generators.

Speaking of tourism, a plan has been proposed to build Mukah

Riverfront to att ract more visitors.On infrastructure, the road

network in Mukah has improved over the years, with the coverage in Balingian reaching 95 per cent while the coverage of water and electricity supply is around 80 per cent.

Dalat has also shown commendable socio-economic progress, which focuses on youth, welfare and educati on.

The Dalat Educati on Foundati on, for example, provides the aid to students there who are pursuing terti ary educati on — RM1,000 for university level, and RM300 for

college/insti tute level.Moreover, many villages across

Dalat have their own futsal turfs, while upgrading works on various basic infrastructures have been implemented, with some more to come.

Dalat also have quite a number of ‘Komuniti WiFi’ — a programme that highlights the importance of knowing, learning and harnessing the Internet and telecommunicati on.

All the benefi ts enjoyed by both consti tuencies should also spill over to Tellian — a new area carved out of Balingian and Dalat.

This newly-created area spans across Mukah town and some parts of Dalat.

Nevertheless, there are a few things that would make the folk in Balingian, Dalat and Tellian happier than they are now.

“We have been benefi tti ng from so many things. Life is quite comfortable for us,” says Sait Seman, 54, of Dalat.

“However, it would be bett er if Dalat have its own full-fl edged Fire and Rescue stati on. We already have the rest — hospital, police stati on and other agencies. Maybe it’s because we’re so near to

Mukah town, that the need for a fi re stati on is overlooked.”

For Hati aah Sepawi, 57, she is very encouraged by the government’s focus on empowering the womenfolk across the consti tuencies.

“Courses and workshops such as those on tailoring, beauty and makeup, Kek Lapis making and cooking have been conducted to help the local womenfolk generate extra income.

“Such programmes help to empower women here, in that many strive to help supplement their household earnings

without sacrifi cing their responsibility in raising families,” she says.

For Balingian, it appears that the development is balanced there but there’s a need for it to have its own secondary school.

Local resident Iskandar Mohd Ali, 53, who is from Kampung Suyong, comments: “Students in Balingian have to travel 60km — a two-way journey that could take up to two hours — to att end school in Mukah town.

“Having our own secondary school would relieved these students and their parents of this burden.”

The bird’s eye view of UiTM Mukah, the next full-fl edged campus in Sarawak aft er UiTM Kota Samarahan.The Regional Corridor Development Authority (Recoda) headquarters building in Mukah, which is regarded as the administrati ve and operati onal hub for SCORE.

The government has done so much to help rural folk and it seems that it (government) has been going all out in disseminati ng informati on about the policies to us (rural people). Penghulu Esit Nalo, local community leader

PENGHULU ESIT NALO KAPITAN KONG CHAK HEE

The Bleti h State Complex that houses all state government departments.

An aerial view of Kapit town, taken from the helicopter.


THIS rural consti tuency — home to various ethnic groups — has undergone extensive development in recent years with the implementati on of infrastructure works such as water and electricity supply projects worth hundreds of millions of ringgit.

Many longhouses and remote villages, which were once only accessible via river, are now connected by roads — although this infrastructure remains a challenge.

Regardless, this network has transformed the socio-economy of the communiti es there, and also enabling the installati on of electricity supply from the grid system via the state’s Rural Electrifi cati on System (RES).

The most signifi cant road project having been implemented would be the 70km Miri-Marudi Road, which cuts travelling ti me between the two points to two hours.

This project was completed under the army’s ‘Jiwa Murni’ – one of the key points outlined in the Nati onal Blue Ocean Strategy.

Prior to that, the only way to get to Marudi town from Miri was via river — an arduous, and needless to say inconvenient, two-and-half-hour trip that at ti mes, could be dangerous when the river got swollen due to heavy rain.

However at one ti me, the new land route was facing deteriorati on, making it almost impassable to

THE new consti tuency of Mulu, which was carved out of Telang Usan and Ba Kelalan, covers the Kelabit Highlands which includes Bario down to Upper Baram and Poyut in Marudi town.

It is expected to benefi t from the many other infrastructure projects ranging from village roads, community halls, jetti es, clean water supply and solar electricity slated

for Long Bemang, Long Buang, Long Tujang, Long Seridan, and Long Banga.

