Over 40,000 take part in Miri City Christmas Parade

MIRI, Dec 7 2025: Over 40,000 participants from 16 different church denominations gathered at Miri Fan Recreation Park Saturday night for the 16th Miri City Christmas Parade 2025 as it continues to be a powerful manifestation of unity, harmony, and tolerance among the state’s diverse population of various races and religions.

Caption: Depuy Premier Douglas Uggah speaking before the start of the parade. 

The official ceremony was graced by Deputy Premier  Douglas Uggah Embas, representing Premier Abang Johari Openg.

According to Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas), the attendance of thousands of participants and spectators made this year's event one of the largest since the parade was first introduced in 2008.

In his text of speech Abang Johari , he emphasised that this year's parade reflected the crucial importance of peace, love, and harmony as the foundation of strength for the Sarawak community.

He praised the dedication of the Miri City Council and the local churches for making this event a meaningful tradition for 15 years.

“This parade is not merely a colourful celebration, but a symbol of the unity and communal spirit of the people of Miri, who celebrate diversity with mutual respect,” he said in his text of speech read by Uggah.

Miri City Mayor Adam Yii Siew Sang, who also served as the event’s co-chairman, asserted that the massive turnout this year demonstrated the commitment of the Christian community and the wider Miri public to preserving social harmony.

He added that this year’s edition was spearheaded by the Methodist Church Miri in close collaboration with the Miri City Council.

He also urged the community to embrace the values of love, hope, and reconciliation, in line with this year's theme, while continuing to ensure the parade serves as a platform for universal unity.

During the same ceremony, Uggah announced a special allocation from Sarawak Legislative Assembly Members totalling over RM145,000 to support the organisation of the Miri City Christmas Parade 2025.

This contribution underscores the state leaders’ agreement on promoting high-impact community events.

Six non-governmental organisations (NGOs) also received a grant of RM5,000 each. They are Wishesland Miri, Kenosis Women Centre, Sarawak Children’s Cancer Society (Miri), Prison Fellowship Malaysia, Human Life Service and Malaysia Christian Association for Relief.

This year's organisation once again beautifully showcased the spirit of "Unity in Diversity" — the enduring identity of Sarawak — where people of various races and faiths came together to celebrate Christmas in an atmosphere of harmony and mutual respect.

Unstoppable logging activities could cause devastating disasters in Upper Baram as what was happening in Sumatra, warns Abun Sui

MIRI, Dec 7 2025: Senator Abun Sui Anyit has urged the state government to  protect native customary rights (NCR) land and stop logging activities in Upper Baram to prevent devastating disasters as what were happening in Sumatra recently.

Senator Abun Sui Anyit: The upper river regions serve as nature’s first line of defence — regulating water flow, preventing deadly floods, and keeping our soil intact.  

He said what was happening in Sumatra recently stood as a powerful warning that when nature is pushed beyond its limits, it will push back with unimaginable force.

“Three major catastrophes in recent years to hit Sumatra — each wiping out villages, claiming many lives, and displacing thousands — must serve as a lesson for us in Sarawak,” Abun, who is also PKR Hulu Rajang branch chairman, said in a statement.

 He said the recent floods and landslides in Sumatra caused by monsoon rains and tropical storms had triggered deadly mudflows and widespread destruction across North Sumatra, Aceh and West Sumatra.

He recalled that violent floodwaters and landslides engulfed homes, forcing entire communities to flee, last year.

He said torrential rainfall caused by a tropical cyclone submerged villages, destroyed infrastructure and resulted in significant loss of life, described as a “second tsunami” by local leaders.

“All these tragedies share a common root cause, that is, the destruction of upper watershed ecosystems and uncontrolled deforestation,” Abun, who is also the PKR NCR land bureau chairman, said.

He  said he stands with the indigenous communities of Sarawak to say clearly and firmly that “we cannot wait for Sarawak to suffer the same fate as in Sumatra”.

“The upper river regions serve as nature’s first line of defence — regulating water flow, preventing deadly floods, and keeping our soil intact.

“Trees absorb heavy rainfall and stabilise riverbanks. When these natural guardians are removed through uncontrolled logging, rivers swell uncontrollably, landslides increase, and lives are put at risk,” he warned.

