Witnessing the reenactment of the “Operation Semut Bario 1945” parachute mission at Padang Merdeka, Kuching

It was held on a modest scale but the reenactment of the parachute landing of Australia's “Special Z Unit” in Bario, Miri back in 1945 during World War II's “Operation Semut Bario” was still amazing. The event was held at Padang Merdeka and was graced by our right honourable Premier of Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Abang Haji Openg.

The significance of the event was recognised by the Sarawak government, with a repeat of the re-enactment being held at Padang Merdeka in Kuching City so to enable our folks especially the younger generation can witness and appreciate the sacrifices of our war time heroes. 

Those who were at Padang Merdeka since early morning were served with a thrilling parachute jump from a height of about 6,000 feet which was successfully carried out by four members of the Malaysian Air Special Forces or popularly known as "PASKAU" squad. Those involved in the jump were Air Warrant Officer Mohd Shah Rizal Md Zahid; Captain Shahrurizal Sabri, Flight Sargeant Ahmad Riduan Nordin and Corporal Muhammad Fikri Azizi Faizul.

The weather conditions were just perfect for the brave servicemen to perform their jumps as a reenactment of the one made on March 25, 1945 by the Special Air Service (SAS) commandos from Australia, New Zealand and the Great Britain also known back then as the "Special Z Unit". 

Delightful experience at the 80th commemoration ceremony of "Operation Semut 1945 Bario" in Miri

I was delighted to have attended the commemoration ceremony of “Operasi Semut 1945 Bario” which had entered its 80th edition and took place at Bario Memorial Park this morning. This famous military operation was one of the historic events in the history of Sarawak during the Second World War. 

This operation is also a symbol of courage of the Allied Forces consisting of Britain, Australia, New Zealand and local heroes who resisted the Japanese occupation. My thanks to the organizers, especially Rurum Kelabit Sarawak for having invited me to grace this year’s event. Also present at the ceremony were dignitaries in attendance included Australia’s High Commissioner to Malaysia, Danielle Heinecke; New Zealand High Commissioner to Malaysia, Mike Walsh; and British Deputy High Commissioner to Malaysia, Tom Shepherd.

Also present were representatives from Australia’s Special Operations Command, the Australian Army Research Centre, veterans of the "Z Special Unit" and their family members, as well as Sarawak veteran Lieutenant General (R) Datuk Stephen Mundaw.

I flew to Miri in the early morning with the hope of getting to the Bario Highlands much earlier than the scheduled time of arrival but the helicopter flight there from Miri International Airport was delayed for about an hour because of heavy cloud formation at the highlands. 

Later the weather conditions had improved with slight breeze but it had enabled for the seven parachutists to perform their jumps for the waiting audience. The significance of the event is also recognised by our Sarawak Government, with a repeat of the re-enactment to be held at Padang Merdeka in Kuching City on March 27.

Our tourism industry is back and thriving to new heights

My special thanks to our veteran journalist and well-known political writer, Toman Mamora who had written a wonderful article on Sarawak's tourism industry which had bounced back from the Covid-19 era and now thriving to new heights.

The news article was published in the Borneo Post, a well-known newspaper in Sarawak and Sabah. The article was titled "Yes Minister! Our tourism is bouncing back! Essentially it paid tribute to the hard work and joint efforts that were put in by our Sarawak and Malaysia Governments the past few years in getting the tourism industry back on track. 

Our visitors' arrival the past few years after Covid-19 era had increased steadily with over 4 million people having visited Sarawak with the tourism receipts had surpassed the RM10 billion mark. This year, our Right Honourable Premier of Sarawak had confidently set a target of 5 million visitors in 2025 and his confidence had stemmed from the aggressive marketing and promotion activities undertaken by Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak (MTCP) through its agency, Sarawak Tourism Board (STB). 

The ongoing campaign on "Visit Malaysia Malaysia 2026" (VMY2026) is also another feel good factor in wooing more visitors to our country while at the same time leveraging on the exposure given to our country especially overseas. 

