Manyin (standing ninth right, first row) and his delegation in a photo call with teachers, staff and pupils of SK Long Sobeng.     LIMBANG: Sarawak will ask for more federal funding to rebuild schools in areas badly affected by the recent floods. Minister of Education, Science and Technological Research Dato Sri Michael Manyin said his ministry and the state Education Department are now compiling schools which need to be rebuilt or merged with other schools to become centralised schools. He said for the time being, some of these schools will be rebuilt using the RM1 billion allocated to Sarawak under Budget 2018 by the federal government for this year and 2019 for rebuilding dilapidated schools. Manyin, who visited four primary schools in upper Limbang and Baram affected by the floods, said he was sad to see the dilapidated condition of those schools which had been in operation since the early 1960s. Due to the floods, he said the condition of these schools, as well as the other four dilapidated schools in Selangau and Tatau he visited on Wednesday, had worsened and the headmasters of these schools had proposed for the schools to be relocated. “It has been identified that one of the factors which contributed to the poor academic performance is the condition of the schools. The other factor is the schools have low enrolment (SKMs). If we merge the SKMs into centralised school, the school will have better facilities with specialist teachers. “This will improve the state’s academic performance. We will ask for funds from the federal government for this purpose,” he said. Manyin and his delegation, which included Assistant Minister of Education and Technological Research Dr Annuar Rapaee and the ministry’s permanent secretary Datu Sudarsono Osman, visited SK Nanga Merit Limbang and SK Ulu Lubai in Limbang, and SK Long Sobeng and SK Long Jegan in Baram yesterday. Also in the delegation were state Education Department development unit head Awang Bakhtiar Awang Seri and Major Ismail Mahedin from the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee secretariat. Manyin also said he was sad to see Sarawak schools lagging behind their counterparts in the Peninsula including the opposition-held Kelantan. He added Kelantan had always performed better than Sarawak in public examinations, seemingly due to better school conditions and facilities. “Every time during our meeting in Putrajaya, none of the representatives from the other states talked about dilapidated schools because their schools are already in good conditions. Only I, representing Sarawak, talked about dilapidated schools because that’s the reality. “As long as I am still there, I will continue mentioning about our schools,” he remarked. He was happy to inform that a centralised school to merge SK Nanga Merit Limbang and SK Ulu Lubai has been approved and its construction is expected to start this year. He said the new school will be on a 10-acre site and its estimated cost is RM23 million. SK Nanga Merit Limbang currently has 42 pupils while SK Ulu Lubai has only 22. “This new school, when completed, will have better facilities such as a science lab and a computer room. We hope this will elevate the academic performance,” he said. During the visits to the other schools, Manyin encouraged their headmasters to not just relocate but also to merge with other SKMs, which he hoped will receive consent from the parents. Manyin announced allocations approved for these schools to do repairs and replace damaged classroom furniture and damaged hostel items due to the floods which happened in December last year until February this year. SK Nanga Merit will receive RM387,831; SK Ulu Lubai RM555,500; SK Long Sabeng RM500,000 and SK Long Jegan RM500,000. On Wednesday, Manyin had announced SK Nanga Selangau would receive RM365,000, SK Nanga Kua RM937,000, SK Muput Tatau RM755,908 and SK Nanga Tau RM600,000. He explained the allocation came from both the state and federal governments, with the state through the Chief Minister approving funds to replace damaged classroom furniture and hostel items, while the funds from the federal are for repairs on school infrastructure. He said the funds will come in before Gawai, though they are only a temporary solution before the next round of flood hits the schools.

