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Police and SRDC personnel preparing to set up a roadblock at the only access to the township of 30,000 people.
SIBU: Two main roads leading to Sibujaya will be sealed off with barricades from today in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19, Sibu Rural District Council (SRDC) chairman Sempurai Petrus Ngelai said.
He said the road access to Sibujaya Rancangan Perumahan Rakyat in the direction of the Sibu Airport and to the industrial area near Durin would be off limits from 2.30pm today.
The Sibu Divisional DIsaster Management Committee (SDDMC) had instructed SRDC to erect the barricades, he said when contacted.
However, Sempurai declined to comment when asked if the barricades were a precursor to a lockdown in Sibujaya, where 89 Covid-19 infections had been detected as of Jan 28.
“Only the main road to the township at the traffic light will be open and guarded by the police. Our part is to put up barricades at these two roads as instructed by SDDMC. The council will assist to the best of its ability.
“The whole intention is to ensure those outside Sibujaya especially from the outskirts do not come to the township unless necessary as stated in the Movement Control Order (MCO) standard operating procedure (SOP).
“We advise members of the public not to be overly worried, as there is no lockdown imposed on Sibujaya for the time being,” Sempurai said, adding that residents could still purchase daily essentials from groceries and supermarkets in the township.
Sempurai was asked on concerns widely circulated in the social media on a possible lockdown imposed in the township of 30,000 people.
On Sunday, only 668 individuals turned up for the large-scale Covid-19 screening held at Sibujaya market, according to the Sibu Divisional Health Office.
Its assistant environmental health officer Mohd Nor Akmal had said the screening which started at around 9am, concluded at around 2pm.
The screening was held following an increase in positive cases in Sibujaya.
KUCHING (Feb 1): Neither Pakatan Harapan (PH) Sarawak nor Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) has what it takes to take over the Sarawak government in the next state election, said political analyst Prof Dr Jayum Jawan Empaling today.
The Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Human Ecology Faculty deputy dean opined that it did not matter whether PH and PSB would be working together or against each other in the polls as they stood very little chance of defeating Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).
“Both parties are ambitious. Both parties think they are very formidable. However, it is my opinion that both parties do not yet have what it takes to win the next Sarawak state election.
“So, regardless of whether they go against each other or compromise and work together, they would not be helming Sarawak after the state election,” he said when contacted by The Borneo Post .
He was asked to comment on state PH chairman Chong Chieng Jen’s seat distribution proposal on Sunday between the coalition and PSB.
According to Jayum, DAP was pretty much a Chinese-based political party and has its heart on the Chinese constituents.
“There is no difference whether it is DAP Sarawak or national DAP, the agenda is similar,” he said.
To a question, he said he believed that the DAP would continue receiving support from the Chinese voters in Sarawak but he felt GPS member, Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP), could pick up a few more seats in the next state polls.
He said this was because the DAP had not been able to deliver its election pledges when it was part of the government at the federal level.
Jayum also described PSB as “another version of a Chinese-based and Chinese-led party”, claiming further that the party was formed to resurrect the declining political careers of some of its top leaders.
When it was put to him that PSB had said that it is a local-based political party for all races, Jayum said: “Yes, anybody can make such a claim.”
On Sunday, Chong proposed the ‘3+3+3+1’ formula for PH’s collaboration with PSB, in that PH’s DAP and PKR, and PSB will each contest in 30 per cent of Sarawak’s 82 state seats and the remaining 10 per cent will be contested by Parti Amanah Negara, which is also a PH party.
PSB, however, insisted that it would contest in all the seats, with the ultimate goal of replacing the GPS as the next Sarawak government.
GPS currently holds 68 of the 82 seats in Sarawak, while PSB has six seats and DAP has five.
KUCHING (Feb 1): Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii has called on the federal and state governments to be more open with the current management of Covid-19 pandemic in Sarawak.
Dr Yii said the federal and state government need to be transparent with important data and parameters so that the public can get a better picture on how serious the disease is and how it has spread to the state.
“Detailed Covid-19 data beyond the daily numbers and new cluster must be made accessible to ensure quick, informed decision-making across all sectors including the public to better understand the decisions that is being made by the government – including the implementation of Movement Control Order (MCO) or Conditional MCO (CMCO) in any region in Sarawak.
“This is important to raise confidence among public which will in turn translate to better compliance and understanding from the public. If they understand it better, they will follow better,” he added.
With the announcement of MCO being implemented in Kapit even when it is still classified as an orange zone, Dr Yii asserted it is pertinent that the government is transparent with the justification of its decision to do some in comparison to other parts of Sarawak which are red zones and having much higher rate of cases.
