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Ngieng envisions a botanical garden for Sibu BorneoPost Online | Borneo , Malaysia, Sarawak Daily News » Sabah - New 2 Borneo

Ngieng envisions a botanical garden for Sibu

Posted: 30 Nov 2013 11:59 AM PST

by Danny Wong, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on December 1, 2013, Sunday

SIBU: Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) deputy chairman Daniel Ngieng hopes that the town would have a botanical garden in the not too distant future.

He made the call in his address as guest-of-honour at the launching of the three-day Sibu Bonsai & Horticulture Landscape Festival 2013 held at Sibu Town Square Phase 1 on Friday.

In this context, Ngieng threw out a challenge at Sibu Bonsai & Horticulture Association (SBHA) chairman Ying Tieng Chai who is the co-organiser of the event together with SMC, to develop a botanical garden in the town.

With a botanical garden, he said it could educate the younger generation on the great varieties of flora and fauna in the state and this would be interesting for them too.

He pushed for the idea expressing confidence that SMC chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King and Minister of Finance II cum Minister of Community Development and Local Government Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh would support the idea as well.

Meanwhile, Ngieng credited Ying for promoting landscaping and helping to make the town a greener one.

Ngieng also wished for the town to develop into a garden town and said that the council would not stop the planting of plants or flowers on road sides to beautify the city.

However, he reminded people that the greens they plant should be well maintained and should not cause obstruction to traffic.

However, he highlighted that coconut and banana trees should not be planted on road verges as the fruits may fall on motorists.

"Thus, efforts to beautify house compounds and the surroundings are appreciated but it is not a one-time planting job, be consistent in pruning and maintaining them," he pointed out.

Currently, SMC is maintaining 23 community gardens together with the local communities.

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Kophus to set up hospital pharmacies across Sarawak

Posted: 30 Nov 2013 11:56 AM PST

by Georgette Tan, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on December 1, 2013, Sunday

KUCHING: The Sarawak General Hospital Workers Cooperative or Koperasi Pekerja Hospital Umum Sarawak Berhad (Kophus) will be setting up a chain of hospital pharmacies across the state as part of their efforts to expand their services.

Kophus chairman Lee Wee Ju said they will also be undergoing a name change so that the cooperative can open its doors to other health workers in the state.

"We hope to officially become Koperasi Pekerja Kesihatan Negeri Sarawak Berhad by January," he told reporters after their annual general meeting yesterday.

The cooperative currently has 700 members, and is aiming for 18,000 members next year.

Under the new name, Kophus plans on setting up 20 stores across the state, as well as a physio store. Lee said they will also be introducing more facilities such as a member card that entitles a member to discounts from any of their stores all over Sarawak.

"We can ensure that our prices will be the most competitive in the market," Lee said, adding that part of the profits will go towards the welfare of hospital patients.

With a target of RM1 million profits next year, the newly transformed cooperative will also be able to look after the welfare of their health workers better.

Lee added that while it was a struggle for the cooperative to recover from a RM280,000 embezzlement case, they were proud that they have pushed past that.

"When the new board took over, our bank account was nearly zero. Today our confidence has returned and we are working to get the best for our members."

In the same event, the cooperative signed a memorandum of understanding with several business partners who will be supplying to the new pharmacies.

The cooperative has also committed to being the main sponsor to the Sarawak Health Department contingent to Sukan KKM in Melaka.

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Special taskforce to focus on Budget 2014 projects

Posted: 30 Nov 2013 11:56 AM PST

by Philip Kiew, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on December 1, 2013, Sunday

LIMBANG: The Ministry of Works will set up a special taskforce next month to focus on its projects in Sarawak under Budget 2014.

Minister of Works Datuk Fadillah Yusof said the taskforce would focus on weeding out logistics and resource bottlenecks affecting the smooth implementation of projects approved for the state.

Under Budget 2014, RM500 million has been allocated for the Trans-Borneo Highway Project, while another RM200 million would go to other projects in Sarawak.

"The question is do we have capacity to deliver if there is enough machinery, materials and people with the funds approved, and this taskforce will address these issues to ensure that the money is spent wisely," he said yesterday when inspecting the site of slope protection work at KM0.8 Limbang Airport Road.

Fadillah said the emphasis would be to improve road safety with overtaking lanes every 1km and redevelopment of high-risk stretches, which could take up to two years.

He pointed out that this could include straightening, realigning or widening roads with over 100 overtaking lanes proposed for Sarawak, with a focus on the Sibu-Miri stretch.