Abang Johari (second right) and Cheng shake hands after the launch of the Sarawak-China Business Forum in Kuching, as (from left) Abdul Karim, Wong and Naroden look on. KUCHING: Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg believes that there are opportunities for local entrepreneurs to learn from China in transforming Sarawak’s economy through Digital Economy. He said local small and medium enterprises (SMEs), especially, need to benchmark their businesses against the business model in China in order to be successful in e-commerce, reminding that with online presence, ‘the world is our market with China being one of the largest markets’. He noted that currently, business collaborations between China and Sarawak are mainly in liquefied natural gas (LNG) and petroleum products, palm oil, timber products and electrical components, manufactured goods, machinery and food. “The value of trade between Sarawak and China was recorded at RM15.8 billion in 2017. Sarawak’s export to China was RM10.1 billion while imports amounted to RM5.7 billion in 2017,” he said in his keynote address at the Sarawak-China Business Forum here yesterday. Abang Johari pointed out that Sarawak and China had signed numerous memoranda of understanding (MoUs) on investment, trade and economic cooperation – including with Yunnan Province Department of Commerce, Fujian Province – in recent years to strengthen business collaborations. The most prominent one recently, he added, was with Xian LONGi Materials with estimated investment of RM1.06 billion and Comtec Solar Systems Group Ltd with estimated investment value of RM1.2 billion. “The collaboration between Sarawak and China is not only in the areas of economy and trade, but also covers the fields of tourism, culture and education. “Among them are the Friendship City Agreement between Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) and Dali City; education cooperation between Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) and Yunnan University; as well as literary cooperation between Pustaka Negeri Sarawak and Yunnan Provincial Library. “The Chief Minister’s Department also has a MoU with Huawei in assisting Sarawak in digital training and infrastructure,” he said. The Chief Minister stressed that China is a leader in innovations and showcases how digital economy has accelerated its economic transformation, adding that China is now home to some of the biggest names in e-commerce and online retail commerce. He reiterated that China is a strong ally for Sarawak in business as well as cultural ties and the Sarawak government is confident that with China’s support and cooperation, it would be able to realise the transformation of its economy through Digital Economy initiatives. “We are going to integrate friendship and interests together for a better shared future for the new generation. “Sarawak looks forward to more mutual collaborations and partnership, especially on leveraging the digital economy initiatives,” he said. Also present were Minister of International Trade and e-Commerce Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh; Minister of Utilities Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi; Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youths and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah; Assistant Minister of E-Commerce Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais; State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani and Consul General of People’s Republic of China in Kuching Cheng Guang Zhong.

KUCHING: A mass vaccination for pet dogs will be held today at five villages in Serian, namely Terbat Leban, Terbat Mawang, Mayang Kawan, Sebintin and Engkeroh. A statement issued by the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee yesterday said the vaccination programme will be carried out by the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS). It revealed that as of 3pm yesterday, 183 dogs were vaccinated during a vaccination programme held yesterday in Kampung Bunga and Kampung Baru in Serian, and Kampung Pedaun Bawah and Bijuray Mongag in Bau. “The total number of vaccinated pet animals so far is 27,687, comprising 20,045 dogs, 7,597 cats and 45 other animals,” said the statement. On a related development, the committee also mentioned that 41 new cases of dog bites were reported to the Sarawak Health Department yesterday, comprising 12 in Kuching, 21 in Serian, six in Sri Aman and two cases in Samarahan. This brings the cumulative number of dog bites reported since April 1 to 1,540 cases. “Up to today (yesterday), a total of 820 persons had been vaccinated,” it said. “The Sarawak Health Department would like to call on members of the public with dog bite history from April 1 onwards to immediately go for a check-up at the nearest health facility.” The rabies outbreak has so far claimed five lives, all in Serian Division, since it was uncovered on June 30

