My comments on the proposed establishment of 3rd Federal capital in Borneo

The Sarawak Government had not been consulted on the recent proposal to establish a third federal capital in Borneo and I have mentioned to our media friends on the necessity to address a few important matters first such as the fate of the long-alienated “Bandar 2020” land which was already given to the Federal Government decades ago. If plans to develop the so-called “third federal capital” come true, further land acquisition would inevitably be involved, and Sarawak had already relinquished 2,020 hectares of prime land to the federal government during the Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad administration for the unrealised project.

It was meant to house federal administrative buildings along with accommodation for federal officers. However, nothing has happened on the 2,020 hectares of land. I was responding to Member of Parliament (MP) for Ampang, YB Rodziah Ismail from PKR who proposed for the establishment of a third capital in Borneo during the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s address at the Dewan Rakyat.

To us, the undeveloped land should be returned to the state if it remains unused, as the 2,020 hectare site remains highly valuable as Kuching continues to expand.

This is because if they are not willing to develop the land that has already been given, then the right thing to do is return it to the state. I had further questioned the need for another capital when Malaysia already has Kuala Lumpur as its national and commercial capital, and Putrajaya as its administrative capital.

I don’t see the need for too many capitals for a nation. The economic growth in Sabah and Sarawak does not hinge on hosting a federal capital…creating a third capital would involve further land acquisition and the conversion of state land into federal land, a move that I believe Sarawakians would oppose. Do we want another Labuan in Sarawak? I don’t think so. If the aim was to truly boost the economies of Sabah and Sarawak or drive development in rural and remote areas, there were far more practical ways to do so.

I have also pointed to long-standing issues such as inadequate rural infrastructure, dilapidated schools, hospitals and clinics, and stressed that these matters fell squarely under federal jurisdiction and should be prioritised before any grand new proposals are floated. Such proposal did not reflect federal policy and was raised by an individual, and that Sarawak had not been consulted on the matter.

Checking on the complimentary tourists' bus ride to Semenggoh Wildlife Sanctuary in Puncak Borneo, Kuching

On this Sunday morning I have joined the complimentary electric bus ride to the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre, in Jalan Puncak Borneo Kuching and the road journey was just fine despite the torrential rainfall the night before.

The event was organised by our Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak (MTB) and it was aimed to see whether the travelling schedule needs to be adjusted in order to improve the tourists' experience, especially in ensuring punctual arrival at the Orang Utan sanctuary's feeding time. 

The adjustment of schedule is important and was made after it was discovered in recent times, the past schedules had caused some tourists to arrive late, thus missing out on the opportunity to witness the animal feeding session. 

Based on the old schedule, some buses were not fully utilised schedule needs to be adjusted to better meet the needs of tourists.  The Orang Utan feeding time at the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre is actually held twice a day, at around 10 am and between 3 and 4 pm, and the new bus schedule has now been arranged earlier to meet present needs.

 

The visit to Semenggoh Wildlife Sanctuary was also to assess the effectiveness of the new routes and schedules introduced, as well as to ensure that the use of the electric bus service was more optimal and in line with the main activity schedule at the wildlife centre.

 

The existing free electric bus service also goes through several major hotels around Kuching City to facilitate the movement of tourists and locals. For the past years, our Sarawak government has provided four fully electric buses that are environmentally friendly, in line with the state's commitment towards sustainable tourism and reducing carbon emissions.  

The free electric bus service also involves travelling from Kuching city to the Sarawak Cultural Village in Pantai Damai, Santubong and interested visitors can check the travel schedule via the website https://mtcp.sarawak.gov.my or the Kuching Metro application. 

Attending the talk on "Interpreting Borneo in Britain and Sarawak"

I had attended a wonderful talk on "Interpreting Borneo in Britain and Sarawak" which was held at the Borneo Cultures Museum (BCM) in Kuching over the weekend and it serves more than a presentation of research findings but as a platform for reflection on how we can work together across institutions and borders. 

It was delivered by Dr Jennifer Morris, who is the Borneo Research Fellow and Henry Ginsburg Curator for Southeast Asia at the British Museum. Also present at the talk was Dr. Alexandra Green, the Curator for Southeast Asia at the British Museum.

In my opening speech, I have mentioned that Sarawak is positioning itself as an equal partner in international heritage research, focusing on cross-border collaboration, community engagement and the responsible interpretation of Borneo’s cultural collections. 

We welcome such initiatives which reflect Sarawak’s readiness to engage meaningfully with international institutions while safeguarding its cultural heritage. I have also mentioned research involving Borneo collections should go beyond academic study, with emphasis placed on cross-border collaboration and shared responsibility in managing heritage materials.