He questioned whether there will be a sudden increase of cases in next few days in Kapit due to the backlog, justifying the decision to implement the MCO.
“The public should be educated on the justification on the decision to avoid unnecessary panic and confusion as well as it has far-reaching consequences including effects on the economy.
“I also urge the government to properly implement this MCO with clear SOPs (standard operating procedures) that are effectively communicated to the public so that there will be no confusions or inconvenience like how it was in Sibu when first implemented,” he sad.
Dr Yii believed that If the MCO is not properly implemented, it will not achieve its aim to curb the spread of the disease but will still take a toll on the economy of the area, especially affecting the poor including daily paid workers.
Although he understood that this may be due to it rural demographic and lack of healthcare facilities in those areas, he said it will be useful for the government to publish data including daily infection rate (Rt) values for that region and every region in Sarawak transparently.
He believed that this will help the public to be more aware of the infection control standpoint in that particular area.
On the Rt value, he said any value above one means that the number of cases is expected to grow and any number less than one means that the virus is under control and the number of cases can be expected to decrease over time.
As such, he asserted that the Rt value by state can and should also be used as an indicator on when an MCO should be declared for district in the state and when it should be changed to MCO, CMCO or Recovery MCO (RMCO).
Meanwhile, he said the daily focus as of current has primarily been on the total number of new daily Covid-19 cases. Although the number of cases is important, he asserted that there is a need to be informed on the total number of tests which are being done daily and the percentage of positive cases every day.
This, he added, will provide an indication of the testing capacity, the daily infection rate and whether the governments are testing enough.
“According to the WHO, the threshold of ‘per cent positive’ is five percent, and if positive rate is higher, it shows that we are not testing enough. The per cent positive is a critical measure because it gives us an indication how widespread infection is in the area where the testing is occurring—and whether levels of testing are keeping up with levels of disease transmission.
“In the case of Sarawak, we should report it in every region and district, rather than a lump sum for the whole state to get a micro understanding of each district so targeted decisions can be made,” he said.
“At what capacity are we testing in the main areas now especially in Sibu, Bintulu, Miri and Song which are recording high number of cases? How long are the backlogs for cases coming out of the labs and how fast in the interval for contact tracing in those areas? If the backlog is longer than 24 hours, what is the government doing to address it?
“At end of the day, I strongly believe that all these data must be made available publicly in spirit of transparency to instil public confidence. This is to make sure that approaches and decisions by the government is backed by the science and data and is pragmatic to be carried out on the ground to encourage greater cooperation from the public,” he said.
Nasi Lemak Jambatan Tamparuli started operating in 2016 in Kuching and Samarahan. – Photo by Nasi Lemak Jambatan Tamparuli/Facebook
PETALING JAYA (Feb 1): The renowned Nasi Lemak Jambatan Tamparuli (NLJT) stall from Kuching, Sarawak has moved to Selangor.
The stall owner Ustaz Mohd Ali Jainneh, who went viral last year for befriending a dog who frequented his stall, said on his business’ social media pages that his nasi lemak shop is set to open up in Shah Alam this week, with a week-long nasi lemak giveaway.
NLJT will be offering 100 free nasi lemak packs every day, from February 2 to 7, in a bid to assist underprivileged communities in the area and hopefully also get business off the ground here in the peninsula.
“To commemorate our first week open, we are welcoming the people of Shah Alam to get free plain nasi lemak every day for six days straight. Hopefully this small effort can help those who are in need of food,” he said in the post.
He added that the stall will operate from 5.30am to 9.30 am every Tuesday to Sunday and the free nasi lemak packs will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis.
For the first week, they will only be serving plain nasi lemak, nasi lemak with egg and nasi lemak with spicy fried chicken.
“All of our equipment and utensils are still on the way from Sarawak. God willing, all the other side dishes will be ready to be served by next week.”
Mohd Ali said in an earlier post that he was sad to leave Sarawak, where he had been operating since 2016 at two separate locations in Kuching and Samarahan, but didn’t want to be away from his wife either, who had to move here for work.
“Just when our business was really growing, we had to change our plans and follow God’s path.
“NLJT is actually her business. She taught me everything I know about cooking and running the stall,” he said in the post.
“So, once my wife got the news that she had to move to Shah Alam, I didn’t think twice about moving our business there as well even though I knew we’d have to start from scratch.”
In August last year, Mohd Ali and his establishment went viral on social media after he posted images of a dog, nicknamed Abang Long, patiently queueing up for food just like the other customers at his stall.
He even ended up befriending the dog and would always feed it his signature fried chicken whenever it came around to his stall.
