Latest news with #JohnSikieTayai
Borneo Post
29-06-2025
- General
- Borneo Post
Sikie: Longhouse safety bureaus essential to prevent fire tragedies
Sikie (seated, second left), Asraf (seated left) and other guests, including longhouse residents giving a thumbs-up in support of the programme – Sarawak Public Communications Unit photo TATAU (June 29): A safety bureau must be established in every longhouse across Sarawak to prevent fire-related tragedies, said Minister in the Sarawak Premier's Department Dato Sri John Sikie Tayai. Sikie said that in light of recent incidents, such as the fire in Pekan Sangan and an earlier blaze this year at Rumah Radin Nyawai in Jalan Bukut, Balingian, proactive steps must be taken. 'Every longhouse must set up a dedicated safety bureau tasked with monitoring and promoting fire safety among its residents,' he said during the launch of the longhouse fire safety campaign, community firefighter programme and -Suri initiative at Rumah Jugah Injing, Tatau yesterday. The Kakus assemblyman commended the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) for organising such a vital awareness programme. He outlined the key responsibilities of the proposed bureau, including reminding residents to switch off gas stoves and electrical appliances immediately after use. He also emphasised that new longhouse constructions should prioritise safety, such as using brick walls that extend up to the roof to help prevent the rapid spread of fire. Additionally, he urged residents to engage certified electricians for any electrical wiring work and to avoid overloading power sockets. 'Each electrical appliance should have its own socket. Overloading can be extremely dangerous and is a common cause of fire,' he said. Zone 5 Bintulu Bomba investigation officer Mohammad Asraf Ahmad, who was present at the event, said Bomba aims to establish community firefighter units in longhouses located far from fire stations, as longhouse fires account for the highest number of fire-related incidents in Sarawak. 'The goal of this programme is to educate longhouse residents about fire prevention and safety. Awareness is the first line of defence,' he said. A fire extinguisher demonstration was also conducted during the event by the Tatau fire station team. Also present were Sikie's wife Datin Melia Gelen, Tatau District Office administrative officer Raden Azamry Raden Perhan and Pemanca Gerosen Jubin. fire John Sikie Tayai lead safety bureau
Borneo Post
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
State sets up committee to address Sarawak Native issues
Sikie joins the Ngiling Tikai ceremony. From third left are Teo, Melia, and Henry. – Photo by Mohd Faisal Ahmad KUCHING (June 24): The state government has established the 'Committee on Matters Pertaining to Sarawak Natives,' with a particular focus on issues concerning ethnic minority groups. Minister in the Premier's Department Dato Sri John Sikie Tayai said the committee's secretariat will be managed by the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts. 'The purpose of setting up this committee is to deliberate on matters such as the spelling and pronunciation of ethnic group names, population data of minority groups, especially newly-recognised ones, and sub-ethnic groups seeking recognition under their own names. 'It will also cover cultural heritage matters, including traditions and languages of minority ethnic communities,' he said at the the Kuching Division Journalists Association Gawai Media Night 2025 yesterday. Sikie explained that the committee would also support preparations for the gazettement of ethnic names, ensuring that the spelling and pronunciation are accurate and agreed upon by the respective communities. 'It will also help compile updated data on population and key settlement locations of minority ethnic groups in Sarawak,' he added. He urged media practitioners in Sarawak to support efforts to promote and preserve the native languages of the state's diverse ethnic groups. Among those present were Sikie's wife Datin Sri Melia Gelen, Deputy Minister of Transport Dato Henry Harry Jinep and KDJA president Ronnie Teo. Committee on Matters Pertaining to Sarawak Natives John Sikie Tayai lead
Borneo Post
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Sikie: Tuai Rumah elected without political interference
Minister in the Sarawak Premier's Department Dato Sri John Sikie Tayai KUCHING (June 10): Minister in the Sarawak Premier's Department Datuk John Sikie Tayai said community leaders, particularly Tuai Rumah, are elected and that his ministry does not interfere in the election process. 'We do not interfere in their election,' he said when asked to comment on recent remarks by Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) permanent chairman Dr John Brian Anthony and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, who claimed that the appointment of community leaders had been influenced by political interests. Sikie, who oversees Native Adat, explained that community leaders (KMKK) are elected through a process overseen by their respective District Offices, with district or administrative officers supervising the elections. However, he said he was unsure whether the appointment process for all community leader posts in the Sibu Chinese community, in particular, was being properly monitored. 