Over 3,000 take part in "niti daun" held in conjunction with Bintulu district Gawai Dayak celebration

BINTULU, May 16 2026: Over 3,000 took part in “niti daun” (parade) held conjunction with the Bintulu district level Gawai Dayak celebration 2026 held at the Bintulu Esplanade this afternoon.

Caption: Deputy Minister Majang Renggi leading the "niki daun" (parade) held in conjunction with the Bintulu district  Gawai Dayak celebration 

A total 73 teams registered for the parade, in addition to the participation of the public from various backgrounds including government agencies, development and security committees of longhouses, clubs, associations and students.

Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Port Development and state legislative member (SLM) for Samalaju, Majang Renggi said that the extraordinary response received proved that the parade based on culture and recreation had the support of the community.

“The parade was first organised in collaboration with the district office and government agencies.

“The response received was very encouraging with the participation of various levels of society including government departments, longhouse JKK, clubs, associations and students in Bintulu,” he said after leading the procession.

According to him, the parade will continue as an annual event following the positive response received from the local community.

Apart from walking activities, the parade was also enlivened with a pampat drum performance, a miring ceremony and the presentation of prizes to the winners.

Also present were Bintulu Division Resident Nyurak Keti and Bintulu district police chief Superintendent Nixon Joshua Ali.

Don't let minor differences affect unity in GPS, Abang Johari warns component parties

SIBU. May 16 2026: Premier Abang Johari Openg has warned Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) component parties not to let “minor differences” among them to affect unity within the coalition.

Caption: Premier and GPS chairman Abang Johari Openg (in white shirt) with PDP leaders at the opening if PDP triennial general meeting 

He said whatever the problems are, the component parties can solve the problems among themselves.

“Dalam pepatah (Melayu), gigi dengan lidah ada kalanya tergigit juga,” he said, translated as the teeth will surely at times bite the tongue due to their close proximity.

He was  addressing Progress Democratic Party (PDP) triennial general meeting (TGM) here today.

He said “however, we must be careful not to bite the tongue”.

The premier said even the wife and husband do sometimes quarrel and it does not mean that they will divorce.

He said if they do, then their children will suffer from the consequences of the divorce of their parents.

“The same goes with GPS. We don’t want Sarawakians to suffer.

“This is how we solve our problems.

“Let’s us together sail in a boat named GPS,” Abang Johari, who is also GPS chairman, said.

The premier reminded that if Sarawak’s voice were to be heard, Sarawak must be united under GPS.

“If there are minor differences, we will try to sort these out,” he said.

He said unity among the component parties - PBB, SUPP, PRS and PDP -  must remain a key foundation for the state’s political stability and economic development success.

 He said GPS must remain committed to defending the state’s rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) through continuous negotiations with the Federal Government.

“We do not want more and we do not want less. We only want what was agreed upon when Malaysia was formed,” he said.

The premier stressed that the state’s strong economy has enabled the government to implement various people-centric policies, including free tertiary education for Sarawakian children.

He said the policy is open to all citizens regardless of race or religion, as long as they possess Sarawak identity status.

“Financial difficulties will no longer be an obstacle for Sarawakian children to pursue university education because the GPS government will provide assistance,” he said.

He added that the ability to implement such policies stems from Sarawak’s strong financial position, achieved through strategic and bold economic approaches.

According to him, the state government has also succeeded in increasing state revenue from around RM6 billion to RM14 billion through more effective management of natural resources, including in the oil and gas sector.

He said GPS will continue to champion the “Sarawak First” agenda by emphasising economic development, social balance and environmental sustainability.

He stressed that public unity and political stability remain the key factors to Sarawak’s success as a developed and competitive state within the ASEAN region.

“We want Sarawak not only to become the battery of ASEAN in terms of energy, but also the star of ASEAN in the future,” he said.

Dr Sim: According to a nation-wide survey report, only 15 % of elderly population is in good health

KOTA SAMARAHAN, May 16 2026: The state's healthcare system and medical workforce development must be further strengthened to face the challenges of transitioning into an ageing society by 2030.

