The term Sabah-Sarawak Cooperation more appropriate than Borneo Bloc, suggests Salleh Said

KOTA KINABALU, March 14 2026: Former Sabah Chief Minister Salleh Said Keruak (picture)  suggested that it is more appropriate for Sabah and Sarawak to refer to themselves as Sabah- Sarawak Cooperation instead of Borneo Bloc.

He said today some are discussing the idea of forming a Borneo Bloc, the aim is simply to strengthen cooperation between the two states in Borneo on matters of mutual interest.

“If the term Borneo Bloc is considered sensitive, it may be more appropriate to refer to Sarawak–Sabah cooperation,”  Salleh wrote on his Facebook.

He said if Sarawak and Sabah deal with major issues separately, the bargaining position may be weaker.

“However, if views are aligned and brought together, the voice will be stronger,” he stressed.

He noted that there are things for which Sarawak and Sabah have different priorities, saying that it is normal.

“However, for matters of mutual interest, working together is a better move,” he said, stressing that in this spirit, the Sarawak–Sabah Cooperation reflects the original idea of the formation of Malaysia — regions working together with mutual respect.

Salleh said when Malaysia was formed in 1963, the Federal Constitution recognised Sabah and Sarawak as Borneo States, pointing out that Malaysia at that time consisted of three components: the Malayan States, the Borneo States and Singapore.

He said the  Constitution was amended and the term Borneo States was dropped, with Sabah and Sarawak listed with the other states, in 1976.

“Many felt that this amendment had obscured the original structure and spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

“More recent constitutional amendments have restored some recognition of the special status of Sabah and Sarawak, although the term Borneo States has not been restored,” he added.

 

Chong warns: DAP MPs will not support the proposal to increase the number of state seats in Parliament

KUCHING, March 14 2026:  DAP Members of Parliament will not support a proposal to increase the number of State Legislative Assembly (SLA) seats when it is put to vote in Parliament, Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen has warned. 

 

Chong Chieng Jen says the proposed electoral exercise is a power-entrenchment exercise for the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) 

 

He said the state DAP is of the view that the proposed delineation exercise, as it stands, is a clear case of gerrymandering and against the spirit of the constitutional democracy.  

 

“Members of Parliament from the DAP will not support such proposal,” Chong said in a statement.

He, however,  said the party is open to further discussion with the Elections Commission (EC) and any party on the manner of delineation for the 17 new seats which are more reflective of the true spirit of democracy and fair representation.  

 

Chong, who is also Padungan State Legislative Member (SLM), said the Sarawak DAP supports electoral reforms in that if electoral seats are to be added, the purpose must be to correct malapportionment, strengthen fair representation, and restore confidence in the democratic process. 

 

“On the contrary, it is obvious that this proposal is an electoral exercise that selectively benefits certain areas, entrenches incumbent advantage, and weakens confidence in the EC and the democratic system is not reform in the interest of Sarawak. 

 

“It is a power-entrenchment exercise for the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), “ he said. 

 

He said having perused the 98-page leaked powerpoint presentation, the Sarawak DAP opposes to the proposed delineation, stressing that it devalues urban votes in a grossly disproportionate manner.​

 

“While the proposed rural seat of Oya has only 10,830 voters, the urban seat of Senadin has 73,430 voters,” he said, adding that by implication of the ratio of 1:7, the value of seven voters in Senadin is equivalent to the value of one voter in Oya. 

 

“With such unfair delineation, the urban voters are deprived of their rights to fair representation in the Sarawak SLA,” he said.

   

Chong, who is also Stampin Member of Parliament, said the proposal carries an unfair voter distribution among the urban seats.

 

“While Petra Jaya (114,750 voters) and Bandar Kuching (109,607 voters) are both urban seats and have similar number of voters, there are two additional new seats (Serapi and Semarak) proposed for the Parliamentary constituency of Petra Jaya but no new seats were proposed for the Parliamentary constituency of Bandar Kuching.

 

“It is well-known fact that Petra Jaya is PBB’s safe seat while Bandar Kuching is not.  By increasing the number of state constituencies under Petra Jaya, PBB and the GPS will have further advantage to increase its stranglehold on state election,” he fumed.

 

“This is hugely unfair to the voters in Bandar Kuching,” he charged.

 

Chong also the proposal is an affront to the rule of law and Federal Constitution, pointing out that Subsection 2(c) of the 13th Schedule of the Federal Constitution requires constituencies within the same state to have numbers of voters that are “approximately equal”, with only limited weightage for genuinely large and hard-to-access areas. 

 

“It further stresses that weightage of area should only apply to very large constituencies facing transportation challenges,” he said, adding that a delineation exercise that departs from this constitutional spirit for partisan advantage is an affront to the Constitution. 

 

Chong disagreed with PBB information chief Abdul Karim Rahman  who yesterday denied speculation that a decision had been made on the distribution of the additional 17 seats among the GPS component parties. 

 

“However, he was non-committal on the claim that these new 17 proposed seats were prepared by the GPS for EC’s adoption,” he said.

