Not true that the federal govt is unfair to Sarawak, Sabah in the distribution of funds for road projects, says Nanta

KUCHING, Feb 8 2026: Works Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi has dismissed allegations that the federal government is unfair to Sarawak and Sabah in the distribution of allocations for road infrastructure.

Caption: Works Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi picking a number in the Road Maintenance Work Bid Draw opening ceremony 

In his Facebook post, he said such allegations are completely inaccurate.

“In fact, under the federal government, the local small contractor empowerment programme G1 – G4 was introduced and continues to be strengthened through additional allocations every year by the federal government,” he said.

“This is an important step in the government's ongoing efforts under the Ministry of Works  to empower Bumiputera small contractors in classes G1 to G4.

“For the year 2026, the government has allocated RM200 million each for Sabah and Sarawak, which is a 300 per cent increase compared to the previous year (RM50 million) for the implementation of periodic maintenance works on paved and non-paved roads for both states.

“This allocation, which is specifically for Bumiputera small contractors G1-G4, involves 141 contractors in Sarawak while in Sabah there are 178 contractors,” Nanta said.

He said he has the opportunity to officiate the Sarawak Federal Road Maintenance Work Bid Draw Ceremony for 2026 in Kuching today.

He added a total of 385 qualified contractors participated in the draw process which was carried out transparently and fairly, covering pavement and non-pavement maintenance works including road safety and aesthetics.

“All works will be closely monitored by the Sarawak Public Works Department, in line with the principle of no compromise on quality, cost, completion period and safety under the MYJalan KKR aspiration,” he said.

Nanta said efforts such as this clearly demonstrate the concern of the federal government under the administration of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for the development of road infrastructure in Borneo. He expressed his grateful to the prime minister for his concern that always precedes the people.

“I would also like to remind the contractors to carry out the work diligently and not waste the efforts of this government,” he said, stating that his ministry will continue to be committed to ensuring integrity-based governance and that every allocation is channeled effectively for the safety, comfort and well-being of the people.

He said this is the commitment to achieving the aspirations of the federal government — quality, resilient and people-focused development.

Longhouse man dies in hit and run accident, wife suffers serious injuries

SRI AMAN, Feb 8 2026: A longhouse resident died while receiving treatment at the Sri Aman Hospital after the vehicle he and his wife were travelling in was hit and run accident by an unknown vehicle at kilometre 7, Jalan Sri Aman, early this morning.

Sri Aman District Police Chief Superintendent Dennis Bunyam, in a statement today, identified the deceased as Ranggau anak Berandak, 46, while his wife Chindu anak Malang, 36, suffered injuries and is being treated at the same hospital.

Both are from Rumah Eveylin, Ibol, Sungai Raya Undup.

Dennis said that initial investigations found that the victim was said to have finished changing the flat tyre of his vehicle on the shoulder of the road before being hit by another unidentified vehicle.

He called on the driver of the vehicle involved to come forward to assist in the investigation.

Members of the public who witnessed the incident or have any information are asked to contact any nearby Police Station or IPD Sri Aman at 083-322121 Extension 238.

The case is being investigated under Section 41 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.

 

 

Well known writer Johan Samad says he remains unconvinced that formation of Malaysia was due to fear of communist threats

PETALING JAYA: Well known activist and writer Johan Ariffin Samad (picture) has asserted that he remained unconvinced with the long- standing narratives that formation of Malaysia was due to the fear of communist threats, but rather it was driven primarily by strategic and economic consideration.

Responding to a question from an audience member who recalled being warned as a student that communism would “take over” if Sabah and Sarawak did not join Malaysia, Johan said, quoted by Free Malaysia Today (FMT),  he remained unconvinced that communist threats were as central as often portrayed in official accounts and historical writings.

“The communism you mention … I’m not so sure if the threats were real. I have read this many times, the early writings about the domino effect theory and so on. Much of the narrative surrounding the so-called domino effect emerged from Cold War thinking,” he was quoted as saying by FMT.

He was speaking at the launch of his book on Sabah’s political history yesterday, saying that the British decolonisation plans predated Cold War anxieties and were driven primarily by strategic and economic considerations rather than “communist threats”.

