DIHADIRI OLEH TUAN YANG TERUTAMA YANG DI-PERTUA NEGERI SARAWAK@##@DEWAN BAHASA DAN PUSTAKA CAWANGAN SARAWAK@##@Balai Budaya, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Cawangan Sarawak, Kuching@##@2017-10-17@##@2017-10-17

Acea president Datuk Stanley Ling (second right) presenting Abdul Karim (centre) with a token of appreciation during the conclusion of the Malaysia-Thailand business networking and sharing forum. Also seen are the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Thailand to Malaysia Damrong Kraikruan (second left), Wee (left) and forum moderator and political secretary to the Chief Minister, Michael Tiang Ming Tee (right). KUCHING: There is a need for the state’s national parks to be placed under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports. Speaking at the Malaysia-Thailand business networking and sharing forum at Hilton Kuching yesterday, its minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said that he planned to promote Sarawak as far as possible in order to bring in more tourists by bringing up the standards of all tourist facilities. “Hotels must be there, and parks must be up to standard. Unfortunately, that part (national parks) is not very satisfactory yet, and I will look very seriously into it. “I may have to look into taking away the park side from Forestry and bring it into Tourism Ministry because I believe their role (Forestry) is to conserve and preserve and not promote. “On the other hand, we (Ministry of Tourism) love our heritage; we want to conserve them and preserve them but also promote them. That’s why I want this to be parked under us. “Sabah has done this, and their parks are very popular,” he emphasised. However, when prompted for clarification, Abdul Karim said not all national parks would be involved, stating only Mulu, Niah and Bako national parks would need to be under his ministry. “This will need cabinet approval, but the paper is more or less ready and I will work hard on it,” he added. He also said his ministry was currently reviewing proposals from local companies for ‘easy applications’ to enable tourists to quickly obtain information on hotels, eateries and places of interest. He was responding to a point raised by forum speaker Eddie Wee Teck Tong, who is also the Asean-China Entrepreneurs Association (Acea) vice-president and managing director of Fame International Group, that the state should capitalise on the needs of tourists by creating its own tourism mobile application. “The primary goal of tourists is to have an enjoyable holiday experience, so we need to provide them with sufficient facilities, hospitality and convenience. “When they go for holiday, they need a source of information on where to eat, what events and activities are available, places of interest, what accommodations are available and information on navigation,” he said. Wee also said the Tourism Ministry needed to have greater online presence in order to draw the interest of tourists to venture into the state. “We need to maximise our exposure in the buying phase of consumer behaviour in tourists. This means attracting people using social media and also creating platforms where previous tourists can share their reviews of their experience of their Sarawak holiday – which will hopefully help attract other tourists.” He pointed out that tourists no longer relied on advertising alone but rather on the experiences of others shared online. “I think that we can all agree that nowadays, before going on holiday, we read all the reviews and comments before deciding to go.” Agreeing with this, Abdul Karim said: “Gone are the days where people are planning their holidays with travel agents. Nowadays, people are planning their own holidays online, this is the trend now, especially for young professionals. “This is exactly why digital connectivity in our state and participation by our businesses and industries is so important, this is why our right honourable chief minister is embarking on this digital economy initiative,” concluded Abdul Karim.