Three seriously injured, car badly damaged in a collision with a lorry

SIMANGGANG, March 14 2026: Three persons were seriously injured while the car they were travelling in was badly damaged in a head-on collision with a lorry at Simpang Engkilili this afternoon.

Caption: The badly damaged car after the collision with a lorry - Photo by Bomba 

Simanggang Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba), in a statement, said it received a call about the road crash at 1.35pm from a member of the public.

 It said upon the arrival of the Bomba team, it was found that there was an accident involving a Perodua Alza car and a lorry.

“There were three victims inside the Perodua Alza. One man was successfully removed by members of the public and is receiving treatment from medical team while the two others, nboth women, are still in the vehicle, “ Simanggang Bomba said.

The firemen then removed the two women who were still stuck in the front seat using special rescue tools and stretchers.

“Both victims were then given initial treatment before all victims were sent to the hospital using the Ministry of Health ambulance,” it said.

Love means helping the less fortunate, says DPM Fadillah

KUCHING, March 14 2026 - The value of love and mutual advice are important foundations in shaping a harmonious community life.

Deputy Premier Fadillah Yusof: The practice of helping each other can create a more harmonious, peaceful and harmonious life regardless of background. - Photo by Information Dept

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation Fadillah Yusof said that this spirit needs to be continued to be nurtured through various welfare initiatives, including programmes to support the needy.

He said, when officiating the 'Santunan Kasih Seindah Syawal 2026' Contribution Programme held here today, that one way to express love in society is to help those who are less fortunate.

"Programmes such as this Santunan Kasih reflect the value of love in society and when we help each other, a sense of concern and love for each other will be born," he said.

He added that the practice of helping each other can create a more harmonious, peaceful and harmonious life regardless of background.

Fadillah, who is also the Member of Parliament for Petra Jaya, hopes that parents, the community and local leaders are always aware and monitor the condition of children so that they do not get caught up in negative symptoms such as drug abuse.

“In today’s world, the challenges are getting bigger with the rapid development of technology and this also shows how broad our responsibility is to the community around us,” he said.

He also called on the community to play a role in ensuring that the country remains peaceful, stable and prosperous, especially when the world is facing various conflicts and wars at the global level.

Earlier, Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department (Law, MA63 and State-Federal Relations) and Samariang Legislative Member (SLM) Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali in her welcoming speech said that the programme was an annual initiative aimed at strengthening ties and sharing joy with those in need in conjunction with the month of Ramadan and the approaching Syawal.

According to her, the programme also aimed to bring joy to the community in the Samariang area through the provision of duit raya assistance in addition to strengthening the welfare network and community unity.

At the event, a total of 150 recipients from the Samariang State Legislative Assembly (DUN) received duit raya financial assistance and baskets of Hari Raya sweets.

Also present were Director of the Unit for Other Religious Affairs (UNIFOR) Georgina Apphia Nagau, Executive Secretary of Sarawak State Fire Service, Organizing Chairman Hanifah Saet and other invited guests.

 

Btg Lupar 1 bridge, Malaysia's longest bridge spanning over a river, is to open to public in mid-May, says JKR Samarahan

SAMARAHAN, March 14 2026:  Batang Lupar 1 bridge, Malaysia’s longest bridge spanning over a river, is scheduled to open to public middle of May this year.

Caption: Batang Lupar 1 bridge ready  to open to public in May this year 

Samarahan Division Public Works Department,  in an update on the construction today, said the construction  of the bridge is now almost completed.

“The Batang Lupar 1 Bridge is  expected to open to the public in mid-May 2026, thus improving the connectivity of Sarawak's coastal road network,” it said.

Previously, Deputy Premier Douglas Uggah said the project was currently on schedule, expressing his confidence that construction could be fully completed according to the set timeline.

Uggah, who is also the Minister of Infrastructure and Port Development, said the 4.8-kilometer-long bridge connecting Sebuyau and Maludam is among the strategic projects of the Sarawak government to enhance the connectivity network, especially in the area.

According to him, once the bridge network was fully completed, land travel from Kuching to Limbang would  no longer require ferry services.

He also said the project would play an important role in completing the coastal road connections and main roads linking Sebuyau, Asajaya, and Gedong with Triso and Maludam.

Batang Lupar 1 bridge was one of the federal mega bridge projects in Sarawak cancelled by the Pakatan Harapan(PH) when it came to power following its victory in the 2018 general election.

However, the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) state government took over, using the state funds, so that its construction  would continue without disruption. 

Stretching over 4.8 km, the Batang Lupar 1 bridge is the longest spanning over a in Malaysia.

Once completed, the structure will connect the town of Sebuyau in Samarahan to Triso-Maludam-Pusa in Betong, and later replace the Sebuyau-Triso ferry service.

The project includes the construction of a two-lane cable-stayed bridge, which meets the road standard of JKR R5 with a clearance of 250 m in width, and 26 m in height for large vessels to pass through.

This project, costing about RM900 million, was orginally planned to be completed in 2025. However due to unforeseen circumstances, the completion date wad  adjuste

The project was approved when the Barisan Nasional was in power. Its construction started in 2021.