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News from October 21, 2025

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Bobby Portis reacts after Bucks waive promising prospect
Technology

Bobby Portis reacts after Bucks waive promising prospect

This part of the season can be unforgiving for players fighting to secure an NBA roster spot, and Chris Livingston knows that reality all too well. The free agent suited up for the Milwaukee Bucks during their preseason victory against the Detroit Pistons, only to be met with disappointing news about his future shortly after. The Bucks parted ways with Chris Livingston after finalizing the signing of Alex Antetokounmpo, which left the roster full. One of Livingston’s former teammates hasn’t taken the news lightly. Bucks veteran Bobby Portis voiced his support, saying he hopes the young forward who impressed during training camp gets another opportunity to prove himself. Speaking on Run It Back Fanduel TV, Bobby Portis shared that he believed Chris Livingston earned a spot on the Bucks roster. “One of the guys who got waived I want to give a bit of love to was Chris Livingston.I think he should have made the roster. He’s a great, great talent, he’s just got to figure out the system and whatever team he can fit on,” Portis remarked. “He’s going to have a great career. He should get another chance somewhere for sure.” The Milwaukee Bucks selected Chris Livingston with the 58th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Since then, he has split time between the Bucks and their G League affiliate, appearing in 42 regular season games and two playoff contests during the 2023-24 campaign. Letting go of Livingston required the Bucks to absorb his $2.3 million guaranteed salary, while Smith’s contract carried a $1.96 million guarantee. At just 23 years old, the former Kentucky standout still has time to find his footing, and it would not be surprising to see him land another NBA opportunity later in the season. Having a respected veteran like Bobby Portis publicly backing him is a strong endorsement that could help his case for another opportunity. For Livingston and those who have followed his journey, his departure from Milwaukee is a tough way to close this chapter. He may find a fresh start with another team, but for the Bucks, he joins a growing list of draft disappointments under general manager Jon Horst.

Nathan Yasis,WI Sports Heroics
‘Don’t just tengok saja’: Deputy Premier urges councillors to drive Sarawak’s leap forward
Technology

‘Don’t just tengok saja’: Deputy Premier urges councillors to drive Sarawak’s leap forward

By Karen Bong KUCHING, Oct 21: Councillors across Sarawak have been reminded not to “just tengok saja” (look only) but to be proactive community builders and agents of change as the State embarks on a crucial phase of its development leap. Deputy Premier and Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian emphasised that councillors serve at the frontline of governance as the direct link between the government and the people, and play a vital role in shaping Sarawak’s future. “This is Sarawak you know, so don’t just ‘tengok saja’. Even complaints about streetlights and electricity go to you, that shows how close you are to the people. You are the most frontline link between government and the rakyat,” he said when speaking at the Councillors Seminar 2025: Localisation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for Sarawak held at a hotel here today. Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari officiated the event that brought together 864 councillors from 27 local authorities across Sarawak, including the newly established Gedong District Council, Siburan District Council, and Sebuyau District Council. Dr Sim said the appointment of councillors for the new three-year term from 2025 to March 31, 2028 is both an honour and a responsibility to serve with dedication and uphold the public trust. “Your appointment is approved by the Cabinet and consented to by the Head of State. This carries great significance, it is different from community leaders (KMKK),” he noted. He reminded councillors that their decisions, whether related to public health, waste management, urban planning, housing development, or local business support, directly impact the quality of life of Sarawakians. “Serve with integrity, transparency, and accountability. Always act in the best interest of your communities, never for personal or political gain,” he urged. Dr Sim called on local governments to embrace transformation and innovation in line with Sarawak’s Post-COVID Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030, saying that local authorities play a critical role in driving economic prosperity, social inclusivity, and environmental sustainability. “We must move towards smart and sustainable cities by adopting digital governance, green infrastructure, and people-centric service delivery, including e-council systems, energy-efficient buildings, and participatory decision-making,” he said. Dr Sim underscored that public health begins at the community level, through clean surroundings, proper waste management, safe food handling, and vector control. He urged councillors to promote cleanliness, encourage hygiene compliance, support local health campaigns, and collaborate with enforcement units to ensure rules are implemented fairly. “Urban well-being is not just about infrastructure — it’s about creating safe, inclusive, and healthy living environments,” he said, urging councillors to promote public parks, support child- and age-friendly facilities, and advocate for road and drainage safety. On housing, Dr Sim reaffirmed Sarawak government’s commitment to ensure every Sarawakian has access to affordable and sustainable homes, noting that the Premier has announced 20,000 affordable housing units will be built under the 13th Malaysia Plan. “Local councils must facilitate efficient building approvals and occupation permits while ensuring compliance with planning, safety, and environmental standards,” he said. He also emphasised the need for teamwork among councillors, local authorities, and the State government to ensure that development benefits every corner of Sarawak, “from Kuching to Limbang, from the coasts to the highlands.” The event also saw the launch of the Sarawak SDG Roadmap, covering all three levels of councils namely city, municipal, and district to guide sustainable local governance and development. “Let this seminar renew your spirit of service. Learn, share, collaborate, and innovate for the betterment of your communities. Councillors, you are the community builders and agents of change that will shape Sarawak’s future,” Dr Sim concluded. Deputy Minister of Public Health and Housing Datuk Dr Penguang Manggil, Deputy Minister of Local Government Datuk Michael Tiang, Deputy Secretary Datu Buckland Bangik, permanent secretary to the Ministry of Public Health Housing and Local Government Datu Elizabeth Loh as well as mayors and chairmen of 27 councils across Sarawak were present. — DayakDaily