A total of RM20 million would go to five areas in Betong identified as accident-prone as well as for upgrading projects with the first of four phases to start next month.

On a proposed by-pass road, he said the ministry would defer to the views of Brunei, Sabah and Sarawak where the good relationship between all is the main criteria.

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Foreign teacher ends her life with a scarf

Posted: 30 Nov 2013 11:25 AM PST

SIBU: A woman teacher of an international school here committed suicide by hanging herself in her house at Delta Estate on Friday.

The shocking incident was discovered in the evening when her maid opened into a room to find the 40-year-old woman hung near a window with her scarf.

It is believed the foreign woman was suffering from depression and had been suicidal.

A police report has been lodged.

A source said the woman had tried to kill herself before, but was unsuccessful.

The deceased and her family had been staying here for about 10 years while her husband, also a foreigner, works in a timber company.

When the maid found the teacher hanging from her scarf on Friday evening, she urgently called a family member, who took the body down.

The woman was still breathing but when she was sent to a medical centre, she was pronounced dead.

Her body was then sent to the hospital mortuary at 9pm.

The woman left behind her husband and two children, including a daughter.

Meanwhile, in another unrelated incident, a man drank weed killer mixed with water shortly after midnight yesterday.

The incident was discovered when the 27-year-old began vomiting.

His family rushed him to the hospital.

Police cannot determine yet whether the man had attempted suicide or 'misadventure' when he was trying to 'mix a cordial drink'.

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Only survivor in family of head-on crash identified

Posted: 30 Nov 2013 11:24 AM PST

SIBU: The police have identified the only survivor in a family of six involved in a road accident between their car and a 4WD at Km15 Mukah – Selangau on Friday.

The girl is identified as 14-year-old pregnant Nor Syafiqah.

The girl has just recently been married, and before the 3pm tragedy, the family was heading to Mukah in the car driven by her 40-year-old father Mohd Hisyam Abdullah.

Nor's parents and her three younger brothers were killed in the accident.

The collision between the family's car and the 4WD was so bad that the family's car was smashed beyond recognition.

The family of six were pinned to their seats.

The identities of Nor's family members who perished in the tragedy are her mother – the front seat passenger – Jauyah Jafar, aged 41, her three brothers seated at the back with her – Aiemin Rayyan, aged 4, Asrizan Airil, aged 6, and Kasyfil Azimie, aged 8.

The family was from Kampung Bruit in Daro.

Nor was admitted into the ICU of Sibu Hospital on Friday night.

She is reported to be stable now.

The hospital is closely observing her condition.

The sixth person killed in the accident is a back-seat passenger of the 4WD which was heading to Sibu.

Two back-seat passengers of the 4WD were thrown out when the back doors were flung open in the forceful impact, killing Wong Dai Yeen instantly.

The body of the 27-year-old was found in a drain.

The other back seat passenger with him was his cousin.

The 4WD was driven by his uncle. His father was a front-seat passenger.

The uncle was sent to Mukah Hospital for his head injuries.

Wong's father escaped the accident unhurt.

The four used to return to Sibu on weekends from Mukah where the family has contract business in construction.

Wong left behind his wife, a two-month-old daughter and a four-year-old son.

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Man suffers arms and head injuries in attack by eight men and two women

Posted: 30 Nov 2013 11:23 AM PST

SIBU: A man suffered injuries to his head and arms when eight men and two women allegedly attacked him Thursday night at Channel Road.

The man was walking home after a drinking session with friends there when the alleged attackers on five motorcycles pulled up around 8.15pm to beat him up with knives and sticks.

He was sent to Sibu Hospital in an ambulance.

A police report has been lodged.

In a separate case, a rented car at the car park of a hotel in Pahlawan Road was stripped of its accessories with losses estimated at RM2,000 (see pic).

A direct sales consultant from Selangor who was using the car found its windscreen smashed and the accessories missing when he returned to it around 9am on Thursday.

The man in his 30s has informed the car rental company and lodged a police report.

Meanwhile, a man was feared drowned after he fell from a ship he was working on at Sungai Assan Wednesday morning.

The body of Piang Kemarau, 56, has yet to be found as at press- time.

The Fire and Rescue Department and a Civil Defence Department team had embarked on a joint search operation.

In another case, a woman from Belatok Road ran amok after she was said to have overdosed on tranquilizers.

The 1.20am incident saw the 44-year-old surnamed 'Wong' creating a commotion in her house.

Her family members managed to restrain her and called for police and ambulance.

Her condition was said to be stable now.

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