Maria Jawas, 77, is found safe, suffers no injuries

SERIAN, March 2 2026: A 77-year old grandmother from Kampung Mayang Kawan, Jalan Mongkos was found safe this morning, about 14 hours after she was reported missing yesterday by a family member.

Caption: Maria Jawas anak Jamas is safe and does not suffer from injuries - Photo by Bomba
 

Serian Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba), in a statement, said Maria Jawas anak Jamas was found by villagers in an orchard area, about 5km from Kampung Mayang Kawan, at about 9.15am.

“She is in  a safe condition without any injury,” the department’s operation commander Nasihin anak Jaum said.

He said Maria was sent to the Serian Hospital for medical examination.

Serian Bomba received a call from the police, seeking assistance to look for Maria who left her kampung  to go to her family farm at about 12.15pm yesterday.

She was wearing a short shirt and carrying several pieces of clothing.

However, she left without bringing food and medicine and that she has high blood pressure and is a diabetic.

When she failed to return home, the villagers conducted a search in the orchard area and around Kampung Mayang Kawan, but she was no where to be found.

Apart from the firemen and villagers, the search party also consisted of personnel from the police, Rela and Civil Defence Department.

The untold story of a Penan boy's journey of giving back to his community

In one of the longhouses deep in the interior of Ulu Baram, Franklin George stands before a group of young men, patiently explaining what lies ahead. 

Caption: Franklin (right) briefing a group of Penan youths who participated in the ReCP training 

Training schedules, certifications, and possible job placements.

Some listen quietly. Others ask practical questions. How far they will have to travel, how long they will be away from home, and whether they can return during important seasons.

Franklin answers in a mix of Malay and Penan, shifting effortlessly between languages and registers. He understands the concerns even before they are fully formed.

He lived it himself, having grown up in a Penan family, one of the last nomadic communities in Sarawak.

Now, Franklin is an executive at Petronas, based in Miri, where he works on community initiatives that connect rural youths to skills training and employment opportunities. Work that is deeply personal to him.

Work rooted in understanding Franklin began his career with PETRONAS in 2022 as part of the Sabah–Sarawak Gas Pipeline (SSGP) team.

He later transitioned to the Petronas Sarawak regional office in 2025, while retaining the same role.

It was during his time with SSGP that he started leading the Re-skilling Community Programme (ReCP), a Petronas social impact initiative designed to open employment pathways for youths in rural Lawas, Limbang, Bintulu and Miri.

As he coordinates training schedules and seeks partners to sponsor the youths, Franklin sometimes recalls a journey from his own childhood - standing in the back of a mud-caked truck, gripping the side rail as it rattled along logging roads in Ulu Baram.

Caption: The young Franklin (left) enjoying time out with his uncle (right) and cousins in his village Long Kerong 

Back then, travel itself felt like an event. Reaching school, or the nearest town in Miri, often meant enduring hours of rough terrain.

“Long Kerong is on the way to Bario. From Miri, it’s an eight-hour drive in good weather, and longer if it rains, up to a jetty.

“From there, a small river boat takes about two hours, and when the water is shallow, the journey

can stretch to five hours, carrying or pulling the boat along,” said Franklin.

Those memories instilled in him a deep understanding of the obstacles rural youth face today. Securing training partners, coordinating logistics across remote areas, and ensuring participants receive the training are ways Franklin channels that understanding into action. He helps youths overcome barriers and turn opportunities into real outcomes.

He collaborates with organisations such as Institut Kemahiran MARA (IKM) Bintulu and TMR Technologies Sdn Bhd to deliver technical training in areas including scaffolding and mechanical fitting.

Since the inception of ReCP in 2024, Franklin and his team have brought short, intensive training to youths from Lawas, Ulu Limbang, Baram, Tinjar, Niah, and Bintulu, equipping them over one to two months with practical skills for employment.

The results are tangible. In 2024, 33 youths were successfully placed into jobs. In 2025, another 40 followed.

These youths are now certified and working with companies such as Crocker Engineering Sdn Bhd, Bina Harta Enterprise, Preveld Oil & Gas, Rahabco Engineering & Construction Bhd, Bintulu Scaffolding Sdn Bhd, and JL Expert Scaffolding.

Behind every number is a story of determination. One story stays with him.

“He was one of our registered youths in 2024. He woke up at 6am and rode his motorcycle along logging roads to join our training in Long Lama. Along the way, he punctured his tyre, but he managed to replace it and continued his journey.

“Then the motorcycle chain broke, and he was stranded in the middle of the jungle. He didn’t make it that day.

The next year, we provided transport for him, and he completed his training. Now, he has a job at the Samalaju Industrial Park in Bintulu,” Franklin recalled.

 For Franklin, stories like this give meaning to his work. The impact is tangible, visible, and life changing.

He understands what it means to be given a chance and perhaps he sees a reflection of his own journey in these youths. 

