Fire destroyed homes in Sibu

SIBU: Nearly 1,000 residents of Kampung Hilir and Kampung Datu Lama here were left homeless after fire razed around 100 houses today.

In the 3.45pm incident, the strong wind and dry weather made the situation worse as fire spread quickly among the tightly-packed clusters of wooden houses.

Sarawak Fire and Rescue director Nor Hisham Mohamad said they received the call at 4.02pm and sent 45 personnel with four fire engines from the Sibu Sentral, Sungei Merah and Kanowit stations to the scene.

“We only managed to control the fire around 7pm. For now, we believed around 100 homes are affected," he said.

 

Meanwhile, resident Mohamad Nur Hafizi Majidi, 28, said the fire spread too fast and only some of them managed to salvage their belongings.

“We believe the fire could have started from an abandoned house which had been left vacant seven years ago, and spread to the neighbouring house. I saw the flames ate the houses one by one in quick fashion.

“The wind in the area is also strong as our villages are located along the river. By the time it was put out, only 20 homes are still left standing," he said.

 The state Welfare Department teams were at the scene to provide aid to the residents.

Read more: Nearly 1,000 villagers in Sibu left homeless in fire - Latest - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/latest/nearly-1-000-villagers-in-sibu-left-homeless-in-fire-1.303518#ixzz2Wvjr03HL

Sarawak ministers, assemblymen get three-fold pay hike . The Star

Remuneration to be backdated to Jan 1, 2012

KUCHING: The monthly remuneration of the Sarawak chief minister, deputy chief minister, ministers, assistant ministers and stateassemblymen will rise by about three-fold under a bill approved Tuesday by the state legislative assembly.

The Members of the Administration and Members of Dewan Undangan Negeri (Remuneration, Pensions and Gratuities) Bill 2013 also provides for an increase in the remuneration for the state assembly speaker, deputy speaker and political secretaries.

The remuneration of the chief minister will rise from RM13,000 to RM39,000; deputy chief minister, RM11,500 to RM35,000; senior minister and state assembly speaker, RM9,000 to RM30,000; ministers, RM9,000 to RM27,000; assistant ministers and assembly deputy speaker, RM7,000 to RM21,000; state assemblymen, RM4,500 to RM15,000 and political secretaries, RM3,000 to RM9,000.

The bill provides for the increase in remuneration to take effect from Jan 1 last year. The last adjustment in the remuneration was in 1992.

Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh said a review of the remuneration was done in view of the increasing expectations of the people. "Sarawak is as big as Semenanjung (the peninsula) and a lot of Members of the Dewan Undangan Negri (state assemblymen) have to cover a large territory, particularly those who serve the rural areas," he said.

Wong said the new bill would take effect by next week and the exercise was expected to incur RM17mil in state funds, inclusive of the backdated pay from last year. - Bernama

RM400mil bridge and road project to connect Kanowit, Song

KUCHING: The Federal Government will allocate RM400mil to build a bridge in Kanowit and complete a 33km road in Song within two years.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the infrastructure was necessary to connect Sibu and Kapit, currently without any road.

As for the road from Kapit to Belaga, he said a survey had to be done by the Public Works Department first before the Government could make any decision.

He also announced an additional RM30mil in next year’s budget for the perimeter survey work on Native Customary Rights (NCR) land in the state.

Najib said the additional RM30mil was on top of the RM60mil already allocated.

“The perimeter survey work is one of the touch points important to the rural folks.

“Due to the huge area involved, it needs extra allocation for the work to be completed and for the landowners to be issued with the title eventually.

“This is something which is close to the heart of the rural people and we ought to help,” he said at the Gawai dinner celebration here last night.

He added that the National Safety Council (MKN) and Yayasan 1Malaysia would each give RM500 to everyone of the survivors of the express boat tragedy in Belaga. The family of the dead victims, he said, would be given RM5,000 while the three villagers who helped rescue the victims would be given RM3,000 each.

Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang said the recent GE13 results in Sarawak showed continuous strong support from bumiputra and rural dwellers.

Although the opposition, particularly DAP, fielded several young bumiputra professionals in rural constituencies, they failed to make any inroads in these areas.

“This is because bumiputra and rural voters are confident in Barisan and your (Najib) leadership in fulfilling all promises to further develop the nation,” he said.

Jabu, who is also the dinner’s joint-organising chairman, said Sarawakians were also touched by Najib and his deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s regular visits to the state to ensure all transformation programmes truly benefited the people.

During the dinner, Jabu led elected representatives and various community leaders in a pledge to fully support Najib’s leadership and administration.

He also introduced Najib to the three heroes Harudis Basan, Narles Busan and Kimi Tanjung from Rumah Sekapan Panjang, Belaga, who helped to save many lives when the ill-fated express boat capsized two weeks ago in Upper Rajang River.

About 1,500 people attended the grand Gawai dinner themed, Segulai Sejalai (Together in Unity).

Menjawah-Belaga road will reduce river use in Borneo, says Transport Minister

The Star. PETALING JAYA: A 38km road linking Kampung Menjawah and the Bakun hydro dam to Belaga in Sarawak will be opened in August.

Acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said with the land route, residents in the interior need not rely on the rivers to travel.

The road will provide access to seven long houses - Rumah Nyaving, Rumah Apan, Rumah Long Mitik, Rumah Long Segaham, Rumah Panjang Lahanan, Rumah Panjang Kajaman and Rumah Panjang Makahei.

“The tarred road is one of four road projects in Sarawak's interior, under the Malaysian Armed Forces' (MAF) Jiwa Murni project," Hishammuddin said in a statement.

The RM56mil project is a joint venture by local authorities and MAF engineers, and funded by Implementation Coordination Unit of the Prime Minister's Department in line with the National Blue Ocean Strategy (NBOS).

In Belaga, Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced the upgrading of Menjawah-Belaga road with an allocation of RM50mil to include a bridge linking Belaga town. Another long-term solution is to jump start the construction of the 400km Sibu-Kapit road estimated to cost about RM700mil.

Zahid believed this project should go on to prevent future river mishap such as the capsizing of the ferry boat, some 30km from Belaga town, on Balui River on Tuesday.

Hulu Rajang MP Wilson Ugak Kumbong shared with The Star his appreciation of the construction of Sibu-Kapit road.

"We welcome this news and we thank Datuk Seri Zahid and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najibfor their empathy shown to locals living in this area where river is the only means to connect from one place to another," said Ugak whose home in Mujong Baleh is also accessible only by river transport.

The Hulu Rajang parliamentary seat covers an area as big as Pahang but minus the infrastructures and logistics like roads and other basic amenities.