Couple killed in a fire that destroys the oil palm plantation workers' quarters in Baram this morning

MIRI, Jan 18 2026: A couple was killed in a fire that destroyed an oil palm plantation workers’ quarters in Baram this morning.

Caption: Firemen from Lopeng station collecting the remains of the couple killed in a fire in Baram - Picture Lopeng Bomba station 

The charred remains of the couple were uncovered after the fire has been extinguished.

In a statement, Lopeng Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) station said the fire involved a single-storey, 1-block, 2-door wooden quarter structure  which was completely razed to the ground.

“Unit A was occupied by the couple while unit B, occupied by five adults and a child and they managed to escape before the fire engulfed the building,” the statement said.

It said that the initial extinguishing was carried out by the plantation workers using 30 A.P.A units and three water pump units. 

“The fire brigade arrived at the location only to monitor the area around the incident and handed over the remains of the victims to the police for further action.

“After finding the situation safe and there was no possibility of the fire re-igniting, the firemen left for the station,” the statement said.

It said Lopeng station received a call about 6am and the firemen in one engine arrived at the scene, a  distance of 40km, about 8.20am.

By then the workers’ quarters  have already been completely gutted.

One killed, another seriously injured when car skids and plunges into 30-foot deep ditch

KUCHING, Jan 18 2026: A 51-year old man was killed while a 23-year old man was seriously injured when a car they were in skidded and plunged into a 30-foot deep ditch at Batu 8, Jalan Penrissen late last night.

Caption: The car that skidded and plunged into a 30-foot ditch- Picture by Kota Sentosa Bomba 

A spokesman of Kota Sentosa Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) station said the two victims were thrown out of the vehicle due to the impact of accident.

“After checking the status of the victims, it was found that 23-year old first victim was conscious and injured and was taken by the Ministry of Health (MoH) Sentosa Ambulance to the Sarawak General Hospital while the 51-year old victim was confirmed dead by the MoH officials,” the spokesman said in a statement.

He said Kota Sentosa Bomba station received a call about the accident at about 11.35pm last night.

He said a team from the station arrived at the scene of the accident, a distance of about 4km, seven minutes later.

The team returned to the station at 1.10am on Jan 18.

Officers of the Sarawak Education Department paying their last respects to the late Cikgu Andy Roy and Angelin Kibin

SIMANGGANG, Jan 17 2026: Officers of the Sarawak Education Department paid their last respects to the late Cikgu Andy Roy anak Junran, headmaster of SK Sbangki, Lubok Antu, and his wife the late Angelin Kibin, a nurse at the Sri Aman Hospital.

Caption: State Education director Omar Mahli (left) led a delegation from the department paying their last respects to the late Cikgu Andy Roy and his wife Angelin Kibin  - picture by the Sarawak Education Department 

Among those who paid their last respect was state Education director Omar Mahli who conveyed their deepest condolences and moral support to the family of Cikgu Andy and Angelin.

Also present were representatives from the Lubok Antu District Education Office, Sri Aman District Education Office, and the Malaysian Association of Headmasters Sarawak Lubok Antu Branch.

In his speech, Omar expressed his highest appreciation for the services and contributions of the late Cikgu Andy who had devoted himself with full dedication in leading SK Sbangki and fighting for educational excellence in the rural areas.

He also described the passing of the deceased as a great loss to the Sarawak education.

“The Sarawak education community is deeply saddened by the passing of a school leader who was of integrity, dedication and always prioritised the welfare of students and teachers.

“His services will always be remembered,” he was quoted as saying by Sarawak Education Department.

He also expressed his condolences to the family of the late Angelin Kibin, who had served with full commitment as a nurse at Sri Aman Hospital, contributing tirelessly to the community.

The last respects ceremony was held in an orderly manner, accompanied by prayers and words of encouragement to family members to continue to endure the ordeal of losing their loved ones.

Omar also conveyed messages from Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek and conveyed sincere contributions from the education community to the heirs of the deceased.

Yesterday, Sarawak Police Commissioner Mohamad Zainal Abdullah confirmed that the deaths of Cikgu Andy and his wife  were due to stab wounds.

He said the male victim was stabbed 11 times on the chest and neck while his wife was stabbed on the neck.

In a statement, he said the cause of death of the male victim was due to the “neck and chest injuries  due to the stab wounds.”

He said the cause of death to the female victim was due to “neck injury due to the stab wound”.

The police chief said a post mortem was conducted on the two victims by the pathologists from the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) yesterday.

On  Jan 14, Cikgu Andy and Angelin were found dead with serious bodily injuries at their home in Taman Mutiara, Jalan Brayun, in Simanggang.

The police received information from a member of the public regarding the discovery of the couple unconscious at 6.55am.

Leadership renewal is key challenge in Sarawak DAP, says James Chin

KUCHING, Jan 17 2026: Political scientist Professor James Chin (picture) of Tasmania University has suggested that a leadership renewal is a key challenge in Sarawak DAP’s bid to win more seats in the coming Sarawak state election.

Quoted by news portal Free Malaysia Today, Chin said veteran figures such as Pending assemblyman Violet Yong and state opposition leader Chong Chieng Jen, have been around for a “long time”.

Yong first won the Pending state seat in May 2006 and successfully defended it in the 2011, 2016, and 2021 state elections.

Chong was elected as the Kota Sentosa assemblyman in 2006 and served until December 2021, before moving on to represent the Padungan state constituency.

“The biggest problem facing Sarawak DAP is probably the lack of new talent,” Chin was quoted as saying by told FMT.

“Unless they can bring in young candidates, they may be at a disadvantage,” he added.

Last week, Yong said DAP must add to its two state seats in the next Sarawak election to serve as a stronger check and balance against the state government.

The Sarawak DAP organising secretary said DAP’s current representation was not enough to effectively serve as an opposition to the GPS government, which holds 80 of the 82 seats in the state assembly.

Meanwhile, political analyst Professor Awang Azman Awang Pawi has expressed his doubt over Sarawak DAP’s prospects of winning more seats in the next state election, saying its slogan of serving as a stronger check-and-balance to the Gabungan Parti Sarawak-led government may not resonate with voters.

Awang Azman of Universiti Malaya said Sarawakian voters are traditionally pragmatic and evaluate parties based on their ability to deliver development, their longevity in government, their capacity to maintain political stability, and their ability to protect the state’s rights.

“Without concrete policy suggestions and a deep grassroots approach, ‘check-and-balance’ risks being seen as mere urban elite rhetoric,” he told FMT.

“Sarawak politics is still heavily influenced by local factors, candidate personalities, local parties, community sentiment, grassroots networks, and the ability to deliver development outcomes — with GPS holding a clear advantage.”

Awang Azman said Sarawak DAP can only expect to gain a foothold in certain urban or semi-urban areas with multiracial voters, higher education levels, and concern for governance issues.

He said the main obstacle for Sarawak DAP is not just GPS’s strong performance as the ruling coalition, but the increasingly entrenched “Sarawak-first” sentiment.

In this context, any party perceived as too “Malaya-centric” or overly reliant on national narratives will face difficulties, he said.

“While this sentiment is not outrightly anti-Malaya, it requires high sensitivity to Sarawak’s autonomy, MA63, and a political approach truly focused on local interests,” he said.

“This is a major challenge for Sarawak DAP, which still struggles to convince some rural voters and both Muslim and non-Muslim Bumiputera that it is a long-established Sarawak party, not merely a branch of a national party.”