What's happening around you
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Telcos upgrade BCCK network for 5,000 at Malaysia Day 2026 do
Telecommunications companies have upgraded network capacity at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) to serve about 5,000 guests and personnel at the Malaysia Day 2026 celebration tonight. Deputy Minister of Communications Teo Nie Ching said MCMC and telcos including TM, Maxis, CelcomDigi, U Mobile, Sacofa and DNB have been working at the venue since Sept 13, with TM raising its capacity from 800 Mbps to 2 Gbps. She also said MCMC monitors 3R content on social media with PDRM.
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Kasih@HAWANA aid presented to late journalist James Ritchie's family in Kuching
The family of the late veteran journalist James Alexander Ritchie received a contribution under the Kasih@HAWANA Fund X TM at their home in Tabuan Desa, Kuching. Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching presented the aid to his wife, Helen Tan, recognising his more than 50 years in journalism. The fund has so far helped 241 recipients this year, 35 of them from Sarawak.
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Veteran broadcaster in Kuching gets Kasih@HAWANA X TM aid on Malaysia Day
Uleyvia Ubang, a 58-year-old veteran broadcaster with 30 years at Cats FM who has chronic kidney disease, received a contribution from the Kasih@HAWANA X TM Fund at her home in Kuching on Malaysia Day. The fund, backed by Telekom Malaysia's CSR and run by the Communications Ministry through Bernama, has aided 77 media practitioners since June 2026 and 847 since 2023.
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Sarawak to widen JKKN arts collaboration into schools
The Sarawak government is looking to expand its collaboration with the National Department for Culture and Arts (JKKN), including through arts and cultural programmes involving schools. Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said this after a courtesy visit by JKKN director-general Mohd Amran Mohd Haris to his ministry at Bangunan Baitul Makmur II in Kuching on Tuesday. The visit also saw JKKN Sarawak hand over a Mobile Stage Truck to the Sarawak Arts Council.
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Hajiji arrives in Kuching for Malaysia Day 2026 celebration
Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor arrived in Kuching today to attend the Malaysia Day 2026 celebration, which will be held tonight at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK). He arrived at the VIP Terminal of Kuching International Airport at 11.05am and was received by Deputy Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government Datuk Dr Penguang Mangil.
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Hari Malaysia special book returns to Sarawak, signed tonight at BCCK
The Hari Malaysia Special Book is back in Sarawak for this year's celebration, with a signing ceremony at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) tonight. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Tun Openg and Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor will officiate. The book, kept by the Sabah State Archives Department, has symbolised the unity of Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak since 2010.
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Abang Johari: Sarawak to move into front-end chip design, own satellite by 2030
Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Tun Openg said the state must move beyond back-end semiconductor manufacturing into front-end chip design and its own technology. Speaking at the Sarawak Semiconductor Flagship Talent Development Ecosystem Ceremony at Centexs in Santubong, he cited a student-designed chip fabricated at X-FAB Kuching and said Sarawak aims to launch its own CubeSat by 2030.
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Awang Tengah: Sarawak must build forest technology expertise
Sarawak Deputy Premier Awang Tengah Ali Hasan called for local expertise in technology and forest management to be built through partnerships with research institutions, universities and industry. He spoke at the Sarawak Forest Department's Excellent Service Award and Retirees Appreciation Ceremony in Kuching, where 93 officers received awards and 53 retiring officers were honoured.
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Kalimantan delegation to join Festival Gendang Sarawak for first time
Festival Gendang Sarawak will for the first time welcome a delegation from Kalimantan, alongside participants from Brunei, the state tourism minister said in Kuching. Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah also witnessed the handover of a mobile stage lorry from JKKN Sarawak to the Sarawak Arts Council at Baitulmakmur II.
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Kuching mooncake festival opens for 23rd year on Carpenter Street
The 23rd Kuching Inter-Cultural Mooncake Festival 2026 opened on Carpenter Street in Kuching on Sept 15. Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Snowdan Lawan said the festival has become part of Kuching's history and helps tourism, entrepreneurship and the creative economy. He said it gives Chinese, Malay, Dayak, Indian and other traders and visitors a space to meet and appreciate one another.
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IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition 2028
IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition 2028. 1 September to 5 September 2028, at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching.
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Sarawak targets full ePASS rollout to replace paper timber transfer passes by June 2027
Sarawak aims to fully enforce the Electronic Transfer Pass (ePASS) statewide by June 2027, replacing paper-based timber transfer passes with a traceable digital format. The system, developed under the Sarawak Timber and Forest Revenue Tracking System (REVLOG), was launched at the Sheraton Hotel in Kuching and will roll out in three phases starting January 2027 in Kapit, Sibu and Sarikei.
