Baru Bian vows to take legal actions against anyone who publishes defamatory statements against him

KUCHING, March 26 2026: Ba’Kelalan State Legislative Member (SLM) Baru Bian (picture) said he intends to take all necessary steps, including the commencement of legal proceedings, against the person(s) responsible for the publication of the defamatory

 statements against him. 

He referred to a post published on the Facebook page of account holder “Kam Agong Lawas Sarawak” yesterday which contains allegations that he, together with Deputy Premier Awang Tengah Ali Hasan and Member of Parliament for Lawas Henry Sum Agong, are involved in drug-related activities and corruption in Lawas.

“These allegations were subsequently republished and broadcast on Berita 7.57 on the same day,” Baru, who is Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) vice president, said in a statement.

“The individual responsible for this Facebook page has made numerous similar postings in the past. “However, this latest allegation crosses a serious line,” he said, stressing that the claims are entirely baseless, malicious, and clearly intended to damage his credibility and reputation as the SLM for Ba’Kelalan.

“The statements made by this person are false, defamatory, and constitute a serious attack on my character and integrity,” Baru, a lawyer, said.

“They appear to have been made with malice and with the clear intention of bringing me into public disrepute,” he added.

 

Firefighters deploying helicopter to water bomb the bushfires

TATAU,  March 26 2026:  Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) has resorted to deploying helicopter in the efforts to put off the bushfires  that have spread to over 8 hectares of secondary jungle in Kuala Tatau Serupai here.

Caption: An helicopter ferry a bucket of water to be dropped on the fire spots 

Firefighters have so far extinguished the bushfire involving an area of 3 hectares since it started last Monday.

According to Tatau Bomba, the fire is now threatening to spread to the farms of the villagers in Kuala Tatau Serupai.

The villages, however, are not in immediate danger as the bushfires are far away.

The fire is believed to have started about 4pm on March 23.

Due to the current dry season, the bushfires grows bigger and spread to wider area.

According to Tatau Bomba, Miri Fire Brigade Air Unit arrived at the location at about 11am to help extinguish the forest fire due to the location not having sufficient open water sources for personnel to prevent the fire from spreading.

 A total of 15 extinguishing operations using the 'Water-Bombing' method have been carried out by the Miri Fire Brigade Air Unit in several fire spots at the location in the morning.

Currently, the operations by the Air Unit are still being carried out.

At 2pm, the operations Commander reported that the Miri Fire Brigade Air Unit has carried out 30 'Water-Bombing' Operations by taking water sources from seawater and now the Miri Fire Brigade Air Unit has gone to Bintulu Airport to refuel.

It was also reported that the area of the forest that has burned has increased to 8 hectares and the extinguishing so far carried out by Fire Brigade personnel has extinguished 3 hectares of the total burned area.

Woman, two stepchildren escape in nick of time from their burning house in Daro

DARO, March 26 2026: A woman and her two stepchildren escaped in the nick of time when an early morning fire completely destroyed their house at Kampung Semop today.

Caption: The fire at its peak - Photo by Bomba

Daro Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba), in a statement, said it received a call about 4.40am, informing that a fire was engulfing the wooden house.

“The operations commander Ladi bin Musa reported that the fire involved a PPRT house of non-permanent structure which was completely destroyed.

The fire also completely destroyed a bird's nest house,” the department said.

The fire was successfully controlled from spreading to a neighboring house and only affected the kitchen area by about 5 per cent due to the damage.

The department said at the time of the incident, the occupants in the house, a woman, 38, with her two stepchildren -  a boy,17, and a girl,13, - managed to get out to save themselves,” the department said.

The woman’s husband was said to have gone out to work.

The cause and amount of losses are still under investigation.