Abang Long also featured prominently on NLJT’s social media pages as Mohd Ali regularly uploaded comical pictures of their encounters every time the dog came by for a snack.
Just before he left Sarawak, Mohd Ali managed to enjoy one last moment with his furry friend as he uploaded photos of their final meeting on Instagram, as with a heavy heart, he fed it for one last time. – Malay Mail
A file photo of the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud and his wife Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Raghad Kurdi Taib.
KUCHING (Feb 1): The Yang di-Pertuan Negeri’s wife Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Raghad Kurdi Taib, Puncak Borneo MP Willie Mongin and Saratok MP Ali Biju are among the 335 recipients of titles conferred by Yang di-Pertuan Agong in conjunction with this year’s Federal Territory Day.
Raghad is among the six recipients of the the Seri Utama Mahkota Wilayah award, which carries the title ‘Datuk Seri Utama’.
Willie and Ali on other hand are among 81 recipients of the Panglima Mahkota Wilayah which carries the title of ‘Datuk’.
Both Willie and Ali are also Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities and Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources respectively in the Perikatan Nasional federal government.
Federal Territories Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa in a statement said the date of the conferment of titles would be announced later on, due to the developing situation in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
During this time, recipients are permitted to bear the various titles before their names, with the wives of men conferred the first to third rank honours permitted to use Datin Seri Utama, Datin Seri, and Datin respectively before their names.
Annuar also said the honours list for this year’s Federal Territory Day which is celebrated today included seven types of awards, ranging from the first to seventh ranks of honour.
These included Seri Utama Mahkota Wilayah, the Seri Mahkota Wilayah, the Panglima Mahkota Wilayah, the Johan Mahkota Wilayah, the Kesatria Mahkota Wilayah, the Ahli Mahkota Wilayah, and the Pingat Pangkuan Mahkota Wilayah.
Joining Raghad in being conferred the first-rank (Darjah Kebesaran Pangkat Pertama) Seri Utama Mahkota Wilayah which carries the title Datuk Seri Utama were Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz, Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, Penang Head of State Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas, Sabah Head of State Tun Juhar Mahiruddin, and Melaka Head of State Tun Mohd Ali Mohd Rustam
Recipients conferred the Seri Mahkota Wilayah which carries the title of Datuk Seri included Energy and Natural Resources Minister Datuk Shamsul Anuar Nasarah, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan, KL mayor Datuk Mahadi Che Ngah and former Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Nor Hisham A. Dahlan.
Joining Willie And Ali in receiving the Panglima Mahkota Wilayah award were Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin and Senior Education Minister Mohd Radzi Md Jidin.
Others mentioned by Annuar in the statement also included Federal Territory Mufti Luqman Abdullah, national badminton champions Abd Rashid Mohd Sidek Sulimin and Cheah Soon Kit, and National Laureate Siti Zainon Ismail.
Other recipients who were conferred various titles include Federal Territories Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Edmund Santhara Kumar, Health deputy director-general (Research and Technical Support) Dr Hishamshah Mohd Ibrahim, Health deputy director-general (Public Health) Datuk Dr Chong Chee Kheong, and Federal Territory Health director Dr Param Jeeth Singh Pakar Singh.
“The Federal Territories Ministry congratulates all the recipients and extend our utmost appreciation to their contributions and services,” said Annuar.
The fire destroyed a house and four cars last night.
DARO (Feb 1): A house at Kampung Masjid Daro here was destroyed in a fire last night.
According to a Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) operations centre spokesperson, four cars were also destroyed in the fire.
“We received a report on the fire at 7.49pm and a total of 18 firemen were deployed to the scene to put out the fire.
“They were assisted by the Daro volunteer firefighters and managed to prevent the fire from spreading at 8.21pm,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
The spokesperson said the operation to put out the fire ended at around 1am.
No casualties were reported in the fire.
The spokesperson said Bomba is investigating the cause of fire and amount of losses incurred.
KUCHING (Feb 1): Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sarawak has given an ultimatum that a deal with Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) over the seat allocation for the next state election must be secured by the end of the month, said state PKR chairman Larry Sng.
“I have conveyed my party’s stand that a deal should be secured before month end. If not, as far as Keadilan is concerned, we will not pursue any further discussion with them (PSB),” he said to The Borneo Post today.
Sng said excluding the seats that PKR had won in the previous state election, the party was willing to negotiate half of their seats identified to be contested in the next election with PSB in the interest of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition.
“However, PSB hasn’t made any decision. They are constantly shifting the goal post,” he addded.
