Category: Featured

Construction of Bebuling STOLport

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) defines STOLports as “unique airports designed to serve airplanes that have exceptional short-field performance capabilities.” 

The GPS Sarawak state government have allocated RM296 million for the construct of Bebuling Short Take-off and Landing Airport (STOLport) project which is located at Bebuling, Spaoh in Betong Division. Its runway is expected to be 1.2km long, which shall cater for Twin Otter and PIPO for transporting cargo and tourists.

This airport is part of the state government’s initiatives in making the state a net food producer by the year 2030. Strategically it is located at Bebuling Spaoh which is part of the greater Betong Food Basket area.

The location of this airport from Kuching International Airport makes air travelling time shorter compared to travelling via land transport, which normally take four hours from Kuching to Batang Ai.

According to Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah, the state government had identified the Bebuling area comprising 250 hectares for the implementation of one of the six agro parks in the state which will be helmed by precision or smart farming.

The Bebuling Airport is to cater for the immediate transportation of those agricultural produces to the markets.

It is also the vision of Douglas Uggah to make this airport as the gateway for tourist to visit the various tourism destinations in Batang Ai, Bukit Sadok and surrounding district of Sri Aman, Lingga, Pantu, Lubok Antu, Betong, Saratok, Pusa and Kabong where they can enjoy the local food like the famous prawn noodle or barbecue telapia fish, experience the Gawai Dayak Festival in June, buy local handicraft like the pua kumbu, selampai (scarf), rattan mats and basket as souvenirs.

For tourist who love jungle trekking, mountain biking, the interior of Ulu Paku, Ulu Layar and Krian offers challenging tracks for their ultimate biking adventure, and at the same time enjoy the tropical flora and fauna.  

The local grassroot leaders must continue to organise events like mountain bike challenge, river regattas, wild fishing competition in upper rivers and streams, Off Road Challenges and many more tourism-related activities.

With Sarawak taking over MASwings and making it a regional airline, the community in Betong Division and the surrounding divisions must ready their tourism products before our visitors arrive!

While Betong awaits the completion of this airport, it is essential that the community in Betong Division and other nearby districts, kampungs and longhouses must play their role by involving and participating in smart farming.

Whether its of large scale or in clusters, every farmer have a big role to play in order to contribute towards the state’s goal of becoming regional tourist destination, a net food exporter and high net income society by 2030.

“We have to change the perception of agriculture as a difficult job to one that involves the use of technology in order to attract the young,” — Premier Sarawak, Abang Johari Tun Openg

In order to achieve this goal, Universiti Sarawak (UNIMAS) was asked to set up a lab in a rural area to train our young farmers to use new agriculture methods such as the Internet of Things (IoT).

Waste no more time folks; jump on the bandwagon, start developing our idle land for agriculture as well as organising all the interesting tourism events, for time waits for no man!

Lastly, I wish to express my sincere thanks to Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, staff at Pusat Khidmat Masyarakat N.37 Bukit Saban, JKR Sarawak for their cooperation in allowing us to fly the drone and film this video.

Reference readings:

Directions: https://goo.gl/maps/xg22zGhkMJRX5Hb99

Moggie urges Dayak businessmen to prepare themselves well

Tan Sri Leo Moggie

Dayak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) president Tan Sri Leo Moggie anak Irok today urged Dayak businessmen to prepare themselves well and continue supporting each other to achieve success.

Speaking at a Dayak Women Entrepreneurship Capacity Building workshop organised by DCCI in Sibu today, he said:  “We must have a good understanding of commerce and industry if we want to be counted among the rest.”

Even though the chamber members have limited experience in the business sector, they have the advantage of learning from and emulating other communities who are successful in it, he said.

“We can see the kind of discipline needed and the kind of culture we need to acquire if we want to do business,” he added.

Moggie said DCCI will share such business exposure with its members who are determined to succeed.

He reminded the community that the future world will depend on monetary economics and not on subsistence farming.

“We cannot afford to wait as the world will not wait for us,” he said.

Moggie said he believed Dayak businessmen were just as capable as others as three of them have won the state government annual entrepreneurship awards since 2009.

He said this year’s winner, Bansa Untang, who represented the chamber, was a Kapit-based businessman. — BERNAMA

Foodie trip to Singapore

Flight Airasia AK6066 Airbus A320-200

31ST AUGUST, cruising at 34,000 ft across the South China Sea

I made a foodie trip to Singapore with my wife during the National Day break last week. We check-in earlier via Airasia’s website which also includes check-in for our return flight, hence, leaving the worries of rushing to the airport and/or looking for a printer to print my boarding pass. All I need to do now is to concentrate on the chilli crab, Singapore roaster pork rice, iced kacang, the Merlion and etc etc.

The boarding procedure at Miri Airport was a smooth one despite of the fact that it was a full flight. The passengers were mostly holiday makers, just like me.

The flight onboard Airasia’s AK6066 was a smooth one. The seats are spacey and comfortable. Most importantly, the take-off was extraordinary quiet and with little vibration! I have travelled in many Airasia domestic flights, and it was a scary experience to heavy vibration and hearing squeaky noises coming out from the aircraft. Maybe this Airbus A320-200 is a new one, powered by new mega quiet engines.

Onboard the aircraft, the interior is clean, and for this flight, you won’t get that misty air-conditioning feeling.

Piloted by Capt. Albert Chew, we arrived 10 mins ahead of schedule at 1145hours at Changi International Airport, Singapore.

Immigration counters at Terminal 1

Just a quick note on departure from Singapore: If you have check-in earlier and printed your boarding pass, and your boarding pass do not include the gate for your departure, please go straight to the “Document Check” counter to verify your boarding pass.

We decided to take the bus to Costa Sands Resort, since its just nearby. Cost us SGD1.30 only. Bus is clean, as well as the bus stop. Not a single rubbish is seen on the floor!

Clean bus stop at Singapore Changi Airport.

Bus ride to Costa Sands Resort.

Foodie to follow later… off to bed for now ;)