For Councillor John Terawe, it does not matt er from which group the elected representati ve comes from, as long as the individual is accepted by the electorate.

“The people’s wish is generally to have good economic development through tourism and agriculture to combat poverty.

“We also would want bett er water and electricity supply coverage, along with other basic ameniti es,” he says.

John also highlights the need to have balanced development and so far, he is happy that the state government has done a good job in cracking down illegal logging and conserving nature.

Sti ll, he believed that it would be even bett er if the elected

representati ve could go on to become an assistant minister, who can bett er serve this remote consti tuency, stretching from Bario to Marudi.

For local community leader Bujang Long, the people in Mulu want a leader who really understands the problems faced by them and who is willing to regularly go to the ground to listen to their needs, as well as become their voice.

THE call upon the Malaysian Communicati ons and Multi media Commission (MCMC) to pay due att enti on to the telecommunicati ons (telco) needs of rural Sarawakians is welcoming news for the Telang Usan folk.

It is indeed a breath of new hope.Wan Egau, 54, who hails from

Long Selawan in Ulu Baram but is now working and living in Miri, says a telco tower was built in their village a few years ago and did work for a while.

“Even though I only go back (to Long Selawan) several ti mes in a year, I believe my village needs to have a fully functi onal telco tower.

“It would make communicati ons via phones or Internet much easier for us, especially those living in the remote parts.

A similar tower was also erected in Long San in July 2014, but without transmitt er.

Former Baram district councillor Anthony Lawai Karing, 76, highlights this issue.

“How can we use the telecommunicati on service if it (telco tower) is without a transmitt er?” he questi ons.

Anthony said many villages in Baram have telecommunicati on towers, but most are not functi oning.

Call for bett er roads, water and electricity supplyApart from the needs for bett er telco services, many Baram folk — over 20,000 of them, the majority of whom are Orang Ulu — also want bett er roads, as well as wider coverage of clean water and

electricity supply.Fift y-fi ve-year-old Nawan

Luhat, a consti tuent of Long Ati p in Baram, truly hopes that whoever to become their representati ve would pay full att enti on to the needs of the people.

“The gap between all rural consti tuencies, not only in Baram, and the urban ones has to be narrowed down steadily.

“We are all citi zens of Sarawak and Malaysia; so none should feel as if they’re being marginalised or underprivileged,” he says.

Sharing the same view with Nawan is Helen Jok, 36 of Long Bemang.

She points out that each longhouse and sett lement in Baram, in parti cular Telang Usan, needs to be involved in the development of the whole of Baram.

“We realise that Baram is sti ll behind when it comes to the basic needs such as clean water, electricity and also roads.

As voter in Telang Usan, all I wish for is for the government to give us comfort in our own longhouses through the provision of these basic necessiti es.”

Helen notes that the state government has approved a solar project in the village and it is now under constructi on.

She hopes that the project would progress successfully.

“Apart from these three basic faciliti es, we also want the government to look into the needs of upgrading our schools — some are already in dilapidated conditi ons,” she highlights.

Marudi poised to take the great leap forward

Bario, a sub-district in northern Sarawak, is part of the new Mulu consti tuency.

Spillover eff ect for Mulu

JOSHUA DUNGKONG

vehicles.The state government, in recti fying

the problem, approved a budget of RM77.4 million to repair and realign the route.

The project is near completi on, aft er which travelling ti me between Marudi and Miri would be reduced to just one hour.

Delegati on of administrati on The administrati on of the vast consti tuency was boosted by the creati on of Beluru District, which eased the administrati ve congesti on at Marudi District Offi ce.

Local councillor Joshua Dungkong of Bakong said he hoped that more government departments and agencies would be set up at the Beluru District administrati ve centre once it was built.

“We would no longer have to

travel all the way to Marudi town for government matt ers, and this would help locals save money and ti me,” he said.

Agriculture is the main industry in this rural consti tuency and as such, funds have been brought in from the Nati onal Farmers Organisati on for various agricultural programmes as well as the setup of a proposed oil palm mill for smallholders in Sungai Laong, Bakong.

The projected cost of the mill was between RM40 million and RM50 million, and RM 5million worth of shares would be allocated to the smallholders for their parti cipati on in the venture.

Joshua said he was also looking forward to the implementati on of the oil palm mill, slated to be the fi rst venture in the state off ering smallholders the chance to own equity stakes.

