Residents of Rumah Ricky Umbar longhouse resorting to "miring" ceremony to seek divine's assistance to locate the whereabouts of missing youth

KANOWIT, March 8 2026: Family members have resorted to divine’s assistance to locate the whereabouts of 22-year old Richard Lee anak Apang who has been missing from home at Rumah Ricky Umbar Jalani longhouse, Sungai Penyulau since yesterday.

Caption: A S&R party consisting of the firemen, police and longhouse residents looking for 22-year old Richard Lee anak Apang - Photo by Bomba

Kanowit district police headquarters has ordered that the  search and rescue (S&R) operations to be postponed at 3.30pm to give space to the longhouse residents to carry out the “miring” (Iban adat) ceremony to seek divine’s assistance.

“The S&R operation will resume at 9am tomorrow,” Kanowit Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) station in said a statement this afternoon.

The department said that it received a call from the police about 11.05am yesterday, seeking assistance from the firemen to search the whereabouts of Richard Lee.

According to victim’s younger brother, telling the police, that at approximately 4pm, at Rumah Ricky longhouse on Jalan Penyulau / Lukut, Kanowit, that Richard had left the house without the knowledge of his family members.

“Until this report was made at Kanowit district police headquarters, the victim had reportedly not returned home.

“The residents of the longhouse had made efforts to search for him in the forest area behind the longhouse but failed to find the victim,” the department said.

The complainant had informed that Richard left the house without any identification documents or mobile phone.

Opinion: All Malaysian registered political parties are free to contest elections in Sabah and Sarawak

By Daniel John Jambun

Borneo’s Plight in Malaysia Foundation (BoPiMaFo) takes note of recent public comments suggesting that any proposal to restrict elections in Sabah and Sarawak to local parties would be unconstitutional.

BoPiMaFo agrees with the fundamental legal position that under the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, particularly Article 10 of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, all political parties registered in Malaysia are free to contest elections anywhere in the country.

The Constitution guarantees freedom of association and political participation. No democratic system should arbitrarily restrict these rights.

However, the current discussion in Sabah should not be misunderstood as a call for legal prohibition.

A Matter of Democratic Choice

The real issue before the people of Sabah and Sarawak is not whether national parties can contest elections. The Constitution already permits them to do so.

The real question is how voters choose to exercise their democratic power.

In any democracy, political dominance is determined not by legislation but by the collective choices made by voters at the ballot box.

If the people of Sabah and Sarawak decide that their interests are better represented by parties rooted in their own states, such a choice is entirely consistent with democratic principles.

The ballot box remains the most legitimate and constitutional mechanism through which voters can shape the political landscape of their states.

Federalism and Regional Political Representation

Across many federations around the world, regional parties play a significant role in representing the unique interests of particular regions.

This is not unusual. It reflects the natural diversity of federal systems, where different regions possess distinct historical, cultural, and economic realities.

Sabah and Sarawak, as founding regions of Malaysia, possess unique constitutional arrangements, including the Malaysia Agreement 1963, which recognised the special position of the Borneo states within the Federation.

In this context, it is entirely reasonable for voters in Sabah and Sarawak to consider whether political parties that are locally rooted may be better positioned to articulate and defend the interests of their respective states.

Strengthening the Borneo Voice in Parliament

The importance of this discussion extends beyond Sabah alone.

Together, Sabah and Sarawak hold 56 seats in the Dewan Rakyat, a number that has become increasingly significant in the current era of coalition governments.

If political representation from the Borneo states is shaped primarily by parties whose political base lies within Sabah and Sarawak themselves, cooperation between the two states could naturally strengthen what is often referred to as the Borneo Bloc in Parliament.

Such cooperation could enhance the ability of Sabah and Sarawak to advance common interests on matters such as:

* The full implementation of MA63

* Fairer fiscal arrangements within the Federation

* Greater protection of natural resources

* Balanced national development

Democracy Ultimately Resides with the Voters

BoPiMaFo therefore emphasises that the debate should not focus on restricting political participation.

Instead, it should focus on empowering voters to make informed choices about the type of political representation that best serves the long-term interests of Sabah and Sarawak.

In a democracy, the Constitution provides the rules of the game.

But the outcome is determined by the people.

Ultimately, it is the voters of Sabah and Sarawak who will decide — through the ballot box — the political future of their states.

Note: Daniel John Jambun, President of Borneo’s Plight in Malaysia Foundation (BoPiMaFo)

Social activist Voon Shiak Ni urges GPS government to nominate more women as candidates in state election

KUCHING, March 8 2026: In conjunction with the International Women’s Day today, social activist Voon Shiak Ni called on the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) state government to increase the representation of women in leadership and decision-making positions.

Social activist Voon Shiak Ni: Empowering women leaders is not merely a matter of equality but it is a matter of building a stronger, more inclusive Sarawak.  

She said Sarawak’s future will be brighter when women stand equally at the decision-making table.

“Let us move forward with courage and commitment to ensure that the voices, talents, and leadership of women are fully recognised and empowered,” she added.

She said the state government must take serious note that women have long been the backbone of  families, communities, professions, and public service, yet their representation in leadership and decision-making roles remains far below their true potential.

“Empowering women leaders is not merely a matter of equality but it is a matter of building a stronger, more inclusive Sarawak.

“Women bring balanced perspectives, strong community engagement, and compassionate leadership that strengthen governance and social development,” she stressed.

She noted  women remain significantly underrepresented in the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (SLA), pointing that there are only five women out the total of 82 state lawmakers.

“And it is also disappointing that the expansion in the number of constituency seats from 71 to 82  was a missed opportunity to improve gender representation as such expansion did not result in a meaningful increase in the number of women elected to the legislative assembly.

“I believe  Sarawakians are also hopeful that the state government’s measure to further increase state legislative assembly seats from 82 to 99 will not be another missed opportunity for more women representation,” she said.

Voon also reminded that women contribute immensely to the social, economic and community development of Sarawak, yet their voices remain largely absent in the highest decision-making body of the state.

She stressed the imbalance must be addressed if Sarawak truly aspires to be a progressive and inclusive society.

Voon also called to all political parties to take concrete steps to identify, support and nominate more capable women candidates in future elections so that they can play a stronger role in shaping policies that affect families, communities and the future of Sarawak.

“International Women’s Day should not only be a celebration of women’s achievements, but also a renewed call to ensure women are given fair opportunities to participate in leadership and governance,” she added.