About 2,700 kilometres of logging roads in Baram interior identified by state government for take over and improvement

KUCHING, May 13 2026: Approximately 2,700 kilometres of logging roads in Baram interior have been identified by the state government for take over and improvement, Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Labour, Immigration and Project Monitoring) Gerawat Gala revealed.

 

Caption: Premier Abang Johari Openg (seated, centre) with the Orang Ulu community leaders

He said the logging roads have been serving as vital access routes for residents in remote areas.

He said the move will enable the roads to be maintained, repaired and upgraded in phases using MARRIS (Sistem Maklumat Rekod-Rekod Jalan Raya Malaysia) funds allocated by the federal government.

“We are deeply grateful when the premier informed us that the Sarawak government has decided to take over all logging roads in the state involving more than 7,000 kilometres.

“Of that total, 2,700 kilometres are located in the Baram Division. Once these roads are gazetted as state roads, we become eligible to receive MARRIS funding for phased maintenance, repairs and upgrading works,” he said.

He said this after leading a courtesy visit involving 27 Orang Ulu community leaders and village chiefs from several sub-districts in Baram together with the Sarawak Kelabit Association on Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Openg at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (SLA) complex today.

At the same time, Gerawat said the communities also conveyed their appreciation to the Premier of Sarawak and the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) Government for various development initiatives implemented in Bario, including 24-hour electricity supply, telecommunications and internet connectivity, as well as clean water supply.

He added that among the key requests submitted to the Sarawak Premier was the upgrading of the logging road stretching from Lapok Town to Bario, which connects more than 100 longhouses in the interior.

In addition, the Kelabit community also appealed for the enhancing of the Bario rice industry through modernisation and mechanisation to enhance production output of the specialty rice, which is still largely cultivated using traditional methods.

The Mulu Assemblyman said the premier also shared several modern approaches currently being implemented in paddy cultivation projects elsewhere in Sarawak that have significantly increased production yields.

At the same time, the Kelabit community also submitted a request for the creation of a Temenggong position for the Kelabit community, similar to other Orang Ulu minority communities including the Lun Bawang, Bisaya and Penan communities.

 

 

 

Baru urges state government to document indigenous data for communities whose languages are critically endangered

KUCHING, May 13 2026: The state government, through the Sarawak Artificial Intelligence Centre (SAIC), has been urged to work closely with indigenous communities and subject-matter experts, to begin systematically documenting and digitising indigenous data, particularly for communities whose languages are critically endangered.

Caption: Ba'Kelalan SLM Baru Bian says that Sarawak has the potential to become a global centre for research into indigenous customs, cultures and languages 

Ba’Kelalan state legislative member (SLM) Baru Bian said with the extraordinary diversity of indigenous communities, Sarawak has the potential to become a global centre for research into indigenous customs, cultures and languages.

He noted that Governor Tun Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar at the opening of the state assembly sitting on Monday had rightly emphasized that Sarawak’s ethnic diversity, languages, customs and ways of life must be preserved and documented amid rapid modernization and tourism development.

He said he is aware that the Sarawak Consultation on Indigenous Data for the UN Data Governance Submission was convened, bringing together local and international experts in areas ranging from adat to artificial intelligence.

 “The consultation recognized that while Sarawak has made significant progress under the Sarawak Digital Economy Strategy and the Post-Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030, one critical area remains underdeveloped — Indigenous Data Governance,” he added.

He noted that the Indigenous Data Governance recognizes the rights of indigenous communities to own, control, access and govern data relating to their peoples, knowledge systems, customs, territories and resources, consistent with the principles enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

He said the “indigenous data” includes any information, in any format, concerning indigenous peoples, including their languages, cultural practices, genetic data, environments and traditional knowledge.

“However, before such rights can be effectively protected, the data itself must first be documented and preserved.

“The United Nations General Assembly published a study on The Right of Indigenous Peoples to Data, including Data Collection and Disaggregation.

“The study noted that artificial intelligence technologies, including machine learning and natural language processing, can assist in preserving indigenous languages, oral histories and cultural practices.

“At the same time, it cautioned that all digitization efforts must respect indigenous peoples’ rights to self-determination, free prior and informed consent (FPIC), participation in decision-making, privacy, and intellectual property,” he said.

 

 

 

"State government intensifying efforts to expedite resolutions on outstanding issues under MA63"

KUCHING, May 13 2026: Deputy Minister of Law, Malaysia Agreement 1963 and State-Federal Relations Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali said that the Sarawak government has always intensified efforts to expedite the resolution of outstanding issues under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) through a structured and continuous negotiation approach with the federal government. 

Caption: Deputy Minister Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali says that the state government is prioritisng core issues of MA63 

She said among the main efforts are active involvement in the MA63 Implementation Action Council (MTPMA63) as well as technical and parent committees to ensure that each issue is discussed regularly and monitored periodically.

“The state government is also prioritising core issues of MA63 such as state financial rights, administrative autonomy, and increasing parliamentary seats to ensure that solutions are made in a focused and effective manner,” she said when replying to questions from Tamin state legislative member (SLM) Christopher Gira Sambang.

She added the state government is also strengthening the monitoring mechanism for the implementation of MA63 through a structured monitoring system to ensure that each negotiation decision is followed by clear follow-up actions.

She said state government is making effort to coordinate the state and federal agencies to expedite the implementation of agreed decisions.

”The use of a phased implementation approach to ensure that complex issues can be resolved in an orderly and effective manner.

“Currently, the resolution of outstanding issues of MA63 requires continuous scrutiny as it involves various aspects of legislation, policies and the consent of various parties.

“However, the Sarawak government will remain committed to implementing a constructive negotiation approach through existing platforms to ensure that all MA63 issues can be resolved progressively and thoroughly,” she added.