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Borneo Post
3 days ago
- Business
- Borneo Post
Selampit Bridge project set for completion by March 2026, says Mas Gading MP
Mordi says physical progress as of December 2024 stood at 1.37 per cent, consisting of preliminary site clearing work. — Photo via Facebook/Mordi Bimol KUCHING (May 30): The long-delayed Selampit Bridge project in Mas Gading is now scheduled for completion by March 3, 2026, said its MP Mordi Bimol. In a Facebook post, the Democratic Action Party (DAP) lawmaker said the contractor, Empayar Setia Sdn Bhd, took possession of the site on Sept 4, 2024, following the issuance of the Letter of Acceptance on Aug 21, 2024. The 18-month construction timeline is expected to culminate in the first quarter of 2026. 'Based on the latest updates, the project has officially begun and is targeted for completion by March 3, 2026,' Mordi said. According to Mordi, physical progress as of December 2024 stood at 1.37 per cent, consisting of preliminary site clearing work. The project, implemented under the Sarawak government's jurisdiction, is spearheaded by the Public Works Department (JKR) Sarawak. He called on JKR Sarawak and the state government to ensure timely execution and to provide transparent updates to the public. 'I urge the Sarawak government and JKR to give a clear and comprehensive explanation to the public on the current status of this project,' he said. 'Any delays or uncertainty not only frustrate the people but may also undermine public confidence in implementing agencies,' he said. The Selampit Bridge project was first approved in 2017 with an estimated cost of RM27.9 million. It was originally scheduled for completion by 2022, but faced repeated delays mainly due to the State Planning Authority (SPA) rejecting the proposed site four times between 2018 and 2021. Final site approval was granted on Sept 27, 2022, after which design works commenced on Oct 6, 2022, and were completed by Oct 2023. Tender documentation was finalised in February 2024. The project was approved under the second rolling plan of the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP) in 2018, and design work commenced along with efforts to secure additional funding. In 2021, the federal government confirmed its commitment to continue the project under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP). In 2022 and 2023, the new site alignment was approved, allowing the project to move forward. Under Budget 2024, RM1.675 million was allocated for the bridge component. In 2024, the project was tendered out, awarded to a contractor, and officially began construction in September. However, a related challenge remains unresolved. Mordi said the new bridge site lacks a connecting access road. A 1.8km road, estimated at RM22 million, will be proposed under the first rolling plan of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) in 2026. To avoid further delays, the bridge and the access road will be implemented separately. Mordi reiterated his commitment to ensuring the project is completed without further disruptions. 'I will continue to monitor, push, and raise the people's concerns at all levels to ensure this project is completed and delivers the long-awaited benefits to the residents,' he said. mas gading Mordi Bimol selampit bridge
Borneo Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- Borneo Post
‘Silence is not stability': DAP S'wak hits back at Dr Sim's 'divisive' label
Yong rejects the claim and asserted that Sarawak's political stability should not rest on 'silence, submission, or selective memory'. – Photo by Roystein Emmor KUCHING (May 28): The Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak will not be silenced despite being labelled 'divisive' by Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian, said Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong. Yong, who is also DAP Sarawak organising secretary, rejected the claim and asserted that Sarawak's political stability should not rest on 'silence, submission, or selective memory'. 'True political stability is achieved when every voice is heard, when power is held accountable, and when governance is inclusive – not when the ruling elite are shielded from scrutiny,' she said in a statement today. 'We will continue to speak without fear or favour, to demand transparent governance, expose misuse of public funds, and fight for fair and inclusive development for all Sarawakians,' she said, reaffirming DAP's commitment to transparency and inclusive governance. Yong's response came following Dr Sim's ministerial winding-up speech at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, in which he claimed Sarawak had enjoyed prolonged political stability because DAP had never been part of the state government. Dr Sim, also the State Minister of Public Health, Housing, and Local Government, further described DAP as a party that consistently engages in divisive and polarising politics under the guise of championing the 'rakyat' (people). Yong said she was taken aback by the remark, calling it a reflection of 'political ignorance and whitewashing', and described it as a gross insult to the principles of parliamentary democracy. 'Let me make this clear. DAP is not in the Sarawak government because we respect the will of the people,' she said. 'In the last state election, we won only two out of 82 seats. We accepted that result with humility and chose to serve where the voters placed us – as the opposition- playing our role in providing checks and balances. 'That is the essence of democracy; not blind obedience, but principled service to the rakyat,' she added. Yong also challenged Dr Sim to provide a single example where DAP had divided Sarawakians. 'When have we ever played the politics of race or religion? The answer is never,' she said. She also criticised Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP), led by Dr Sim, for aligning themselves with Perikatan Nasional during a time when the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), a dominant force within the coalition, held significant influence. 'SUPP has become nothing more than a meek junior partner, politically submissive to PBB (Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu). 'They toe the line, nod in silence, and remain conveniently quiet in the name of so-called 'stability', even as core Sarawakian values are under threat,' she said. dap divisive Dr Sim Kui Hian violet yong
West Australian
25-05-2025
- West Australian
Spilling tears for Penang's southern coast