  Abang Johari stresses a point at the news conference. — Photo by Chimon Upon KUCHING: Sarawak looks forward to enjoying a communication backbone with capacity of five to six terabit per second (Tbps). Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said it would be good for the state if it has higher Internet transmission speed as it transforms its economy from conventional to digital. He added that a capacity of over five Tbps would be sufficient to meet the rising demand for digitisation. “My target is five to six Tbps for the backbone so that it (Internet traffic) is not congested,” he said at a news conference following the launch of Sistem Kabel Rakyat 1Malaysia (SKR1M) submarine cable system, or 1Malaysia People’s Cable System, at a leading hotel here yesterday. The new cable system, which spans over 3,800km and carries commercial traffic between Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, has an initial capacity of four Tbps. With state-of-the-art 100 Gbps technology, SKR1M is capable of being upgraded to at least 12.8 Tbps of design capacity. Abang Johari recorded his thanks to Telekom Malaysia (TM) for extending SKR1M to Sarawak with three landing points; namely in Kuching, Bintulu and Miri. He said the submarine cable system would meet Sarawak’s aspiration to transform its economy so as to bridge the divide between rural and urban areas. He believed that the enhanced connectivity would benefit all sectors across the state of Sarawak that is on the road to establishing a Research and Development Council. According to the chief minister, researchers and scientists in the state need analytical software and high-speed Internet in conducting their work. “So the signal must be strong because things need to be done in real time. Researchers need to teleconference with people overseas.” He added that Sarawak’s economy would be transformed with digital connectivity. Abang Johari also said the state government would collaborate with Telekom Malaysia (TM) and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) towards achieving digital economy. He said he would share his five-year masterplan of enhancing digital connectivity with TM and MCMC to improve Internet speed state-wide. In this aspect, he said he targeted to have Internet connectivity of at least 100 Mbps for urban areas and 50 Mbps for rural areas. “TM is the national telco (telecommunication company), so we work together with TM as well as MCMC. The RM1 billion from the state is meant to fast-track the development. “Now somebody provided the backbone, we can use money to connect to the backbone and spread out the connectivity. Areas that are not covered by TM, the state government will come in. “Resources are scarce, we have to coordinate. Why waste resources if we can work together?” he added. Abang Johari pledged that he would remain committed to digitising the state’s economy so as to ensure that Sarawak attains high-income economy status by 2030.

Chan (left) inspecting the drainage project site. KUCHING: Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Mayor Datuk James Chan reminds road users to be cautious along Kueh Siak Hong Road in Sekama which is undergoing drainage upgrading work. Chan who inspected the site on Thursday said the drain was being upgraded at a cost of RM25,000 in federal funding. The work, which began on Jan 22, is expected to be completed by end of this month. Meanwhile, when asked if MBKS would install CCTV to tackle attacks on joggers in the city, Chan said it would be too costly and the area too big to install CCTV. “But I will work with the police and government to ask for CCTV installation,” said Chan here Thursday. He advised joggers to avoid running alone and to avoid dark areas.

Members of the public have been warned to stay away from the Lily Pond. KAPIT: The bacteria Leptospira, which causes leptospirosis, has been detected in the water of the Lily Pond at Jalan Mamora and Jalan Penghulu Nyanggau. The Kapit District Council Public Health Division (Vector Control) and Health Department have erected signage at the Lily Pond stating that the area is a health hazard. Members of the public have been warned not to fish, bathe, or swim in the pond as the water is highly contaminated. Several years ago, the Lily Pond was also gazetted as a health hazard area for a similar reason. It is believed the problem recurred due to poor drainage. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects humans and animals. Without treatment, leptospirosis can lead to kidney damage, meningitis, liver failure, respiratory distress, and even death.

Dr Abdul Rahman and other dignitaries in a photo call with over 300 Purscar participants. LIMBANG: Sarawak will try to increase the number of coaches for hearing impaired athletes. Assistant Minister of Agriculture Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail noted that this problem is faced by both the country and Sarawak. “These athletes – need special training compared to those with other disabilities. “Thus in future we will try to increase coaches for these athletes in Sarawak including in Limbang ,” he said while officiating the Purnama Sports Carnival (Purscar) involving 19 government agencies here yesterday. Dr Abdul Rahman was asked to comment on the dilemma of seven athletes from the Limbang District  who have no coach to train them for the upcoming Malaysia Deaf Games (Sopma) and the pre Sukma in Perak in October. The athletes are Nopi Heriadi Taher (100m), Felix Ryan Jenadi (shot put), Rody Hilmi Rasit and Nur Syamira Azaman (100m, 200m, 400m and 4x100m relay), Nur Mashura Sufian and Nur Aruni Awang (shot put, discus and javelin). Commenting on the carnival, Dr Abdul Rahman said the government encouraged sports activities among civil servants. “Public servants with the best health will be able to carry out their work and responsibilities effectively,” he said. He also called for more activities in the carnival next year. Meanwhile, Landas Team emerged champion for the parade followed by the Department of Agriculture and Jaresda Team (District and Resident Offices). Also present at the event were Limbang MP Hasbi Habibollah, Limbang District Officer Awang Said, Superintendent of the Limbang Land and Survey Departmen, Awang Nazri Awang Saperi.

