Awang Tengah slams Chong

By Simon Peter

KUCHING, May 13, 2014: Sarawak's electricity supply is projected to increase to 4,223MW by 2020, from the present 2,286MW, Public Utilities Minister Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said yesterday.

Major developments currently being undertaken in the power sector for the generation and transmission systems include: 

- full operation of eight generating units of Bakun HEP;

- 944MW Murum HEP expected to begin generating power in fourth quarter of this year;

- construction of 600MW Balingian coal plant commencing this year;

- on-going pre-engineering studies for Baleh and Baram HEPs;

- on-going pre-engineering studies for additional thermal plants;

- the construction of 600km second backbone 500kV transmission lines expected to be completed in 2016; and 

- the construction and expansion of extra high-voltage sub-stations at Tada, Similajau, Samalaju, Entinggan, and Matang are on-going and expected to be completed in 2016.

Awang Tengah makes fun of Chong's mistake

By Simon Peter

KUCHING, May 13, 2014: Public Utilities Minister Awang Tengah Ali Hasan made fun of a mistake by Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen who addressed Sarawak Energy Berhad's chief of corporate services Aisah Eden as a "male".

Chong, who is also the Kota Sentosa State Assemblyman, in a press statement on April 23, 2014 had mistakenly addressed Aisah as one of the male expatriates receiving high salary from SEB.

Unfair intakes and promotions in the Civil Service?

By Simon Peter

KUCHING, May 11, 2014: Pending State Legislator Violet Yong Wui Wui may have hit the nail on the head when she talked about the racial compositions in the Civil Service at the State Legislative Assembly last Friday.

She claimed about unfair intakes and unfair promotions in the Civil Service, which, she alleged, was a common knowledge on which not much was done to change the situation.

Backlogs of NCR land cases at the Native Courts alarming

By Simon Peter

KUCHING, May 10, 2014: Krian state legislator Ali Biju has expressed his concern at the alarming backlogs of cases of native customary rights (NCR) land disputes at the District Native Courts.

"The statistics indicate that currently there are about 1,300 cases already filed at all the District Native Courts in Sarawak.

"These exclude the cases filed by the NCR landowners at High Courts throughout Sarawak," he said, pointing out that the number of cases is more than one thousand indicates something is not quite right and therefore the government should take immediate steps to pay urgent attention to resolving and settling these cases.

Upset legislator wants timber license issued to Mastika Jaya revoked

By Simon Peter

KUCHING, May 10, 2014: Batang Ai state legislator Malcolm Mussen anak Lamoh has hit out at the State government for continuously renewing a license to Mastika Jaya Plantation Sdn Bhd to extract timber from native customary rights (NCR) lands in his constituency.

The NCR lands belong to the people from four Iban longhouses in Lubok Antu district.