The talk organised by our Sarawak Museum Department had involved researchers and museum professionals from Sarawak and the United Kingdom (UK). The research and collections teams from Sarawak and the British Museum had undertaken extensive work to share information on the Charles Hose collections stored both in Kuching and in the UK. 

We must continue efforts in reconstructing the historical and cultural contexts in which the collections were formed and preserved. I am also delighted to se that this project has not been confined to academic research alone. The community engagement activities conducted in the Baram region last year demonstrate a strong commitment to reconnecting museum collections with source communities. 

Such approach will align closely with Sarawak’s values where heritage research must not be extractive in nature; it must be reciprocal, inclusive and grounded in respect for local knowledge and lived experience.

I have also mentioned on the digitisation of the British Museum’s Charles Hose photographic collection which had significantly improved access to heritage materials. This is because by making the collection available online, it had created a valuable public resource for future research into Sarawak’s history and cultural landscapes. We must continue to encourage heritage research to be done because potentially it can inspire innovation, education and meaningful opportunities for Sarawak’s younger generation. 

Well-researched and responsibly interpreted heritage will enhances Sarawak’s global profile, attracts cultural tourism, and strengthens our sense of identity as a diverse and dynamic society. I also strongly believe that close partnerships between museums, researchers and communities are essential to ensure our cultural narratives are preserved and communicated with accuracy, sensitivity and depth.

Courtesy visit by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AirBorneo

 It was a pleasure to receive the courtesy visit by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AirBorneo, Wan Ardian Mohd Wira Aminuddin who dropped by our office at Bangunan Baitul Makmur II, Petra Jaya Kuching. Also present during the visit was Morshidi Fredrik, the Permanent Secretary to Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak (MTCP) and our media friends who attended the press conference that was held later the same day. 

They had fielded a number of questions including the possibility for AirBorneo which is expected to be appointed as one of the official carriers for the 2027 SEA Games. Potentially it is possible with the state-owned airline targeting the start of its jet operations by September 2027.

The move is in line with Sarawak having secured the hosting 17 of the SEA Games events, including the opening ceremony, which will require higher-capacity aircraft to facilitate the movement of athletes, officials and delegations from the 10 participating Southeast Asian countries. 

I have mentioned to our media friends we have requested for AirBorneo be considered as one of the official airlines for the SEA Games. This is also because most of the events, including the opening ceremony, will be held in Sarawak.

AirBorneo is expected to introduce at least three jet aircraft next year as part of its preparation for the Games, subject to board approval and aircraft availability. Our state airline has considered leasing narrow-body jets capable of operating regional routes, including to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Among the possibilities of aeroplanes that could be used are the Boeing 737s or Airbus A320s models. They will not replace the ATR aircraft or Twin Otters currently used for Rural Air Services (RAS) within Sarawak 

But we must understand the fleet expansion plans by AirBorneo shall remain subject to market conditions, noting that aircraft availability is currently constrained globally.AirBorneo management is to focus on network planning and fleet requirements before making any acquisition decisions. 

The airlines’ operational systems had been fully transitioned from the Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) following a system cutover on January 14, including flight operations, counter systems and the IATA two-letter code change from MH to MY. We are indeed delighted to have AirBorneo had taken off and currently operates eight ATR aircraft and six Twin Otters from its hubs in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah and Miri.

All round applause to organisers of "Rentap Fighting Championship 7.0"

I have congratulated organisers of this year’s “Rentap Fighting Championship 7.0” which had been successful in attracting thousands of spectators and supporters at the Summer Mall shopping complex. The majority of the Muay Thai fans consists of our young folks and among the participants in this exciting championship had come from throughout Sarawak, West Malaysia and Thailand. The crowd went ecstatic when some of the bouts had featured popular young exponents who had represented Sarawak in previous Malaysia Games (SUKMA) and Malaysia in last year’s SEA Games held in Bangkok, Thailand. 

In recent years, our State Government through Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry & Performing Arts Sarawak (MTCP) as well as Ministry of Youth, Sports & Entrepreneur Development Sarawak (MYSED) had lend support to the organisers. 

A pat on the back to the organisers which had added a meaningful program that is an anti-bullying awareness campaign. It is an interesting initiative that took off at the Summer Shopping Mall with the objective of promoting child safety. The laudable campaign had also reinforced the message of martial arts not meant to encourage bullying, but to nurture discipline, respect and contribute positive character development. 

Thumbs up to the program which was also expanded into educational sessions for parents, particularly on issues related to child abuse and mitigating efforts to address the issue.