Hamden (left) presents Abdullah with a memento. — Photo by Chimon Upon.     KUCHING: Forestry matters may be under the jurisdiction of the respective state governments and federal authorities, but this doesn’t stop all stakeholders from working towards the betterment of humanity and future generations. Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said Malaysia is committed to Reducing the Emission from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) objective. Awang Tengah’s, who is also Second Minister of Urban Development and Natural Resources, and Minister of Industrial and Entrepreneur Development, text of speech was read by Assistant Minister of Corporate Affairs Abdullah Saidol. “One of the mitigation measures is through sustainable forest management,” he said at the 18th Malaysian Forestry Conference welcoming dinner, here Tuesday. He told delegates that Sarawak is not only endowed with many natural resources, but also blessed with cultural diversity due to its 28 ethnic communities, many of whom have been living intimately with the biodiversity and have learned to use  plants for various reasons; be it for food, medicines, health and shelter. “Sarawak has gazetted 60 totally protected areas including national parks, nature reserves and wildlife sanctuaries, covering an area of 788,886 hectares and two territorial waters of 231,954 hectares,” Awang Tengah added. He said the Sarawak government has established the Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) to initiate intensive biotech-based research and development on our biological resources – particularly those that have been utilised by indigenous communities and to facilitate the documentation of the fast disappearing traditional knowledge on the usage of these biological resources. “To date, a total of 1,324 species have been documented with useful traditional knowledge for medicine, food and nutrition, etc. From this figure, six plants have been selected for further R&D and commercialisation,” Awang Tengah said. Sarawak has set up the RM60.6 million Bio-Valley Park in Miri where there are pilot plant facilities for research and commercialisation. “The Heart of Borneo project is indeed our pride to show how various the governments of Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia can work together towards achieving sustainable forest management, conservation of biological diversity, sustainable agriculture and land use, community-based programmes and promoting eco-tourism,” he said. Sarawak Forest Department director Hamden Mohammad who in his speech said he hoped to encourage partnership within the forestry sector, was also present.

SIBU: Local councils are urged to beef up enforcement to prevent backyard burning by the public in view of the prevailing dry weather. Assistant Minister of Local Government Datu Dr Penguang Manggil said such activity could contribute to air pollution and pose a nuisance to others adding that it was important to work towards a clean and sustainable environment. “Ministry of Local Government and Housing is always impressing upon local councils to beef up enforcement to prevent backyard burning. “This is as provided for under the Local Authorities Ordinance and the Public Health By-laws,” Penguang told The Borneo Post yesterday. The Marudi assemblyman’s remarks came following Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Dato Sri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar’s call for state authorities to stop issuing open burning permits in view of the dry season which is expected to last till October. Wan Junaidi has also said the Indonesian authorities had also cooperated by giving their assurance that necessary steps had already been taken to avoid the dreaded trans-boundary haze. Meanwhile, Sibu Rural District Council (SRDC) chairman Sempurai Petrus Ngelai said he would bring the matter to the Standing Committee for Public Health and SRDC full council meeting next month. “I will take this issue seriously and as a priority for council to stop open burning especially the backyard burning of household wastes. “We all know it very well that during the dry season, there is a high possibility of haze returning or occurring in our state. As such, any open burning shouldn’t be allowed during this dry season,” he stressed. Sempurai said the council would advise residents to avoid any form of open and backyard burning. The Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) Sibu zone chief Abdul Mutalib Rashid also cautioned the public against open burning at their compound because if left unattended the fire could spread rapidly during dry weather. “If there is a need to carry out burning, it must be a control burning,” Abdul Mutalib added. Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas recently said the drought was predicted to hit Sarawak between May and September, with Miri, Betong and Mukah expected to be most affected. Douglas, who is also State Disaster Management Committee chairman, said all government assets should step up preparations, including ensuring sufficient logistics to send water supply and food to areas that would be hit by the drought.