Taib discusses the progress of construction with private secretary Datu Mustapha Han. A tambang operator rows his boat near the Golden Bridge. Taib in a photo call with Abdul Hakim and Wong. Taib being briefed by Jabidah on Unimas Holdings. KUCHING: Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud observed the progress on the construction of the Golden Bridge from the Astana grounds yesterday. The almost completed pedestrian bridge at the Kuching Waterfront will provide good connectivity across the Sarawak River as well as become a new tourist attraction. Taib later received two courtesy calls. The first was from University College of Technology Sarawak (UCTS) vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Abdul Hakim Juri, who invited Taib, as UCTS chancellor, to attend UCTS’ second convocation. Also present during the courtesy call was Second Finance Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh. The second courtesy call was from Unimas Holdings Sdn Bhd chairman Datu Jabidah Monseri, who updated Taib on the latest developments of Unimas Holdings.

  Lee (front row, sixth left) and Abdul Wahab (front row, fifth left) giving the thumbs up as they pose for a group photo with guests from China at the recent business session in Shenzhen. KUCHING: Twenty selected travel agents from Guangzhou and Shenzhen, China will be in the city to do tourism product inspection from December 28 to January 1 as part of a promotion initiative for AirAsia’s direct Kuching-Shenzhen flight. The five-day familiarisation trip will enable the Chinese agents to see and check for themselves the various Sarawak tourism products and also the various hotel properties while at the same time they will be given opportunities to do networking sessions with local travel partners. These top China agents are selected from a list of more than 70 agents that turned up at the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) and AirAsia’s business sessions that were held in Guangzhou and Shenzhen on December 13 and 14 respectively. The business sessions were conducted by STB with five Sarawak hoteliers and eight travel agents attending to propose their tour packages to the China travel operators. Sarawak trade partners who participated at the two business sessions in Guangzhou and Shenzhen have expressed satisfaction on the outcome of the roadshow. The opportunity to meet up with quality big time China travel agents was intended to share business opportunities available in packaging the Sarawak tourism products and also a networking platform to discuss business potentials. Meanwhile, Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Lee Kim Shin, who led the roadshow delegation together with STB chairman Datuk Abdul Wahab Aziz, expressed satisfaction on the outcome of the trip. “The business sessions allowed us to meet more than 70 China’s agents and they are very enthusiastic about Sarawak as it is seen as a new destination,” Lee said. He pointed out that the proposed direct flight has given new opportunities for the industry given the strong business support from these China-based agents, “We hope that it will turn a new chapter on China potential tourism market for Sarawak,” he added. Lee was also optimistic that China’s huge tourism market will open up the travel and hospitality business in the state and bring in tourism-related investment opportunities to spur development in Sarawak. “STB will continue to collaborate with AirAsia to tap the travel potential in South China especially now that we will have the direct flight and the need to sustain it,” he said. He also called on industry partners to prepare for the influx of China tourists with the availability of the direct flight and he hoped that more direct flights will be planned in the future connecting Miri to China as well. Meanwhile, tourism promotion for the proposed direct flight was extended to Kalimantan Barat where Indonesians are expected to transit in Kuching to catch the flight to South China. STB acting chief executive officer Mary Wan Mering said the board had organised the Sarawak Travel Fair in Pontianak last month and the proposed direct flight to Shenzhen had received favourable acceptance from the Indonesians. “It will be a double bonus to the state as the arrivals of Indonesians on transit to South China will augur well for tourism arrival into Sarawak.” She acknowledged that air connectivity was crucial in getting tourists into the state. “Without it, a double hurdle challenge is in for us to promote the destination in the market place,” she said and expressed her gratitude to AirAsia for being able to look into the state’s needs.