Editor KB,Karen Bong
កម្ពុជា-ម៉ារ៉ុក ចុះហត្ថលេខាលើសេចក្តីថ្លែងការណ៍រួម សម្រាប់ពង្រឹងកិច្ចសហប្រតិបត្តិការពហុវិស័យ

កម្ពុជា-ម៉ារ៉ុក ចុះហត្ថលេខាលើសេចក្តីថ្លែងការណ៍រួម សម្រាប់ពង្រឹងកិច្ចសហប្រតិបត្តិការពហុវិស័យ

ភ្នំពេញ៖ កម្ពុជា-ម៉ារ៉ុក បានចុះហត្ថលេខាលើសេចក្តីថ្លែងការណ៍រួម សម្រាប់ពង្រឹងកិច្ចសហប្រតិបត្តិការពហុវិស័យ រវាងព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា និងព្រះរាជាណាចក្រម៉ារ៉ុក។ នៅសៀលថ្ងៃទី២១ ខែតុលា ឆ្នាំ២០២៥ លោកឧបនាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី ប្រាក់ សុខុន រដ្ឋមន្ត្រីក្រសួងការបរទេសនិងសហប្រតិបត្តិការអន្តរជាតិ បានជួបពិភាក្សាការងារតាមប្រព័ន្ធវីដេអូជាមួយ លោក Nasser BOURITA រដ្ឋមន្ត្រីក្រសួងការបរទេស សហប្រតិបត្តិការអាហ្រ្វិក និងជនអន្តោប្រវេសន៍ម៉ារ៉ុក។ ក្នុងជំនួប រដ្ឋមន្ត្រីការបរទេសទាំងពីរ បានពិភាក្សាអំពីវិធីសាស្ត្រដើម្បីពង្រឹង និងពង្រីកបន្ថែមទៀតនូវចំណងមិត្តភាពដ៏យូរអង្វែង និងកិច្ចសហប្រតិបត្តិការទ្វេភាគីលើវិស័យនានាដែលជាប្រយោជន៍ទៅវិញទៅមក។ រដ្ឋមន្ត្រីការបរទេសទាំងពីរ ក៏បានពិភាក្សាអំពីការត្រៀមរៀបចំកិច្ចប្រជុំកំពូលហ្វ្រង់កូហ្វូនីលើកទី២០ នៅឆ្នាំ២០២៦ នៅកម្ពុជា ព្រមទាំងបានផ្លាស់ប្តូរទស្សនៈលើបញ្ហាតំបន់ និងអន្តរជាតិ ដែលជាកង្វល់រួម ផងដែរ។ បន្ទាប់ពីជំនួប ភាគីទាំងពីរ បានចុះហត្ថលេខាលើសេចក្តីថ្លែងការណ៍រួមមួយ ដែលជាឯកសារដ៏សំខាន់ និងជាផែនទីបង្ហាញផ្លូវ សម្រាប់ការពង្រឹងកិច្ចសហប្រតិបត្តិការពហុវិស័យ រវាងព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា និងព្រះរាជាណាចក្រម៉ារ៉ុក៕ Related Items

