What's happening around you
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Haze fails to dampen Borderland Music Festival 2026 in Kuching
The Borderland Music Festival 2026 in Kuching went ahead despite hazy skies, with attendees saying their excitement outweighed concerns over air quality. Several festival-goers, including Fizul, Khairul, Magdline Melai and Mary Remaya Nasat, said they took precautions while monitoring the haze. They described the event as a chance to enjoy live music and make memories with friends.
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Lo Khere Chiang sets up Neighborhood Watch for Batu 6 residents
Residents of Batu 6 in Kuching are being urged to join a Neighborhood Watch group with police, RELA and community leaders to improve security. Batu Kitang assemblyman Datuk Lo Khere Chiang said the group lets neighbours alert each other and authorities about suspicious activity without confronting intruders. The initiative was announced at a community dialogue at Choon Foh Kopitiam in Capital Garden.
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Hamzah Brahim backs EC Sarawak boundary review despite Stakan polling district changes
Stakan assemblyman Datuk Hamzah Brahim said he supports the Election Commission's electoral boundary review even though several polling districts under his area will move to the proposed N23 Samarindah seat. He spoke to reporters at the DUN N17 Stakan Community Fire Programme in Kota Samarahan. The review, gazetted on Sept 1, would raise Sarawak's DUN seats from 82 to 99, with public objections open until Sept 30.
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Serian API hits 236, very unhealthy level
The Serian District Police Headquarters area in Sarawak recorded an API reading of 236 as of 4pm, a very unhealthy level. Four other Sarawak areas were also unhealthy: Sri Aman 199, Samarahan 179, Kuching 174 and Sarikei 115. Another 50 areas nationwide were at moderate levels.
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Hamzah: 17 new Sarawak DUN seats will not change GPS service commitment
Stakan assemblyman Datuk Hamzah Brahim said the proposed creation of 17 new Sarawak state seats, including Samarindah, will not affect Gabungan Parti Sarawak's commitment to serving Sarawakians. He spoke to reporters after officiating a community firefighter programme at Dewan Perpaduan Stakan in Taman Samarindah, Kota Samarahan, on Sept 12. The Election Commission began a public display of the proposed seats on Sept 1.
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Stakan assemblyman wants every JKKK to keep fire extinguishers
Stakan assemblyman Datuk Hamzah Brahim has proposed that every Village Development and Security Committee in his constituency be required to keep fire extinguishers at designated spots. Speaking after the Bomba community programme at Dewan Perpaduan Stakan in Taman Samarindah, he said JKKK annual allocations could be diverted from less urgent activities to buy the equipment. He noted there are about 18 JKKKs in the densely populated constituency.
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Kuching retail outlet fire put out after 11 hours
A fire at a retail chain near Jalan Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce in Kuching was fully extinguished at 2.54pm today after burning for about 11 hours. The blaze destroyed the first floor and severely damaged the second floor of the building. Four people were involved but reported safe, and the cause and losses are still under investigation.
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Kuching businesses gear up for Malaysia Day celebration
Businesses in Kuching are preparing for increased demand ahead of the national-level Malaysia Day celebration on Sept 16. Hotels, beauty services and event operators are adjusting operations and rolling out promotions, with Hotel Grand Continental Kuching offering rooms from RM159 per night and a Malaysia-themed hi-tea buffet.
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Sarawak parents, teachers split over school reopening as haze persists
Parents and teachers in Sarawak are divided over schools reopening next Monday while haze keeps air quality at unhealthy levels. Three stations recorded very unhealthy API readings on Saturday, including Serian at 236, Lundu at 202 and Lubok Antu at 218. Chung Hua Batu 35 in Serian was closed a month ago because of the haze.
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Man arrested over cable theft on Jalan Tun Datuk Patinggi Abang Haji Muhammad Salahuddin, tests positive for drugs
A 37-year-old man was arrested in Kampung Bintawa Ulu, Kuching, after he was suspected of stealing cable on Jalan Tun Datuk Patinggi Abang Haji Muhammad Salahuddin. The Kuching district police chief said the suspect has five prior criminal records and tested positive for drugs, and the case is being investigated under Section 431A of the Penal Code.
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Haze forces Kuching tourists to cut back outdoor plans
Haze over Kuching is disrupting tourists' itineraries, with poor visibility forcing visitors to drop outdoor activities such as jogging and sunset-watching at Santubong Beach. Visitors from Johor Bahru, Pahang and Italy described mixed experiences, with one reporting a sore throat. Most said they would still return to Kuching once the haze clears.
