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Haze: 596 hotspots detected in Kalimantan, Sumatra and Sabah
Malaysia's Department of Environment reports 596 hotspots in Kalimantan, Sumatra and one in Sabah, with moderate to thick transboundary haze observed across the region. Thirty-seven areas in Peninsular Malaysia recorded unhealthy API readings by 3pm, including Johan Setia, Kuala Lumpur and Nilai. Fires at peatland and a landfill in Sarawak are being monitored for their impact on local air quality.
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Unhealthy API readings in 37 peninsula areas as transboundary haze detected
Malaysia's Department of Environment reported 37 areas in Peninsular Malaysia with unhealthy Air Pollutant Index readings as of 3pm today, with Johan Setia (184), Kuala Lumpur (175) and Nilai (172) among the highest. The conditions stem from persistent dry weather and transboundary haze from Kalimantan and Sumatra, while peat and landfill fires in Sarawak are being monitored.
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JAS steps up air quality monitoring as Sarikei landfill fire 87% doused
Malaysia's Environment Department is strengthening air quality monitoring and open burning prevention amid hot, dry weather. A fire at the Selalang landfill in Sarikei, Sarawak, covering 1.5 hectares, is 87% extinguished. JAS Sarawak is using drones to assess the fire's impact on the local environment.
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Cause of fish deaths along Sarawak River still unknown, says Dr Safiee
Hundreds of fish have been found dead along the Sarawak River waterfront, particularly around Kampung Boyan and Kampung Gersik in Kuching. The Sarawak Rivers Board, together with the state Agriculture Department and NREB, is awaiting laboratory results from water and fish samples taken on 12 and 14 September. The cause of the deaths has not yet been determined.
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Man arrested for injuring girlfriend with parang and pallet wood in Kabong oil palm estate
A 50-year-old man was arrested in Saratok after allegedly injuring his girlfriend with pallet wood and brandishing a parang at an oil palm estate in Kampung Nyabor, Kabong, last Thursday. The 35-year-old victim suffered injuries to her finger, hand and body after rejecting the suspect's marriage proposal. The suspect tested positive for amphetamine and methamphetamine, and the case is being investigated under Sections 324 and 506 of the Penal Code.
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Sibu's Borneo Cultural Festival closes with record kampua toss and first fire show
The Borneo Cultural Festival 2026 in Sibu closed on Saturday at Dataran Tun Tuanku Bujang Phase 1, with SMC chairman Clarence Ting saying the event was about bringing people together through culture. Highlights included a kampua tossing event with 1,258 participants that set a Malaysia Book of Records mark, and the Budakapi Movement's interactive fire show staged for the first time in Sibu. Cultural groups from China, Indonesia, Brunei, Sabah, Sarawak and across Malaysia took part.
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Windstorm damages roofs of three longhouses in Bawang Assan
A strong windstorm and heavy rain hit longhouses in Nanga Tutus, Bawang Assan, this morning, damaging roofs and facilities and affecting nine households. Building materials for roof repairs were provided to the families after Bawang Assan assemblyman Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh visited the site to assess the damage.
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Sibu hosts Borneo Cultural Festival 2026 International Night
The Borneo Cultural Festival 2026 International Night was held at Dataran Tun Tuanku Bujang in Sibu on Friday, featuring performers from Brunei, China and Jakarta alongside local groups. Sibu Municipal Council councillor Augustine Merikan said the event, now in its 23rd edition, serves as a platform for cultural exchange.
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Jetty at Rh. Stanley Jelian near SK Tanjung Penasu to be upgraded
The ageing timber jetty at Rh. Stanley Jelian near SK Tanjung Penasu in Sibu was officially handed over to a contractor on Friday for upgrading works. The project, funded under a small-scale rural infrastructure allocation, follows concerns from longhouse residents about the jetty's deteriorating condition. SUPP Bawang Assan branch chairman Kevin Lau said the improved jetty will provide safer and more reliable access for the community.
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41 schools in Tanjong Manis to get smart TVs before year end
Tanjong Manis MP Dato Yusuf Abd Wahab handed over smart TVs to schools in his constituency at a ceremony at SMK Semop today. He said all 41 schools in the Tanjong Manis parliamentary area are expected to receive the sets before the end of the year. He also inspected the RM300,000 upgrade of SMK Semop's dining hall, now about 90 per cent complete.
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Kevin Lau visits two needy families in Sibu, pledges welfare aid
SUPP Bawang Assan branch chairman Kevin Lau visited two struggling families at Hua Lai Road in Sg Bidut, Sibu on Thursday. One household cares for a family member with autism and will be helped to apply for OKU registration; the other, three elderly siblings, will get help applying for living assistance.