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Resellers Beware: Nier Automata Dev Yoko Taro's Real Autograph Includes 'Small, Unknown Features' to Help Spot Fakes
Technology

Resellers Beware: Nier Automata Dev Yoko Taro's Real Autograph Includes 'Small, Unknown Features' to Help Spot Fakes

Nier series director Yoko Taro has warned fans to be wary that "nearly half" of the items purporting to be autographed by him include fake signatures. Responding to a fan on Twitter / X who shared a snap of a signed soundtrack from Nier: Automata on sale for €200 (around $232), Taro revealed that he includes "small, unknown features" in real autographs to prevent precisely this kind of reselling. "This autograph is a fake. I include small, unknown features in my real autographs to prevent reselling, so I can tell when one isn’t genuine," he explained. "I've confirmed that nearly half of the autographs being resold are actually fake, so please don't buy them." This autograph is a fake. I include small unknown features in my real autographs to prevent reselling, so I can tell when one isn’t genuine. I've confirmed that nearly half of the autographs being resold are actually fake, so please don't buy them.（◎血◎） https://t.co/yQVeoYQcfo— yokotaro (@yokotaro) October 20, 2025 What, exactly, those "features" are will likely not be known — at least not from Yoko Taro directly, I'd wager — but fans in the comments are trying to compare their autographs nonetheless, cross-referencing their cherished signatures with those known to have been signed by the revered game developer. What's Yoko Taro up to these days when he's not signing things? Last year, Square Enix executive officer and Nier series producer Yosuke Saito teased an upcoming project but refused to say whether it was Nier 3. "I’ve been talking about wanting to do something with [series director Yoko Taro] and [series composer Keiichi Okabe] for some time now," Saito said. "I’ll have something a bit more put together to say in the not too distant future, so please stay tuned." He than laughed: "It might be Nier, it might not be Nier. That’s about all I can say for now.” Nier: Automata arrived in February 2017 and, while fans' appetites were somewhat satiated with the Nier Replicant remake of the original game in 2021, Square Enix has said nothing concrete about a mainline sequel. Hope has gone back and forward too. Saito said in November 2023 that Square Enix would definitely make another Nier at some point in Yoko's lifetime but it wouldn't be soon as the pair were working on a separate project. But a few months later in March 2024, Taro seemingly teased a third game through a subtle concert message. Nier: Automata was a standout success for Square Enix thanks to strong critical reception and sales to match. In our 8/10 review, IGN said: "Nier: Automata is a great action role-playing game filled with beautiful locations and zany, fun-filled combat." Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images. Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

Vikki Blake
Husband of Japan's 1st female PM says he wants to support her "stealthily"
Technology

Husband of Japan's 1st female PM says he wants to support her "stealthily"