“With the mill, smallholders

The realignment and upgrading works on the Miri–Marudi Road is sti ll in progress. Upon completi on, the newly-improved stretch should be able to cut the travelling ti me between Miri and Marudi to only one hour.

We would no longer have to travel all the way to Marudi town for government matt ers, and this would help locals save money and ti me.Joshua Dungkong, local councillor

Telang Usan — Of telco, roads and uti liti es

would no longer be at the sole mercy of private collecti on centres manipulati ng the prices and weighing,” he said.

Deserving of more recogniti onHowever, some Penans — among the smaller groups within the large, multi -racial populati on of this vast consti tuency — felt that they should be given more say in managing their own aff airs.

Longhouse chief Wen Mengelit of Lapok would want greater government’s recogniti on being accorded to his fellow Penan community leaders in Tinjar, just like those given to the Penans in Ulu Baram and Belaga.

“We hope that a Penghulu would be appointed for the Tinjar region as we face diffi culti es of having to fork out a lot of money to travel to Ulu Baram, just get our documents endorsed by a Penan community leader there,” he lamented.

In response to this request, a proposal was forwarded to the state government last year, on appointi ng a Penan Penghulu to serve the community in Tinjar.

Taking into considerati on of various factors such as the number of projects having been implemented with many more in the pipeline, Marudi is poised to take big leap forward in development — for the consti tuency, the best is yet to come.

Rumah Muna in Kejaman, along the banks of Baram River, would be connected with Miri via road with approval of funds from the state government.


Lawas to experience vibrant progress going forward

LIMBANG is a unique place in that people, including Sarawakians, have to use passport to go in and out of it.

It is sandwiched between Brunei and the sultanate’s Temburong District.

As a parliamentary area, it has two state consti tuencies — Bukit Kota and Batu Danau.

Limbang is a melti ng pot of people and cultures, largely att ributable to its locati on near Brunei, Labuan, Lawas and Sabah.

The trademark Limbang Festi val

draws tens of thousands of people every year. In Batu Danau, the buff alo race never fails to become the highlight of the annual Babulang Festi val.

In Bukit Kota, it has been hosti ng many sports events — whether those run on land or in water.

Physical developments: Past, ongoing and future Opening of RM21-million Friendship Bridge in Pandaruan — a landmark of Malaysian- Brunei cooperati on and the

piece to the Pan Borneo Highway jigsaw; and extension of opening hours at the CIQs

from 10pm to midnight. Launch of RM150-million Limbang Bridge project, aimed at reducing the travelling distance between Limbang town and Brunei’s Bandar Seri Begawan from 50km to 20km; and travelling ti me to 45 minutes. Currently, travellers must pass the Tedungan Customs, Immigrati on and Quaranti ne

(CIQ) Complex and Batu Danau region. Road-linking of Pangkalan Rejab Buang Abai, Meritam and Jalan Ipai Pendam projects. Proposed halal food producti on in collaborati on with Brunei, via government-to-government (G2G) arrangement.

People’s wishesIbrahim Tapa: “The people of Limbang look forward to the momentum of progress, as there is much to be done. We want to

see accelerated development, parti cularly when the Limbang bridge project is completed. To off set the higher cost of goods and services and also to att ract more people to Limbang, I hope that the government would consider making Limbang a duty-free port, based on its strategic locati on.”

Hasan Aramin , 44, of Kampung Sayung: “I look forward to witnessing the implementati on of 1Malaysia Night Market in Limbang

in 2016, as well as the upgrading of Limbang Tamu Market, schools, roads and other infrastructures.”

Jun Silah, local leader: “The consti tuents would wish for more funds from the government to this rural consti tuency (Batu Danau). Batu Danau can look forward to having more areas being connected with water and electricity supply, as well as being the recipient of other infrastructure developments, including repair works on schools.”

MANY Sarawakians know Lawas as a region known for ‘ikan tahai’ — a variety of smoked fi sh that is easily available there.

As a district, it encompasses a land area of 3,811km² that shares the borders with Sabah and Brunei, and with a populati on of over 40,000. It spans across Merapok, Kuala Lawas, Lawas Damit, Kampung Punang up to Kampung Awat-Awat and Sundar.

