Repair work on burst main pipe in MIri expected to be completed later tonight

MIRI, Aug 7 2026: Repair work on the 18-inch AC main pipe that burst near GK Supermarket at Bulatan Pujut 3 is expected to be completed later tonight, while water supply to the affected areas will be restored in stages after the distribution system returns to stability.

Caption: Minister Lee Kim Shin observing the workers repairing the burst main pipe

Transport Minister and Senadin State Legislative Member (SLM) Lee Kim Shin said the water supply restoration process is expected to take up to 12 hours depending on the pressure in the distribution system.

“Water tanker trucks have been sent to the affected areas to assist residents who need temporary water supplies,” he said after personally inspecting the repair work carried out by Sarawak Water Sdn Bhd  at the incident site this evening.

Earlier this morning, Lee was informed of the water supply disruption in Permyjaya, Desa Senadin, Tudan and surrounding areas. Lee immediately contacted Sarawak Water to obtain information on the cause of the incident and the progress of the repair work.

Sarawak Water informed that the burst pipe incident that occurred at around 4am affected the water supply in Piasau, Permyjaya, Tudan, Lutong, Senadin, Southlake, Vista Perdana, Kuala Baram and surrounding areas.

“Sarawak Water also opened several border valves to divert water supply to several areas, thus allowing some consumers to receive water supply again in the afternoon,” he said.

He said that the water supply would not be restored simultaneously once the repair work was completed because the distribution system needed time to refill and build pressure before the supply returned to normal.

In this regard, he urged Sarawak Water to continue to provide the latest information to the public until the water supply was fully restored.

Touching on the traffic congestion around Pujut Roundabout 3, Lee said that the incident had not only affected the water supply, but also caused inconvenience to road users.

Following this, he had contacted the Miri District Police to deploy traffic personnel at the affected locations to control and smooth the flow of traffic on the route which is already busy every day.-

Four districts in Sarawak register unhealthy air quality as at 4pm

KUCHING, Aug 7 2026: Four districts - Serian, Kuching, Samarahan and Tebedu - registered an unhealthy air quality as at 4pm today.

Caption: Data of air pollutant index for Sarawak

According to Natural Resources and Environment Board, Serian registered an air pollutant index (API) of 162, Kuching and Samarahan both recorded API of 152 and Tebedu, an API of 127.

Thirteen districts recorded a moderate API while Bario registered an API of 28 which is considered as good.

Sarikei district registered an API of 91, Sri Aman and Bintulu with 89 and Sibu 88.

AQI Levels and Meanings

Good (0–50): Air quality is safe; pollution poses little or no risk.

Moderate (51–100): Air quality is acceptable, though sensitive individuals may experience minor issues.

Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (101–150): Children, older adults, and people with heart or lung disease may face health effects.

Unhealthy (151–200): General public health effects can occur; sensitive groups may experience more serious issues.

Very Unhealthy (201–300): Health alert warning of emergency conditions for the entire population.

Hazardous (301–500): Emergency warning; everyone is likely to be heavily affected and should avoid outdoor exertion

All is set for SKS for Sarikei Division opening ceremony tomorrow by the premier

SARIKEI, Aug 7 2026: All is set for the Sarawakku Sayang (SKS) Sarikei Division 2026 programme opening ceremony by Premier Abang Johari Openg at the Sarikei Sports complex tomorrow.

Caption: Sarawak Secretary Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki (third from right) at the soft launch of Sarawakku Sayang (SKS) for Sarikei Division

Sarawak Government Secretary Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki said preparations for the programme are running smoothly ahead of the official opening ceremony.

He added that the response from the community thus far has been very encouraging with counters related to education and job opportunities among those attracting the attention of visitors.

He said that the provision of career-related information also benefits the youth in identifying job opportunities in the public and private sectors, in addition to understanding the application process and available career paths.

He said people's access to various government services is facilitated through SKS 2026 programme which brings together relevant agencies in one location to enable the public to obtain services, information and feedback directly.

He said that the on-the-ground approach reflects the government's commitment to bring service delivery closer to the people, easing the management of official affairs without having to visit separate locations.

"Through this programme, we come to the people and inform them of the services that can be provided, in addition to the people receiving answers and feedback immediately on various matters," he said at the soft opening of SKS programme.

Also present, Deputy Sarawak Secretary (Economic Planning and Development), Deputy Sarawak Secretary (Operation) Hii Chang Kee, Deputy Sarawak Secretary (Administration) Felicia Tan Ya Hua and heads of departments.