He said he is deeply concerned about ongoing logging activities by certain companies in Sarawak’s upper river areas.

He said the degradation of these critical watersheds not only threatens the environment but also gravely undermines the rights and livelihoods of Indigenous peoples.

“We must respect NCR land not merely as legal rights, but as rights of life itself,” he said, adding that indigenous communities depend entirely on the forest and rivers — for food, water, medicine, culture and the future of their children.

“The forests are their marketplace; the rivers are their highway; the lands are their identities and souls.

“If these are destroyed, so too are their livelihood, their dignities and their heritage as guardians of the lands for generations,” Abun said.

He urged the state government to immediately halt all logging activities by companies in the upper river regions of Sarawak and enforce real and uncompromising protection of NCR land.

“This is not only an indigenous issue. It is a Sarawak issue, because when catastrophic floods occur, the water does not choose its victims.

“We must not wait until houses are swept away, children become victims, villages disappear overnight and lives are lost before we finally open our eyes,” he said.

He said actions must be taken today, not tomorrow.

“I call on all community leaders, non-governmental organisations , civil society groups, and the people of Sarawak to unite in safeguarding our land, our rivers, and our forests.

“For the safety of our state, our collective identity and the generations growing up today and those yet to be born.

“If we fail today, our grandchildren will one day ask us why did you allow everything to be destroyed?"

“We must ensure that they never have to ask that question,” Abun stressed.

Earth movement, riverbank's erosion create fear among Kampung Sungai Tutoh residents

MIRI, Dec 7 2025: The residents of Kampung  Kuala Tutoh have expressed concern that the earth movement and erosion of Sungai Baram's bank are threatening their safety  and that of their houses.

Caption: Mulu State Legislative Member Gerawat Gala says RM700,000 has been channeled to build mitigation project

According to them, the continuous movement and erosion have caused significant cracks in the longhouse structure, making the situation increasingly critical and a high risk, especially to the safety of families living in the area.

The results of technical studies by the Malaysian Geoscience Department and the state Public Works Department (JKR) found that the soil structure in the area contains active groundwater, causing the river bank’s erosion to occur in stages and is difficult to control with normal methods.

Following the latest technical assessment results, residents are advised to move to new, safer settlements.

Deputy Minister in the Premier's Department (Labour, Immigration and Project Monitoring) and Mulu State Legislative Member (SLM) Gerawat Gala said his side had taken early action by contacting the relevant agencies as soon as the issue was reported.

"As a result of the action, an initial mitigation project in the form of the construction of a dam worth almost RM700,000 was implemented.

“However, the measure is only temporary and cannot fully curb the land movement that is still active," he said at a dialogue session and thanksgiving prayer at Kampung Kuala Tutoh yesterday.

However, efforts to build a replacement longhouse have yet to be realised as the application is under the Government Disaster Fund have not been approved yet due a strict assessment procedure.

While awaiting the government's decision, Gerawat also suggested that affected residents consider applying for a housing loan through the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) as down payment for the construction of temporary or new homes in safer areas.

Two 5-year old children, reported missing yesterday from their village, have been found safe

KUCHING, Dec 7 2025: Two five-year old children, who were reported missing from Kampung Pasir Pandak yesterday morning, have been found safe near the beach, about one kilometre from the research and rescue (S&R) operation base.

Caption: A father carrying his daughter, who was found safe this morning.  

A statement from Petrajaya Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) said they were found by the villagers involved in the search and rescue operations at Batu Gelingan beach  about 9.05am this morning.

“They have been taken to the Sarawak General Hospital by an ambulance for medical examination,” the statement said.

The statement said Petrajaya Bomba station was informed of the missing children yesterday by one of the parents.

The two children were last seen about 9am yesterday walking towards the house of their grandparents, which is about 50 metres from their house, as they wanted to play with their cousins.

“At about 11am, a father to one of them realised that the two children were not at the place where they were supposed to  be with their cousins,” the statement said.

The family members then began the search for the two around the kampung areas, but failed to locate them.

“By 4pm, the parents, together with the villagers, widened their search, but still failed to look for any clue of their whereabouts, ” the statement said.

The statement said a police report was lodged about 6pm to get assistance from the relevant authorities to search the two children.