TOKYO - Taku Yamamoto, husband of Japan's first female Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, said he hopes to support his wife as a "stealth husband," adding, "Unlike in the West, it is better for the partner to stay out of the spotlight here." A former fellow Liberal Democratic Party member in the House of Representatives, Yamamoto said he was initially "drawn to the contrast" between Takaichi's tough exterior and her femininity. The couple, who married in 2004, divorced in 2017 over political differences but later remarried. They now live together in a housing complex for Diet members in Tokyo's Akasaka district. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Yamamoto described his wife as "a person who studies harder than anyone," with her room full of documents and books. Both were members of a faction then led by former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori when they first married. They began a serious relationship after Takaichi lost her seat in the 2003 lower house election and Yamamoto hired her younger brother as his secretary. While Takaichi is known as a conservative hard-liner, Yamamoto is seen as dovish-leaning. Their political differences came to a head during the 2012 LDP presidential race, when Yamamoto backed former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, while Takaichi supported Shinzo Abe, who won the contest and returned to power. The rivalry between their camps reportedly became so intense that the couple stopped talking about the leadership race at home. When they announced their divorce in 2017, they issued a joint statement citing "differences in political views." Yamamoto revealed that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year and suffered a stroke earlier this year. "She worries about my health, so I want to make sure she doesn't push herself too hard either," he said.

Unknown
3 Burning Questions For Bucks Heading Into 2025-26 Season
Technology

3 Burning Questions For Bucks Heading Into 2025-26 Season

NBA opening day for the 2025-26 season has finally arrived and there might not be a team with as much riding on the results of it as the Milwaukee Bucks. Here are three burning questions that the Central Division contender faces. 3 Burning Questions For Bucks Heading Into 2025-26 Season Who Is Damian Lillard’s Successor? Despite the obvious importance of Jrue Holiday, perhaps the Bucks can’t be faulted for completing a trade for Damian Lillard given his stature. Either way, the tense experiment is finally over, even if the ending was unceremonious. Now, with Lillard’s contract waived and stretched, both parties can move forward. For Lillard, that apparently meant returning to the Portland Trail Blazers, though he’s planning to sit out all of 2025-26. For Milwaukee, that means finding Lillard’s successor (or perhaps Holiday’s true successor). Though Ryan Rollins had exceeded expectations last season, it appeared that the Bucks may start Cole Anthony, who they signed less than two weeks after Lillard’s release. Anthony absolutely has defensive limitations due to his height and lack of elite athleticism, but averages 15.2 points and 4.9 assists per game as a starter. In the 2025-26 preseason, Milwaukee instead started Kevin Porter Jr. at point guard. Across four contests, the 25-year-old averaged 10.5 points and 4.5 assists in 18.9 minutes per game on .571-.600-.500 shooting splits. He was a shrewd facilitator, smooth scorer and solid defender. At the end of the day, he’s simply more competent and complete than Rollins or Anthony, though both guards will still provide value off the bench. It’s worth mentioning that Porter averaged 17.2 points and 6.0 assists per game in three seasons with the Houston Rockets. What Is Kyle Kuzma’s Role? Anthony starting for the Bucks was possible but it’s not altogether too surprising that Milwaukee didn’t go that route. It’s much more shocking to see Kyle Kuzma come off the bench. Though the Bucks did remove him from the starting lineup during his horrendous postseason performance, he had started in all but three games since 2021-22.

Last Word On Sports,Quenton S Albertie
Constitutional amendments to extend Mnangagwa’s term not in national interest, says Madhuku
Technology

Constitutional amendments to extend Mnangagwa’s term not in national interest, says Madhuku