Caption: Deputy Premier Dr Sim Kui Hian says that the state's healthcare system must be further strengthened

Deputy Premier Dr Sim Kui Hian stressed that this demographic shift is expected to place significant pressure on the healthcare system, particularly regarding non-communicable diseases, community care, and long-term treatment.

“A recently announced National Health and Morbidity Survey Report showed that only about 15 per cent of the elderly population is in good health.

“This situation means that the majority of the ageing society will face various health issues, including chronic diseases and mental health conditions,” he said when met by reporters after attending the 4th International Nursing Students Conference 2026 (4th INSC 2026) at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) this morning.

Dr Sim, who is also the Public Health, Housing, and Local Government minister, said that the field of nursing is no longer confined solely to hospital care, but has instead expanded into community care and home treatment, which require more specialised expertise.

This, he added, includes technological advancements such as artificial intelligence (AI), which will play a crucial role in the transformation of the future healthcare system.

He also lamented that the increasingly critical capacity pressure at the state's main hospitals requires more serious attention, particularly regarding funding allocations and the healthcare workforce.

He stressed the healthcare facilities in Sarawak are currently operating under challenging conditions, including a shortage of workforce compared to hospitals in Peninsular Malaysia.

“The main hospitals in Sarawak, particularly the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH), are facing high patient loads, to the point where emergency units are frequently operating at over capacity.

“If there is a need to implement budget cuts, Sarawak should not be the first state to receive such reductions, given that the state has long been operating with a shortage of manpower and healthcare facility capacity,” he said.

He noted that a 1,000-bed capacity hospital in Peninsular Malaysia has a higher number of staff compared to a hospital of the same capacity in Sarawak.

This, he added, directly places immense pressure on healthcare workers who have to manage a high volume of patients amidst human resource constraints.

He expressed hopes the federal government will consider not impacting Sarawak's healthcare sector in their expenditure-saving measures, as the state still requires reinforcement in terms of facilities and manpower.

Premier Abang Johari launches second phase of SKAS, says it is intended to help people to purchase basic necessities

SIBURAN, May 15 2026: Premier Abang Johari Openg today launched the second phase of Sumbangan Keperluan Asas Sarawak (SKAS), saying that it is intended to help the people alleviate the current rising cost of living. 

Caption: Premier Abang Johari Openg holding a SKAS placard at the launch of the second phase  of SKAS 2026. 

He said the primary objective of providing this assistance is to enable the people to purchase basic necessities, including groceries.

“We hope that with this increased value, we can slightly ease the burden on our community, which totals approximately 800,000 recipients across Sarawak,” he told reporters the SKAS Walkabout session.

The household category receives RM424, while the senior citizen and single categories receive RM234 and RM150 respectively.

The government also provides other forms of assistance, including a special 25 per cent discount on electricity bills for domestic consumers, as well as a 50 per cent discount on premise rentals.

Meanwhile, the premier said SACOFA Sdn Bhd will serve as the primary backbone of the state's telecommunications infrastructure to improve internet access and speed, particularly in rural areas.

He said the state government can no longer rely entirely on commercial telecommunications providers to expand internet networks in areas with small markets but high infrastructure costs.

“We cannot rely fully on commercial companies at this time; instead, the government will use SACOFA as the network backbone, given that the company is majority-owned by the government.

“The cost of infrastructure improvements will also be borne by the government through SACOFA, and it is hoped that this step will increase the speed and quality of internet access,” he said.

Abang Johari also revealed that Sarawak's long-term vision to explore satellite-based internet technology that no longer relies entirely on fibre optics, instead shifting towards cloud computing systems and digital data storage.

“That is why we need our own satellites, including nanosatellites placed in orbit.

“Now, there is new technology that allows internet access on earth to be channeled through ‘low earth orbit’ using new chips,” he explained.

He added that although the technology is still in the development and research stage, he is optimistic that the target to realise a satellite-based digital ecosystem by 2030 can be achieved.