Take immediate action to ban vaping as there are concerns it is linked to synthetic drug abuse, social activist tells Ministry of Health

KUCHING, June 12 2026: Social activist Voon Shiak Ni has urged the Ministry of Health (MoH) to take immediate action to ban vaping as there are rising concerns over youth vaping.

 Caption: Social activist Voon Shiak Ni says young people may be exposed to addictive drugs without fully understanding the risks. 

She said there are concerns that vaping is linked to synthetic drug abuse, such as  drug “ piu - piu” which is a mixture of vape liquids.

“It is sold in cheap disposable pods which are easy to store and heavily marketed to youths on social media,” Voon, who is also a human rights lawyer, said in a statement.

“ As the drugs is easily accessible , the call to ban vaping must be acted upon immediately as it is becoming a serious threat to public safety and must be treated with the highest level of concern,” she stressed.

She added drug-laced vape products create an additional danger because users may not know what substances they are inhaling.

As such, she said young people may be exposed to addictive drugs without fully understanding the risks.

Voon said vape should never become a new channel for drug distribution, especially among young people.

“It is common public knowledge that drug abuse has been repeatedly linked to serious social problems, including impaired driving, fatal road accidents, violence and other criminal activities.

“ A person under the influence of drugs may experience poor judgment, reduced concentration, aggression and slower reaction time, putting innocent lives at risk,” she said.

She suspected that fatal road accidents could be one of the reasons  linked to drug-impaired driving .

“There have been cases reported by enforcement authorities where drivers involved in fatal road accidents were found to have tested positive for substances such as methamphetamine (syabu), cannabis and other drugs.

“Such cases highlight the danger of individuals operating vehicles while their ability to react and make safe decisions is affected,” she said.

Citing an example, she said a fatal accident linked to drug abuse occurred in Klang that took the life of a young father, a delivery rider in Klang in March this year.

Voon also cited another example where a fatal road accident in Kampar took the life of a 10-yeat old boy and injured three other persons last month.

She added the driver was said to be under the influence of drugs.

Voon also said many cases of robberies, burglaries and other violent crimes could be linked to drud addicts.

Firemen called to help remove the body of an obese man who have died inside his room

SIBU, June 12 2026: Firemen from Sibu Jaya station were called to help remove the body of an obese person who was found dead inside a room of his house at Sibu Jaya this morning. 

Caption: Firemen and policemen removing the body of the obese man to the waiting truck

The man was confirmed dead by the Ministry of Health (MoH) paramedics at the scene.

Sibu Jaya station, in a statement, said it received a call from the police at about 7.25am, seeking its assistance to lift the body of the 59-year old man to the waiting police truck.

The station said the firemen and the police successfully lift the body to the truck which took it to the Sibu General Hospital for further action.

After ensuring that the situation at the location was completely safe and under control, the firemen returned to the station.

The man and his family live at Taman Pearl Evenue, Sibu Jaya.

State Financial Secretary explains transforming State-owned Enterprises is to ensure Sarawak achieves its development aspirations, economic targets

KUCHING, June 11 2026: The transformation of the State-owned Enterprises  (SoEs) is an important element in ensuring that Sarawak achieves its development aspirations and economic targets set by 2030.

Financial Secretary Wan Lizozman Wan Omar (picture) said that statutory bodies and SoEs play a major role in driving the state's development through the infrastructure, investment, transportation, digital transformation and social development sectors.

According to him, the state government through the Office of the State Financial Secretary has implemented various initiatives to strengthen the governance, performance and long-term sustainability of SoEs.

"As Sarawak moves towards realising its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) target of RM282 billion by 2030, the role of statutory bodies and SOEs is not only important, but also indispensable.

"These entities are not just implementers of government policies, but rather function as growth drivers that drive state development encompassing infrastructure development, investment, transportation, digital transformation and social development.

“The aspirations by 2030 can only be realised if these institutions and the people who lead them are prepared to face the challenges ahead.

“To ensure that SoEs remain relevant and have a significant impact, they need to continue to grow and transform continuously and decisively,” he said.

He said this when speaking at the ‘Sarawak SoEs Transformation Programme: A Pledge for Good Governance, High Performance and Value Creation' programme here, on Thursday.

The programme was officiated by Premier Abang Johari Openg.

He added that the results of the study found that several SoEs were facing challenges such as dependence on government grants, limited income, less productive assets and constraints in financing development expenditure.

In this regard, a transformation framework was introduced by focusing on cost optimisation, increased revenue and business model improvements to strengthen financial sustainability and organisational performance.

He also stressed that strong governance, effective risk management, the use of digital technology and credible leadership were among the important elements in ensuring the success of the transformation.

Sarawak government loan balances are projected to decline to RM1.7 billion by 2030, says premier

KUCHING, June 11, 2026: Premier Abang Johari Openg has projected that the existing state government loan balances are projected to decline significantly to approximately RM1.7 billion by 2030 through stronger financial performance and loan restructuring initiatives.

Caption: Premier Abang Johari Openg says stronger SOEs would ultimately create greater value not only for themselves but also for the state and the people they serve.

He stressed that dividend contributions from commercial government-linked companies (GLCs) are expected to be more than double as  profitability improves.

“These outcomes will strengthen both the financial sustainability of our SOEs and the fiscal position of the State, creating greater capacity to invest in future development priorities,” he said when officiating at the Sarawak SOEs Transformation Programme: A Pledge for Good Governance, High Performance and Value Creation today.

Abang Johari said stronger SOEs would ultimately create greater value not only for themselves but also for the state and the people they serve.

He said Sarawak could reduce operating grant requirements by approximately RM403 million by 2030 through the transformation of its State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), with the savings potentially redirected towards infrastructure and development projects across the state.

He said the projected savings would allow the government to channel more resources towards priorities that directly benefit the people.

“RM403 million. That is money that can be redirected to rural roads upgrading, to schools repairs, and to infrastructure development that opens up economic opportunities in every corner of Sarawak,” he said.

He said the transformation programme is aimed at strengthening financial sustainability, reducing dependency on government support and improving overall performance among SOEs.

According to a Financial Self-Reliance Study conducted on 36 entities, government grants currently account for approximately one-third of the total income of statutory bodies, while about 44 percent of their operating expenditure is funded through government grants.

“Nearly half of the cost of operating some of these entities continues to be funded by public resources.

“This is not merely a financial issue. It is a question of stewardship and accountability.

“The resources entrusted to these entities come from the hard work of taxpayers, businesses, and ordinary Sarawakians who expect us to manage public funds responsibly and deliver meaningful outcomes,” he added.

Abang Johari stressed that transformation was necessary to ensure public resources are utilised more efficiently while enabling SOEs to become stronger and more self-reliant.