  February 14, 2020   RM150 A VALENTINE’S DAY MOTOWN SHOW: PRELUDE TO BORNEO JAZZ 15TH EDITION. Motown is an American record company founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. in 1959 in Detroit, Michigan in the United States. The name, a blend of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit. Motown played an important role in the racial integration of popular music by achieving a crossover success. This Feb 14th, join a stellar cast of singers Dasha Logan, Poova, ROZZ, and the vocal prince of Borneo himself, Pete Kallang as they pay tribute to these great artistes. Dasha, Poova, Pete and ROZZ will be backed by Dennis Law on Piano, Oliver Chan on Bass, Wayne Tan on Drums, Faz Aznam on Guitar, Adil Johan on Sax and Bob on Trumpet. Borneo Jazz Festival is wholly owned by Sarawak Tourism Board, supported by the Ministry of Arts & Culture Sarawak, organised and curated by No Black Tie Presents, with the aim to promote Music Tourism in Sarawak and celebrate the rich cultural diversity inherent in Borneo. A VALENTINE’S DAY MOTOWN SHOW Venue: GoldenBay Hotel, Lot 3493, Bintulu Town, Jalan Tun Razak, 97008 Bintulu, Sarawak. Date: Friday, February 14, 2020 Time: 6.30pm – 12.00am For reservations, please call: 086-311-113 WhatsApp 012-817-0113 @##@No Black Tie Presents@##@GoldenBay Hotel, Lot 3493, Bintulu Town, Jalan Tun Razak, 97008 Bintulu, Sarawak.@##@2020-02-14@##@2020-02-14

Abdul Karim (third right) presenting a souvenir to Steve Riley of Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA) New Zealand (fourth right). Others seen are Snowdan (fifth right); Hii (second right); Sulaiman (fourth left); Charlie Ives, executive officer of Regional Tourism NZ (third left); Rajah Suresh, first secretary of Malaysian High Commission in New Zealand (second left); Dr Ong (left) and Dr Suzie Lim, head of Statistics Unit, Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports (right).   SIBU: Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah is leading a Sarawak delegation to visit Wellington and Auckland, New Zealand from March 13 till today. A press release from the ministry yesterday said the delegation comprised Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports Datuk Snowdan Lawan, Dato Sri Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Abdul Taib, permanent secretary to Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Hii Chang Kee, CEO of Sarawak Sports Corporation (SSC) Dr Ong Kong Swee and others. “The visit focussed on tourism and sports. On tourism, the visit aims to have closer insights on New Zealand’s tourism development strategies and the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) mechanism. “While on sports, the visit looked at the strategies and mechanisms of New Zealand Sports which propels the nation to become a high performing sports nation,” it said. The  delegation  also  took  the  opportunity to  meet  up  with the High Commissioner of Malaysia  to New Zealand, Dato Lim Kim Eng, and the director of Tourism Malaysia in Auckland, Rosli Reshid Mohd Saini. The delegation made courtesy calls to New Zealand Department of Statistics, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA) and Regional Tourism New Zealand (RTNZ). The minister also met up with New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and NZ Maori Tourism to discuss on indigenous cooperation between Sarawak and New Zealand.