As the chairman of PKR Sarawak, Sng said he was realistic about the chances of his party in the next election and it would be considered as a success if they manage to win six to seven of the state seats contested.
“However, it is unacceptable for us to give away seats which the party had previously won, particularly Batu Lintang and Ba Kelalan.”
Regardless, Sng said PH Sarawak had actually discussed seat allocation matter with PSB in private and the coalition believed that such cooperation, if it is possible, was the way forward.
“I have conveyed this position to PSB recently. However, their response hasn’t been forthcoming. They want the lion’s share of seats, despite not having been tested in any election,” he added.
On Sunday, on a Facebook live session, PH Sarawak and Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen said the opposition coalition was willing to negotiate with PSB to work together in the next state election and he had proposed a formula of ‘3+3+3+1’ on the seats allocation between political parties.
Chong proposed that DAP, PKR and PSB each contest 30 per cent of the constituency seats in the state election, while Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) would be contesting the remaining 10 per cent of the seats.
He explained the rationale behind the ‘3+3+3+1’ formula was to avoid having a dominant party in a coalition, citing the case of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) in Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition or the party Umno in the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition.
However, the PSB secretariat had issued a statement rejecting Chong’s proposal and reiterated their intention to contest in all 82 seats in the state election.
Police stand guard along a road in Naypyidaw ahead of the reopening of parliament on February 1 following the November 2020 elections which Aung San Suu Kyi’s ruling National League for Democracy won in a landslide. – AFP photo
Myanmar’s military staged a coup on Monday, detaining de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and declaring it had taken control of the country for one year under a state of emergency.
The intervention came after weeks of rising tensions between the military, which ruled the country for nearly five decades, and the civilian government over allegations of fraud in November’s elections.
The military last week signalled it could seize power to settle its claims of irregularities in the polls, which Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party won easily.
Suu Kyi and President Win Myint were detained in the capital Naypyidaw before dawn on Monday, NLD spokesman Myo Nyunt told AFP, just hours before parliament was meant to resume for the first time since the elections.
“We heard they were taken by the military… With the situation we see happening now, we have to assume that the military is staging a coup,” he said.
The military then declared, via its own television channel, a one-year state of emergency.
In Yangon, the former capital that remains Myanmar’s commercial hub, troops seized the city hall, according to an AFP journalist.
Elsewhere, the chief minister of Karen state and several other regional ministers were also held, according to party sources, on the very day when the new parliament was to hold its first session.
The developments triggered a quick response from the United States and Australia, with both calling for the release of detained NLD leaders and the restoration of democracy.
“The United States opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections or impede Myanmar’s democratic transition, and will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.
Australia said the military was “once again seeking to seize control” of the country.
“We call on the military to respect the rule of law, to resolve disputes through lawful mechanisms and to release immediately all civilian leaders and others who have been detained unlawfully,” Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said.
– Communications restricted –
In the hours after the arrests, communications networks in Myanmar were restricted, with several mobile phone networks down.
NetBlocks, a non-governmental organisation that tracks internet shutdowns, reported severe disruptions to web connections.
Phone numbers in the capital Naypyidaw were also seemingly unreachable.
Myanmar’s polls in November were only the second democratic elections the country had seen since it emerged from the 49-year grip of military rule in 2011.
The NLD swept the polls and was expecting to renew the 75-year-old Suu Kyi’s lease on power with a new five-year term.
But the military has for weeks complained the polls were riddled with irregularities, and claimed to have uncovered over 10 million instances of voter fraud.
It has demanded the government-run election commission release voter lists for cross-checking — which the commission has not done.
Last week, military chief General Min Aung Hlaing — arguably the country’s most powerful individual — said the country’s 2008 constitution could be “revoked” under certain circumstances.
Min Aung Hlaing’s remarks, which came with rumours of a coup already rife, raised tensions further within the country and drew a warning from more than a dozen foreign embassies and the UN.
Myanmar has seen two previous coups since independence from Britain in 1948, one in 1962 and one in 1988.
Suu Kyi — a former democracy icon and Nobel peace prize winner whose image internationally has been in tatters over her handling of the Muslim Rohingya crisis — remains a deeply popular figure.
She spent 20 years off and on under house arrest for her role as an opposition leader, before she was released by the military in 2010. – AFP
KUCHING (Feb 1): Pakatan Harapan (PH) Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen is unfazed by the reaction of Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) over his proposal yesterday for a ratio of 70:30 seat allocation between PH component parties and PSB.
Chong, who is also Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak chairman, said he was merely putting forward the proposal and it would be up to PSB whether to take or leave it.