Rogayah Jamain. SIBU: The locals have apparently responded positively to Sibu Municipal Council’s ‘Say No To Plastic Bags 2.0’ campaign, which is nearing the end of its three-month trial period. The trial period started in October while the full implementation of the campaign will begin next year. “So far, the response and feedback from both retailers and the public on ‘no plastic bag day’ for three days (Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays) have been positive,” said Sibu Municipal Council deputy chairperson Rogayah Jamain. She said: “Most of the retailers support our campaign by not giving plastic bags on those three days (per week). “As an alternative, they provide bio-degradable plastic bags, boxes and recycle bags to their customers.” She said the council encouraged shoppers to bring their own recycling bags. Based on a 2010 survey among major towns in Sarawak, the composition of waste include food perishables (35 per cent), paper (19 per cent), soft plastic (11 per cent), hard plastic (5 per cent), garden waste (5 per cent), nappies (5 per cent), glass (3 per cent), wood (2 per cent), the rest being metal and construction waste. Meanwhile, it was observed that some members of the public entered the restricted area where Christmas trees were displayed at Sibu Town Square Phase 1 to take photographs. On this, Rogayah said: “SMC will inform the security guards to patrol the areas regularly.”

Kaul is a traditional festival celebrated by the Melanaus living along the coastal areas of Sarawak. In the past, Kaul was looked upon a religious ceremony to appease the spirits of the sea, land, forest and farm, making it the most significant festival in the Melanau calendar year. It is a ritual of purification and thanksgiving as well as one of propitiation for good fortune. It is held at the beginning of the Melanau calendar, marked by monsoons which affected their livelihood as farmers and fisherman. As such, Kaul is put on the Sarawak Tourism Calendar Of Events – among the colourful ethnic festivals celebrated by the people of Sarawak, making it to be one of tourism attractions for the State. Among the highlight activity during the festval are “Tibow” (Gigantic Swing), a display of Melanaus Traditional Dress, Games, Dance, Music and Food (Competitions), and live concert – mix with modern and traditional show at the night event. Contact Person: En. Pengiran Saifudzin (013-5777074) Pn. Jennifer John (019-8171945)@##@Persatuan Melanau Mukah@##@Tapak Kaul, Taman Kuala Dana, Mukah@##@2017-04-29@##@2017-04-30

Army personnel help to fill containers with clean water at a village in Asajaya.   KUCHING: The Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) delivered 500 gallons of clean water to four villages in Asajaya currently facing water shortages. A statement yesterday said the water was sent to Kampung Senangeh, Kampung Sungai Buloh, Kampung Rangawan and Kampung Sungai Putin, which have been experiencing shortage since May 28. Nine members of the 10th Battalion Royal Ranger Regiment led by Major Mohd Faiez Abdul Rahim worked together with the Rural Water Supply Department (JBALB) to get clean water from the Asajaya and Tambirat water treatment plants. The clean water was transported using the army’s 10,000-litre water bowser truck. The statement added that ATM hoped the delivery helped to ease some of the difficulties faced by the affected villagers.

Abang Johari (seated left) and Awang Tengah (seated right) with the rest of the Sarawak delegation on board the hydrogen-powered train in Salzigitter. KUCHING: Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg is out to explore options for zero-emission train meant for the light-rail transit system planned for Greater Kuching. He led the state delegation for a visit to the Alstom manufacturing facility in Salzigitter, Germany on Friday, where they were given a briefing on the system and also a test ride on board the world’s first hydrogen-powered train. Later, Abang Johari and his entourage travelled to Frankfurt to view  Siemen’s facility, which extracts hydrogen from water. Abang Johari was accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan, State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani, Sarawak Economic Development Corporation chairman Tan Sri Datuk Amar Abdul Aziz Husain and other state officers.

Sarawak International Similajau Nature Challenge was 1st held in 2015. Now renamed as Similajau Nature Challenge (SNC) 2019 or Pesta Similajau, it will be held on October 13 at Similajau Nature Park, Bintulu, situated about 30kms from Bintulu town. The event aims to utilize the Similajau National Park as the centre for sports and outdoor activities.   Event Details Event Date: 13 October 2019 Venue: Similajau National Park, Bintulu Time: 6.30AM Maximum: 150 pax Course Overview: 10% Road, 90% Trail + Beach 22km Flag-Off – 6.30am. COT 11.30am. Duration: 5 hours 8KM Flag-off – 7.00am COT 11.30am. Duration: 4 hours 30 mins Source: https://www.newsarawaktribune.com.my/news/similajau-nature-challenge-returns/ http://www.theborneopost.com@##@Sarawak Forestry Corporation@##@Similajau National Park@##@2019-10-13@##@2019-10-13