Your role is important to help revive Sibu's economy through SEZ, Dr Annuar appeals to college graduates

SIBU, Aug 7 2026:  Graduates of Kolej Laila Taib (KLT) are being urged to play an important role in the efforts to revive Sibu's economy through the Sibu Economic Zone (SEZ), which was created to attract local talent and open up more development opportunities in the town.

Caption: Deputy Minister Dr Annuar Rapa'ee presenting a scroll to one of the graduates at the convocation

Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development Dr  Annuar Rapaee expressed regret  that the feedback he received from almost 1,000 Sibu youths recently showed that most of them did not plan to return to work in the town after graduating from higher institutions of learning.

“Between 60 to 70 percent of them said they would not return to work in Sibu for various reasons.

“Among them are the lack of job opportunities, affordable housing and the modern lifestyle sought by the younger generation today,” he said when speaking at the Laila Taib College convocation ceremony at the Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud Chancellor’s Hall, Universiti Teknologi Sarawak (UTS) today.

Dr Annuar said the situation showed the need to create more opportunities that could attract Sibu youth to contribute to the development of the town.

He said graduates should not only utilise the knowledge they have gained to build their own careers, but also shoulder the responsibility of contributing to the development of the community and the future of Sibu.

“The graduates who graduate today will play a very important role in our dream of revitalizing Sibu’s economy.

“I hope we can all work together to realize this dream so that Sibu becomes a modern city that does not need to depend on other areas,” he said.

According to Dr Annuar, he proposed the idea of establishing an SEZ to the state government during the recent Sarawakku Sayang (SKS) programme, as an effort to restore Sibu’s economic competitiveness, which previously depended heavily on the timber industry.

He said  Premier Abang Johari Openg then agreed to the proposal and established the SEZ with an initial allocation of RM1.5 billion to revitalize Sibu’s economy.

A total of 158 graduates received their scrolls, consisting of 143 Diploma graduates and 15 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Programme graduates.

Wong Tze Ling and Jacqueline Wong Yun Fung were announced as recipients of the Book Prize Award.

Wong Tze Ling also received the Dean’s Award for the Diploma in Accounting programme together with Ryan Ting Jung Kiet, Jacqueline Wong Yun Fung, Wong Siew Hong and Angel Hii King Ling.

Wong Lee Ling received the Dean's Award for the Diploma in Business Management programme, while Lemuel Hii Ngo Cheng received the Dean's Award for the Diploma in Civil Engineering programme.

Also present were KLT chief executive officer Eric Wong and Sarawak Foundation director Mohamad Junaidi Mohidin.

Uggah advises MAIS to further promote greater understanding and appreciation of diverse native communities

KUCHING, Aug 7 2026: Deputy Premier Douglas Uggah has advised Council of Native  Customs and Traditions Sarawak (MAIS) to further expand its role in promoting greater understanding and appreciation of the culture, traditions and history of Sarawak's diverse native communities.

Caption: Deputy Premier Douglas Uggah receiving memento from MAIS chief Dr Neilson Ilan Mersat at the courtesy call

He said broadening the scope of publications on Adats, culture and traditions would benefit the public, community leaders, elected representatives and the younger generation.

He also called for vacancies within MAIS, particularly in its Adat Research Section, to be filled promptly with experienced officers from the relevant ethnic communities.

Uggah was giving the advice when the MAIS delegation, led by its chief Dr Neilson Ilan Mersat paying a courtesy call at his office at Wisma Bapa Malaysia yesterday.

The courtesy call marked Dr Neilson's first official visit to the Deputy Premier following his appointment as the new council chief.

During the meeting, Uggah was informed that four draft reviews of the Adats, namely Adat Iban, Adat Bidayuh, Adet Kayan and Adet Kenyah, have been submitted to the Sarawak Attorney-General's Chambers (SAGC) for legal review.

In addition, the review of Adet Melanau is currently being examined by the SAGC.

The initiative forms part of MAIS' ongoing efforts to modernise the Adats to ensure they remain relevant in today's dynamic and modern social landscape.

MAIS is also actively publishing books on the review of Adats, as well as the culture, traditions, history and heritage of Sarawak's native communities.

To date, the council has published 85 titles which are available for public reading and reference.

Dr Neilson invited Uggah to officiate the Adat Iban Symposium 2026 which will be organised by MAIS in Sibu at the end of September.

The symposium aims to empower the community leaders and village chiefs, especially Iban community leaders, on matters relating to the recognition and authority of Adat under the state's ordinances and legislation currently in force.

Also present were the council secretary Elsie William and senior officers.