UP-DLP Sarawak to stay, reviewing it will confuse teachers, students and parents, assures MEITD

KUCHING, Feb 4 2026: The state Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development (MEITD) will not review the Ujian Penilaian Dual Language Programme Sarawak (UP-DLP Sarawak), it said in a statement in response to calls from certain quarters for it to be reviewed.

MEITD: The  UP-DLP Sarawak is reflecting the Sarawak government’s commitment to strengthening both subject mastery and language proficiency among students. 

“The current framework will be retained, as implementation must remain within the legal framework of the Ministry of Education’s approval,” MEITD stressed.

“This is also necessary to avoid confusion among teachers, students, and parents, given that the existing system is already well established and generally accepted by all parties,” it  explained.

MEITD noted that the reintroduction of centralised assessments at Year 4 (from 2026) and the continuation of the Form 3 assessment reinforce the role of standardised evaluations in ensuring equity, comparability, and quality assurance nationwide.

“Within this context, UP-DLP Sarawak stands as an early, MA63-aligned initiative, implemented with the approval of the federal Ministry of Education (MoE) while reflecting Sarawak’s educational aspirations.

“The successful execution of UP-DLP Sarawak demonstrates Sarawak’s institutional readiness, technical capability, and governance maturity in administering standardised assessments within the national framework,” it added.

It said that UP-DLP Sarawak is reflecting the Sarawak government’s commitment to strengthening both subject mastery and language proficiency among students.

“The assessment was implemented following formal approval from MoE, in line with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), allowing Sarawak to conduct a state-based assessment under the DLP Sarawak framework.

“The development and implementation of UP-DLP Sarawak involved close coordination among multiple stakeholders, including MoE, Sarawak Education Department; schools and educators statewide and Swinburne Innovation Malaysia (SWIM) as the implementing agency.

MEITD said partner institutions, such as  i-CATS University College and University of Technology Sarawak (UTS); as well as examination, security, logistics agencies, parents, and students are also involved.

“Despite regulatory and operational constraints, the assessment was implemented in full compliance with national examination standards and MoE’s requirements, ensuring credibility, recognition, and continuity for students.

“Comprehensive preparations were undertaken, including the development of guidelines, establishment of committees, strict examination security protocols, statewide briefings, online registration, question setting and vetting, printing, distribution, supervision, and marking processes,” MEITD said.

It also said that statewide logistics and security operations were successfully carried out, including in remote and rural areas, through strong inter-agency cooperation, with student safety and examination integrity as top priorities.

“The successful implementation of UP-DLP Sarawak demonstrates the capability of Sarawak’s education system, the professionalism of its educators, and the readiness of students to undertake structured, standardised assessments,” MEITD stressed.

 

 

 

(UPDATED) Three children - two girls and a boy- die after they fall into a two-deep sewage pond in Sibu Jaya

SIBU, Feb 4 2026: Three children- two girls and a boy - were confirmed dead from drowning after they fell into a two-metre deep sewage  pond at Sibu Jaya this afternoon.

Caption: Three children, two of them siblings, die from drowning after they fall into a two-metre deep sewage pond in Sibu Jaya - Photp by Bomba 

The children, aged 9, 10 and 12, were confirmed dead by the medical personnel from the Ministry of Health, Sibu Hospital.

Two of the children were siblings.

Sibu Jaya Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) station, in a statement, said the three were picked unconscious from the sewage pond by members of the public.

The station said it received an emergency call about 4.03pm this afternoon, informing that three children have fallen into the pond, near Sibu Jaya flats.

“Upon arrival at the actual incident location, firemen were informed that the children have been carried up to the edge of the pool before they arrived at the location.

“All three victims were unconscious, “ the station said in a statement.

The MoH personnel later confirmed them dead by drowning.

Their bodies were later handed over to the police for further action.

 

Finally, Batang Igan Bridge is scheduled for completion next month

IGAN, Feb 4 2026: The 1.4km two-land Batang Igan bridge is at last scheduled for completion by middle of next month, said Deputy Prime Minister Douglas Uggah after he led in the stitching the bridge ceremony today.

Caption: Igan Bridge project ready to be opened to traffic on March 15, 2026. 

Scheduled for completion by March 15, 2026, the bridge is expected to streamline travel for local communities and enhance economic activity by improving coastal connectivity along the Mukah–Matu–Daro corridor.

“This bridge, costing RM286 million, is a game changer for the rakyat in opening up socio economic activities in the surrounding areas, enabling seamless access and connectivity to Mukah Division,” he said.

Batang Igan bridge, spanning over Batang Igan, is one of the four bridges that are sited in Mukah district. The others being Batang Muara Lassa and Batang Rajang,both of which have been completed, while Batang Paloh Bridge is scheduled to be opened later this year.

Initially, Batang Igan bridge was scheduled for completion in 2024, with the ground breaking ceremony was performed on Sept 12 2020 by Premier Abang Johari Openg.

Its construction, approved by the Barisan Nasional government, was supposed to start in 2018, but when Pakatan Harapan (PH) took over the federal government after the 2018 general election, the construction was cancelled.

The PH government also cancelled the construction of Batang Lupar Bridge 1 and Batang Rambungan Bridge.

However, their construction was taken over by the state government.

Batang Igan Bridge project was approved by the Economic Planning Unit, Prime Minister’s Department (EPU) on February 23, 2016, after a letter of appeal from the works minister dated November 24, 2015, was approved by the prime minister.