ASSALAMU ALAIKUM WARAHMATULLAHI WABARAKATUH, SALAM SEJAHTERA AND A VERY GOOD MORNING TO YOU ALL First of all, i would like to extend my appreciation to you all for coming to this Social and Environmental Impact Assessment or SEIA Retreat 2012 at Damai Beach Resort. As mentioned by YBhg Tan Sri in his welcoming remarks, the first meeting of the SEIA Task Force was held on the 1st September 2010. I intiated and formed the SEIA Task Force then was with the objective of establishing a proper avenue to address the various issues highlighted in the media.  These issues raised in the media may have negative impacts on the image and development of the state as a whole. At that SEIA Task Force meeting, i mooted the idea of having this SEIA Retreat.  I am glad that my idea of having the SEIA Retreat has been taken up and made a reality by YBhg Tan Sri Rastam’s office also as the Advisor in the Chief Minister’s Department.  Tan Sri has been tasked by the government to spearhead the SEIA because of his vast interesting experience and network and certainly his knowledge on matters related to world affairs be it domestic, social and environment.  The fact that he has organised this retreat well of his passion and commitment. My expectations when i mooted the idea of the retreat are many and one of it was that this retreat will develop the Terms of  Reference (TOR ) for the SEIA Task Force. I expect you all to look into the detailed functions, structure and organisation of the State SEIA Task Force.  The Technical Working Groups will also need to be established and operationalised. It will serves as a data factory/content where the task force will obtain not only accurate data and statistics but also recommendations and offer solutions  from the various relevant departments. These technical working groups will have regular meetings in the future which will further promotes networking, information sharing and more importantly data consolidation among our various state agencies. Another output that i envisaged to be derive from this retreat is to identify and prioritise social and environmental issues that has been raised in the media.  There are a number of social and environmental issues brought up at the international, national and even local levels that are relevant to sarawak.  The issues of climate change, deforestation, illegal logging, land use, conservation and the preservation of the biodiversity and the environment were of international concern. The key local issues that the media also consistently highlighted on Sarawak were the state oil palm expansion program, logging practices, orang utans and the numerous dams that are going to be constructed throughout the state.  The resettlements of the natives affected by the dams were also actively highlighted. The media especially the westerns non- governmental organisations (NGOs) reported these key issues in the negative mode. The State Development Agenda for renewable energy through the development of dams has been associated with the displacement and resettlement of the natives where now the global expectation is that there  must be a prior , free , informed consent and also considerations for the affected natives’ livelihood options. Our responses to these media reports is mainly through the inititiaves of the relevant departments and agencies.  Sometimes the replies come from the ministers. But the accuracy of these replies by the ministers and agencies are sometimes either not consistent with each another or not being updated. Thus this uncoordinated or impromptu reactions may not reflect accurately the views of the Sarawak Government, as even among those relevant ministries, agencies or departments,  there seemed to be  a lack of prior consultation.  There is also the situation that the information is available in the relevant departments or agencies but there is no one specifically assigned to coordinate, analyse and managed these information. But these information are useful in countering especially the negative reporting of the state by the media.  We, as the government, either at the ministries, agencies or departmental level  need to address and rectify this situation immediately.  These issues raised especially by the media need to be mitigate promptly,  accurately and we need to be consistent in our statements  and media  releases. There were many negative issues raised by the media and just to state one example was in January 2011 when Sar Vision and Wetlands International produced a report titled : Impact of oil palm plantations on peatlands conversion in sarawak – 2005 -2010. The report alleged that through its remote sensing analysis, between 2005-2010, almost 353,000 hectares of Sarawak’s one (1) million hectares of peatswamp forests were opened up at high speed, largely for oil palm production.  Whereas in fact, the statistics from Forest Department showed that we still have 70% of forest cover and 14% of our secondary forests itself is undergoing  reforestation program. Our YAB Chief Minister has even invited these western NGOs to bring in any creditable independent international auditors to verify these facts but yet thus far, not one of them has responded. But the sad fact is that our response to this allegation was quite slow and the data provided was also not consistent among the  relevant agencies. The issue of whether the State need to establish a Central Depository Base to store all data collected by government agencies and departments in the state need also to be deliberated  at this retreat. And now, it has also even been brought to my attention that a  zoo in Australia is even campaigning for their orang utans donation that has been displaced by oil palm expansion in sarawak.  Sadly, most of this information and issues highlighted be the  media  were  distorted and abuse for their own agenda. That is why, in this retreat, we must also collate all the positive programs that we have done either to improve the well being of the natives or  local communities affected by the dams and logging but also in sustaining our environment. If recommendations need to be made to the policy and decision makers, then we must fully documented them all at this retreat. There will be another SEIA Retreat on the 7th of March 2012 for the Permanent Secretaries, Heads of Departments to discuss these appropriate policy recommendations from this retreat. Also at this retreat, i hope you will also deliberate at how best to formulate the external communication strategies for Sarawak.  We need to promote and have the global community well-informed about the Sustainable Development Agenda of Sarawak. The Bruno Manser Funds has been harping on the Penans issue for decades. and now numerous letters had been submitted by these western NGOs to our Malaysian Embassies and even to the United Nations Human Rights Council alleging that Sarawak  is robbing  the natives  communities of their rights to their lands. But what these so called champions of climate change conveniently forgot to highlight was Sarawak’s strong committments towards sustaining the state environment health and the betterment of the rural communities. Sarawak has also done much in uplifting the social and economic well beings of its rural communities especially for the penans through its coordinated development programs and community services. Sarawak’s commitment of conserving 1 million hectares of its land mass as national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and nature reserves is a testament of Sarawak contribution towards climate change. This  was conveniently not made known to the International  Communities by these western NGOs.  The resettlement of our rural communities in areas such as Bakun which took into consideration all aspects of the environment was also not reported. More so, the Murum Resettlement Program has even a social component in its SEIA Report in accordance to the international  requirement. We need to be proactive and not just reactive to the issues that the media has highlighted. We need to proactively promote our successes in our sustainable development efforts.  Effective environmental communication is crucial to counter and mitigate these allegations and accusations made by parties out to create adverse reports on the various development efforts of the government, and subsequently disrepute the integrity and image of the State Government. I would like to see all State Agencies to work together as a High Performance Team in line with our State Civil Service vision and mission. I am highly committed towards our vision of seeing the State Civil Service becoming a World Class Civil Service and also our misson in delivering excellent service through high performance teamwork. On another note , i am glad that the State Planning Unit is also going to present a paper on  SCORE.  The State is into its Second Wave of Development , the ‘new reality’ after the politics of development. The aim of our ‘new reality development’ is to accelerate the economic growth in sarawak while enhancing the quality of life for its growing population. As implementors of the State Government policies, we need to be competent, dillegent, instiiling a sense of urgency and ownership of these policies.  Most  times we are required to go beyond our daily comfort zone to serve the public who needs to be well informed of the State Government Policies and how it benefits them. Our State is at the brink of an exciting journey, with the inception and implementation of SCORE, we have all been entrusted with a heavy responsibility to ensure that SCORE will be successful and will transform Sarawak into a High Income Economic State in Malaysia.  I would encourage you all to be  messengers, if not ambassadors of SCORE to inform investors, NGOs, public on all the facets of SCORE, be it on environment management,investmentand job opportunities. Lastly to summarise having heard what was said by Tan Sri and what you read in the media,  i would like all the relevant State ministries and agencies participating in this retreat to take note of my expectations from this SEIA Retreat that i had emphasized earlier . To  conclude,  last but not least i would like also to take the opportunity to extend my sincerest appreciation especially to  the State Planning Unit and the Sarawak Development Institute for successfully organising this SEIA Retreat. To participants of this retreat, i hope you will participate actively and share your vast experience in the group discussion for the benefit of the State. And on that concluding note , i would now like to officially declare this SEIA Retreat open. (Excerpt of speech of the State Secretary, YB Datuk Amar Haji Mohd Morshidi Bin Abdul Ghani during SEIA Retreat, on  February 2, 2012 at Damai Beach Resort.)