HARARE – Constitutional law expert Professor Lovemore Madhuku has warned that proposals to amend Zimbabwe’s Constitution to remove or extend presidential term limits serve only the interests of President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his inner circle, not the nation. Speaking amid growing debate within ZANU PF over the possibility of extending Mnangagwa’s stay in office beyond 2028, Madhuku said such manoeuvres undermine democratic principles and betray the spirit of the 2013 Constitution. “Changing the Constitution to remove or extend the President’s term of office is not in the national interest or good for the country. It only benefits President Mnangagwa and those around him,” he said. 🔴Changing the constitution to remove or extend terms of office for the President is not in the national interest or good for the country as it only serves the interests of President Emmerson Mnangagwa and those around him, says Lovemore Madhuku, a professor of law.Zanu PF… pic.twitter.com/kLmN0cDnNk — TheNewsHawks (@NewsHawksLive) October 20, 2025 Madhuku also criticised the ruling party’s internal processes, describing them as chaotic and undemocratic. “ZANU PF itself is divided over this issue. They just make noise at their conferences, and the loudest noise becomes what they then call a resolution to amend the national Constitution,” he added. His remarks come as speculation intensifies that some ZANU PF structures are pushing for a two-year extension of Mnangagwa’s term under the pretext of aligning it with the government’s Vision 2030 economic agenda — a move that has drawn criticism from both political analysts and civil society. Observers warn that any attempt to tamper with term limits could deepen political tensions and erode public trust in the country’s constitutional framework.

Staff Reporter
Makerere edge IUIU in University Football League
Technology

Makerere edge IUIU in University Football League

University Football League | Result Makerere University 1-0 Islamic University in Uganda Makerere University secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) in the University Football League on Tuesday. Isaac Byaruhanga’s goal was all that Makerere needed to bag maximum points on the day. Byaruhanga had the chance to put the hosts ahead in the fourth minute, but IUIU’s defender was quick to clear the ball off the line. Halfway through the first stanza, Calvin Otim missed a glorious chance to place the visitors in the lead as his effort went wide of the target by inches. As the first stanza came to an end, Makerere’s goalkeeper Timothy Kaziba made several changes, thus keeping his side in the game. Otim constantly challenged Makerere’s backline and was brought down at the edge of the box in the 55th minute after weaving past several defenders. Byaruhanga broke the deadlock in the 57th minute after rising high to nod home Ian Kajubi’s well-taken corner kick. Emmanuel Ekwong’s trickery left the backline beaten before setting up Byaruhanga, but the forward’s effort went wide of the frame. Despite the strong fight from the IUIU, Makerere’s backline stood tall and firm, thus guiding their side to a victory.

Edwin Kyle Kule
World markets are mostly higher after Wall Street rally
Technology

World markets are mostly higher after Wall Street rally

BANGKOK — Shares in Europe and Asia were mostly higher Tuesday, with Japan’s benchmark creeping closer to the symbolically important 50,000 level as conservative lawmaker Sanae Takaichi became the country’s first female prime minister. Germany’s DAX edged 0.1% lower to 24,228.07, while the CAC 40 in Paris was up 0.1% at 8,214.58. Britain’s FTSE 100 rose 0.2% to 9,422.48. The futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average were down 0.1%. The Nikkei 225 in Tokyo gave up earlier, bigger gains after Takaichi prevailed in a vote in Japan’s parliament, rising just 0.3% to 49,316.06. She is expected to support market-friendly policies such as low interest rates and more government spending. The U.S. dollar rose to 151.78 Japanese yen from 150.75 yen. If Takaichi gets her way in slowing interest rate increases by the Bank of Japan, the yen may remain relatively weak against the dollar. That would hinder the central bank’s efforts to curb inflation, which now stands above its target rate of about 2%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 0.7% to 26,027.55 and the Shanghai Composite index was up 1.4% at 3,916.33. Expectations that U.S. President Donald Trump will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month during a regional summit have raised hopes for an easing of trade tensions between the world’s two biggest economies. Chinese Communist Party leaders are meeting this week to set a policy blueprint for the next five years, but the outcome of those closed door talks is likely only to filter out over the coming weeks and months. In South Korea, the Kospi gained 0.2% to 3,823.84, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 climbed 0.7% to 9,094.70. Taiwan’s Taiex rose 0.2%. U.S. stocks rallied on Monday to the cusp of their records. The S&P 500 climbed 1.1%, pulling within 0.3% of its all-time high set earlier this month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 1.1% and the Nasdaq composite gained 1.4%. Apple rose 3.9% to its own record high amid optimism about demand for its latest iPhone design. It was the strongest force lifting the S&P 500. Cleveland-Cliffs jumped 21.5% after the steel company’s CEO, Lourenco Goncalves, said it would provide details soon about a potential deal with a major global steel producer that could mean bigger profits. He also said his company has potentially found signs of rare earths at sites in Michigan and Minnesota. Such materials have grabbed the global spotlight after China recently put curbs on the export of its own rare earths, a move that Trump characterized as hostile. Trump’s ensuing threat of higher tariffs triggered big swings for Wall Street, but the concerns eased a bit after Trump said such high tax rates on Chinese imports are unsustainable. Amazon’s stock held up despite a widespread outage for its cloud computing service that caused disruption for internet users around the world Monday. Amazon’s stock rose 1.6%. This week features a raft of big names reporting their latest quarterly results, including Coca-Cola on Tuesday, Tesla on Wednesday and Procter & Gamble on Friday. The pressure is on companies to show that their profits are growing following a torrid rally of 35% for the S&P 500 from a low in April. Companies face pressure to improve their profitability to counter fears that stock prices have gone too high. Corporate earnings reports also have gained importance because they provide details on the strength of the U.S. economy when the U.S. government’s shutdown has delayed important economic updates. That’s making the job of the Federal Reserve more difficult, as it tries to decide whether high inflation or the slowing job market is the bigger issue for the economy. In other dealings early Tuesday, U.S. benchmark crude oil rose 20 cents to $57.22 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, picked up 21 cents to $61.22 per barrel. The euro slipped to $1.1624 from $1.1641.