The first of its kind outdoor jazz festival overlooking the majestic Sarawak River, the Kuching Waterfront Jazz Festival saw a lineup of regional and international bands and solo acts. Last year, bands from USA, United Kingdom, Singapore, Australia, Portugal and of course Malaysia would be performing, with Sarawak-born concert- pianist Jolynn Chin making a return to the festival.   Apart from the jazz performances by the world -class musicians, the Kuching Waterfront Jazz (KWJF) festival features a bazaar comprising arts and craft, including food and beverage vendors. The bazaar gives festival goers a more holistic experience, especially visitors to Sarawak, where they will be able to purchase local Sarawak wares and food. The bazaar also includes booths by non-profit organisations. Some of the booths from 2018 include SSPCA & Lim Kok Wing, 10 Ringgit Club, Blind Massage Centre and Heart Treasures. The number of festival-goers to KWJF 2018 was recorded at about 2000. The jazz festival was a success as it was created as a family oriented event with significance given for an audience of all ages. Apart from The entertaining music concerts, the view of the spectacular Sarawak River together with the lively bazaar made KWJF an event to be remembered.   @##@Place Borneo Sdn. Bhd.@##@Grand Margherita Hotel@##@2019-09-27@##@2019-09-28

  Raghad (fourth left) presents the cash donation to the students while Taib (third left) and others look on. — Photo by Penerangan.     KOTA SAMARAHAN: Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud and wife Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Raghad Kurdi had a breaking-of-fast with UiTM staff and students at the compound of the student centre in the university’s second campus here on Wednesday. The event started with the breaking-of-fast before Taib joined about 550 staff and students for Magrib prayers, which was followed by Isyak and Tarawih prayers. According to Rector of UiTM Sarawak Prof Dato Dr Jamil Hamali, the annual event was organised by the Student Representative Council and UiTM Student Affairs Division. A side activity of the event was a special contribution to 83 orphan students studying at the university. The orphans received cash, which was donated by students, lecturers and staff of UiTM Sarawak, UiTM Sarawak Staff Club (Kekita) and Sarawak UiTM Women Association (Pewani). “With the contributions, we hope to bring joy to our orphan students and lessen their burden to go back to their hometown to celebrate Raya with their relatives,” Jamil said. He also hoped that the orphans would persevere and  be courageous to face whatever obstacles and challenges coming their way. Taib and Raghad handed over the donations to the students. UiTM Pro Chancellor Tan Sri Dato Sri Safri Awang Zaidell and wife Puan Sri Liliah Mohd Salleh, Jamil’s wife Datin Marilyn Edna Perreau and Samarahan Resident  Brahim Lumpu were also present at the event.

(Front, from fifth left) Jahar, Yii, Ting, Khoi Yun and others pose for a group photo after the dinner. MIRI: Strong ties and continuous cooperation between Sarawak and Indonesia will remain for many years to come. Indonesian Consul-General in Kuching Jahar Gultom said his experience working in Sarawak over the past three years had been excellent. “During my tenure in Sarawak, I have received excellent cooperation from all parties, including the government, business sector and the community. “I am sure the Indonesian people here feel the same as they are happy to work here. Small problems do happen but that is normal. I hope this cooperation would remain strong for a long time,” Jahar said at his farewell dinner, hosted by Miri Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) here on Monday, where Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Lee Kim Shin, Piasau assemblyman Datuk Sebastian Ting, Mayor Adam Yii and MCCCI chairperson Lee Khoi Yun were also present. Ting said: “He (Jahar) has been to Miri numerous times; he will go to the ground to see what is going on. He is indeed a humble and a very approachable man.” On the education for children of Indonesian plantation workers born in Malaysia, Jahar said back in 2004 and also in 2015 during Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s visit to meet Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, both governments agreed that the children had the rights to education. “So far in Sarawak, we have 19 Community Learning Centres (CLCs) and we are still working with the plantation companies on this matter, and we hope by 2018, we could set up around 50 CLCs. “There are 227 CLCs in Sabah. There is even an Indonesian school in Kota Kinabalu that is supervising all these CLCs, including those in Sarawak,” he said, adding that the educators are hired by the Indonesian government on a two-year contract while the syllabus carries Indonesian and some Malaysian subjects. On the employment of Indonesian domestic maids without going through agents as tabled by the prime minister in Budget 2018, Jahar acknowledged that the idea was good but one that had to be thoroughly scrutinised. “If a maid is not recruited through the agent, it would be a bit of a problem because according to the labour laws of Indonesia, there are procedures that must be followed. There are agencies in Indonesia that provide training to these maids before they are brought here. “If the maid is recruited directly, we fear that the maid sent is untrained and it will not give a good reputation for the country,” he said.

