Follow evacuation orders, Uggah advises residents in flood-prone areas in view of unpredictable weather conditions

KUCHING, Jan 1 2026: Residents in flood-prone areas are advised to strictly follow evacuation orders issued by the authorities to mitigate safety risks in view of the current unpredictable weather conditions.

Deputy Premier Douglas Uggah:  Continuous rain is forecast to occur over the next two to three days, coinciding with a predicted 'king tide' phenomenon between January 2 and 4

 
Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman Douglas Uggah Embas said that water levels can rise rapidly, stressing public cooperation is vital to ensure the protection of lives.

"Past experiences, such as the flooding in Bintulu, have demonstrated how dangerous the situation can become in a very short time," he said.

"As such, I appeal to the public and local leaders to provide their full cooperation to the relevant agencies to prevent any untoward incidents and to ensure the welfare of evacuees at Temporary Evacuation Centres (PPS) is maintained."

Uggah, who is also the Deputy Premier , was speaking to reporters after chairing the SDMC meeting at the Sarawak State Disaster Control Centre (SDCC) in Wisma Bapa Malaysia this afternoon.

According to him, the Malaysian Meteorological Department (METMalaysia) has forecast continuous rain over the next two to three days, which coinciding with a predicted 'king tide' phenomenon between  January 2 and 4, may further increase water levels, particularly in low-lying areas.

He said SDMC has directed all divisional and district committees to reassess their readiness, including the preparation of evacuation centres, with a specific focus on hygiene and basic facilities.

He added that the Social Welfare Department has prepared food supplies and essential equipment through established supply hubs and appointed contractors.

Additionally, the Sarawak State Health Department (JKNS) has been tasked with conducting health screenings and ensuring compliance with standard operating procedures (SOPs) at all centres.

To date, five Temporary Evacuation Centres have been opened in the Kuching area to house flood victims: Stapok Community Hall, Sinar Budi Baru Hall, Surau Ar-Rahman in Kampung Sungai Batu, Taman Malihah Hall, and Surau Nurul Najin in Kampung Darul Stapok.

Two dead, nine injured in a two-vehicle collision

LUBOK ANTU, Jan 1 2026: Two persons were killed in a road accident involving a 4WD vehicle and a car at Jalan Lubok Antu this afternoon.

Caption: A scene after the road crash involving a 4WD  vehicle and a car - Picture by Bomba 

The dead, a man and a woman, are passengers of the 4WD vehicle while five others suffered injuries.

However, two men and two women in a car, are also suffering injuries of various degrees.

Betong Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) station, in a statement, said it received an emergency call about 3.30pm from a member of the public.

It said upon arrival at the scene of the accident about 4.06pm, the operation commander Yusof Tamin reported that most of the victims had been successfully removed by the public before the arrival of the Bomba personnel.

“However, the commander acted to carry out an operation to remove an adult female victim who was still in the back seat of the car,” it said.

It added personnel from the Ministry of Health Malaysia (KKM) who was at the scene confirmed that two victims had died at the scene.

It said nine other victims suffered injuries and were handed over to the KKM for further action.

The Bomba unit also helped to send one victims to the hospital.

 

Five million arrivals target remains elusive, but Sarawak recorded a monthly average of over RM1 billion tourism revenue

KUCHING, Jan 1 2026: The target of five million visitors set by the state Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts for 2025 has remained elusive.

Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah: The state’s tourism revenue  recorded an average of more than RM1 billion per month throughout the first 11 months of 2025.
 

The minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said as of last November, about  4.4 million arrivals were recorded.

“Although the target of five million visitors was not achieved, it is still Sarawak’s best achievement so far,” he told reporters when met after launching  Visit Malaysia 2026 (TMM2026) at the International Arrivals Hall of Kuching International Airport (KIA) today.

He said the state’s tourism revenue  recorded an average of more than RM1 billion per month throughout the first 11 months of 2025.

Additionally, the state government will assess the end of 2025 performance before setting a visitor arrival target for 2026, with the benchmark of five million visitors remaining as the main target for the Sarawak tourism industry.

On TMM2026, Karim said the state will continue to support the national tourism agenda, in line with the country's efforts to increase visitor arrivals and tourism revenue.

He said that although TMM2026 is a federal initiative coordinated by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) and Tourism Malaysia, Sarawak remains committed to supporting its implementation.

“TMM2026 is an international-class tourism initiative. Although it is coordinated at the central level, Sarawak still provides support because we are one Malaysia and support the national agenda,” he said.

According to him, Malaysia is targeting 40 million visitors in 2025 and 43 million visitors in 2026.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim launched TMM2026 countdown festival celebration night at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur last night.