The former Zecon Toll Plaza headquarters will house the Sewerage Services Department Sarawak office. The Sarawak River – the natural divider of North and South Kuching. The ‘black and grey water’ flowing in what used to be a stream near Jalan Padungan.   The sludgy ‘black and grey water’ discharged from eateries at and near Jalan Padungan is among the contributing factor to pollution in Sarawak River.  KUCHING: The state government’s target to reduce black water and grey water pollution flowing into Sarawak River will be achieved by 2021. State Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) controller Peter Sawal, in giving this assurance, said currently there are still many houses on both riverbanks – the main generator of the ‘black and grey water’ flowing into the Sarawak River. Specifically, the ‘black water’ refers to waste water from septic tanks, while the ‘grey water’ includes the water discharge from kitchens, bathrooms and washing areas. “We are progressing well into achieving a much cleaner and healthier Sarawak River. Hopefully by 2021 when Package 2 of the Kuching Centralised Sewerage Services project reaches completion, both the grey and black water discharged from riverine dwellers around Kuching city will be treated and this will definitely improve the quality of Sarawak River in the long run,” Peter told The Borneo Post yesterday. The sewerage planning for the state capital began with the implementation of Package I of the Kuching City Wastewater Management System – commissioned in October 2008. The RM530-million project, which reached completion on Jan 31, 2015, has benefitted some 60,000 population equivalent (PE) covering the entire Kuching business and commercial district where many major hotels and shopping complexes are sited on. It also covers the city’s central business district spanning from Jalan Satok and Wisma Saberkas right to Jalan Padungan area. According to state Sewerage Services Department director Lau Hieng Ung, an allocation of RM750 million was approved under Package II for the sewerage system meant for 40,000 PE in Petra Jaya areas, such as Jalan Astana and Kampung Gita. “Although the contract has not been finalised yet, works on the project by the contractor began six months ago,” he said, adding that the contract should be ready in the next few weeks. The major components of Package II are the second module of the centralised sewage treatment facility, sewer network and property connections. Lau said upon the completion of Package II, streams and rivers flowing into Sarawak River would be healthier and less-polluted than they are now. “Still, under Package II we will only be able to cover 20 per cent of the whole of Kuching,” he said, adding that an estimate amount of RM4 billion would be needed if proper sewerage services for the whole city were to be implemented at current rate. Lau also disclosed that the Darul Hana sewerage project, costing RM20 million, would also be implemented simultaneously with Package II. “It will be able to provide sewerage services to 5,000 PE from the Darul Hana development area. The works comprise secondary and tertiary sewer networks and will be connected to the existing Kuching Centralised Sewage Treatment Plant (CSTP), which was commissioned under Package I,” he said. The CSTP is located on a 10.9-hectares site adjacent to Tun Datuk Patinggi Abang Haji Muhammad Salahuddin Bridge. The area has sufficient land to accommodate four modules of sewage treatment facility – each to have the capacity to accommodate 100,000 PE. “The sewer network is designed based on gravity-flow system. The network comprises the trunk sewer, the secondary sewer and the tertiary sewer,” explained Lau. Package I of the project was undertaken by the Kumpulan-Nishimatsu-Hock Seng Lee Consortium, which would also handle Package II. Meanwhile for Miri city, Lau said works on the sewerage system there had been awarded to Hock Seng Lee Bhd, at a cost of RM428 million. He said RM333 million would go towards constructing the sewerage system for Miri Business District while the remaining RM95 million would be utilised for the centralised sewage treatment plant in Tudan. Additionally, Lau disclosed that his department would move from the current office at Wisma Saberkas here to the new premises at the former Zecon Toll Plaza headquarters by the end of this month.