KUCHING: The state government will continue to aid and empower small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as such businesses contribute significantly to the creation of job opportunities and also nation’s development. In this regard, Sarawak stands tall as it has 61,036 SMEs, comprising 6.7 per cent of the total SMEs in Malaysia. According to Tupong assemblyman Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman, the sector remains the catalyst that improves the lives of not just business owners, but also the employees. “To succeed, business owners must be able to equip themselves with the latest skills and also to be aware of the current trends and changes. “Such traits are vital to ensure that business owners would be able to face challenges and remain committed and at the same time, build their strength as they work their way towards success,” he said at National Entrepreneur Institute (Insken) outreach programme in Imperial Hotel here yesterday, where he represented Assistant Minister of Entrepreneur and SME Development Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais.The event, which gathered over 500 participants, also featured a talk by popular motivational speaker and personality Datuk Dr Mohd Fadzilah Kamsah.There was also sharing sessions by several successful entrepreneurs such as Homestay Association Malaysia president Datuk Sahariman Hamad, Anis Food Sdn Bhd founder Junaidy Abu Bakar and Superb programme winner Mohd Azhan Ahmad. Also present was Insken executive director Muhd Firdaus Azharuddin.

Ministry of Local Government and Housing

  Dika shows reporters that there’s no water supply at her house.         MARUDI: Residents of RPR Sungai Pasir have not had water supply since early last Friday morning. The residents are incensed that the authorities concerned have not resolved the situation and are worried that the problem could continue. Resident Mary Mambam complained there has been no water for bathing, washing, cooking, or drinking. “We have to go down to our relatives’ houses in Marudi town for water,” she said yesterday. Fellow resident Dika Nyambong said she hoped the authorities would solve the problem quickly. “There are water tanks that keep water for the RPR residents, but now these cannot fulfil the needs of the users,” she said. According to residents, water supply disruptions are common in the housing area, sometimes happening twice a month.

The proposed project. KUCHING: An additional left-turn lane connecting Stutong and Kuching at Samajaya roundabout will be built as a short-term measure to reduce traffic congestion in the area. Assistant Minister of Coastal Road Datuk Julaihi Narawi said the RM1.2 million project is undertaken by Public Works Department (JKR) Kuching. It will start in the middle of next month and will be completed within a month. He pointed out that traffic congestion in the area was a matter of concern for everybody and the government is taking a short-term commitment to reduce the problem. “With the completion of Batang Sadong and Samarahan bridges, coupled with the increasing number of population and as we see, the volume of traffic between Kuching and Samarahan has increased and is becoming a matter of concern for all of us. “So for this reason, the government is taking a short-term measure to reduce traffic congestion in the area,” he told reporters today. He has earlier attended a briefing with JKR Kuching and Samarahan divisional engineers, and senior staff to discuss traffic flow between Kuching and Samarahan at JKR Samarahan headquarters. He said also discussed during the briefing was the proposal for a long-term solution to address traffic congestion between Kuching and Samarahan. He declined to reveal the long-term solution, saying that it is still in a proposal stage.

For the third year in a row, the Sarawak Heritage Society is holding a key exhibition of the artwork of a prominent local artist at the Sarawak Museum’s dedicated art gallery from 21st May 2014.  This year, we are proud to announce a retrospective of the work of Narong Daun, charting her life journey from batik artist to freeform silk painter.  Titled Indah – The Hidden Beauty of Nature, we welcome you to see Sarawak’s nature through the unique viewpoint of one of Sarawak’s present and future art stars.   Narong has been painting professionally for 15 years.  Starting as a batik artist, Narong worked at Fabriko for three years before taking up her role as artist in residence at the Artrageously Ramsey Ong gallery on Main Bazaar in 2001.  Under Ramsey’s guidance, she threw away her sketch book and pencils and threw away her tjantung, opting instead for the freeform outflow of creativity that characterizes her work today. @##@Sarawak Heritage Society, Sarawak Museum Department@##@Sarawak Art Musuem@##@2014-05-21@##@2014-06-07