“All parties have their rights to contest in as many seats in elections as they wish. It is up to PSB leadership to make the call,” he told The Borneo Post when contacted today.
He was asked about PSB’s reaction that it insisted on contesting in all the 82 seats come the next state election, with an ultimate goal of replacing the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) as the next Sarawak government despite his proposal.
On Sunday, Chong came up with the proposal of working with PSB through seat allocations of 30 per cent of the total 82 seats to PSB.
Meanwhile, Chong, who is Stampin MP and Kota Sentosa assemblyman declined to disclose whether leaders of PH and PSB had met to talk about potential collaboration.
Early last month, Chong announced that the state PH had come to an agreement on seat allocations, with Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) contesting in 47 seats, DAP in 26 seats and Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) in nine seats.
In a response to the announcement, PSB secretary-general George Lo said the party had identified about 65 out of the 82 state seats to contest in the next state polls.
“We are not part of Pakatan Harapan and the agreement between PKR, DAP and Amanah on seat allocation has no effect on Parti Sarawak Bersatu or our preparations for the forthcoming state election,” he was quoted as saying.
Among the seats that PSB has announced to contest in are Opar, Tasik Biru, Balai Ringin, Marudi, Tamin, Dudong, Bawang Assan, Engkilili, Batang Ai, Lingga and Simanggang.
Myanmar’s military has detained the country’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi in an apparent coup, her ruling party’s spokesman said Monday. – AFP file photo
YANGON: Myanmar’s military has detained the country’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi in an apparent coup, her ruling party’s spokesman said Monday.
The military, which ruled the country for nearly five decades, had this week refused to rule out seizing power over its claims of voter fraud in November’s elections, won by Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party.
Myo Nyunt, the spokesman for the NLD, said Suu Kyi, along with President Win Myint, had been “detained” in the capital Naypyidaw.
“We heard they were taken by the military,” he told AFP, adding that he was extremely worried about the pair.
“With the situation we see happening now, we have to assume that the military is staging a coup.”
He added that the circumstances of the country’s newly elected MPs — who were expected to sit Monday for the opening of parliament — were unclear.
Communications appeared to be disrupted, with phone numbers in Naypyidaw seemingly unreachable.
Myanmar’s polls in November were only the second democratic elections the country has seen since it emerged from the 49-year grip of military rule in 2011.
The NLD swept the polls and was expecting to renew the 75-year-old leader’s lease on power with a new five-year term.
But the military has for weeks alleged the polls were riddled with irregularities, and claimed to have uncovered over 10 million instances of voter fraud.
It has demanded the government-run election commission release voter lists for cross-checking — which the commission has not done.
Last week, the military chief General Min Aung Hlaing — arguably the country’s most powerful individual — said the country’s 2008 constitution could be “revoked” under certain circumstances.
Min Aung Hlaing’s statements — released amid already increasing tensions over rumours of an imminent coup — raised alarm within Myanmar, as well as from more than a dozen foreign missions and the United Nations.
The last time Myanmar saw its constitution repealed was in 1962 and 1988 — when the military seized power and reinstated a junta government.
Suu Kyi — a former democracy icon whose image internationally has been in tatters over her handling of the Muslim Rohingya crisis — remains a deeply popular figure.
She spent 20 years off and on under house arrest for her role as an opposition leader, before she was released by the military in 2010. – AFP
SDMC said three out of the four temporary evacuation centres (PPS) are in Serian. – File photo
KUCHING (Feb 1): The number of victims who are affected by the flash floods in the state has increased to 186 victims as of 8am today with the highest number in Serian division.
The Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) in a statement said three out of the four temporary evacuation centres (PPS) are in Serian.
The highest number of victims is at Dewan Kampung Lintang Baru which is providing shelter to 88 victims from 21 families.
The other two shelters are at Dewan Betong Kanowit (22 victims, six families) and Dewan Baru Kampung Rimba Padi (49 victims, 18 families).
The other remaining PPS is at Simunjan, which is at Dewan Masyarakat Lubok Buntin, which is currently catering to 27 victims from seven families.
Al-Sultan Abdullah (right) and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah — Bernama file photo
KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 31): Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah today expressed hope that the people will continue to practise self-control and adhere to the standard operating procedure (SOP) set by the government while the country is facing the Covid-19 pandemic.
Comptroller of the Royal Household of Istana Negara, Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin said the King also advised the people to remain calm, strong and resilient in facing the Movement Control Order (MCO) and implementation of the state of emergency in the interest of and for the safety of the people and country.
“Indeed with the implementation of the MCO, His Majesty much understands the challenges faced, particularly the people’s daily economic activities which have been adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said in statement to the media in conjunction with Federal Territory Day tomorrow.