Abang Johari (centre) uses a traditional method to extract coconut milk to symbolically launch the Makan Tahun Perdana. Looking on are Jumaa’ni (fourth left), Awang Tengah (on Abang Johari’s left) and other guests. LIMBANG: The Sarawak government is offering scholarships through Yayasan Sarawak to members of the Kedayan community interested in pursuing their degree studies in linguistics at local universities. Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said similar scholarships are also available to other ethnic groups to enable academic research on the history, culture and lifestyle of the respective communities. “Such academic research is very important so the Kedayan community will be able to know further about the history of their origin, culture and lifestyle. “The research could then be a reference for all the Kedayan community in Borneo,” he said when officiating at the ‘Makan Tahun Perdana’ event organised by Kedayan Association of Limbang (PKL) at Patiambun Hall here yesterday. At the same time, Abang Johari said the Sarawak government has already identified suitable parcel of land for the construction of PKL’s building in the district. On racial harmony in the state, he said it is common practice for Sarawakians to respect one another regardless of race or religion. “This is our culture in Sarawak. What we need is a pool of manpower among our people who are willing to work hard, be innovative and also creative in helping to develop Sarawak into a modern state by 2030,” he added. He said both Sarawak and Sabah have the potential to become powerhouse states in the country if the people are willing to work hard and upgrade themselves with new knowledge. At the same function, the chief minister announced an allocation of RM500,000 for the Public Works Department (JKR) to tar-seal and upgrade roads to Kampung Patiambun, which played host to this year’s Makan Tahun Perdana. Among those present at the event were Abang Johari’s wife Datin Patinggi Datuk Jumaa’ni Tuanku Bujang, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, Sabah Education and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob, Assistant Minister of Women, Family and Childhood Development Rosey Yunus, Assistant Minister of Agriculture Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail, Limbang MP Hasbi Habibollah, Lawas MP Datuk Henry Sum Agong, Labuan MP Datuk Rozman Isli and Lambir assemblyman Ripin Lamat.

Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud KUCHING: The people must get rid of and avoid the feeling of distrust among themselves to prevent being manipulated with lies and falsehood by outsiders. They should instead continue to work together and strengthen the solidarity between them, advised Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud. “We must get rid of feeling of distrust among ourselves. If we cannot work together and the strengthening of solidarity is not sustainable, it will be very easy for outsiders to continue to manipulate the people with lies and falsehood. “The prevailing situation of peace and harmony also reminds and gives us the realisation that the peaceful environment is the fruit of efforts to ensure that the state and the people can achieve sustainable progress and unity,” Taib said in his Hari Raya Aidilfitri message. He pointed out that the people must make the best use of whatever awards that have been given for good purposes, and to avoid as far as possible doing something bad, adding that indulging in bad practices like spreading falsehood against individuals can bring quarrels and destructions to the state. Taib also pointed out that a matured society will not become easy target of cheating by the foreign agenda and propaganda, which have bad intention towards the state and the unity and solidarity of the people. He further said that with the way of life of the community interacting among themselves in peace and harmony, the state can feel proud and dignified by the way the people can live together and have mutual respect for each other and where everybody can practise their own religion without any restrictions and criticisms from any quarters. “This is the spirit that we want to absorb into our community, which comprises diverse ethnic groups, without having misunderstanding and quarrels among the members. Actually, the state of Sarawak, which is peaceful and harmonious, will become more progressive and have a bright future ahead. “Actually, the spirit of unity and cooperation that we are imbibing and protecting all this while and the continuous efforts we make to imbibe in our children to ensure the unity and harmony that we are enjoying will remain in perpetuity in future,” he stressed. Taib also said even though Muslims in Sarawak represent a minority community, it remains a big responsibility because Islam organises activities to serve the welfare and preserve the rights of all the people regardless of their ethnic origins, religious beliefs and customs and traditions, adding that Muslims “upgrade ourselves and our community so that we will not be left behind”. He hoped that the tradition of visiting one another during Hari Raya Aidilfitri will be made continuous because it has already become a good trend for the people in Sarawak, comprising diverse racial and religious groups. “It is important that we must restore and make the relationship to be clear and continue to be friendly and strong for the sake of the unity and solidarity of the people and the state of Sarawak,” he said.

