140 excellent SPM students recognised at Miri Education, Career and Entrepreneur Fair
Ting, Ariffin and Lau in a group photo with organisers and 2024 SPM Straight A's excellent students.
MIRI (April 28): The fourth Education, Career and Entrepreneur Fair celebrated 140 excellent students from 15 secondary schools in Miri who achieved straight A's in the 2024 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations.
Among the recipients was a special education student, whose achievement was met with a warm round of applause from the audience.
The top students were presented with certificates and incentives in recognition of their academic excellence.
The three-day event was organised by Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Sebastian Ting, who said it had been born out of a desire to support students and entrepreneurs during the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.
'From the very beginning, this fair was about helping our young people move forward after difficult times,' he said at the closing ceremony, adding that the fair would return next year with plans for further expansion.
He also highlighted Sarawak's focus on developing its young talent, with initiatives such as free tertiary education starting in 2026 and living stipends for students from B40 families.
'We hope more students will take advantage of these opportunities, and one day return to contribute to Sarawak's growth,' he said.
Ting (fourth left) presents the incentive to the special education student who scored straight A's in the 2024 SPM exams.
Meanwhile, Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) Youth chief Councillor Leslie Lau, who also spoke at the event, urged students to be proud ambassadors of Sarawak wherever they go and to always consider coming home to serve.
Throughout the fair, visitors were able to attend career talks, explore education booths, receive entrepreneurship guidance, and seek direct counselling on future pathways.
The event, held from April 25 to 27 at Pullman Waterfront here, was co-organised by the SUPP Piasau Youth Branch and the Miri Education Initiative Society, with support from key partners such as the Social Security Organisation, MMS Miri, and Junior Chamber International Riam Chapter.
Also in attendance during the closing ceremony was Miri deputy mayor Ariffin Mohamad.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
US immigration raid of Omaha meat plant cuts staff, fuels food production worries
A man is detained during a raid by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at a Glenn Valley Foods meat production plant in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. June 10, 2025 in a still image from video. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Handout via REUTERS CHICAGO (Reuters) -U.S. meat producer Glenn Valley Foods was operating an Omaha, Nebraska, facility with about 30% of its staff on Wednesday after federal agents detained workers in an immigration raid the previous day, slashing the output of products it sells to grocery stores and restaurants, the company's president said. In the wake of Tuesday's sweep by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, livestock traders and market analysts expressed concerns that the potential deportation of undocumented workers from such raids could disrupt U.S. food production at a time when beef prices have soared and meat processors report a labor shortage. ICE agents detained about 74 to 76 workers out of roughly 140 at the Glenn Valley Foods plant, President Chad Hartmann said. Other workers did not show up on Wednesday because they felt afraid or traumatized, he said, adding that the facility's production dropped to about 20% of normal. Glenn Valley Foods sells steak, chicken and corned beef products to restaurants and grocery stores, according to its website. Retail beef prices have set records as the size of the U.S. cattle herd has declined to its lowest level in 70 years after a years-long drought raised feed costs. Consumer demand for steaks and hamburgers has stayed strong nevertheless. Glenn Valley Foods is trying to determine how long it will take to hire new employees, Hartmann said. "The hole that got punched into our business is staffing," he said. Livestock traders worried that immigration raids could slow meat companies' demand to buy cattle from farmers to process into beef, if the companies do not have enough workers. Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures came under pressure on Tuesday during the raid, after recently hitting records. "There's certainly going to be nervousness out there on where the labor situation goes, going forward," said Matt Wiegand, a commodity broker for risk management firm FuturesOne in Nebraska. Meatpackers still face an acute worker shortage, said Julie Anna Potts, president of the Meat Institute industry group. It worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, when major companies such as Tyson Foods temporarily shut plants because of a lack of workers. Glenn Valley used E-Verify, a federal database used for checking employees' immigration status. Hartmann said Homeland Security told him on Wednesday that there was no better system. "We will have to continue to use it," he said. ICE said a criminal investigation was ongoing into what immigration officials called a large-scale employment of immigrants who are present in the U.S. illegally. Footage of the Glenn Valley raid released by ICE showed agents searching the plant, restraining workers' hands and ankles, and