“Al-Sultan Abdullah has also expressed appreciation to the people, particularly the frontliners who have shown a high spirit of solidarity, togetherness and resilience in combating the Covid-19 pandemic,” he added.
Ahmad Fadil said the Covid-19 pandemic had given a very meaningful lesson to Malaysians and His Majesty was grateful that all parties could handle and fight this crisis with their caring attitude.
According to the King, the caring spirit was very visible through the efforts of the frontliners who toiled day and night in containing the pandemic.
“It is also clear through the noble efforts of the government and volunteers in assisting the needy and also through compliance with the SOP by the general public.
“His Majesty stresses that PRIHATIN is not just a slogan, but it encompasses all the thoughts that went into the drawing up of the government policy up to the stage of implementation and delivery.
“Although the government is in a difficult situation, the people’s welfare is not neglected,” said Ahmad Fadil.
Meanwhile, in conjunction with the theme of this year’s Federal Territory Day, ‘Federal Territory, Caring Territory’, His Majesty also called on the people to remain patriotic and love their Federal Territory by always having a deep caring attitude towards one another.
This includes caring for the family, friends, neighbours, employees and people around.
In conjunction with Federal Territory Day, His Majesty advised the people to carry out their social responsibilities and uphold noble values in their local communities to ensure continued and lasting harmony.
Al-Sultan Abdullah said this is in line with FT Day’s theme this year “Federal Territory, Caring Territory,” which fits the aspirations of the Federal Territories Ministry and its agencies of prioritising the people’s wellbeing and sustenance through various economic and welfare initiatives.
“His Majesty was informed that the Federal Territories Ministry, through its Wilayah Prihatin (Caring Territory) programme has come up with various initiatives for those impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This is in line with the spirit of these initiatives in assisting affected groups regardless of race, religion and political affiliation,” Ahmad Fadil said.
Al-Sultan Abdullah said the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya also act as lifelines that generate the country’s growth by contributing 13.5 per cent of last year’s gross domestic product (GDP).
According to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, economic growth only matters when the people have sufficient income, comfortable housing, access to quality education, good health, sustainable environment and continued security and protection.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Fadil also took the opportunity to extend his congratulations and appreciation to Al-Sultan Abdullah in conjunction with His Majesty’s second anniversary of being appointed the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
“May Allah SWT continue to bless Tuanku’s rule, Daulat Tuanku,” said Ahmad Fadil. – Bernama
KUCHING (Jan 31): One new Covid-19 cluster, dubbed the Jalan Pengiran Cluster in Matu, has been identified by the State Health Department today, said State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) in a statement.
The index case for the cluster had been traced back to Case 3,218 after undergoing an individual screening due to symptoms on Jan 24.
“The workplace cluster is a district administration centre at Jalan Pengiran Matu. The index case was a Sarawakian man who made a social visit to Sibu. The result of active contact detection and family members of this case has detected another seven more positive cases,” said SDMC.
A total of 65 individuals had been screened, of which eight including the index case tested positive, 57 negative and none awaiting lab results.
With the addition of the new cluster, the state now has 11 active Covid-19 clusters.
There were five clusters which recorded new positive cases today, namely the Pasai Cluster in Sibu with 32, Rakut Cluster in Miri with 16, Tabong Cluster in Bau with 11, Bukit Sekubong Cluster in Sebauh with one case and Bedayan Cluster in Serian with one case.
The total number of positive cases for the Pasai Cluster in Sibu is now 1,934 cases with a total of 22,000 individuals have been screened where 18,908 have tested negative and 1,158 are still awaiting lab test results.
The Rakut Cluster in Miri now has a total of 131 cases, with a total of 450 individuals have been screened where 284 have tested negative and 35 are still awaiting lab test results.
The Tabong Cluster in Bau now has a total of 30 cases, with a total of 150 individuals have been screened where 75 have tested negative and 55 are still awaiting lab test results.
The Bedayan Cluster in Serian now has a total of 15 cases with a total of 460 individuals have been screened where 385 have tested negative and 60 are still awaiting lab test results.
The Bukit Sekubong Cluster in Sebauh a total of 31 cases, with a total of 300 individuals have been screened where 255 have tested negative and 14 are still awaiting lab test results.
The five other active clusters, Indah Riang Cluster in Kuching, Jelita Cluster in Miri, Keranji Tabuan Cluster in Kuching, Bah Sayap Cluster in Miri and Stutong Cluster in Kuching did not record any new cases.