Staff Reporter
Scientists Investigate Evidence of “Burrowing” Under Surface of Mars
Technology

Scientists Investigate Evidence of “Burrowing” Under Surface of Mars

Networks of narrow channels lining the surface of Martian dunes, called “gullies,” have puzzled astronomers for decades. At first, researchers suggested they were formed by liquid water billions of years ago, around the time when the Red Planet was suspected to be teeming with massive networks of rivers and lakes. Since then, observations by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) led scientists to believe they were instead formed by the seasonal freezing of carbon dioxide. Now, as detailed in a new paper published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, Utrecht University Earth scientist Lonneke Roelofs took it upon herself to put that latter theory to the test by simulating the conditions of Mars in a lab to observe how blocks of carbon dioxide “dug” their way through the pseudo-regolith. “It felt like I was watching the sandworms in the film ‘Dune,'” she said in a statement. It’s a particularly fascinating theory because there’s no known equivalent phenomenon here on Earth. For these blocks of CO2 ice to form on the surface of dunes, temperatures first have to drop to a bitter -184 degrees Fahrenheit during winter on Mars. Once temperatures start to rise towards the end of winter, the theory is that some of these blocks of CO2 ice, which can measure up to three feet in length, can break off, kicking off the “burrowing” behavior. Thanks to the enormous temperature differentials between the warming dunes and frigid ice blocks, the gas on the underside of them might even sublimate, effectively causing them to “explode.” By tapping Open University’s “Mars chamber,” which can simulate the harsh environment of the Red Planet, Roelofs and her colleagues attempted to replicate the phenomenon here on Earth. “In our simulation, I saw how this high gas pressure blasts away the sand around the block in all directions,” Roelofs said in the statement. As a result, the block digs itself into the dune, only to repeat the process, causing it to gradually slide down, and leaving a gully behind. “We tried out various things by simulating a dune slope at different angles of steepness,” Roelofs said. “We let a block of CO2 ice fall from the top of the slope and observed what happened. After finding the right slope, we finally saw results. The CO2 ice block began to dig into the slope and move downwards just like a burrowing mole or the sandworms from ‘Dune.'” “It looked very strange,” she added. Nothing, except for a small ditch, is left behind once temperatures rise enough in the early spring. “Once the blocks reach the bottom of the slope and stop moving, the ice continues to sublimate until all the CO2 has evaporated,” Roelofs explained. “What remains is a hollow in the sand at the bottom of the dune.” Besides the draw of probing the history of Mars for evidence of extraterrestrial life, a pursuit that has fascinated scientists for well over a century, the latest findings could help us make new discoveries back home as well. Roelofs said that by “conducting research into the formation of landscape structures of other planets,” we can step “outside the frameworks used to think about Earth.” “This allows you to pose slightly different questions, which in turn can deliver new insights for processes here on our planet,” she concluded. More on Mars: Now That NASA Found Signs of Life on Mars, It’s Clear Trump Made a Massive Error

