Premier: Water as a new export commodity after 2030

KUCHING. July 15 2026:  Sarawak plans to make water a new export commodity after 2030 through the use of river water purification technology as the next step after the completion of the state water supply grid that is capable of providing a full water supply to the entire state.

Caption: Premier Ababg Johari Openg says that Sarawak’s ambition is not only to become an energy hub, but also to become a water supply hub that can drive the economy, at least in the ASEAN region

Premier Abang Johari Openg said the state has a natural advantage through a large network of rivers and that the resource can be harnessed using water purification technology before being exported to countries that need water supplies.

“With new technology to purify our river water system, we will export water which will be a shared commitment between developing countries and hopefully will have an impact on the regional economy.

“Therefore, Sarawak’s ambition is not only to become an energy hub, but also to become a water supply hub that can drive the economy, at least in the ASEAN region. That is the future direction of Sarawak,” he said at the opening of the Borneo International Water & Wastewater Exhibition & Conference (BIWWEC) 2026 at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) today.

He said  water is now an important component in the development of modern economies including the artificial intelligence (AI) industry, especially for the cooling needs of data centres which require simultaneous energy and water supply.

At a press conference later, the premier said that Sarawak has the advantage of having abundant river water resources that can be treated using the latest technology.

According to him, the Sarawak government is currently examining the potential of building a special water treatment plant on one of the main rivers with Sungai Sadong, Sungai Saribas, Batang Lupar and Sungai Samarahan being studied to produce a high-quality water supply for export purposes.

Touching on the export target, he revealed that the government has not yet been able to reveal the country that will be the first destination because negotiations are still ongoing.

“I cannot reveal it at this time because it is still in the negotiation process but there is indeed an effort to make water another Sarawak export commodity and this will certainly provide some income to us.

“This is something new in this region,” he explained.

He added that the target amount of water supply to be exported depends on demand according to existing capacity, but the capacity will be increased if needed in an effort to sell the water supply.

Be wary of online investment advertisements via social media that promise attractive returns, advises DAP man

KUCHING, July 15 2026: Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen’s special assistant Michael Kong reminded members of the public to exercise caution when responding to online investment advertisements that promise attractive returns. 

Caption: Michael Kong (right) meeting Ms Phang who came to seek assistance from him

He said even if an investment opportunity appears too good to be true, it is always better to verify the legitimacy of the investment and the entity involved before transferring any money.

Kong gave the reminder after meeting a certain Ms Phang who came to see him for assistance after becoming the victim of what appears to be an online investment scam, which has since escalated into a far more serious matter involving alleged unauthorised banking activities and the possible misuse of her personal identity.

“She came across an investment advertisement on Facebook and, after clicking on it, was directed to communicate with an individual through Facebook Messenger. Following a series of conversations and assurances, she transferred RM2,000 into a bank account provided by the individual.

“Thereafter, all communication ceased, and she was unable to contact the purported promoter,” he said, adding that after she believed she had been deceived, she decided not to pursue the investment any further and thought that be a lesson learnt.

“However, several weeks later, Ms Phang discovered what she believes to be a series of unauthorised transactions involving her accounts with two banks.

“She maintains that she had never disclosed her online banking username, password, or other login credentials to any third party,” Kong said.

Concerned by these developments, Kong said she lodged a police report and began making further inquiries into the transactions and the recipients of the funds.

“More alarmingly, Ms Phang subsequently discovered that a bank account with another bank had allegedly been opened using her personal details without her knowledge or authorisation.

“If this is indeed the case, it raises serious concerns regarding the possible misuse of an individual’s identity to open a bank account.

“Such allegations, if proven, have significant implications not only for the victim concerned but also for public confidence in the security of our banking and financial systems.

“I will be assisting Ms Phang in bringing this matter to the attention of Ryt Bank so that a thorough investigation can be carried out into the circumstances surrounding the opening of the account.

“At the same time, I urge Bank Negara Malaysia and the relevant enforcement authorities to look into this matter comprehensively. It is important to establish how the alleged unauthorised account was opened, whether all necessary verification procedures were properly complied with, and whether there are any systemic issues that require immediate attention,” Kong said.

Chieng Jen: Malaysians lost a total of RM5.37 billion to online scam from 2024 to May 2026

KUCHING, July 15 2026: Malaysians lost a total of RM5.37 billion to online scams during the period from 2024 to May, 2026. Stampin Member of Parliament (MP) Chong Chieng Jen said, adding investment scams constituting the largest portion which recorded loss of RM2.68 billion (49.9%).

Caption: Stampin MP Chong Chieng Jen says an average of RM2.2 billion is lost to an online scam

He said this was followed by losses resulting from telecommunication fraud, an amount of RM1.54 billion (28.7%). Electronic finance crime caused a total RM660.64 million (12.3%) and e-commerce scams records RM250.81 million loss (4.6%) while loan scams and love scams contributed to the losses of RM138.92 million (2.5%) and RM111.08 million (2.0%).   