Franklin’s contribution stretches beyond mere organisational skills. It is rooted in trust. To the communities he serves, he not only speaks their language, but understands their values, hesitations and hopes.

He knows that families in rural areas carefully weigh distance, separation, and the risk of failure, especially when there is no safety net. Those insights come from his own experiences growing up in a remote Penan village.

Enduring long journeys to school and struggling to fit in as one of only a handful of Penan students at SMK Temenggong Datuk Lawai Jau, a school of nearly 600, Franklin often felt that going home might have been the safer choice.

What kept him in school was practical support. The school principal, Cikgu Mering Jok Eng, offered Franklin a place to stay, sharing meals and study space, giving him stability when it mattered most.

That early care inspires how he supports young people now. When parents hesitate, he provides practical help to their children, much as Cikgu Mering once did.

"If not for Cikgu Mering back then, I think I would have dropped out of school,” Franklin said. “I would have stopped right there.

SUPP Youth lodges police report against "Berita 757" Facebook post for distorting Sarawak history

SIBU, March 1 2026: Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) Central Youth today lodged a police report against a Facebook post "Berita 757" which allegedly contained a distorted and misleading historical narrative through the posting of a video titled "Sarawak Buta Sejarah" (Sarawak Blind to History). 

The report was lodged by the Youth chief Kevin Lau Kor Jie (picture) at the Sungai Merah Police Station, this afternoon.

"We view the publication seriously because it not only fails to recognise Sarawak's historical sovereignty, but also denies the state's constitutional rights including matters relating to the continental shelf.

"This report is also irresponsible, risks misleading the public and undermines the constitutional foundations that are the backbone of the formation of Malaysia," he said in a statement.

He explained that the development of Sarawak's constitution is clearly documented and proven historically.

He stressed Sarawak has three main constitutions, namely the 1941 Constitution introduced by Charles Vyner Brooke, the 1957 Constitution during the British Crown Colony administration and the current constitutional framework after the formation of Malaysia in 1963.

Kevin added that before the formation of Malaysia, Sarawak was recognised internationally as a legal entity under the Brooke administration and later as a "British Crown Colony".

"During that period, Sarawak had its own constitution, its own legislature, its own courts and its own laws known as Ordinances.

"From a historical and legal perspective, Sarawak functions as a region with its own administrative system," he explained.

Kevin said Sarawak achieved self-government on July 22, 1963 with Stephen Kalong Ningkan as the first chief minister and the date is now commemorated as Sarawak Day.

He added that among the important laws enacted before the formation of Malaysia included the Oil Mining Ordinance 1954 which regulates oil exploration and licensing under the Sarawak government, as well as the Land Code 1958 which regulates land ownership and Native Customary Rights (NCR).

According to him, after the formation of Malaysia through the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), Article 162 of the Federal Constitution maintains Sarawak's existing laws as long as they are not repealed or amended in accordance with the provisions of the law.

Therefore, he stressed, all actions by the Sarawak government in defending its rights and autonomy are based on the Federal Constitution, MA63, the Intergovernmental Committee (IGC) Report and Sarawak's own legal framework.

"Therefore, we urge the Malaysian police to conduct an investigation into the individual sources referred to as 'observers' in the report and determine whether a fact-checking process was carried out before publication.

"We also urge the authorities to examine whether the report has the potential to cause division between Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak by distorting long-accepted historical facts.

"SUPP Central Youth will continue to stand firm in defending Sarawak's rights. Sarawak must be recognised as one of the equal entities that formed Malaysia in 1963," he said.

He said respecting Sarawak's historical and constitutional position is an important foundation in strengthening mutual trust and preserving national unity.

 

Newly completed St Stephen Church Pantu can accommmodate up to 500 people at one time

PANTU, March 1 2026:  St Stephen Church now has a new look after the old dilapidated building was demolished and rebuilt for the comfort and safety of its believers.

 Caption: Newly completed St Stephen Church Pantu - Photo by Ukas

The construction of the new church was made possible through financial assistance from the United For Other Religions (Unifor), reflecting the Sarawak government's ongoing commitment to safeguarding the welfare and harmony of the multi-religious community in the state.

The new two-storey building is capable of accommodating up to 500 people at a time.

The ground floor of the building also serves as a church hall for organising various religious and community activities, while the main space on the upper floor houses a more spacious and comfortable place of worship.

The construction project was coordinated by the church with the cooperation of the local community to ensure that its implementation runs smoothly and meets the needs of the local community.

Caption: Christians attending  Sunday service at St Stephen Church Pantu - Photo by Ukas 

Residents in Pantu District expressed their highest appreciation and gratitude to the Sarawak government for approving the assistance.

With the completion of the new building, St Stephen Church is expected to continue to be an important centre of religious and social activities for the local community, thus strengthening the spirit of togetherness among the residents of Pantu and the surrounding area.