(From right) Asfia, Abang Johari and Taib joined by other Muslims during the Maal Hijrah prayer ceremony. SIBU: About 1,000 people attended a special prayer ceremony to mark the end of the year 1439 Hijrah and the beginning of 1440 Hijrah held at An-Nur Mosque here on Monday. The prayer ceremony held in conjunction with the state-level Maal Hijrah celebration was attended by the Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud and his wife Toh Puan Ragad Kurdi Taib, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg and wife Datin Patinggi Juma’ani Tun Tuanku Bujang and the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) Speaker Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar. Among others who joined the prayer ceremony were Assistant Minister of Education and Technological Research Dr Annuar Rapa’ee, Assistant Minister of Rural Electricity Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi, Tanjung Manis MP Abdul Yusuf Wahab, Daro assemblyman Safiee Ahmad, Sarawak Islamic Council (MIS) chairman Datu Misnu Taha and An-Nur Mosque management committee chairman Latiff Coupon. The Maal Hijrah celebration was organised by MIS, Sarawak Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) and Sibu Resident Office. The ceremony started at 6pm with recitation of prayer to mark the end of 1439 Hijrah and followed by Maghrib prayer. Those present also performed Isyak prayer together prior to a prayer recital to mark the start of 1440 Hijrah according to the Islamic calendar.

-@##@Sarawak Tourism Board@##@Parkcity Everly Hotel, Miri@##@2015-05-08@##@2015-05-09

MIRI: The Chinese business community here welcomes the state government’s effort in developing a digital payment system to be called ‘Sarawak Pay’. Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Lee Kim Shin said this digital business strategy to enhance the financial technology of the state was announced by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg during 68th anniversary celebration of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, held in Kuching recently. “As we are gear towards a digital economy, this digital payment system will complement that effort. “Now is the time for the business community to go into online marketing,” he told The Borneo Post after an informal meeting with the executive committee members of Miri Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) at the open air market here yesterday. From the discussion, Kim Shin – also Senadin assemblyman – said the MCCCI is going to form a digital economy taskforce for its members to penetrate the global online market. He also commended MCCCI members who would be going to China this October to study online business. “Of course, the state government is now in the process of increasing Internet speed for the state.” Kim Shin said many young people have actually been using the Internet to market their products. In this regard, he encouraged MCCCI members who have yet to start online business to do so now and expand their business to reach the global market. He pointed out the tourism business to illustrate how technology could allow local travel agents promote their packages via the Internet. “Virtual 3D promotion on Gunung Mulu National Park allows potential visitors to view Mulu caves like they are actually there.” SUPP Senadin publicity chief Eric Chin and MCCCI chairman Lee Khoi Yun were also present at the meeting. MIRI: The Chinese business community here welcomes the state government’s effort in developing a digital payment system to be called ‘Sarawak Pay’. Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Lee Kim Shin said this digital business strategy to enhance the financial technology of the state was announced by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg during 68th anniversary celebration of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, held in Kuching recently. “As we are gear towards a digital economy, this digital payment system will complement that effort. “Now is the time for the business community to go into online marketing,” he told The Borneo Post after an informal meeting with the executive committee members of Miri Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) at the open air market here yesterday. From the discussion, Kim Shin – also Senadin assemblyman – said the MCCCI is going to form a digital economy taskforce for its members to penetrate the global online market. He also commended MCCCI members who would be going to China this October to study online business. “Of course, the state government is now in the process of increasing Internet speed for the state.” Kim Shin said many young people have actually been using the Internet to market their products. In this regard, he encouraged MCCCI members who have yet to start online business to do so now and expand their business to reach the global market. He pointed out the tourism business to illustrate how technology could allow local travel agents promote their packages via the Internet. “Virtual 3D promotion on Gunung Mulu National Park allows potential visitors to view Mulu caves like they are actually there.” SUPP Senadin publicity chief Eric Chin and MCCCI chairman Lee Khoi Yun were also present at the meeting.

  BUSY DAY AHEAD: Minister of Welfare, Community Well Being, Women, Family and Childhood Development Dato Sri Fatiman Abdullah shows the contents of her winding-up speech to Minister of Local Government and Housing Datuk Sim Kui Hian at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) Complex yesterday.         SARAWAK still records the second highest number of teenage pregnancy cases in Malaysia, despite managing to lower down such cases in recent years. This was revealed by Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Education Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah, who said Sarawak had in fact registered a downward trend in teenage pregnancies from 2012 to 2017. “To handle this problem, the state government has fixed KPI (key performance indicator) to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies by 10 per cent every year. “In 2017, we achieved the rate of reduction of 14.1 per cent. Nine divisions achieved the fixed KPI, except for divisions of Sri Aman, Limbang and Sibu,” she said in her ministerial winding-up speech at the august house yesterday. She also informed that a roundtable discussion needs to be held with the relevant agencies such as those related to customs and religions, to fix the minimum age for marriage. On another matter, she informed that issues on drugs and substance abuse are still the most hotly debated topic by members of the august house. Although related statistics show that less than one per cent of the state’s population are directly involved in drugs and substance abuse, records from the police however show that drugs and substance abuse has far reaching effect on the social well-being of the community. “In 2017, 30 to 40 per cent of petty crimes and 27 per cent of domestic violence are related to drugs and substance abuse. “The ministry wishes to applaud the efforts of the enforcement agencies to suppress the supply of drugs in the market; the rehabilitation and treatment of drug and substance abusers; as well as the awareness and advocacy programmes conducted to empower the community to stay away from this social menace,” she said. She also informed that following enforcement carried under Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, drugs of various types worth a total of RM14.4 million were seized by the police and another RM8.9 million by the customs. She also said a total of 1,139 people have been categorised as Orang Kena Pengawasan (OKP) by the National Anti Drugs Agency (AADK) for constant observation, while 351 are being rehabilitated at the National Narcotics Rehabilitation Centre (Puspen)