"This is the result that I obtained from the Minister of Home Affairs this morning in Parliament," Chong said in a statement.

He said this is shocking as an average RM2.2 billion lost to on-line scams annually nationwide, adding that it It also caused tremendous financial impact on the individuals that have fallen to the scams.

In response, Chong said the federal government has formed the cross-department task force of National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) as a one-stop centre to provide an expeditious response to freeze the money flow upon receipt of complaints.  

"This NSRC one-stop centre comprises officers from the police force, Bank Negara Malaysia, Malaysia Communication and Multimedia Commission and banks.

"I was also informed that the police have stepped up tracking down and identification of mule accounts and the investigation on the scam syndicates," Chong, who is also Padungan State Legislative Member (SLM) and Sarawak DAP chairman, said.

He noted that despite the various measures taken by the federal government over the years, online scams are still rampant and causing billions of losses to ordinary Malaysians some of whom are retirees who are scammed off their life-long savings.  

"With such figures and wide-spread online scams, we should all be mindful when we carry out online transactions.," he said, advising the people not to trust online investments and advertisements too much and always seek verification from banks or someone more savvy in multimedia technology.

"On the part of the government, I have previously highlighted the fact that in order for online money to be taken out from the system, the syndicates have to withdraw cash either over the bank counters or through banks’ ATM machines.  

"Banks should introduce thumb-print readers and Identity Card readers for all withdrawals from ATM machines and red-flag if someone is detected to have made abnormally frequent withdrawals through the ATM machines.  

"It is also my proposal that the law should be amended to make banks which allow mule accounts to be operated to be made liable, whether wholly or partly, for the loss caused via the use of the mule accounts," he said.

 

Community leaders must play a role of facilitors between the communities and government, says Sagah

SERIAN, July 15 2026: : Community leaders must play a role as facilitators that connect the government with the community to ensure that every government policy, programme and service can be delivered effectively at the grassroots level.

 

Caption: Minister Roland Sagah Wee Inn emphasises the importance of close cooperation between the community leaders and district office and government departments

Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development Roland Sagah Wee Inn said the role of community leaders at present is not merely to hold a position, but to shoulder a heavy responsibility as a link between the government and the people.

"I call on all of you to continue to improve their professionalism, integrity and knowledge related to procedures and regulations involving statutory functions in order to meet the increasingly challenging expectations of the community," he said.

He was closing the Serian District community leaders strengthening programme: Statutory functions at Dewan Panggah, Serian Division Sarawak Government Administration Centre, yesterday.

The Tarat State Legislative Member (SLM) also emphasised the importance of close cooperation between the community leaders, the district office and government departments in ensuring that the development of the Serian District can be implemented in a more structured, inclusive and beneficial manner for the entire community.

Meanwhile touching on the development of technology, Sagah said that the community leaders need to be ready to take advantage of information and communication technology (ICT) and artificial intelligence (AI) to speed up the delivery of information, coordinate communication with residents, manage community data and deliver government announcements faster and more effectively.

The one-day programme brought together a total of 177 participants consisting of KMKK under the administration of Serian District Office and Balai Ringin Sub-District Office.

Throughout the programme, participants attended six briefing sessions covering education and human capital development, KMKK duties and responsibilities, court supervision, shotgun license management, statutory declarations, in addition to business name registration as well as probate matters and governing powers of attorney.

Also present were Serian Division Resident Mackos Sibong, Serian District Officer Inting Nyami and Temenggong Bidayuh of Serian Division Henry Bujang Sendan.

Lightning strike sparks an outbreak of fires at the Batu Niah National Park

BATU NIAH, July 14 2026: A lightning strike is believed to have sparked an outbreak of fires at the Niah National Park yesterday.

Caption: Thick smoke is seen shooting up into the sky from the fire at the Batu Niah National Park

The flames have so far destroyed four hectares of the park.

“There were two fire locations, namely on the slopes of Traders Cave Hill and in Kuala Hangus, which are parts of the main cave,” Batu Niah Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) said in a statement.

“The fires involved trees that were struck by lightning and caused the fires,” the department said.

It said the firemen were unable to carry out extinguishing operations due to the difficulty of accessing the fire locations and the rocky and steep road.

It said the fire was at the top of the Niah Cave Limestone Hill, which made it difficult to carry out extinguishing operations.

The firemen only monitored and as a result of the monitoring, the fire was far from local residents.

According to Batu Niah Bomba, the fires have so far destroyed four hectares of tropical forest at the Niah National Park.

However, as of this evening, they have managed to extinguish the flames on two hectares of the park.

According to Batu Niah Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba), it received a call at 2pm yesterday, informing about the outbreak of fire at the park.