I have been living in Penang, the famous UNESCO-inscribed island on the north-western coast of Malaysia, since 2009, but as I travel a lot, sometimes it takes me a while before I can return to familiar places. Last weekend, I decided to revisit one of what I consider among the island's best hiking spots: Permatang Damar Laut, a lovely stretch of palm-fringed coast backed by three contiguous hills peppered with World War II defensive bunkers. With a sea-facing Chinese shrine dedicated to Tua Pek Kong and possibly the best beach left on ever-developing Penang, the area of Pantai Esen (Esen Beach) was amazing because, notwithstanding its beauty, it always stayed well off tourists' radars. I hadn't been there in a while because of too many guidebook assignments to far-flung destinations in Europe and the Americas. But when I arrived at the trailhead on an early Saturday morning, the first thing I wanted to do was cry. A newborn, in-the-making sand monster, topped by ever-moving cranes and lorries, has taken the place of what once was one of north-west Malaysia's most crucial fishing seaboards. This Frankenstein of 'progress' is nothing new, but I had never seen it live before. Some of you may be familiar with the controversial Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project. First approved in 2015, it was conceived to fund the larger Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) aimed at developing new highways, a cross-channel motor tunnel (even when there are already two of Asia's longest bridges connecting Penang island to the mainland, where the remaining two thirds of the state, named Seberang Perai, are), and light rail transportation systems to solve the island's traffic congestion problem. After much debate, it finally went on in mid-2024. The PSR's initial and gargantuan idea (which would have taken something between 30 and 50 years to complete) was to recover 1821 hectares of land to build three man-made islands separated by a 250 metre-wide sea channel from the south of Penang island. The rationale was that the PSR would create some 300,000 jobs over the next 30 years, reducing brain drain and guaranteeing a better future for Penang's next generations. And somehow (which was never explained) also help to solve Penang's ever-increasing traffic problems. For a decade, this project has been a very controversial one, with local fishermen and several NGOs campaigning against it on one hand, and many local folks who are pro-development and 'Singaporeisation' of Penang, including the then ruling Democratic Action Party, on the other. The main concern raised by local NGOs and fishermen was that these three islands — almost ironically named BiodiverCity — would bury the state's richest fishery and most biodiverse sea under the equivalent of 76,000 Olympic-size swimming pools of sand. Penang State Government has kept claiming that there is no more land left to develop on the island — as most of it is Penang Hill, a cordon of central and northwestern hills that were bestowed a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve title in 2021, without said government's proper plan to promote it to attract a diverse type of nature-focused tourism. But also remember that the largely flat Seberang Perai on the Malaysian mainland, which is slightly bigger than the whole of Singapore and roughly two and a half times the size of the hilly Penang island, is pretty much all undeveloped paddy fields. The fisher folks and NGOs managed to halt the PSR several times until last year. Under the approval of the Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim, a man from Penang state, the project was again given the final green light, albeit with a 50 per cent scaling down in scope from a dreary three to only one horrible Penang Silicon Island — a nod to the Californian tech success story and a tremendous lack of imagination. In July 2024, the Penang High Court dismissed one last application by the opposing NGOs for judicial review, with which they sought to lawfully challenge the planning permission granted to the Penang State Government by the State Town and Country Planning Department. And now, almost a year later, the damage done to a certain present for the sake of a very uncertain future — consider how the region is increasingly becoming prone to flood damage — cannot be reversed. Maybe it could be abandoned, like the infamous Melaka Gateway Project, of which 33km of unfinished land reclamation is an under-utilised eyesore off the coast of the Malaysian southern state of Melaka. But in South-East Asia, like in many other parts of the world, what counts is not natural balance and preserving culture and tradition — only greed and development. No matter what any supporter of the PSR may tell me, it doesn't take a scientist to see that the problems have just started. With no direct access to real waves any longer, I saw how the once beautiful Pantai Esen and Permatang Damar Laut's coast have turned brackish. The sandy beach has become more muddy and eroded than ever before. Fishermen can no longer find the mussels they used to scour from the shore. For this reason, even tourism has been spoiled: the many people who, since the COVID-19 lockdowns — when Pantai Esen was first 'discovered' — used to come here in droves for hiking and relaxing on the beach have gone, and the hiking trails are in a state of disrepair. Of the three historical World War II bungalows set atop the steep Sea Mountain, an advanced hiking trail accessible from the area's south-easternmost corner, the first is now completely covered by fallen trees and undergrowth, and may soon disappear. Something to ponder and remember of an island whose heritage conservation and tourism bodies make the most of their branding selling 'heritage' experiences. It may not even be casual that around the same time as the beginning of the reclamation, even the beautiful cascading roots of an ancient fig tree found halfway to the Tua Pek Tong temple fell off after being struck by lightning. Was it some sort of warning from above? The example of Permatang Damar Laut is, unfortunately, one that's found in many areas of the developing world — how much of it do we really need, when half of the real estate that's built on it remains unsold because its constantly overpriced? How much will the children of today and tomorrow be better off because of the greed of today? Will they ever miss experiencing clean, pristine environments, or will they even care because that type of 'old world' will be one that's entirely alien to their own? I hope that someone, someday, may make better decisions while the scars of human greed remain as examples of what we should not do. The Melaka Gateway Project apparently was not enough for Penang.