General Administration Unit

Uggah (third left) presents a souvenir to Abang Johari during the appreciation dinner. Looking on (from left) are Nanta, Asfia, Manyin and Fadillah. — Photo by Chimon Upon      KUCHING: A special office will be set up in Singapore by January next year to facilitate agriculture and tourism activities between Sarawak and the island nation. Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said the office would serve as a support outlet particularly for the export of agriculture produce from Sarawak to Singapore. More importantly, he said the office would be manned by state civil officers and would give Sarawak a strategic presence in Singapore – the heart of Asean. “Civil officers from Sarawak will be manning the office. So anyone (from Sarawak) who wants to communicate with Singapore (on agriculture and tourism) can do so (through the office). “I have directed the State Secretary (Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani) to do so (set up the office). Hopefully the office could be set up latest by January 2019,” he disclosed this at the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) 14th Convention appreciation dinner here last night. The decision to set up the office, he said, was made following a fruitful working visit to Singapore recently. During the visit, Abang Johari said the Sarawak and Singapore governments discussed areas where they could collaborate on, especially in the agriculture sector. “So we want to take the advantage of the opportunity since we have partnered with Singapore to set up a mobile digital payment platform, which will ease our trade and business activities,” he added. The chief minister’s wife Datin Patinggi Dato Juma’ani Tuanku Bujang, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi, State Legislative Assembly Speaker Datuk Amar Mohd Asfia Awang Nassar, Minister of Education, Science and Technology Research Dato Sri Michael Manyin, and Minister of Welfare Community Well Being, Women, Family and Childhood Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah were among those present.

Kerajaan ambil langkah kerjasama, tingkat kualiti program penuhi permintaan industri: Riot INOVATIF: Riot (kanan) diiringi Pengerusi PPKS Tan Sri Datuk Amar Abdul Aziz Husain (dua kanan) serta Hallman (tiga kanan) melawat pameran sempena Persidangan TVET Sedunia 2015 di BCCK, semalam. Oleh Jessica Jawing // KUCHING: Kerajaan akan memberi tumpuan mentransformasi Pendidikan dan Latihan Teknikal dan Vokasional (TVET) bagi memenuhi permintaan industri di negara ini. Menteri Sumber Manusia Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem berkata, ia termasuk memperkukuhkan kerjasama dengan industri negara, selain meningkatkan kualiti program dan industri. “Ini juga termasuk penjenamaan keseluruhan sektor serta profil. Secara kolektifnya, perkembangan melahirkan graduan cukup mahir dan menjadikan TVET satu pilihan,” ujarnya. Beliau berkata demikian ketika merasmikan Majlis Penutupan Persidangan TVET Sedunia 2015 anjuran Pusat Pembangunan Kemahiran Sarawak (PPKS) di Pusat Konvensyen Borneo Kuching (BCCK) di sini, semalam. Riot berkata, kerajaan menjangka pengambilan lepasan sekolah peringkat SPM untuk program TVET akan meningkat kepada 225,000 orang menjelang tahun 2020 berbanding 164,000 pada tahun 2013. Tambah Riot, Malaysia memerlukan modal insan yang mempunyai pengetahuan dan kemahiran dalam memacu secara inklusif pertumbuhan ekonomi mampan selain etnik serta moral. Menurutnya, inisiatif di bawah Rancangan Malaysia Ke-11 (RMK11) dijangka menjana kira-kira 1.5 juta pekerjaan baharu pada tahun 2020 di mana 60 peratus memerlukan kemahiran berkaitan TVET. “Ini menjadikan TVET sebagai wadah paling penting untuk meningkatkan asas modal insan yang berkemahiran bagi Malaysia,” kata Ahli Parlimen Serian itu. Mengenai persidangan tersebut, beliau berkata, ia dilihat platform terbaik dalam meningkatkan kemahiran menerusi perbincangan dan perbahasan banyak aspek dan komponen utama rangka kerja TVET. “Antara segmen saya dapati sangat menarik ialah rangka kerja memperkasa belia terpinggir yang memberi tumpuan kepada strategi komunikasi, kerjasama dan kredibiliti. “Saya percaya untuk mempercepatkan peningkatan besar daripada kadar pekerjaan graduan TVET, aspek keusahawanan perlu diterokai penyedia latihan TVET dan pelajar bagi mewujudkan kelebihan daya saing TVET,” katanya. Terdahulu, Pengarah Eksekutif PPKS Hallman Sabri dalam ucapannya berkata, persidangan bertemakan ‘Lonjakan Kuantum: Transformasi dan Globalisasi TVET-Kemahiran Hidup pada Abad Ke-21’ selama tiga hari bermula 25 Ogos lepas mencatatkan 700 delegasi daripada 28 buah negara. Persidangan  menampilkan 70 penceramah terkenal itu juga membincangkan pelbagai apsek semasa berkaitan TVET seperti peluang, isu dan cabaran. “Saya mengandaikan kita semua bersetuju bahawa jurang besar wujud dalam pembangunan TVET di antara negara membangun dan maju. “Maka, adalah menjadi harapan kita sebagai pemacu, TVET dapat memperolehi ilmu pengetahuan dan membawa balik idea inovatif serta dapat diterjemahkan kepada dasar, strategi dan pelan tindakan untuk manfaat masyarakat serta negara masing-masing,” katanya.  

