Abang Johari to give plenary keynote address at water and development congress in Bangkok

BANGKOK,Dec 8 2025: Premier Abang Johari Openg arrived here today to attend the International Water Association’s Water and Development Congress and Exhibition 2025 (WDCE 2025).

Caption: Premier Abang Johari  Openg is now in Bangkok for the IWA water and development congress
 

He was accompanied by Minister of Utilities and Telecommunications Julaihi Narawi and Sarawak Government Secretary Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki, arriving at Don Mueang International Airport at approximately 12.29pm local time this afternoon.

On hand to receive him were  Minister of Political Affairs of the Malaysian Embassy in Bangkok, Ahmad Hashim Mahmood and Permanent Secretary of the Sarawak Ministry of Utilities and Telecommunications (MUT) Jafri Lias.

The premier is scheduled to deliver a plenary keynote address “Water: Driving a Resilient and Sustainable Future for Sarawak” this Tuesday at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, Bangkok.

In addition to him, several experts and researchers from various countries also delivered keynote speeches focusing on clean water, sanitation and innovation solutions.

WDCE 2025, which runs from 8 to 12 December, is a global event focusing on water and development issues in low- and middle-income countries.

The event will connect experts, utilities and researchers to share knowledge, foster collaboration and showcase solutions to water and sanitation challenges.

Themed “Water, Sanitation and Innovation – Pathways to Progress and a Sustainable Future”, the 2025 edition will present solutions that encompass water and sanitation services, the role of water in urban areas, the relationship between cities and basins and opportunities for achieving climate resilience.

It will feature keynote speeches by leading sector figures who have been specially invited to share their experiences in shaping and delivering solutions.

The programme will also provide a unique platform for water professionals to present and share their latest findings and insights.

From Thailand,Abang Johari will fly to China to continue his working visit from 10 to 13 December.

 

 

Who are the four ministers that Abang Johari will name? Will that persons be Annuar, Hazland or Majang? Wong Soon Koh is not ruled out?

Now that the Constitution of the State of Sarawak (Amendment) Bill, 2025 has been passed by the State Legislative Assembly (SLA) and will soon be enforced after its gazettement, there is nothing wrong for us to go ahead  speculating as to who the additional four ministers will be.

Caption: Premier Abang Johari Openg has the sole prerogative to pick any SLM as members of his State Cabinet 

The amendment to Article  6(3) ( c ) of the State Constitution is to increase the number of state ministers from 10 to 14, excluding the premier.

The present number of state ministers is 10 plus the premier, that will be 11 in total. With the increase, the number will be 14 plus the premier, making the total to 15.

It is safe to speculate that the appointment of four new state ministers will involve the promotion of four deputy ministers.

So, who could that be deputy ministers who are likely to get promoted? Will Premier Abang Johari Openg pick one each from the four component parties of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) -  Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB), Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) or Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) - to be promoted?

It is doubtful if Abang Johari would do that, considering that PBB has 47 state assembly members (SLMs), while SUPP has 13, PRS 11 and PDP, eight.

Under the State Constitution, the premier has the sole prerogative to pick any SLM to be the state ministers. This prerogative cannot be questioned.

It is unlikely that the premier will pick any SLM, who are not deputy ministers, as full ministers.

If the appointment is based on experience as a deputy minister, then it can be ruled out that any SLM will be directly appointed as a full minister.

My guess is that most likely to be promoted to full ministers, from PBB, would be Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development Dr Annuar Rapa’ee, Deputy Minister of  Energy and Environmental Sustainability Dr Hazland Abang Hipni or even Deputy Minister in the Premier's Department (Law, Malaysia Agreement 1963 and State-Federal Relations) Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali.

Apart from Fatimah Abdullah, the Minister of Women, Early Chilhood and Community Wellbeing Development, there is no other woman as a full minister. Perhaps, the premier may want to add another one to be a full minister.

We also cannot rule out Deputy Minister of Utility (Sarawak Energy and Petros) Ibrahim Baki as another possibility.

If party seniority is to be considered, then Ibrahim is a likely candidate for promotion. In the last PBB convention, he garnered the most number of votes among the four elected vice presidents.

In SUPP, the two candidates potential for promotion are Deputy Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government Michael Tiang and Deputy Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Sebastian Ting.

In terms of seniority, Ting is SUPP’s secretary-general and has long been a deputy minister.

The premier has several choices from PRS to pick as full ministers. My guess is that Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Port Development Majang Renggie and Deputy Minister of International Trade, Industry and Investment Malcolm Mussen Lumoh, are good contenders.

Both have vast experiences as the deputy ministers. In party’s hierarchy, Majang is the deputy president and Mussen, the secretary-general.

In PDP, the choice is between Deputy Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government Penguang Manggil and Deputy Minister of Transport Henry Harry Jinep.

Penguang has a vast experience in the government, especially in local government administration, before he entered politics.

Henry was a very successful businessman before he entered politics. He is also PDP deputy president.

If Abang Johari does not pick either of them as full minister, then the likely candidate is veteran SLM Wong Soon Koh.

Wong was a full minister for many years, including holding the portfolio of Second Minister of Finance, before resigning in 2019 and took his now defunct party, Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB), into the opposition bench.

Now that PSB has been dissolved, Wong, Baru Bian, Johnical Rayong become part of PDP.

We cannot never know if Abang Johari may pick Wong into his State Cabinet again, to tap his long experience as a senior minister before.

 Anything is possible. After all, the prerogative to appoint a deputy minister or full ministers soley belongs to the premier.

When four deputy ministers are promoted, there will be vacancies for the posts of deputy ministers.

Unlike the  number of full number ministers being fixed by the State Constitution, however, it is silent as to the number of deputy ministers to be appointed.