taking them into custody. ICE officers have been intensifying efforts in recent weeks to deliver on U.S. President Donald Trump's agenda of record-level deportations. Tensions boiled over in Los Angeles over the weekend when protesters took to the streets after ICE arrested migrants at Home Depot stores, a garment factory and a warehouse, according to rights advocates. On Tuesday night, demonstrators marched in New York, Atlanta and Chicago. More than half of all meatpacking workers in the U.S. are immigrants, according to the Center for Economic and Policy Research, a think tank. The Omaha World-Herald newspaper said on Tuesday that raids were also reported at local plants run by large meatpackers Tyson and JBS USA. Tyson and JBS told Reuters their facilities were not raided. (Reporting by Tom Polansek; Editing by Aurora Ellis)
The Sun
11 hours ago
- The Sun
Education, career opportunities await youth at Perak PMR 2025
KUALA LUMPUR: The Perak MADANI Rakyat Programme (PMR) 2025, set to take place at the Lumut Waterfront from June 13 to 15, will focus on Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia leavers and students, in line with its theme, 'Pendidikan Tinggi Pemacu Negara MADANI'. Higher Education Ministry (MOHE) Management Services Division undersecretary Faizal Said said the event aims to provide youth with information, assistance and access to higher education opportunities. 'We are bringing together various agencies under MOHE to offer details on scholarships, PTPTN loans, TVET programmes, MQA accreditation, artificial intelligence and more -- all under one roof -- to make it easier for youth to obtain guidance and submit applications,' he said during an interview on Bernama Radio today. Faizal said the event would also involve other ministries, government-linked companies, non-governmental organisations and private sector players offering educational, training and career opportunities. 'Over 200 services will be offered directly by federal and state government agencies, with 36 booths in operation to facilitate public engagement and transactions,' he said. Other highlights include the MADANI Sales offering 10 to 30 per cent discounts on essential goods, a security assets exhibition, and four satellite programmes around the Manjung district. 'A wide range of activities and services for all levels of society will be available, including a silent drill performance by the Royal Malaysian Navy, a jet ski competition, free motorcycle servicing by TVET students, as well as Al-Quran and motorcycle helmet exchange programmes,' he said. Faizal added that more than 1,000 job vacancies from 10 companies across various sectors would be open to job seekers during the event. 'We invite all to seize this opportunity. The exhibition will be open from 9 am to 10 pm on Friday and Saturday, and from 9 am to 6 pm on Sunday,' he said. The programme is an initiative under the MADANI Government, organised through a strategic collaboration between the Performance Acceleration Coordination Unit (PACU) under the Prime Minister's Department, MOHE as the lead ministry, and the Perak government as host.
The Sun
11 hours ago
- The Sun
Spanish court order probe into PM over airline bailout
MADRID: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez faced a new legal setback Wednesday as a court ordered an investigation into a potential conflict of interest related to his government's financial bailout of Air Europa. The ruling came a day after the Supreme Court found that Spain's top prosecutor -- a government appointee -- might have breached judicial secrecy in another case, potentially paving the way for a trial. It also follows separate corruption investigations involving Sanchez's wife, his brother, and a former close aide. Madrid's High Court said it had directed the Civil Service Ministry's Office for Conflicts of Interest to investigate whether Sanchez should have recused himself from a 2020 Cabinet meeting that approved a €475 million bailout for Air Europa during the COVID-19 pandemic. The probe stems from a complaint filed by the conservative Popular Party, or PP. That complaint alleges that Globalia -- Air Europa's parent company -- was sponsoring projects linked to Sanchez's wife, Begona Gomez, at the time of the bailout. 'Sanchez gave public funds to someone who had financially supported his wife, and his direct involvement in the bailout must be investigated,' PP sources said Wednesday. The court did not rule on the substance of the allegations. But it did state that the Office for Conflicts of Interest had a legal obligation to examine the case — even if it ultimately finds no wrongdoing. A copy of the June 6 ruling was made public on Wednesday. An initial request by the PP in March was dismissed by the office, which cited a report from the prime minister's general secretariat stating that Gomez had no professional ties to Globalia. However, the court criticised the office for relying solely on that report and said it had found no evidence that a formal investigation had been conducted. Gomez has been under judicial investigation since April over allegations that she may have used her husband's position to advance her professional interests. A court recently ordered part of that probe -- specifically regarding her ties to Globalia -- to be dropped due to a lack of evidence. Sanchez has consistently defended his wife and his government, accusing right-wing and far-right parties of orchestrating what he describes as a smear campaign aimed at destabilizing his administration.
