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Borneo Post
24-07-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
Abg Jo is Sarawak's ‘Father of Infrastructure Transformation', says Uggah
(From front sixth left) Uggah and Abang Johari are seen at the official opening of Tun Taib Mahmud Bridge with other dignitaries. — Ukas photo BINTULU (July 24): Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg has been called the architect of Sarawak's infrastructure transformation. Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said Abang Johari's visionary leadership and financial acumen have enabled major developments across the state. 'I believe the Premier rightfully deserves the title as the 'Father of Infrastructure Transformation' in Sarawak,' Uggah said during the official opening of Tun Taib Mahmud Bridge here last night. Uggah described Abang Johari as a leader with the people at heart, who is determined to ensure that roads and bridges across Sarawak are built swiftly to spur socioeconomic growth. 'He is incredibly resourceful. Without him, I don't know where we would have gotten the funds. 'Last year alone, Sarawak recorded RM14.2 billion in income, compared to just RM6.8 billion in 2017,' he said, noting that more progress can be expected due to the Premier's strategic planning. He pointed out the Sarawak Public Works Department (JKR) has been entrusted to implement infrastructure projects worth RM42.6 billion, all financed by the state's own funds. He noted that under the state's ongoing bridge-building programme, five bridges are completed and six more expected to be finished by 2026, including the iconic Batang Lupar 1 Bridge, which at 4.8km will be the longest in Sarawak. 'We're aiming for its completion by March 2026, but we will try our best to get it done by December 2025,' he said. On the Marina Bridge in Miri, he said it may also be completed earlier than expected, with the contractor indicating they could finish the four-year project in just three. 'By June 2026, you'll be able to drive from Kuching to Miri without relying on a ferry, a direct result of the Premier's bridge development agenda,' Uggah said. He emphasised that no other state in Malaysia is undertaking a bridge construction effort as extensive as Sarawak's with 17 major bridges currently planned or underway. 'Just now, (Minister Of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development) Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi mentioned additional bridges in Bintulu, and I heard that the Premier has approved more in Sibu and Sebuyau, which could bring the total to 20 bridges,' he said. Focusing on Bintulu, Uggah said RM1.1 billion worth of infrastructure projects are being rolled out, including the RM117.9 million new administrative centre and an RM80 million dual carriageway road from Tun Taib Mahmud Bridge to Bintulu Airport worth. 'All of these projects are fully financed by the Sarawak government. The opposition used to dismiss them as mere talk, but now they're seeing real, physical results, not just rhetoric, but proof on the ground. 'GPS doesn't just make promises, we fulfil them. That's the commitment of the GPS government under Premier Abang Johari,' he added.
Daily Express
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Express
Original Hermès Birkin becomes most valuable handbag ever auctioned
Original Hermès Birkin becomes most valuable handbag ever auctioned LONDON: British actress and singer Jane Birkin's original Hermès Birkin has sold for €8.6 million (US$10 million or RM42.6 million), becoming the most valuable handbag to ever be sold at auction, PA Media/dpa reported. The original Birkin is now also the second most expensive fashion item to ever be sold, after it went under the hammer at Sotheby's in Paris on Thursday. Advertisement The classic handbag was designed for Birkin, who starred in many French and British films from the 1960s onwards, and died in 2023. Birkin happened to be seated next to Jean-Louis Dumas, then artistic director of Hermès, on an Air France flight in 1981. SPONSORED CONTENT Carrying all her items in a wicker basket, she complained to Dumas that the handbags of the day tended to be too small to fit all of her belongings. Dumas and Birkin began sketching designs on the back of a sick bag, and by 1985, Hermès had produced a prototype and presented it to Birkin, requesting her permission to name the new style in her honour. Advertisement The leather bag has become a status symbol, worn on the arms of celebrities including Kate Moss, Victoria Beckham, Kylie Jenner, and Jennifer Lopez. Morgane Halimi, Sotheby's global head of handbags and fashion, said the spectacular sale of the original Hermès Birkin at Sotheby's Paris marks an important milestone in the history of fashion and the wider luxury industry. Advertisement 'It is a startling demonstration of the power of a legend and its capacity to ignite the passion and desire of collectors seeking exceptional items with unique provenance, to own their origin. 'The Birkin prototype is exactly that, the starting point of an extraordinary story that has given us a modern icon, the Birkin bag, the most coveted handbag in the world. 'The sale of the original Birkin is also, ultimately, a celebration of the enduring spirit and appeal of its muse, Jane Birkin.' The previous world record for a handbag was the Hermès white Himalaya niloticus crocodile diamond retourné Kelly 28, which sold in 2021 for US$513,040. The most expensive fashion item to ever be sold was the pair of ruby red slippers worn by Judy Garland in the film The Wizard of Oz, which sold for US$32.5 million in 2024.