So, we can guess that when the premier announces the names of full ministers, he will also announce the names of  deputy ministers.

How soon he will do so, my guess is that it be soon, possibly this month or early next year.

 

 

 

Over 40,000 take part in Miri City Christmas Parade

MIRI, Dec 7 2025: Over 40,000 participants from 16 different church denominations gathered at Miri Fan Recreation Park Saturday night for the 16th Miri City Christmas Parade 2025 as it continues to be a powerful manifestation of unity, harmony, and tolerance among the state’s diverse population of various races and religions.

Caption: Depuy Premier Douglas Uggah speaking before the start of the parade. 

The official ceremony was graced by Deputy Premier  Douglas Uggah Embas, representing Premier Abang Johari Openg.

According to Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas), the attendance of thousands of participants and spectators made this year's event one of the largest since the parade was first introduced in 2008.

In his text of speech Abang Johari , he emphasised that this year's parade reflected the crucial importance of peace, love, and harmony as the foundation of strength for the Sarawak community.

He praised the dedication of the Miri City Council and the local churches for making this event a meaningful tradition for 15 years.

“This parade is not merely a colourful celebration, but a symbol of the unity and communal spirit of the people of Miri, who celebrate diversity with mutual respect,” he said in his text of speech read by Uggah.

Miri City Mayor Adam Yii Siew Sang, who also served as the event’s co-chairman, asserted that the massive turnout this year demonstrated the commitment of the Christian community and the wider Miri public to preserving social harmony.

He added that this year’s edition was spearheaded by the Methodist Church Miri in close collaboration with the Miri City Council.

He also urged the community to embrace the values of love, hope, and reconciliation, in line with this year's theme, while continuing to ensure the parade serves as a platform for universal unity.

During the same ceremony, Uggah announced a special allocation from Sarawak Legislative Assembly Members totalling over RM145,000 to support the organisation of the Miri City Christmas Parade 2025.

This contribution underscores the state leaders’ agreement on promoting high-impact community events.

Six non-governmental organisations (NGOs) also received a grant of RM5,000 each. They are Wishesland Miri, Kenosis Women Centre, Sarawak Children’s Cancer Society (Miri), Prison Fellowship Malaysia, Human Life Service and Malaysia Christian Association for Relief.

This year's organisation once again beautifully showcased the spirit of "Unity in Diversity" — the enduring identity of Sarawak — where people of various races and faiths came together to celebrate Christmas in an atmosphere of harmony and mutual respect.

Unstoppable logging activities could cause devastating disasters in Upper Baram as what was happening in Sumatra, warns Abun Sui

MIRI, Dec 7 2025: Senator Abun Sui Anyit has urged the state government to  protect native customary rights (NCR) land and stop logging activities in Upper Baram to prevent devastating disasters as what were happening in Sumatra recently.

Senator Abun Sui Anyit: The upper river regions serve as nature’s first line of defence — regulating water flow, preventing deadly floods, and keeping our soil intact.  

He said what was happening in Sumatra recently stood as a powerful warning that when nature is pushed beyond its limits, it will push back with unimaginable force.

“Three major catastrophes in recent years to hit Sumatra — each wiping out villages, claiming many lives, and displacing thousands — must serve as a lesson for us in Sarawak,” Abun, who is also PKR Hulu Rajang branch chairman, said in a statement.

 He said the recent floods and landslides in Sumatra caused by monsoon rains and tropical storms had triggered deadly mudflows and widespread destruction across North Sumatra, Aceh and West Sumatra.

He recalled that violent floodwaters and landslides engulfed homes, forcing entire communities to flee, last year.

He said torrential rainfall caused by a tropical cyclone submerged villages, destroyed infrastructure and resulted in significant loss of life, described as a “second tsunami” by local leaders.

“All these tragedies share a common root cause, that is, the destruction of upper watershed ecosystems and uncontrolled deforestation,” Abun, who is also the PKR NCR land bureau chairman, said.

He  said he stands with the indigenous communities of Sarawak to say clearly and firmly that “we cannot wait for Sarawak to suffer the same fate as in Sumatra”.

“The upper river regions serve as nature’s first line of defence — regulating water flow, preventing deadly floods, and keeping our soil intact.

“Trees absorb heavy rainfall and stabilise riverbanks. When these natural guardians are removed through uncontrolled logging, rivers swell uncontrollably, landslides increase, and lives are put at risk,” he warned.

He said he is deeply concerned about ongoing logging activities by certain companies in Sarawak’s upper river areas.

He said the degradation of these critical watersheds not only threatens the environment but also gravely undermines the rights and livelihoods of Indigenous peoples.

“We must respect NCR land not merely as legal rights, but as rights of life itself,” he said, adding that indigenous communities depend entirely on the forest and rivers — for food, water, medicine, culture and the future of their children.

“The forests are their marketplace; the rivers are their highway; the lands are their identities and souls.

“If these are destroyed, so too are their livelihood, their dignities and their heritage as guardians of the lands for generations,” Abun said.

He urged the state government to immediately halt all logging activities by companies in the upper river regions of Sarawak and enforce real and uncompromising protection of NCR land.

“This is not only an indigenous issue. It is a Sarawak issue, because when catastrophic floods occur, the water does not choose its victims.

“We must not wait until houses are swept away, children become victims, villages disappear overnight and lives are lost before we finally open our eyes,” he said.

He said actions must be taken today, not tomorrow.

“I call on all community leaders, non-governmental organisations , civil society groups, and the people of Sarawak to unite in safeguarding our land, our rivers, and our forests.

“For the safety of our state, our collective identity and the generations growing up today and those yet to be born.

“If we fail today, our grandchildren will one day ask us why did you allow everything to be destroyed?"

“We must ensure that they never have to ask that question,” Abun stressed.