Unreasonable for LHDN to enforce dress code on people who want to transact business - Peter John

KUCHING, Dec 4 2025: Sarawak rights activist Peter John Jaban has joined Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) secretary-general Sebastian Ting in criticising the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) office in Miri for unreasonably enforcing the dress code for people who want to transact business with the board.

Peter John Jaban: No agency has the authority to humiliate the rakyat or deny them essential services for wearing what is normal and acceptable in Sarawak. 

He said it is culturally insensitive and unacceptable for the LHDN Miri to enforce the dress code for people entering its office.

“Sarawak will not tolerate any form of cultural arrogance or administrative bullying from any federal or state department,” Peter said in a statement.

He said the latest action by the board in  denying service because of clothing is not just an isolated misstep, saying:” It is a dangerous signal that federal agencies feel entitled to impose Malayan-style moral policing on Sarawakians.”

Peter reminded LHDN that Sarawak is a sovereign partner in the formation of Malaysia, not a branch office that can be told how to dress, how to behave, or how to perform their daily lives according to rules imported from outside the state’s culture.

He said what the Miri LHDN did is not about professionalism, but  about controlling and enforcing a moral standard that does not reflect Sarawak’s culture, identity, or way of life.

“Sarawak is home to more than 34 ethnic groups, with different attire, customs, and weather-appropriate clothing.

“No agency has the authority to humiliate the rakyat or deny them essential services for wearing what is normal and acceptable in Sarawak,” he  said.

“If we allow one department to get away with this, others will follow and soon Sarawak will be subjected to a creeping form of moral policing that was never ours to begin with.

“Sarawak must draw a clear line that such treatment of our rakyat will not be tolerated in our state,” he said.

Peter, founder of Saya Anak Sarawak rights movement, demanded that all federal and state agencies to stop imposing non-statutory dress rules immediately.

He urged the the Sarawak government to defend its cultural autonomy and instruct all agencies including federal ones to respect Sarawak’s norms and traditions.

He said Putrajaya must stop exporting Malayan dress code culture into Sarawak, adding that Sarawakians should never be judged, denied service or belittled because of their attire.

“The public counters exist to serve the people and not to lecture them on clothing,” he stressed.

He said Sarawak is not a moral experiment, will not bow to dress code policing that has no place in its society and will not allow such practices to take root.

He said the case in Miri is not isolated one, saying that there were past incidents of such nature.

“These incidents show a consistent pattern of how the federal agencies operating in Sarawak feel being empowered to impose their own cultural values instead of respecting Sarawak’s diverse reality,” he said.

Peter said other departments have previously attempted to enforce arbitrary, non-statutory dress codes on the public, including Road Transport Department (JPJ) turning away members of the public for sleeveless attire or shorts.

He said complaints against Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) for refusing women to enter for  due to dress code enforced by security personnel.

“We have also seen repeated incidents in Malaya where hospitals and clinics imposed dress code rules to the point of denying or restricting public access.

“There have already been multiple cases in Malaya where hospital and clinic staff enforced dress codes by turning people away or limiting access to essential services.

“This is not a dress - code issue, but a power issue,” Peter said.

Ting,who is also the Deputy Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, yesterday  criticised the board for enforcing strict dress code requirements at its Miri Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) office.

He reminded the federal agencies operating in Sarawak to respect the state’s multicultural character and avoid rigid rules that hinder public service.

Sarawak government establishing Climate and Energy Diplomacy Unit to lead regional and international engagement

KUCHING:, Dec 3 2025: The state government is establishing the Sarawak Climate and Energy Diplomacy Unit under the Premier’s Department to lead all regional and  international engagements on climate, carbon and  energy transition. 

Abang Johari Openg: Through the unit, Sarawak will advance its frontier of green resources, including hydrogen and ammonia and circular economy initiatives 

 Premier Abang Johari Openg  said today that the unit is to advance Sarawak’s long-term climate and energy strategy. 