Victor Tangermann
Clean culture, not dirty toilets, to keep Sarawak’s place among world’s cleanest cities
Technology

Clean culture, not dirty toilets, to keep Sarawak’s place among world’s cleanest cities

By Karen Bong KUCHING, Oct 21: Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg has urged the public to adopt a stronger sense of responsibility towards cleanliness, expressing concern that many public toilets remain dirty despite being cleaned regularly by local councils. Citing the example of toilets at the Kuching Waterfront, he said maintaining cleanliness should not fall solely on local authorities such as the Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) but must be upheld collectively by the community. “Just look at some of our public toilets, even when DBKU keeps cleaning them, they remain dirty. This shows that cleanliness is not only about maintenance, but also about culture and mindset,” he said when officiating at the Councillors Seminar 2025: Localisation of Sustainable Development Goals for Sarawak held at a hotel here today. Abang Johari emphasised that cleanliness reflects civic values, noting that cultivating a culture of cleanliness is vital to prevent diseases, attract tourism, and uphold Sarawak’s international reputation as one of the cleanest regions in the world. “If we develop our cities and communities in line with global standards, we will attract tourists, investors, and new opportunities. Sarawak already has strong cultural values, we just need to nurture our sense of cleanliness, discipline, and pride,” he said. Recalling his visit to Shanghai in 1988, Abang Johari drew comparisons with China’s remarkable transformation over the decades. “Back then, the air was dim, and public facilities were poor. But today, even Beijing is clean. Their progress shows that when cleanliness becomes part of the culture, real transformation happens,” he said. The Premier noted that while Kuching has earned international recognition as a clean city at platforms such as Copenhagen, the State government aims for all divisions, including Sri Aman, Sibu, Limbang, Miri, Kapit and up to Limbang, to achieve the same standards. “Our goal is for the entire Sarawak to be recognised globally for cleanliness and sustainability. Every town must strive to be clean, green, and healthy for the benefit of its citizens. “To achieve this, council members must be proactive and align their work with the needs of an evolving world,” he said. Abang Johari also called on local councils to incorporate green urban planning into their development strategies, including planting more trees along roadsides and creating pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly routes as part of Sarawak’s broader vision for sustainable and liveable cities. “We must also green our towns by planting more trees along roadsides, similar to Singapore’s town-planning model, where pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles each have dedicated paths. Every new town plan should include green landscapes and be submitted to the Sarawak Planning Authority (SPA), and I assure you, I will approve them. This will ensure smarter, safer, and cleaner urban design,” he said. As Sarawak strive to become the Star of Asia, Abang Johari stressed that Sarawak’s image, from cities to villages and longhouses, must reflect high standards of cleanliness, innovation, and sustainability. “I ask that you (councillors) continue to bring forward new ideas, innovation, and dedication to transform and propel Sarawak towards greater heights,” he concluded. Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian, Deputy Minister of Public Health and Housing Datuk Dr Penguang Manggil, Deputy Minister of Local Government Datuk Michael Tiang, Deputy Secretary Datu Buckland Bangik, permanent secretary to the Ministry of Public Health Housing and Local Government Datu Elizabeth Loh as well as mayors and chairmen of 27 councils across Sarawak were present. — DayakDaily

Editor KB,Karen Bong
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