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Uggah: Efficient administration key to delivering Sarawak policies
Sarawak Deputy Premier Douglas Uggah Embas said the state government's ability to deliver policies and aid depends on efficient administrative machinery at every level. Speaking at the PRN Mambong Administrative Machinery Workshop at the Biperoh Association Hall in Padawan on Sept 11, he urged communities to make full use of government facilities and reaffirmed Sarawak's commitment to its rights under MA63.
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Doctor recalls 24 hours awake, two-hour Ambu bag flight to Kuching
A doctor has shared how nine years ago she manually ventilated a critically ill baby with an Ambu bag for two hours on a helicopter flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching after being awake for more than 24 hours. She said the memory has taken on new meaning after a recent helicopter crash that killed fellow healthcare workers.
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Fire destroys first floor of retail chain near Jalan Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce in Kuching
A fire broke out early Saturday morning at a retail chain near Jalan Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce in Kuching, Sarawak. The first floor was completely destroyed and the second floor severely damaged, with no victims reported. Firefighters from Batu Lintang and Tabuan Jaya stations brought the blaze under control by about 5.18am.
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Dr Sim launches Nan Qiao Ji Gong memorial at Palmarium Park, Kuching
A memorial honouring the Nan Qiao Ji Gong - overseas Chinese volunteers, including over 100 from Sarawak, who drove trucks on the Burma Road during World War Two - was launched at Palmarium Park near the MBKS headquarters in Kuching on Friday night. Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said Sarawak's 80 years of peace and stability were built on earlier generations' sacrifices and must not be taken for granted. China's Consul-General in Kuching, Xing Weiping, also spoke at the event.
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Sagah: Sarawak must turn resources into innovation
Sarawak Education, Innovation and Talent Development Minister Datuk Seri Roland Sagah Wee Inn said the state must convert its research, biodiversity and natural resources into new industries and commercial opportunities. Speaking at the closing of the Sarawak SHInE International Conference 2026 at Imperial Hotel in Kuching on Friday, he cited the Sarawak Bioeconomy Roadmap as a key step linking research to industry.
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Sarawak youths hand haze memo to Indonesian consulate in Kuching
Two Sarawakian youths submitted a memorandum to the Indonesian Consulate-General in Kuching on Friday, seeking information on transboundary haze from Kalimantan fires. The consulate said Indonesia has deployed 43,951 personnel and 55 aircraft to fight fires in six priority provinces, with 77,080 hectares extinguished as of Sept 10.
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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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Cloud seeding only short-term relief for Sarawak haze, says researcher
A researcher at Danau Girang Field Centre says cloud seeding can only give short-term relief from Sarawak's worsening haze and cannot fix the root causes of recurring fires. She points to peatland drainage, weak fire prevention and land management as the deeper problems, while Sarawak seeks more cloud seeding to refill dams ahead of hotter weather in October.
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SGH Kuching gives East Malaysia's first targeted prostate cancer therapy
Sarawak General Hospital in Kuching administered East Malaysia's first targeted radionuclide therapy for advanced prostate cancer on Aug 27, using Lu-177 PSMA-617. The hospital says the treatment saves patients in Sarawak and the wider region from flying to Peninsular Malaysia for advanced cancer care.
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Serian records API 220, only 'very unhealthy' area in Malaysia
Serian in Sarawak recorded an Air Pollutant Index (API) reading of 220 as of 5pm, the only area in Malaysia in the 'very unhealthy' category. Fifteen other stations recorded unhealthy readings, including Tebedu (199), Lubok Antu (198) and Lundu (197), attributed to dry weather in southern Asean and hotspots in Kalimantan and Sumatra.
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Kuching marks 81st anniversary of Sarawak's liberation from Japanese occupation
A wreath-laying ceremony was held at the Sarawak World War II Liberation Monument near Pending Hawker Centre in Kuching on Sept 11, marking the date Sarawak was liberated from Japanese occupation in 1945. MBKS mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng paid tribute to soldiers, prisoners of war and civilians who suffered, and urged Kuchingites to remember the monument as where peace began in Sarawak.
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Sarawak Bioeconomy Roadmap launched in Kuching
Sarawak launched its Bioeconomy Roadmap at the close of the Sarawak SHInE International Conference 2026 at Imperial Hotel, Kuching. State Minister Roland Sagah Wee Inn said the roadmap, developed with SRDC and BioVerde Technologies, aims to strengthen industry-research links and speed up commercialisation. Premier Abang Johari Tun Openg announced it at the conference opening the day before.
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Kuching man jailed 11 months for assaulting wife by roadside
A 37-year-old man in Kuching was sentenced to 11 months in jail after pleading guilty to assaulting his wife, whom he suspected of infidelity. The attack happened by the roadside near Kampung Tabuan Melayu at about 6.30pm on Jan 31, and the victim suffered soft tissue injuries to her neck, chest and wrist.