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Bintangor lime growers get fertiliser aid and grants from government
Bintangor lime growers in Sarawak received fertiliser assistance from the government to help raise crop productivity and ease their financial burden. Meradong assemblyman Datuk Ding Kuong Hiing presented the aid and also gave a RM1,500 grant to the Meradong District Agriculture Club plus RM3,000 for its activities during the Meradong Festival 2026.
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SUPP Bawang Assan to help two families in Sungai Bidut apply for welfare aid
The SUPP Bawang Assan branch visited two needy families in Sungai Bidut, Sibu, on Thursday and will help them apply for welfare support. One family cares for a person with autism and will be assisted with OKU registration, while the other involves three elderly siblings seeking living assistance. Branch chairman Kevin Lau said the visits help the team understand each family's circumstances.
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PBB must draw up programmes to reach 18-20 year old voters before Sarawak polls, says Annuar Rapaee
PBB vice-president Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee said the party needs to design programmes aimed at youths aged 18 to 20 before the coming Sarawak state election. He said many young voters may still be confused because they will be voting for the first time, and this group could decide the outcome. He spoke at a dinner with PBB Samariang at Dewan Lakis in Sibu.
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Daughter returns to Kuching for Sarawak liberation anniversary, father's wartime diary remembered
Anne Read, 73, returned to Kuching for the 81st anniversary of Sarawak's liberation from Japanese occupation, attending a wreath-laying ceremony at the Sarawak World War II Liberation Monument in Pending. Her father, Hugh Humphrey, was a civilian internee at the Batu Lintang camp who secretly kept a diary during his internment. She visited the former camp site and laid a wreath, noting the trip coincided with the 25th anniversary of her father's death.
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Sibu sets MBOR record with 1,258 tossing kampua at Borneo Cultural Festival
Sibu Municipal Council set a Malaysia Book of Records entry on Thursday when 1,258 participants tossed kampua at Dataran Tun Tuanku Bujang Phase 1 in Sibu during the Borneo Cultural Festival 2026. State tourism minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the feat will raise Sibu's profile and draw visitors to try the dish.
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580kg crocodile caught in Batang Igan after disturbing fishing nets
A 580kg crocodile measuring 4.32 metres was captured in the Sebedil area of Batang Igan, Sarawak, early Thursday morning. The operation was launched after residents complained the reptile had been disturbing their fishing nets. A licensed hunter and the Sarawak Forestry Corporation took part in the joint operation.
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Annuar: PISA results a wake-up call for Maths, Science in Sarawak
Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee said Malaysia's latest PISA results should prompt stronger action on Mathematics and Science education, speaking after presenting MRP cheques at SMK Agama Sibu. He said Sarawak is working with Singaporean experts on Maths teaching methods and called for PTAs to run weekend programmes for pupils in 10 primary schools, with MRP allocations raised from RM5,000 to RM7,500.
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Meradong assemblyman urges strategy to strengthen Bintangor lime industry
Meradong state assemblyman Datuk Ding Kuong Hiing called for strategies to strengthen the Bintangor lime industry in Sarawak. He spoke at a fertiliser handover ceremony for lime growers at the Meradong District Agriculture Office in Bintangor today. He also proposed building a bridge linking Bintangor to Sungai Nyamok as an alternative route.
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Meradong rep hands 20 glucometers to Bintangor Health Clinic
Meradong assemblyman Datuk Ding Kuong Hiing presented 20 glucometers to Bintangor Health Clinic in Sarawak on Wednesday, saying the government will keep improving healthcare facilities for the community. He also inspected the clinic's upgraded canteen, which had new wiring, air-conditioning, fans, glass panels and doors.
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Sibu mass kampua tossing draws 1,258, earns Malaysia Book of Records entry
A mass kampua tossing event at Dataran Tun Tuanku Bujang Phase 1 in Sibu drew 1,258 participants, earning a Malaysia Book of Records entry. The event, part of the Borneo Cultural Festival 2026, surpassed its target of 1,000 and included participants from France, the United States, China and Brunei.
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Driver gets 10 years, RM50,000 fine for drink-driving death in Bintangor
A 57-year-old man was sentenced by the Sarikei Magistrates' Court to 10 years' jail and a RM50,000 fine for causing the death of a motorcyclist while driving under the influence of alcohol. The collision happened at Mile 4 Jalan Lasi in Bintangor on May 5, when the pickup truck he was driving went out of control on a bend and hit the motorcycle. The victim was taken to Julau polyclinic but died the same day.