Borneo Post
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
‘Not our kenyalang': Affin Bank slammed for mistaking Sarawak's iconic hornbill
Yong highlights the difference between the hornbill species during the dinner. KUCHING (May 16): The Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak organising secretary Violet Yong has called on Affin Bank to issue a correction and public apology for using the wrong hornbill species on a bank card designed to represent Sarawak, calling it a 'cultural misrepresentation'. Speaking during a DAP Sarawak fundraising dinner here on Thursday, Yong said that the hornbill depicted is the 'Great Hornbill' – a species not native to Sarawak. 'The Hornbill shown on the card is called the Great Hornbill which can only be found in West Malaysia, India, China, Thailand, and Vietnam, among others. 'It is not the Rhinoceros Hornbill or locally known as 'Burung Kenyalang', the state bird of Sarawak and how can Affin Bank use a wrong identity to represent Sarawak?. 'The Sarawak state hornbill has a black neck, while the one on the card has a white neck, confirming it is the wrong species,' she said. Given that the Sarawak government holds a 31.25 per cent stake in Affin Bank, Yong expressed disappointment that such a mistake occurred. 'This should not have happened as the card is meant to represent Sarawak and none of the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) leaders pointed this out. 'If this card is our pride, Affin should use the correct hornbill species for it as I believe that the card's graphic designer is not a Sarawakian,' she emphasised. Yong urged the bank to recall the card and replace it with the correct image of the Rhinoceros Hornbill, while also issuing a formal apology to the people of Sarawak. As of press time, Affin Bank has yet to issue a public response on the matter. The event, themed 'Rocket Night', drew over 1,000 attendees and was graced by DAP Malaysia chairman Gobind Singh Deo, who is also Digital Minister cum Damansara MP. Its publicity secretary cum Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii, meanwhile, delivered his speech via live video conference while abroad. Present were DAP Sarawak chairman cum Stampin MP and Padungan assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen; vice chairman cum Mas Gading MP Mordi Bimol; assistant publicity secretary Michael Kong, DAP Johor secretary Andrew Chen; and event organising chairman Sim Kiat Leng. Affin Bank dap hornbill kenyalang violet yong
Daily Express
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Express
Kapayan YB's aide quits to contest as independent
Published on: Thursday, May 15, 2025 Published on: Thu, May 15, 2025 Text Size: Jannie (left) also refuted claims by Cyril (right) and another former staff member regarding neglect of welfare and project mismanagement. Kota Kinabalu: Kapayan Assemblywoman Jannie Lasimbang expressed disappointment over Cyril Liew's decision to resign from the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and contest as an independent candidate in the upcoming state election. Cyril, who served as the People's Development Leader (PPM) for N25 Kapayan, announced his resignation during a recent event with Kudat MP Verdon Bahanda. Advertisement 'I regret Cyril's departure from DAP. As PPM, he was entrusted with assisting in community projects and addressing public grievances. It is unfortunate that he has chosen this path,' she said in a statement, here, Wednesday. She confirmed that Sabah DAP has accepted Cyril's resignation, clarifying that he no longer holds any position within the party. Jannie also refuted claims by Cyril and another former staff member regarding neglect of welfare and project mismanagement. 'The accomplishments Cyril takes credit for were part of his duties as PPM and the result of my team's collective effort,' she said. She added that the other former staff member, who has been vocal on social media, was dismissed due to poor performance and repeated absenteeism. 'There is no honour in climbing higher if it means stepping over the hands that once lifted you,' she said. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