  Sempurai (third right) fields questions from the media, while (from fourth right) Lau, Justani and others look on. SIBU: Sibu Rural District Council (SRDC) yesterday endorsed the proposed smart transportation system and smart township conceptual plan, which also involves a tram service to commute between Sibu Airport and Sibu Jaya Township. It will be the first of such mode of transportation in the country, SRDC chairman Sempurai Petrus Ngelai told a press conference yesterday. He said the plan was presented to the council by Sarawak-based company ACG Harta Bumi Sdn Bhd. “This morning (yesterday) we received a presentation from ACG Harta Bumi. We were briefed on the proposed smart transportation system in Sibu Jaya and airport, including a tram service. This is very futuristic, something they intend to propose in Sibu Jaya in the near future. “This proposed system will be integrated with the airport and the Pan Borneo Highway passing through Sibu Jaya. The township can be made into a transportation hub. We hope the standard of Sibu Jaya will be uplifted and become more vibrant. “They said the 4km tram track will link Sibu Airport, Eco Garden, Sibu Jaya and the proposed SRDC office (in Sibu Jaya) in the future. We hope we can get more information on this subject. They (ACG Harta Bumi Sdn Bhd) wanted to present it to the council first before going to the state government,” he added. SRDC deputy chairman Robert Lau Hui Yew and secretary Justani Joni were also present at the press conference. With Kuching to have its own LRT system as mentioned by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, Sempurai reckoned that the tram service was something that Sibu must have in the near future. He said ACG Harta Bumi was serious about the plan as evidenced by it acquiring about 40 acres of land near the airport. Meanwhile, when met at his office, ACG Harta Bumi  strategy advisor Ahmad Fauzi said four stations were proposed along the route stretching about 3.5km. He said there would be a transit-oriented-development (TOD) on the acquired land with a stop at the airport, another one in front of Eco Garden and the last stop at the proposed SRDC office (in Sibu Jaya). Ahmad said this people-oriented project would complement the council’s policy to build a smart township with better organised infrastructure and transportation. He added that they had chosen Sibu for the proposed project because based on the state’s topography, Sibu is the transit point between Kuching and Miri, making Sibu Jaya an ideal transportation hub. “We need the support of SRDC. It is viable to look at and viable to do it for the future of the smart township. Five to 10 years from now Sibu Jaya will be more structured in terms of infrastructure and transportation,” he said. As for cost, he said it had not been discussed yet because it’s merely a proposal.

Fadillah (second left) presents a souvenir to Salleh (second right) at the event. KUCHING: The government always encourages unity-oriented programmes to be conducted as they serve to foster better ties and cooperation between members of local communities, especially youths. On this, Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof believed that such support and encouragement should also come from parents. “These programmes should continue to be hosted so that they would provide the opportunities to further enhance people’s unity. The activities also allow families and their neighbours to spend their free time with meaningful activities,” he said after launching the ‘Titian Warisan Kasih’ dan ‘Merdeka Solidarity Convoy’ programmes at Kampung Segedup Community Hall here on Saturday. Fadillah, who is Petra Jaya MP, also stressed about the importance to appreciate those who had served and delivered the government’s agenda, as well as upheld the peace in the state. “Maintain this unity; remember those who have served the state. “Take examples of things happening in global politics, learn from them, and increase your skills and knowledge so that those negative things happening elsewhere would not happen here. “You must also screen any received information properly and thoroughly,” he reminded. The launch, jointly organised by Darul Aqsa Mosque Committee, Kampung Segedup Village Security and Development Committee (JKKK), PBB Kampung Segedup and Special Affairs Department (Jasa), was also attended by Padawan Municipal Council deputy chairman Councillor Dr Zaidie Suhaili, who is also PBB Tupong deputy chief. He came on behalf of Assistant Minister in Chief Minister’s Office (Islamic Affairs) Datuk Daud Abdul Rahman for the event. The night also served to give recognition to outgoing community leaders including Penghulu Karim Deli and Salleh Jaya.