Lawas can now boast of having a host of developments and faciliti es, on par with other emerging towns across the state. It is already known as the supplier of vegetables, meat, rice and spring salt to Sabah and Brunei— thanks to its near proximity to the two.

It is expected that Lawas would experience vibrant progress going forward with a host of soon-to-be-commissioned projects such as the new Lawas Airport, Lawas Hospital, Lawas Mall, the second instalment of Lawas Riverfront development followed by those to be implemented in Sundar, Awat-Awat and Punang, the district police stati on, a skills and technical insti tuti on as well as welfare programmes.

Ba Kelalan: Home of the highland folkAs a parliamentary area, Lawas comprises two state consti tuencies—Ba Kelalan and Bukit Sari

Ba Kelalan stands as among the most remote, but also the most scenic, among the consti tuencies in Sarawak. It spans across the outskirts of

Lawas up to Ba Kelalan

Highlands, sharing the border with East Kalimantan in Indonesia.

It is home to just over 7,000 voters, the majority of whom are the Lun Bawangs.

For this community, family ti es and religious faith trump politi cs, especially the former. There have been instances where familial bonds had strong bearing on the outcome of the polls.

A member of the community, Penghulu George Sigar Sultan of Long Langai, said the local folk would certainly want bett er telecommunicati ons, treated water and uninterrupted power supply, as well decent roads to come to their areas over the span of the next fi ve years.

Hopefully, the emphasis on rural development would help to realise this wish.

“We also need a secondary school in Ba Kelalan, and also a proper border town. We also want to have wider telecommunicati on coverage — one that would include more villages.”

Bukit Sari: Enjoying fair share of developmentIn last year’s redelineati on exercise, Bukit Sari had a number of areas being relocated into Ba Kelalan’s electoral boundary, namely Kampung Muncu, Undop, Limpaki and some parts in Trusan.

Such move was made due to the creati on of Mulu, a new state consti tuency under Baram parliamentary area.

As far as development is concerned, Bukit Sari seems to have been enjoying its fair share in the fi elds of socio-economy, educati on, basic ameniti es and people’s welfare.

People’s housing has been a focus through new land surveying initi ati ve and also extension of villages, while the ‘Rimbunan Kasih’ programme has been launched in Merapok and the outskirts of Sundar.

Specifi cally, the programme

is aimed as a catalyst for the fi shermen community of Awat-Awat and Sundar for them to be more driven and successful. Those in Pantai Punang also stand to benefi t from the arti fi cial reef project launched there.

On social side, the faciliti es at Lawas Sports Complex in Banti ng would undergo ongoing upgrades to accommodate the future holding of sports events, including folks games like buff alo race and ‘gasing’ (top) challenge.

Other infrastructures include good road network, shophouses in Merapok, the ferry service at Batang Lawas, the transformati on of Trusan as a transit town for those travelling to and from Brunei.

Moreover, the state government last year announced an allocati on of RM260.7 million for the enhancement of the treated water supply project including replacement of pipes in Lawas town and Sundar-Awat-Awat; RM50 million for the Jalan Lawas-Long Sukang road project; as well as upgrading works on Jalan Trusan boosted by the commissioning of Briwan development project (RM11.2 million) dan Desa Long Tuan Development Centre (RM3 million).

Under Budget 2016 last year, the federal government had also set aside RM29.2 billion for Sarawak and RM16.1 billion for Sabah towards Phase III of the Pan Borneo Highway project, spanning 96km from Tedungan Merapok-Sindumin and Limbang-Lawas – to run between mid-2018 and mid-2023.

Upon completi on, that secti on would cut travelling ti me between Tanjung Datu and Lawas from 19 hours to 12 hours.

A mini service centre in Merapok that houses several department offi ces has also been built to cater not only to the people of that area, but also those from Kuala Lawas. It is also the hub for the local cott age and downstream industries.

Limbang gallops towards greater heights

We also need a secondary school in Ba Kelalan,

and also a proper border town. We also want to have wider telecommunicati on coverage — one that would include more villages.Penghulu George Sigar Sultan of Long Langai The ferry service in Kuala Lawas. Rearing of buff aloes is synonymous with the Lun Bawangs of Ba Kelalan.

An arti st’s impression of the RM150-million Limbang Bridge.

The iconic buff alo race in progress — the highlight of the annual Babulang Festi val.

A panoramic view of Lawas Riverfront.