However, he acknowledged that communist parties did exist in Malaya and elsewhere at the time, but argued that their presence should not be conflated with an existential threat.

“A lot of books try to say that the fear of communism spreading was why Sabah and Sarawak, together with Singapore, formed Malaysia. For me, that is not true,” he said.

He claimed that the British had planned for decolonisation – restructuring and eventual withdrawal from their colonies –  begun as early as World War II, which led towards moves for the formation of Malaysia – what was called the ‘grand design’ of the British.

“They were already planning decolonisation because it was costing them a lot of money to sustain security, the navy and the air force,” he said.

Britain’s weakened position after fighting both Japan and Germany made maintaining a far-flung empire economically unsustainable. “They could no longer afford to keep it up.”

He suggested that communist threats were later emphasised in historical narratives as a convenient justification for political decisions.

Focusing on Sabah and Sarawak, Johan highlighted other geopolitical factors he said were more immediately relevant, including the Philippines’ claim over Sabah, and Indonesia’s confrontation with the proposed Malaysian federation.

“These external pressures played a more tangible role in shaping political decisions than internal communist movements,” he contended. “To me, communism is being played up. Communism existed, but it had no direct influence on the formation of Malaysia.”

Instead, Johan pointed to growing international pressure, particularly from the United Nations. “It was more that the British decided to decolonise after pressure to give up and allow countries self-determination,” he said.

 

Replica of the Looted Badeng Sunhat handed over to the Sarawak Museum

KUCHING, Feb 8 2026: The replica of the “Looted Badeng Sunhat” of the Kenyah Badeng Community was handed over to the Sarawak Museum by the Kenyah Badeng Association of Sarawak (KEBANA) in  simple, but historic ceremony, today. It was received by a representative of the museum.

Caption: The committee members of the Kenyah Badeng Association of Sarawak with the replica of the Looted Badeng Sunhat - Photo courtesy of Senator Abun Sui Anyit 

According to Senator Abun Sui Anyit, the ceremony not only expressed respect for the cultural heritage of the Kenyah Badeng community, but also demonstrated a shared commitment to preserving and documenting the history of the origins of the Sarawak Indigenous People in a factual and authoritative manner.

“The Sunhat, or in the Kenyah Badeng language known as Saung Selling, is a traditional hat that has been produced for generations by the Kenyah Badeng community and has become a symbol of the identity, culture and history of this community,” Abun, who was among those present at the handing over ceremony, said.

He said the handover of the replica of the Saung Selling is an important effort to ensure that this heritage can be preserved, exhibited and appreciated by present and future generations.

“History has recorded that the original Saung Selling was confiscated over 130 years ago by the authorities under the  Brooke government, in 1895, at the Kenyah Badeng settlement in Usun Apau, Sarawak.

“This historical fact is clear and undeniable evidence that the Kenyah Badeng community is the original people of Sarawak, and not foreign immigrants as is often misinterpreted or denied by certain parties.

“In this regard, the handover of this replica is not just a cultural symbol, but also a significant historical document to correct misunderstandings, confusion and inaccurate narratives regarding the origins of the Kenyah Badeng community,” he explained.

Abun said as a member of the Senate, he has personally witnessed an important event that deserves to be recorded as part of the history and cultural heritage of Sarawak and the country, in line with the spirit of the Federal Constitution which upholds justice, historical recognition and the rights of the original people.

“I hope that this ceremony and the handover of the replica will be a starting point for a fairer recognition, based on historical facts, of the identity, dignity and rights of the Kenyah Badeng community in Sarawak in particular and Malaysia in general,” he said.

The Saung Selling / bamboo sunhat from the Kenyah Badeng people was held at the Pitt Rivers Museum, which is part of Oxford University in England.

It had been acquired by the museum in 1923 after earlier ownership by the Brooke family and was part of the museum’s ethnographic collections of objects from around the world.

The hat was never usually on public display, and its origins trace back to objects taken from indigenous communities in Borneo during Brooke-era punitive expeditions in the late 19th century.

In 2024, the Pitt Rivers Museum returned that historic Kenyah Badeng sunhat to Sarawak, marking one of the first major repatriations of an ethnographic item to the Kenyah community.