The Durin Twin-bridge     SIBU: The 1.708km-long Durin Twinbridge across the Rajang River here is by far the longest bridge to be constructed in the Pan Borneo Highway project. Lebuhraya Borneo Utara (LBU) Sdn Bhd, the project delivery partner for the Pan Borneo Highway in Sarawak, said works on the bridge were about one-third completed and progressing well as of June. The Pan Borneo Highway project has no fewer than 115 bridges in Phase 1 from Telok Melano in Lundu to Miri, it said. Construction works on the Durin Twin-Bridge come under Package 4 of the project which covers a 76km stretch from Bintangor junction in Meradong District to Sungai Kua in Selangau District. “Foundation works on the bridge were completed in June this year. “Driving along the bridge today one can see that both the abutments and 16 piers are at varying degrees of completion,” LBU said in its website. An abutment is a structure built to support the lateral pressure of earth embankment on both ends of the bridge. A pier, meanwhile, is an upright support for a structure or superstructure to raise the bridge deck to the required level above the original existing grade, serving to create head room for traffic underneath or navigational flow. However, the hallmark of the Durin Bridge is its intricate construction technique adopted to cater to the free navigational flow underneath. “A navigational clearance as wide as 150m underneath is mandated by Sarawak Rivers Board, making it extremely challenging to create this large span over the river. “To overcome this challenge, the balanced cantilever bridge construction method is being used for the Durin Bridge. “Such construction method is typically recognised by the segments of construction springing out both ways from the pier top (hammer heads), one after the other incrementally, till they meet in the middle to be joined into the span,” it said. When completed, the Durin Bridge will rise up to about 22m from the ground. It will mirror the existing bridge with three navigation channels, one of them 150m wide, and a height clearance of 20m.

Julaihi (fourth row from front, fourth left), flanked by Rubiah and Aidel, joins a group photo with course participants after the closing ceremony. SADONG JAYA: Several industrial estates will be set up in smaller towns across the state, with the objective of enhancing the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) there. Assistant Minister of Industrial Development (Investment and Promotion) Datuk Julaihi Narawi, listed out Lundu, Betong, Sri Aman and Sebuyau as among the locations of these estates, to be established under the 11th Malaysian Plan (11MP). He said such setup 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. “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. This is in line with the government’s mission to transform and develop the rural areas,” he told reporters here on Thursday after officiating at the closing and presentation of certificates of a food processing technology course in Kampung Jaie. The two-day programme, organised by Industrial Development Ministry and Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi), hosted 70 participants — the majority of whom were the villagers. Julaihi, who is also Assistant Minister of Rural Development, added that apart from the four listed areas, other smaller towns would also enjoy similar facilities under the setup. “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 setting up industrial estates (across rural towns) to provide a business platforms for the people.” Julaihi, who is Sebuyau assemblyman, also assured the local folk that his ministry, together with Mardi, would continue with the ‘Go Rural’ initiative through the holding of courses and seminars related to food processing, as well as potential programmes for product development and commercialisation, towards increasing food production in the state. Notably, he also advised the people to always provide correct information to keen investors, reminding them that any inaccuracy would only serve to tarnish the image of the state and scare these potential investors away. He also highlighted the halal food market – a segment that he deemed as having the potential to be successful. According to him, the world halal market has reached RM9.2 trillion in annual sales, backed by a population of some two billion Muslims around the globe. “Halal food is not only confined to the Muslims, but also to the non-Muslims because of the items must pass stringent standards especially on cleanliness before they go out in the market. “Moreover with the setup of the AEC (Asean Economic Community) this year, we will see the penetration of products and services across 10 member countries, with a combined population of over 600 million.” The ceremony yesterday was also attended by Minister in Prime Minister’s Department and Batang Sadong MP Nancy Shukri, Kota Samarahan MP Rubiah Wang, Sadong Jaya assemblyman Aidel Lariwoo, Samarahan Resident Abdul Rahman Sebli Senusi and private secretary to Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Kamaluddin Mohd Effendie.