'Tuai Rumah in longhouses are elected by their respective members of the longhouses, supervised by the Penghulu of the area and also by officers from the respective District office,' said Sikie, who is also Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) Senior Vice President and Kakus assemblyman. Yesterday (June 9), it was reported that Tiong, who is also Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture had warned a certain political party leader against meddling in the selection of committee members for the Sibu Chinese Community Leaders Association. Stressing the importance of honouring fair and transparent selection processes, the Bintulu MP and Dudong assemblyman – without naming names – said he had recently received complaints about the said leader 'persistently interfering' in the election of the association's committee members. 'It appears this leader is attempting to manipulate the outcome through party influence, sparking strong discontent among the people.' Separately yesterday, John Brian claimed that political interference in the appointment of Tuai Rumah has long occurred in the Dayak community. He claimed that such practices not only 'contaminates' the customs and traditional social structure of the Dayak community but also erodes their trust in grassroots leadership. 'These are also often used as a political tool to ensure support for certain parties, thus weakening the autonomy of the community,' he argued. community leaders John Sikie Tayai lead political interference
Borneo Post
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Minister: S'wak Native Courts' transformation awaiting legal clearance
Dato Sri John Sikie Tayai – Chimon Upon KUCHING (May 27): The transformation masterplan for Sarawak Native Courts is unable to proceed at this stage as the draft Bills for two proposed laws are still under review by the State Attorney-General's Chambers. According to Minister in Sarawak Premier's Department Dato Sri John Sikie Tayai, the proposed legislations are the New Native Courts Bill, intended to replace the current Native Courts Ordinance 1992; and the New Native Courts Judges Appointment Council and Native Courts Judges Remuneration Bill, set to govern the appointment and service scheme of Native Court judges. 'The ultimate objective of this transformation agenda is to restructure the current Native Courts and eventually, elevate their status to that of an independent and full-fledged judicial institution on par with the civil and Syariah courts,' he said in his winding-up speech at the DUN sitting yesterday. He added that this masterplan would be implemented in three phases over the next several years. 'The first phase requires the enactment of new state laws and amendments to existing legislation as the foundation for the restructuring process,' he clarified. Sikie, the Kakus assemblyman, also hailed the transformation and restructuring of the Native Courts as 'vital' in ensuring that 'justice would be served equitably across all segments of Sarawakian society'. 'Elevating the Native Courts to be on par with the civil and Syariah courts will uphold the dignity of native laws and ensure native communities have access to a competent, professional and respected judicial system.' He added that until the passing of the new Native Courts Bill in the august House, the Native Courts would continue to operate under the current Native Courts Ordinance 1992 and Native Courts Rules 1993. DUN sitting John Sikie Tayai legal fraternity Sarawak Native Courts
Borneo Post
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
New community leadership proposal to be tabled by special committee in Q3 2025
Sikie speaking during today's DUN sitting. KUCHING (May 26): The Sarawak government has reviewed 923 applications for new community leader posts from all divisions across the state, says Minister in Sarawak Premier's Department Dato Sri John Sikie Tayai. According to him, this proposal for these Ketua Masyarakat and Ketua Kaum (KMKK) posts will be tabled at the Special Committee on the Management of KMKK Affairs meeting, set for the third quarter of this year. In Sarawak 'Ketua Masyarakat (community leader) hierarchy, the post of 'Ketua Kaum' or 'Ketua Kampung' corresponds to village headman, similar to 'Tuai Rumah', who leads a longhouse. Going up are the 'Kapitan' (clan/neighbourhood/group chief), the 'Penghulu' (sub-division or settlement chief), the 'Pemanca' (district or regional chief), and the highest 'Temenggong' (paramount leader). Adding on, Sikie said the applications were reviewed based on general guidelines, including jurisdiction area size and the rising number of households. One general criterion for the creation of a Ketua Kaum post would be the minimum of 20 households in a village, or 20 'doors' (units) in a longhouse. 'The Sarawak government is aware of the need to increase the number of KMKK positions across the state. 'This is to further enhance the effectiveness of government service delivery to the people,' he said in his winding-up speech at the DUN sitting earlier today. On salary and allowance adjustments for KMKKs, the Kakus assemblyman said the last revision made by the state government was in 2018, which set an increase of RM100. 'As such, a new proposal to revise the salaries of community leaders and the allowances for Ketua Kaum has been tabled at the special committee meeting, which has decided that the proposal should be further detailed. 'This is to ensure the proposed rates are reasonable and commensurate with the responsibilities and roles of KMKKs,' he said. In this respect, Sikie said the government acknowledged the increasingly important roles and responsibilities of KMKKs in line with the state's aspiration of achieving the developed status by 2030 under the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030. community leader DUN sitting John Sikie Tayai Ketua Masyarakat lead