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Sarawak Forest Dept sets MBOR record with 31,260 saplings at Sabal reserve
Sarawak's Forest Department has been recognised by the Malaysia Book of Records after planting 31,260 saplings of 82 native IUCN Red List species at Sabal Forest Reserve within a year. Director Hamden Mohammad said the department also won the ASEAN Green Initiative award in Manila and a DBKU landscaping gold.
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Sabal Forest Reserve in Simunjan to hold open days on 6-7 November
Sabal Forest Reserve in Simunjan, Sarawak will host Sabal Open Days on 6-7 November 2026 with recreational activities including orienteering, paintball and food trucks. The Sarawak Forest Director said the programme also highlights the Healing Forest concept for physical and mental health. A RM65 million Sabal Complex under construction is expected to be completed by 2028.
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Wan Junaidi, Abang Johari attend Malaysia Day thanksgiving at Sarawak State Mosque
A thanksgiving ceremony for Sarawak's Malaysia Day 2026 celebration was held at Masjid Jamek Negeri Sarawak in Kuching tonight. Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar and Premier Abang Johari Tun Openg joined about a thousand worshippers. The programme included Maghrib prayers, Yasin recitation, zikir and a thanksgiving prayer.
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600 students from 64 institutions join Sarawak IC design challenge
More than 600 students from 64 institutions took part in the SMD IC Design Make-A-Thon in Sarawak this year. At a ceremony at CENTEXS in Santubong, the first chip designed by students through the SMD IC Design Competition 2025 was unveiled. The programme is part of the Sarawak Semiconductor Roadmap 2030 to build local talent for the state's semiconductor ecosystem.
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Abang Johari: Sarawak building rural roads to cut helicopter reliance
Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Tun Openg said the state is taking over former logging roads and building new ones, including in Baram and Bintulu, so rural communities can reach clinics without depending on helicopters. He spoke after officiating a semiconductor talent event at CENTEXS in Santubong, Kuching, and said the road network should be largely complete by 2030 to 2032.
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Sarawak to push into semiconductor front-end, says Abang Johari
Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Tun Openg said the state must move into the front-end of the semiconductor industry, developing its own chip designs and technology rather than focusing on back-end manufacturing. Speaking at the Sarawak Semiconductor Flagship Talent Development Ecosystem Ceremony at CENTEXS in Santubong, Kuching, he said the ambition includes space technology and AI applications, and will create demand for hundreds of engineers.
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JKKN Sarawak hands over mobile stage lorry to MSS in Kuching
JKKN Sarawak handed over a mobile stage lorry to the Sarawak Arts Council (MSS) at a ceremony in Kuching on Tuesday. Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said cooperation between the state and federal governments in arts and culture will continue to be strengthened, including programmes such as the Gendang Festival held during Sarawak Regatta.
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CENTEXS-SMD semiconductor mastery programme to be expanded nationwide
The CENTEXS-SMD Semiconductor Mastery Programme will be expanded nationwide with federal government and national industry support, Premier Abang Johari said at a ceremony at CENTEXS in Santubong, Kuching. He cited SMD's recent agreement with China's Linyang Energy Group and a planned industrial lab with UNIMAS as signs Sarawak's semiconductor ecosystem is maturing.
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Abang Johari: Sabah, Sarawak must hold one-third of parliamentary seats
Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Abang Openg said Sabah and Sarawak must hold one-third of total parliamentary seats if the number of Dewan Rakyat seats is increased. He said the ratio follows the Cobbold Commission and IGC reports and underpins claims under MA63, with boundary mapping left to the Election Commission. He spoke after officiating a semiconductor talent development ceremony at CENTEXS in Santubong, Kuching.
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Sarawak targets its own CubeSat satellite in orbit by 2030
Sarawak aims to launch a state-owned CubeSat satellite into low earth orbit by 2030 to obtain data from space. Premier Abang Johari Tun Openg said the data will feed a data centre in Sarawak to shape the state's economic and development strategy. He spoke at the Sarawak Semiconductor Flagship Programme at CENTEXS in Kuching.
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45 graduates of CENTEXS-SMD semiconductor programme land jobs
In Kuching, 45 graduates of the CENTEXS-SMD Semiconductor Mastery Programme have secured jobs in the semiconductor industry, including at SMD Semiconductor, Melexis and X-FAB. Local students also produced their first chip through the SMD IC Design Competition 2025, which drew over 60 participants from 16 institutions.
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Sarawak targets local chips for satellites and Mars mission
Sarawak aims to use chips designed by local talent and fabricated in the state for space technology, including low-earth-orbit satellites by 2030 and an engine for a Mars mission. Premier Abang Johari Tun Openg said this is part of efforts to master the semiconductor value chain, with the engineering team targeted to grow to 500 from about 40. He spoke at the Sarawak Semiconductor Flagship Programme at the Sarawak Technical Excellence Centre (CENTEXS) in Kuching.