Datu Dr Penguang Manggil     SIBU: The Ministry of Local Government and Housing may implement the ban on the usage of plastic bags in stages – starting from the city and municipal council levels. In this regard, Assistant Minister of Local Government Datu Dr Penguang Manggil believes that self-discipline is vital in ensuring the success of any green initiative such as the ‘no plastic’ campaign. “We are trying to implement this initiative in stages, starting from city and municipal councils, of which the smaller councils are encouraged to emulate from,” he said in a statement yesterday, made in response to a question about the ministry having any plan to encourage other councils to follow the examples set by local authorities such as Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) in implementing the ‘no plastic bag’ policy. It is known that since the ‘Say No to Plastic Bags 2.0’ campaign kicked off on Jan 1 this year, many retail operations here are no longer providing customers with free plastic bags. “The responsibility to protect our environment is a collective responsibility; hence, we must adopt a first-world mentality. “Informal education in changing our attitudes of not using plastic bags or avoiding it altogether, is very important. It is cheaper to do it now before it is too late,” said Penguang, who is Marudi assemblyman. Based on a survey conducted in 2010 involving major towns across Sarawak, food and food perishables accounted for 35 per cent from the total tonnage of waste, followed by paper at 19 per cent, soft plastics (11 per cent), hard plastics (five per cent), garden waste (five per cent), disposable diapers (five per cent), glass (three per cent) and wood (two per cent) – the remaining percentage comprised discarded metals and construction waste. It is also known that environmental non-governmental organisation (NGO) Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) has made similar calls on doing away with single-use plastics as the first step to deal with plastic pollution. SAM president SM Mohamed Idris was quoted in a statement on Thursday as saying that one of the most visible impacts of plastic pollution on marine life was the ingestion of plastic debris, as well as suffocation and entanglement of hundreds of marine species including birds, turtles, fish, mussels, crustaceans and marine mammals.

Taib, flanked by Harden (back row, sixth right) and Fatimah, together with the preschoolers and their teachers on stage. KUCHING: Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud has suggested the setting-up of a foundation specifically for early childhood education in the state. He said the foundation is necessary to manage early childhood development programmes in the state more systematically. “What I can see, the early childhood education field in the state has reached great heights. “But what we have now is still insufficient and we need to think of the best way to further develop the field,” Taib spoke during the closing of ‘Randau Pengasuhan Taska’ convention at Institut Aminuddin Baki Sarawak branch, here yesterday. Taib also urged women to be actively involved in developing the field, especially the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) women’s wing. “I have spoken to several PBB leaders to use the womenfolk’s manpower. They have contributed a lot in economic and social development and other fields in the state, and now it’s time to focus on education development, especially early childhood education field.” During the event, he presented ‘Taska Penanda Aras Berkualiti Tahun 2017 Kerajaan’ award to Taska Permata Kemas Kampung Sri Tajo and ‘Taska Penanda Aras Berkualiti Tahun 2017 Swasta’ award to Taska Pondok Ilmu. At the same time, Taska Cahaya Horizon received the Welfare, Community Well Being, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister’s special award, ‘Penanda Aras Berkualiti Tahun 2017’. Taib also announced an allocation of RM1 million for the development of early childhood education in the state. Minister of Welfare, Community Well Being, Women, Family, and Childhood Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah, and Assistant Minister of Welfare and Community Well Being Datuk Francis Harden Hollis, were present at the event.

Abang Johari (centre) flanked by Subromaniam and Sharifah Halimah pose for a photo in the Chief Minister’s Office KUCHING: Customs Department is ready to collaborate with the state government in customs management, including meeting needs outlined under the digital economy policy. This was among the matters discussed during a courtesy call made by Customs Department director-general Malaysia Datuk Seri Subromaniam Tholasy on Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg here yesterday. It was Subromaniam’s first working visit to the state since his appointment in March this year. He was accompanied by state Customs director Sharifah Halimah Tuanku Tahan and her deputy Musa Hamden during the visit.  The meeting also discussed views and plans to assist the state government in developing Sarawak. Apart from the courtesy call from Customs top officials, Abang Johari welcomed a delegation from the Cambridge Academy of Therapeutic Sciences yesterday, led by academy director Prof Christopher R Lowe. The visit was meant to explore working opportunities between the academy and the state government in the field of research and development in Sarawak. The courtesy call by the academy was in response to Abang Johari’s visit to Cambridge earlier this year, and also another by Education, Science and Technological Research Minister Dato Sri Michael Manyin Jawong in October. Assistant Minister of Education and Technological Research Dr Annuar Rapaee and the ministry’s permanent secretary Datu Sudarsono Osman were also present. Another courtesy call on the chief minister yesterday was from Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank), led by group president and chief executive officer Datuk Abdul Farid. The banking delegates shared with Abang Johari their proposals on collaboration between the bank group and the state government to further enhance the relations between both sides. Abdul Farid was accompanied by Maybank Sarawak regional director Nasir Khan Istiar Hussain Khan and head of Maybank Wisma Satok branch (community distribution) Abang Jamili Abang Julai.