Meanwhile, Song, Dalat, Bintulu, Kanowit, Beluru, Miri, Sibu and Kuching remain as red zones in Sarawak with a total of 1,993 local transmission cases reported in the districts in the last 14 days.
Kapit, Sarikei, Subis and Betong remain as orange zones with a total of 120 local transmission cases reported in the districts in the last 14 days.
Matu, Daro, Lundu, Sebauh, Lawas, Telang Usan, Bukit Mabong, Tatau, Bau, Pakan, Serian, Belaga, Meradong, Julau, Simunjan, Lubok Antu, Selangau, Samarahan and Sri Aman remain as yellow zones with a total of 148 local transmission cases reported in the districts in the last 14 days.
Nine other districts are still classified as green zones.
The Health Ministry categorises a district with no Covid-19 cases as a green zone, and over a two-week period, with one to 20 local transmission cases as yellow, 21 to 40 as orange and 41 and more as red.
KUCHING (Jan 31): Sarawak recorded 135 new Covid-19 positive cases along with one death today, said the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC).
In its daily update statement, SDMC said the death, which occurred in Sibu, brought the state’s total number of fatalities to 38.
“Of the new Covid-19 positive cases, Sibu had 47 followed by Miri (32), Bintulu (15), Bau (11), Subis (7), Kuching (5), Kanowit (4), Lundu (3), Serian (2) and Sri Aman and Sebauh (1 each).
“This brings the total number of cumulative positive cases in Sarawak to 4,450,” it said.
KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Creative Economy and Innovation Centre (SCEIC) started its operation when the Covid-19 pandemic struck the whole world.
But it chose to lead, live up to its name, and promote changes to inspire the people.
Such a journey was less lonesome as the centre received support and assistance from 30 individuals and organisations to grow the Sabahan talents together.
SCEIC general manager, Viviantie Sarjuni said the majority of them had offered pro bono services knowing that they had limited resources due to the pandemic.
“The model of Public-Private-Community Partnership (PPC Partnership) has always been our compass to ensure everyone is included and no one left behind.
“It is very crucial that we identify the ecosystem players, their roles and how we can complement each other and tap on each other’s skills and advantages in creating greater impact on the ground,” she said.
In recognising the hard work of all stakeholders who have been very supportive towards SCEIC, the centre showed its appreciation via the 30 Honourable Mentions (individual and organisation respectively), Enabler Award and ACE Award.
“We have also selected them based on the work and contributions that they have done to the community way before the formation of SCEIC in 2020.
“These are the people that have paved the way for us to enable more grassroots initiatives on the ground. In short, they are our unsung heroes.
“The common values (among them) are the willingness to go beyond what was required, that patriotism spirit of despite different backgrounds, we have common goals of nurturing our talents in Sabah together,” she said.
Viviantie cited the online Co-ETIC Mentoring platform as an example, where subject matter experts, including government agencies and corporates came together to mentor talents from Sabah.
It was a pro bono service where mentors allocated their time and offered their expertise to nurture talents on an agreed session monthly.
As for the Enabler Award, it is given to the ecosystem leaders from private, public and community level that have been very supportive towards not only allowing for initiative to happen on the ground but enabling other stakeholders in the ecosystem to work together.
“These are the forward thinking leaders who see the big picture of how we can sustain the ecosystem by working together.
“They might not have the forte in technology for example but they realised, as a leader they need to support. Otherwise we will always be left behind,” she said, giving an example of the MyHackathon 2020 Kota Kinabalu held in Sabah last December.
Viviantie said through the event, SCEIC had managed to get buy in and support from not only K.K.I.P Sdn Bhd but higher learning institutions, corporates and NGOs.
Two Sabahan startups have also won a total of RM500,000 investment from Cradle Sdn Bhd, a federal government agency under the Ministry of Science,Technology and Innovatioin (MOSTI) who was also the main organiser for MyHackaton competition.
“Without all players, we won’t be able to get such good responses from the participants.”
The third, ACE Award, is a special mention to Khairilizwan Jamros of Khaiz Empire that has consistently assisted SCEIC, especially during MCO in 2020 last year by providing necessary, relevant content and being the technology enabler for the centre.
All recipients of the three awards will receive a 3D printed trophy, designed and printed by Tenom Innovation Centre (TIC) team members of SMJK Chung Hwa.
Tenom Innovation Centre (TIC) is a makerspace in Tenom, that is opened to all students from the surrounding area.
It encourages students with common interests in computers, machining, technology, science, digital art, or electronic art to meet, socialize, and collaborate.
“With this collaboration, we hope to help TIC to purchase new and upgraded equipment for their future projects.