KEY POINTERS ON SARAWAK STATE CONSTITUENCIES

Sunday, May 1, 2016

S P SE C I A L U P P L E MMME NNNT

N.78Mulu

8,600 voters

N.18Serembu9,065 voters

N.13Batu

Kitang17,494voters

N.17 Stakan 14,846 voters

N.26 Gedong

7,087voters

N.23Bukit Semuja

13,365 voters

N.40Kabong

9,287voters

N.57Tellian

8,914voters

N.63Bukit Goram

11,510 voters

N.66Murum

8,242 voters

N.70Samalaju

13,251 voters

N.01 Opar 9,714 — votersN.02 Tasik Biru — 17,041 votersN.03 Tanjong Datu — 9,899 votersN.04 Pantai Damai — 18,409 votersN.05 Demak Laut — 13,830 votersN.06 Tupong — 21,499 votersN.07 Samariang — 18,250 votersN.08 Satok — 13,550 votersN.09 Padungan — 22,301 votersN.10 Pending — 30,488 votersN.11 Batu Lintang — 28,105 votersN.12 Kota Sentosa — 25,761 votersN.14 Batu Kawah — 16,991 votersN.15 Asajaya — 10,967 votersN.16 Muara Tuang — 16,186 voters

*N.19 Mambong — 17,467 votersN.20 Tarat — 16,391 votersN.21 Tebedu — 11,521 votersN.22 Kedup — 10,370 votersN.24 Sadong Jaya — 6,749 votersN.25 Simunjan — 7,774 votersN.27 Sebuyau — 9,041 votersN.28 Lingga — 8,988 votersN.29 Beting Maro — 10,474 votersN.30 Balai Ringin — 9,945 votersN.31 Bukit Begunan — 9,389 votersN.32 Simanggang — 11,472 votersN.33 Engkilili — 10,682 votersN.34 Batang Ai — 9,492 votersN.35 Saribas — 9,879 voters

N.36 Layar — 9,094 votersN.37 Bukit Saban — 8,897 votersN.38 Kalaka — 7,327 votersN.39 Krian — 11,959 voters*N.41 Kuala Rajang — 10,256 votersN.42 Semop — 9,617 votersN.43 Daro — 8,491 votersN.44 Jemoreng — 9,699 votersN.45 Repok — 20,263 votersN.46 Meradong — 16,882 votersN.47 Pakan — 10,322 votersN.48 Meluan — 13,103 votersN.49 Ngemah — 8,899 votersN.50 Machan — 10,947 votersN.51 Bukit Assek — 28,341 voters

N.52 Dudong — 29,028 votersN.53 Bawang Assan — 18,340 votersN.54 Pelawan — 32,233 votersN.55 Nangka — 18,605 votersN.56 Dalat — 11,440 votersN.58 Balingian — 7,967 votersN.59 Tamin — 14,948 votersN.60 Kakus — 12,953 votersN.61 Pelagus — 7,186 votersN.62 Katibas — 9,666 votersN.64 Baleh — 9,624 votersN.65 Belaga — 7,096 votersN.67 Jepak — 13,789 voters*N.68 Tanjong Batu — 19,674 votersN.69 Kemena — 13,991 voters

N.71 Bekenu — 12,250 votersN.72 Lambir — 17,533 votersN.73 Piasau — 21,120 votersN.74 Pujut — 26,202 votersN.75 Senadin — 27,874 votersN.76 Marudi — 14,858 votersN.77 Telang Usan — 10,000 votersN.79 Bukit Kota — 16,437 votersN.80 Batu Danau — 8,657 votersN.81 Ba Kelalan — 7,375 votersN.82 Bukit Sari — 12,418 voters

MUCH attention has been given to Sarawak of late, not solely because it is due to hold its election soon, but also the creation of new constituencies — all gazetted last year on Dec 18, and came into full force on Dec 19. The following information shows the number of electorate in each of the 82 constituencies, with a graphic highlight on the new 11.

NEW CONSTITUENCIES

All information has been obtained from the Election Commission and is deemed as accurate at the time of printing.

* The constituencies of Mambong, Tanjong Batu and Kuala Rajang are formerly known as Bengoh, Kidurong and Belawai, respectively.

Designed by Hassan Abang Tofek

sarawak election 2016 special supplement

Documents