“The Sarawak Climate Change Centre will be placed  under this unit as its technical arm, supporting policy,  data and scientific work,” he said in his winding up speech at the Sarawak State Assembly today.

 He added this governance structure  positions Sarawak as a regional leader in climate  and energy diplomacy, safeguarding the environmental assets while creating new economic  value for Sarawak. 

He said through this unit, Sarawak will advance its frontier of green resources, including hydrogen and ammonia,  circular economy initiatives, bio-based materials, carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) and sustainable aviation fuel feedstock. 

“This includes moving towards a modern circular  economy that reduces landfill dependence, cuts  methane emissions and strengthens resource efficiency  across Sarawak,” the premier said.

He said as Sarawak advances its clean energy agenda, it must also  protect the forests and landscapes that sustain the  rivers and hydropower dams.

He stressed that conservation is not a cost,  but an investment that strengthens water security and creates sustainable income for rural communities.

He added that Sarawak became the first Malaysian  region to issue forest carbon licenses to support  nature-based carbon projects.

Abang Johari said that Sarawak is now moving from broad commitments to  practical, science guided nature-based solutions.

He added the state  Forestry Department has granted Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB)  a carbon study permit to carry out feasibility studies on forest and  peatland conservation in key hydropower catchments – safeguarding water resources, strengthening dam  safety and exploring long-term carbon revenues.

“Concurrently, SEB has signed a five-year Memorandum  of Understanding (MoU) with the International Union for  Conservation of Nature, bringing global best practices  to guide biodiversity management around our major  infrastructure assets.

“The initiatives are designed to generate an estimated  250,000 carbon credits from preserved forests to offset  emissions in hard-to-abate sectors,” he said.

The premier said that the work will involve local and indigenous communities  in designing conservation activities, co-managing forest  areas and developing livelihood projects linked to  restoration, eco-tourism and non-timber forest  products.

 

He added the value created by carbon markets  is shared with the people who live closest to these sites.

Dr Sim: Sarawak founding fathers would not have agreed for the formation of Malaysia if they had realised that Sarawak only get 5 per cent of oil royalty

KUCHING, Dec 3 2025: Deputy Premier Dr Sim Kui Hian has speculated that the Sarawak founding fathers would not have agreed for  the formation of Malaysia if they had realised after formation of  Malaysia that Sarawak only gets 5 per cent of oil royalty for Sarawak oil.

Caption: Dr Sim Kui Hian says he is always puzzled and disappointed with Malaysians and Sarawak questioning MA63
 

He said this explains why Sarawak is far left behind in  terms of development than Malaya.

“I am always puzzled and disappointed for any Malaysian, especially  Sarawakians including certain members of this august house called  Sarawak aspiration on Sarawak autonomy under MA63 as  regionalism and discrimination,” he said in his winding up speech at the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly today.

Dr Sim, who is also SUPP president, said Sarawakians would like to see the Madani government being sincere and meaningful in the implementation of Sarawak autonomy over health and education and the one-third of the total number of members in parliament  from Sabah and Sarawak.

He said Sarawakians also want greater share of financial taxation under 112D, respecting Sarawak gas aggregator and  resolving Petronas and Petros issue as well as all those outstanding  issues listed under  Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) Report.

He noted that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has agreed in principle for MA63 to be implemented as he called it “adil or fair” to the  people of Sarawak and Sabah.

He said as Sarawak undergoes exponential progress towards 2030,  Sarawakians need to remain united and stand in solidarity together  for these few critical years till 2030.

“We must be on high alert for  anai anai from both within and outside Sarawak including anai anai  inside GPS.

“Let every Sarawakian comes together, everyone playing their roles  and doing their parts to contribute and to support the GPS  government under Premier Abang Johari Openg in building a stronger Sarawak.  

“This way, we not only make a difference but also make a better  Sarawak for Sarawakians not just in Sarawak, but also those in Malaya and oversea, so that they can come  home to work, to retire, to enjoy Sarawak values even if they are  frustrated and disillusioned in Malaya or overseas,” he said.