“On top of that, this appreciation will help to highlight communities and organisations that have done a great job building talents in Sabah. They deserve recognition for their hard work and passion to help Sabah.
“Some of them are not even from Sabah, but realising the potential of our talents here, they have come forward to offer their expertise and assistance,” said Viviantie.
SCEIC will look forward to engaging with not only organisations but individuals who want to be part of its initiatives to push for technology, innovation and creativity agenda in Sabah.
“Who knows we might produce a unicorn startup from Sabah? An equivalent of Grab, Lazada, or produce a world class animation movie – an equivalent of Disney? Or produce drone technology or robots that can help optimize agriculture operations in the rural?
“But SCEIC cannot be pushing this alone, it takes the entire ecosystem players to work together and make this a reality. This appreciation initiative is a symbol of appreciation and thank you sign to everyone involved,” said Viviantie.
AADK personnel conducting checks behind a commercial shoplot in Kuching last night.
KUCHING (Jan 31): Seven individuals were arrested by the National Anti Drugs Agency (AADK) after they tested positive for dyabu last night.
AADK Sarawak director Wan Madihi Wan Salleh said the suspects, comprising of six men and a woman aged between 20 and 40 years-old, were arrested following checks that were carried out in Petra Jaya, Padawan and Kuching by a team of 14 AADK personnel.
“The checks were carried out based on public complaints and our own surveillance, ” said Wan Madihi in a statement today.
He added that all of the suspects were arrested under Section 3(1) of the Drug Dependants (Treatment and Rehabilitation) Act 1983.
On another note, he also called upon the public to avoid getting involved in drug-related activities such as peddling, smuggling and manufacturing drugs.
For drug rehabilitation advice, the agency can be contacted by calling 03-8911 2233 or 019-626 2233.
A screenshot of Chong during his Facebook livestream today.
KUCHING (Jan 31): Pakatan Harapan (PH) Sarawak is open to negotiation with Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) on seats allocation in the next state election once the Movement Control Order (MCO) and Conditional MCO have been lifted, said its state chairman Chong Chieng Jen.
If cooperation is possible, Chong was proposing a formula of ‘3+3+3+1’, meaning 30 per cent of the state constituency seats to be contested by Democratic Action Party (DAP), Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and PSB each, while Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) would be contesting the remaining 10 per cent of the seats.
“Maybe some slight adjustment can be made to the proportions of seats to be contested by each political party. We do not want to be like what happened in the state ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition, where you have one dominant party that is the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) or like the party Umno in the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition,” said Chong.
Chong, who is state DAP chairman, said having one dominant political party in a coalition was unhealthy and PSB should more or less abide to the ‘3+3+3+1’ formula if any formal cooperation could be materialised.
“I think for PH coalition, we are open to working with any genuine opposition party that is credible and has integrity. Also, it is important and also good that we can come into some form of consensus with PSB, if its possible,” said Chong in his Facebook livestream today.
Chong said the issue of working together for the next state election would depend greatly on how both sides of PH and PSB approach the delicate matter.
“So long as the opposition parties subscribe to the principles of clean governance, fairness and justice, there is always room to work together and most importantly, in terms of seats allocation,” he said.
As to provide a serious contest in the next state election, Chong said the state PH coalition parties, namely DAP, PKR and Amanah had, for the first time, able to achieve consensus on seats allocation way earlier before the election is due to be called.
In a press conference called by PH Sarawak on Jan 2 this year, Chong announced that PKR will be contesting 47 seats in the state election, DAP in 26 seats and Amanah in 9 seats.
Nonetheless, Chong stressed he did not foresee a state election would be called soon during this period of Covid-19 outbreak and the people’s livelihood as well as the struggle to contain the local outbreak should be prioritised.
The term of the current State Legislative Assembly was supposed to expire on June 6 this year with the polls must be held within 60 days in accordance with the state constitution.
However, the state election was put on hold after a State of Emergency had been proclaimed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Jan 12 and to be effective until Aug 1 this year due to the worsening Covid-19 outbreak in the country.
The Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance 2021 among others stipulated that general elections, state elections and by-elections, as well as Parliament and State Legislative Assembly sittings will not be held as long as the emergency is in force.
On a separate matter, Chong hoped a stronger opposition presence to represent the rural areas in the state legislative assembly, or forming of a new state government, would be able to champion for the rights and welfare of the rural folks that had long been neglected, especially on matters related to the native customary rights (NCR) land.
He also urged the state government and the Ministry of Local Government and Housing to fine tune the assistance package offered to hawkers and business community in the state to ensure the intended benefits could effectively reach the targeted recipients.
