ANRPC members to discuss declining of rubber prices

By Doris Yoong

KUCHING, May 5, 2015 - The declining trend of the prices of natural rubber since the third quarter of last year will be among the issues to be discussed at the special session of the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) in Kuala Lumpur this Friday.

The declining trend is due to the slower economic growth in major importing countries.

The average price of the SMR 20 in 2013 was RM7.74 cents per kg and declined by 28.5 percent to RM5.53 cents per kg in 2014. The SMR20 price currently averages between RM5.00- 5.10 cents per kg. 

BM credit proposal can't be carried out in Sarawak

By See Chee How, State Assemblyman for Batu Lintang

I am most disappointed with the statement by the Election Commission Chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof to consider that only candidates who possess credit in Bahasa Malaysia in SPM examinations are qualified to contest in elections to be member of parliament and state legislative assemblies.

The EC should be cautioned that it should not be dictated by personalities as Ridhuan Tee Abdullah for the conduct and discharge of its constitutional duties.

DNC to organise NCR Land Forum on May 9, about 500 expected to attend

KUCHING, May 4, 2015 - Civil society group Dayak National Congress (DNC) will organise a Native Customary Rights (NCR) Land Forum at the Dayak Bidayuh National Association headquarters here on Saturday (May 9), starting at 9am.

DNC secretary general Richard Lias said today that about 500 participants from Dayak-based NGOs, educated Dayaks and community leaders are expected to attend.

DNC president Mengga Mikui (second left, seated front row) with committee members and members

George Lagong uses "bebiau" style to convey the grouses of the people in Pelagus who want progress and development

KUCHING, April 24, 2015 - Pelagus State Assemblyman George Lagong is using a unique way - the first by any state assemblyman - to convey problems or lack of development in his constituency

Instead of the usual way, he uses the "bebiau" style to convey the message when he took part in the debate on the motion of thanks on the address by the Sarawak Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud.

The central message, he says, is on progress:

(a) Progress of the economy and industry;

(b) Progress of public infrastructure and public administration; and

(c) Progress of human capital and environmental resources management.

It is thus, Tuan Speaker, I seek your kind permission to speak in Iban for the

remainder of my speech, to address the issue of progress or lack of it of Iban community.]

CM: We will protect the State's constitutional safeguards

Text of Speech by Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem when winding up the debate in the State Assembly on April 29, 2015

"With further success expected of the SCORE agenda and hydropower developments, it is timely that commercial and industrial consumers also benefit from the government initiatives. With this in mind, effective from 1st June this year, I wish to announce that the electricity tariff for commercial and industrial tariffs will be reduced.

This reduction will benefit all the current 85,200 commercial and industrial businesses or customers.  Out of this number, 50% or 46,000 commercial consumers will enjoy a reduction of about 15% to 50%. Another36% or 30,500 consumers will enjoy about 8% to 11% reduction.  The balance 9,000 consumers will enjoy a reduction of average 4%."

Development Focus

State Economy

1.            Economic development is fundamental to the prosperity of any country. All these years, the Government has put a lot of efforts to develop our economy to be where we are today.  In the case of Sarawak, our economy has developed and expanded. As a result, we now have a strong economy and is the third largest in the country after Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.  The journey that we have taken over the years has resulted in our economy having good credit rating that remains positive with stable outlook from credible rating agencies.

2.            We have worked hard to transform our economy from agriculture based to an economy which is based on manufacturing and services. This is clearly reflected whereby in 2014, the manufacturing and services sectors had contributed significantly at 64.0% to the State economy. These achievements were made possible due toour far sighted development philosophy, policiesand development plans that we have formulated and implemented all these years.