Manyin (sixth left) strikes the gong to open the conference.   BINTULU: Educators are urged to carry out their duties with commitment to provide the best in education to their students. Education, Science and Technological Research Minister Dato Sri Michael Manyin Jawong said every teacher must have the desire and determination to give of their best to students to help the state government produce more intellectuals in the future. “For that purpose, it is the responsibility of all parties, especially parents and teachers, to work closely with each other to ensure all issues can be dealt with properly.” Manyin said this when officiating at the opening of the 38th Sarawak Bumiputera Teachers’ Union (KGBS) representatives conference at a hotel here yesterday. As one of the active unions in the state for educators, KGBS must help his ministry think of the best way to improve the academic quality of school students in the state. “This is to ensure our quality of education can be improved to be on par with the academic performance of students in other states,” Manyin said. Nevertheless, it was not an easy task because certain schools were located far in the interior. “It’s a challenge for our educators here to accept with an open heart; the government is concerned about the educational aspect, which is the only way to improve the lives of people in the state,” he added. Manyin aso announced a grant of RM10,000 for KGBS. Present were Sarawak education director Rakayah Madon, KGBS president Ahmad Malie and Bintulu education officer Fred Entau.

Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah     KUCHING: The state needs more anchor companies with experience to help in the export of agricultural products from the state and in developing the agricultural sector. Speaking to reporters yesterday, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah said the state was looking forward to implementing programmes with the anchor companies which will focus on involving and assisting the smallholders throughout the state. He added that the anchor companies could also help smallholders in terms of marketing. Meanwhile, Uggah named two anchor companies which were committed in helping develop stingless bee farming; namely Borneo Stingless Bee Sdn Bhd and Rimbunan Hijau Sdn Bhd. “These two companies have the knowledge in stingless bee farming which they can share with us. Both companies, although having different focus areas, have the technology and had done their research in stingless bee farming,” he added. Seeking cooperation with anchor companies is just one of the ways that the state is taking in developing and modernising the state’s agricultural sector. Besides seeking help from anchor companies, the state government has also announced that it will take on other initiatives such as buying a plane that can help export the state’s agriculture products and establishing a body for building and managing export of Sarawak’s agriculture products to overseas market.

  Miro (centre) and Kadim on his left arrive at the village to a traditional welcome. BAU: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) has a plan to set up a telecommunication centre in Kpg Tringgus, here, similar to e- Bario in Bario. Its vice chancellor Datuk Professor Dr Mohd Kadim Suadi said such facility would greatly benefit the local community. He said Unimas had set up such centres in Bario (e-Bario) and in Peninsular Malaysia for the Orang Asli, which have proven to have immensely helped the local people. He added that the centres in both areas have enabled the local people to communicate with the outside world and also improve their socio-economic standing. “We (Unimas) have a plan to build a telecommunication centre here (Kpg Tringgus), but that depends on the availability of fund,” he told reporters yesterday. Earlier, he attended the opening of a multi-disciplinary Bungo Range Expedition which was declared by Serumbu assemblyman Miro Simuh at Dewan Siradjak in Kpg Tringgus, a village near Sarawak-Indonesia border. The expedition runs from Dec 5 to 10. Kadim added that the building of the telecommunication centre would also depend on the findings of the expedition, which involves 150 researchers of various disciplines from the university. The expedition covers the southern part of Bungo Range National Park which can be accessed from Kpg Tringgus. “Bungo Range has been selected as the expedition site because of the lack of biodiversity studies done in the area although it has been listed as an important national park in Sarawak since 2009,” Kadim said. He added the expedition was initially planed in Bario, but was cancelled. He said the expedition would also carry out a concerted and integrated research on the surrounding communities, which has not been carried out before. He said the outcome of the expedition would contribute to the documentation of the diverse  flora and fauna in Bungo Range and provide a complete data on the social structure and economy of the local community. Another important aspect included in the study is the pattern of current usage of natural resources in the area. Such  information will become a reference for a more comprehensive planning of Bungo Range National Park in terms of conservation and development in the future. “Tourism potential is one example of how the local community can benefit from the study,” he added.

Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan KUCHING: Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan declined to express his expectations for the national Budget 2018 to be tabled next month. Approached by journalists after attending a function here Friday, he said he would rather wait for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to table the budget, which is expected on Oct 27. “Wait lah, (it’s) not yet (tabled),” he said after receiving a courtesy call from Liang Jianyong, secretary-general of  China Provincial Committee (CPC) Fujian Provincial Committee here. Awang Tengah, also Minister of Industrial and Entrepreneur Development, said Sarawak had been getting investments mostly from China these past few years. He added that other countries such as Japan and South Korea had also invested in the state, but China topped the chart given its One-Belt One-Road Initiative. According to him, the latest major investment from China is a steel project worth about US$3 billion (over RM12 billion). “Steel is one of industries that China is investing in Sarawak, of course there are others. This steel project is one of the biggest investments in Samalaju Industrial Park,” he added. To a question, Awang Tengah said the Chinese company (Hebei Xinwuan Steel Group) is already working on formalising the collaboration with the state. During the courtesy call earlier, he said he hoped that both Sarawak and Fujian could continue to enhance their trade and investment relationship and explore further on air connectivity between the two regions. “We can also identify cornerstone companies to collaborate and invest in selected industries such as high-tech electronics, energy-intensive, agriculture, halal and food processing, shipbuilding, biomass and real estate development in Sarawak apart from government-to-government bilateral relationships,” he added.

Ngenang (fifth right) launches the association witnessed by its central committee members and others. KUCHING: Sarawak Evangelical Christian Association (Seca) comprising 34 registered member churches was officially launched by Unit for Other Religions (Unifor) director Datu Dr Ngenang Janggu at a hotel here yesterday. The association which was registered with the Registar of Societies (ROS) on March 15, 2017 aimed to offer a united voice on matters of common concern to the government. “Our history goes back about 30 years. This is only (a) legal formalisation of that relationship network,” Seca chairman Pastor Matthew Ling told reporters on Monday night during the launch. He added the association seeks to provide a platform for the promotion of the Christian faith, fellowship and sharing of resources. According to Ling, the leadership of the statewide network felt the need to establish a legal entity to engage with the government after the formation of Unifor. Formerly known as Unit for Non-Islamic Affairs, Unifor was set up under the Chief Minister’s Department in May 26 last year to look after the affairs of non-Islamic religious bodies in Sarawak. Ngenang in his speech said the unit was the brainchild of former chief minister, the late Pehin Sri Datuk Patinggi Adenan Satem and continues to get strong support and commitment of the current chief minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg. Ngenang represented Deputy Chief Minister and Unifor minister-in-charge Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas at the launching ceremony. He said the Sarawak government will always strive to enhance religious freedom and harmony in the state. Ngenang added that Sarawak is the only state in Malaysia which has a formal government agency to look after the needs of the non-Muslims in the state. He also said that the Sarawak government had approved RM20 million this year which had benefited more than 200 houses of worship. Ngenang later surprised the committee when he announced a RM10,000 grant for Seca. Seca has set up six commissions focusing on evangelism and missions, leadership development, prayer, professional services, religious liberty and the next generation. Currently, Seca has a combined congregation of 28,000 members. Its central committee consists of Ling (chairman), Ling Nee Wen (vice chairman), Nelson Kee (secretary), Pastor David Ngu (assistant secretary), Pastor Jerry Teoh (treasurer), Pastor Greman Ujang (assistant treasurer) and committee members Pastor Abel Vincent and Pastor Christopher Tsan.

Lee (centre) speaks to a Public Works Department officer (left) and a representative of the Miri Public Swimming Pool during his visit yesterday.     MIRI: The Miri Public Swimming Pool is in need of upgrading to provide better service and more conducive environment to the public. Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Lee Kim Shin said ‘comprehensive’ upgrading works is needed as the nearly three-decade-old facility has been extensively used by the public since it began its operation in 1991. “Previously, all ceramic tiles at this facility have been replaced with new ones whilst drain covers have been replaced as well. All these cost about RM600,000,” he said during a site visit yesterday. He said he has already requested the management of Miri Public Swimming Pool to provide him a list of all areas that require improvement as he will be attending a meeting with an officer from Kuching tomorrow to discuss the necessary details. Among areas that require immediate repair works include electrical circuits and benches, he added. “I was told by the management that there were several instances when the power tripped, causing an outage. It could possibly be due to old wiring which requires immediate change.” He also indicated there were plans to build awnings for the swimming pool. “During the mostly hot and sunny days here, it would be impossible for the public and swimmers undergoing training to get into the pool without getting sunburned. Therefore, a swimming pool awning could be very useful.”

Fatimah (fourth left) presents a souvenir to Gloria while others look on.     KUCHING: More Sarawak women are urged to take up a career as diplomatic administrative officer on the path to becoming the country’s high commissioner or ambassador Gloria Corina Peter Tiwet, the first female High Commissioner from Sarawak, said more women from the state should know of such positions and how to get there. “Such professions should be made known to women, especially Sarawakians, as we want continuity, and to lift the status of women in the public service sector. “I am proud of making history of sorts as the first female Sarawakian appointed High Commissioner for the country,” she said during a courtesy call made by the state Foreign Ministry office to Minister of Welfare, Community Well Being, Women, Family and Child Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah at Wisma Wanita here yesterday. “I hope that my appointment will boost the spirit of more younger Malaysians, particularly female, to choose the diplomatic administrative officer as a career,” she said. She reminded professionals, particularly women, to be involved in volunteerism and community work as well. “As a member of Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA) and Bidayuh Graduate Association (BGA), I always go to the ground to give talks, especially to the younger generation in rural areas, to boost their morale and motivate them to succeed in life. That is our way to give back to the community,” she added. Hailing from Tanjong Singai in Bau, Gloria has served at the Malaysian embassy since 21 years ago, serving in countries such as Chile, Argentina and Sweden. She is now director of the state Foreign Ministry office. She will start her new post as Malaysian High Commissioner in Abuja, Nigeria, next month. Assistant Minister of Women, Family and Child Development Rosey Yunus and the ministry’s permanent secretary Dr Saadiah Samat, Women and Family Department director Noriah Ahmad and a member of Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (Petros) board of directors Datin Josephine Hilary Dom were among those present.