KUCHING: Exploring one’s own cultural heritage brings forth various benefits particularly in strengthening one’s identity, said State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Morshidi Abdul Ghani. With culture being closely related to social values, religious beliefs and customs, he pointed out that this enabled the people to interact and communicate with each other to create a sense of belonging among the different races and communities. “It also enables us to better understand the previous generation and the history in which we came from,” he said in his text of speech read by State Library (Pustaka) Board of Management member Dr Abdul Rahman Deen at the closing ceremony of Sarawakiana Carnival 2017 held at Pustaka here yesterday. He noted that cultural heritage consisted of many things that covered all aspects of life of a race or community. “We can see it in our surroundings through buildings, towns, archaeological remains as well as through natural resources. It can also be seen through the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the religion we practise and the skills we learn. “Sometimes we can touch and see what constitutes a tangible culture but it can also sometimes be in an unrealistic or intangible form,” he remarked. In view of this, he commended Pustaka for organising the carnival to raise awareness and preserve the local cultural heritage of Sarawakians. This, he said, was in line with Pustaka’s role as a centre for gathering, preservation and research of information and intellectual property as well as disseminating information and knowledge. “Some people may argue that culture or tradition is old-fashioned and no longer relevant or necessary in today’s modern times. But for others, diving into our own cultural heritage offers a variety of useful benefits that can further strengthen our identity,” he expressed. Morshidi also called on the people to continue using library facilities which are aimed at benefitting the community. “Although we face competition and technological changes, the function of a library is still crucial and relevant in providing the best materials and information resources.” At the closing ceremony, Abdul Rahman presented prizes to winners of the Hadrah competition which was one of the activities held in conjunction with the three-day Sarawakiana Carnival. Also present was Pustaka chief executive officer Rashidah Bolhassan

@##@The Hills@##@The Hills@##@2019-11-19@##@2019-11-24

Its main objectives are to create awareness of the importance of rules and laws on the sport of marathon and running, to organise or assist in organising events related to marathon and running at a divisional level and promote the development of marathon and running. For more info, please call: The Kuching Marathon Association (KMA) Liew Tel: 019-8865666 Email: kuchingmarathon@gmail.com @##@The Kuching Marathon Association (KMA)@##@Kuching City@##@2014-08-17@##@2014-08-17

  International Conference on Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Sarawak 2017 will be held from 21 - 22 August 2017 at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK), Kuching. Transforming Agriculture Through Commercialisation Conference Objectives: To share knowledge and best practices in agriculture and the agro-based industry; To explore effective agriculture delivery systems in order to facilitate transformation of the agriculture sector; and To identify opportunities in the utilisation of digital technology to leapfrog the development of sustainable and competitive agriculture. This inaugural international conference will feature more than 20 eminent local and international speakers and industry experts who will be discussing and sharing insights on current pressing issues, challenges, ternds and opportunities in agriculture and the agro-based industry. Who Should Attend: Importing/Exporting Countries Agri-business (Producers, Marketeers & Service Providers) Financier/Financing Institutions Government Institutions & Agencies (State & Federal) Research Institutes and Institutions of Higher Learning Political Leaders Farmers Institutions NGOs/Chambers of Commerce & Industry Ports, Transport & Logistics Organisations         @##@Ministry of Modernization of Agriculture, Native Lands and Regional Development of Sarawak@##@Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK)@##@2017-08-21@##@2017-08-22

Wong (centre) receives a souvenir from Jones witnessed by Naroden. KUCHING: Minister of International Trade and E-Commerce Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh yesterday visited Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) Sarawak branch office to have a better understanding about MITI’s role and responsibilities. Accompanying him was Assistant Minister of E-Commerce and Assistant Minsiter of Entrepreneur and Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Development Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais. Wong said the visit was to see ways how MITI and his ministry could work together to ensure the competitiveness of local entrepreneurs both in domestic and global markets. “The visit, among other things,is to see ways we can develop and promote entrepreneurs to trade locally and internationally and how we can continously work together,” Wong, who is also Second Finance Minister said after a meeting with MITI officials. Meanwhile, Naroden suggested that MITI have a combined portal with Ministry of International Trade and E-Commerce, to enable the public to have a single portal for informations about the roles and responsibilities of the two ministries. There are nine agencies under MITI, namely; Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), Malaysian Productivity Centre (MPC), Malaysian Industrial Development Finance (MIDF), Malaysian External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade), Halal Industry Development (HDC) SME Bank, SME Corp, Malaysia Automotive Institute and Malaysia Steel Institute. Present was MITI Sarawak branch director Griffith Jones Goba.