Expecting 1,000 participants in this year's "Rainforest Youth Summit (RAYS)" on June 18 to 20

This year’s edition of “Rainforest Youth Summit” or “RAYS” is on from June 18 to 20 at HIKMAH Exchange & Exhibition Centre (HEEC) in Kuching. We are expecting 1,000 participants from throughout ASEAN countries and Malaysia. 

Presently, over 300 participants had already confirmed including youth delegates from across ASEAN. We look forward to welcoming other global environmental youth leaders, sustainability advocates, and indigenous knowledge keepers. My thanks to Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) for having invited me to grace the official announcement held at Borneo Culture Museum (BCM) recently and also by our media friends.

This youth-centric event is set to bring together ASEAN youths to drive sustainability and climate action. Themed ‘Living Landscapes: Charting a Sustainable Future’, the summit will gather young change makers, environmental leaders, and indigenous voices to collaborate on building a greener, more equitable world.

The final day of RAYS2025 is at the Sarawak Cultural Village and it will provide a transformative platform for dialogue, skill-building, and meaningful actions with over15 speakers from 12 countries will share their insights on key themes, including biodiversity preservation, rainforest wisdom, climate adaptation, youth advocacy, and sustainable development. 

Among them are young global sustainability personalities namely Zoya Miari, Prachi Shevgaonkar, Mitzi Jonelle Tan, and Larissa Crawford, who have made waves in environmental activism and social impact. They will also be joined by regional voices including Joshua Belayan, and Dr Ahmad Zafir Abdul Wahab, a leading conservation biologist dedicated to preserving Malaysia’s rich biodiversity.

Beyond inspiring conversations and keynote sessions, hands-on workshops will be held to equip young participants with practical solutions and real-world strategies to become agents of change. The summit will also culminate in a special cultural experience at the Rainforest World Music Festival 2025 , allowing participants to immerse themselves in Sarawak’s vibrant arts and cultural scene.

Through cultural showcases, we will celebrate Sarawak’s vibrant heritage, which is a reminder that culture is not just our identity but also a powerful tool for connection especially among youngsters. Thus, RAYS2025 reflects a growing commitment to youth-led environmental initiatives.

To encourage wider participation, organisers have introduced special registration tiers. ASEAN youths can register at RM300, returning alumni at RM250, group participants at RM230 per person, and international delegates outside Asean at RM500. The fees include access to workshops, plenary sessions, networking events, and a special entry to the RWMF 2025.

In this regard, are encouraging young leaders from Sarawak, Malaysia, and around the world to join this upcoming event. They can become part of RAYS2025 to add their voice, passion, and vision to the conversations that will shape our world. Together, our young folks chart a path towards a future where our landscapes, rainforests, rivers, and communities thrive in harmony.

My comments on label for Sarawak as one of the 6 poorest states in Malaysia

I have chided our Economy Minister, Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli who had listed Sarawak as one of the 6 poorest states in Malaysia including Sabah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis. I was interviewed by our local media friends on this matter after Sarawak together with other “poorest states” were warned not to expect allocations from the Federal Government alone. 

According to the learned Datuk Seri Rafizi, efforts to narrow the poverty gap is a shared responsibility that must be shouldered by the respective state governments in order to attract investment and business. He had also mentioned that the allocation to the 6 poorest states in our country which hd been maintained is much more than others. 

Of course it is not right to put Sarawak as one of the poorest states in Malaysia simply because we have billions of ringgit in our coffers and not forgetting the rich natural resources which we posses that had not been fully discovered nor tapped. I have mentioned that probably such label was based on the large number of “e-kasih” applicants which had been registered in Sarawak previously and that the relevant authorities should revisit such registration.

Nevertheless, Sarawak has a lot of rural folks who are actively involved in agriculture and its downstream activities but what they are lacking is the documentary proofs of their monthly earnings from such economic activities. I have mentioned that there are kampung folks in the Asajaya constituency who have earned up to RM10,000 monthly but they do not have “salary slips” to prove their lucrative earnings from working on their lands and farms. Some can even earned RM5,000 a month which is far more than the average full time wage earners and sadly these farmers do not have “salary slips” to prove their monthly incomes.