Awang Tengah (fifth right) looking at the souvenir given to him by Lou Xiaojuan as Mussen and other members of the delegation look on. KUCHING: Sarawak remains an attractive destination for investors due to several factors, including its political stability. Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, pointed out the other equally important factors are the clear policy of the government, business friendly approach and having a legal framework where investors are feeling safe over their investments in the state. He also mentioned the competent civil service, available electricity and water supply, and competitive land prices which are the attraction for investors. “The approaches undertaken by the state and the facilities made available continue to become an attraction for investors coming to the state, and we (state) will continue to become business friendly to attract more investors,” Awang Tengah, who is also Minister of Industrial and Entrepreneur Development told reporters yesterday. He had earlier received a courtesy call from a delegation from Department of Commerce, Yunnan Province, China at his office in Wisma Sumber Alam, Petra Jaya here. Besides the courtesy call, the delegation had also visited Longi (Kuching) Sdn Bhd at Sama Jaya Free Industrial Zone, an investment from China dealing in solar panels. Awang Tengah also said local workers who are trainable was another factor which attracts investors. He cited the 10,000 workforce in Sama Jaya Free Industrial Zone who are 99 per cent locals and easy to train. On the visit, Awang Tengah said it was a follow up visit following a visit by the state delegation to Yunnan Province from Feb 22 to 24 this year, during which a Memorandum of Investment, Trade and Economic Cooperation was signed. “It is their first visit here (to the state) to explore what they are interested in (investment) and I have briefed them on the opportunities and the areas they can invest in. The visit will provide them an overview of the opportunities in the state,” he pointed out. The delegation is led by Lou Xiaojuan, deputy director of Department of Commerce, Yunnan Province. The group consists of officers from both government and business sector. “It is hoped that this follow up visit to the state will foster better relationship as well as enhance economic co-operation between Yunnan Province and Sarawak,” Awang Tengah stressed. Also present was Assistant Minister of Industries and Investment Malcolm Mussen Lamoh.

THE new Sarawak Museum Campus is expected to become the second largest museum in South East Asia, after the National Museum in Singapore, once it reaches completion in mid-2020. According to Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, the five-storey building is set to be another iconic landmark of the city. “It (museum) will provide about 6,500 square meters of exhibition space to showcase Borneo’s rich history spanning more than 42,000 years,” he said in his ministry’s winding-up speech at the DUN yesterday. Abdul Karim also said the permanent narrative would apply interesting themes to link together a variety of collections, photographs, footage and stories into a cohesive and interactive experience. Additionally, it is expected to reap economic benefits from increased cultural tourism as the exhibition would be carefully planned to cater to a broad range of audience, he added. Another building closer to Jalan P Ramlee, said Abdul Karim, is the four-storey administrative-cum-conservation centre, which will house state-of-the-art conservation and laboratory facilities – all slated for ensuring that the collection could be preserved better and documented for posterity. “It will also serve as a resource and research centre in its quest to achieve the vision of becoming the ‘Global Centre for Bornean Heritage’ by 2030. “With more storage space, the museum can renew its acquisition programme to ensure that more of Sarawak’s heritage can be safeguarded and protected. “The physical construction of the two buildings is progressing well, at about 75 per cent, and scheduled to be open to public as early as 2020,” he said. Meanwhile the original Museum Building, which was built in 1891, is currently being restored to showcase the building and the exhibits, as an example of the late 19th to early 20th century museology. Abdul Karim said to ensure that the Sarawak Museum Campus project would attain global standard, several partnerships and signings of memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with renown institutions had been undertaken such as those with the British Museum and the Natural History Museum – both in London, and also the Reinwardt Academy Amsterdam. “Among the matters that have been agreed upon include educational and cultural exchange through internships and attachment of staff, as well as collaboration on temporary loans of collections for exhibitions,” he added. Under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP), five historical forts – Fort Lily in Betong, Fort Emma in Kanowit, Fort Hose in Marudi, Fort Brooke in Julau, and Fort Sylvia in Kapit – would undergo conservation and maintenance works. The forts at Betong and Kanowit, said Abdul Karim, would be converted into regional museums displaying local history, culture and crafts, while the existing galleries at Kapit and Marudi would be enhanced. Fort Brooke would be used as a rural community centre, which would include a rural library. “All works on these forts will start this year and (are) expected to be completed by mid-2020,” he said. Touching on handicrafts, Abdul Karim said Sarawak recorded a sale of RM27.352 million last year. For this year, the target would be RM28.835 million. “The total sale for the first half of 2018 was RM14.017 million. The sales figures are monitored by Malaysian Handicraft Development Corporation (Kraftangan Malaysia),” he said.