It’s been a momentous year for all Malaysians – from the nation-changing results of the General Election on May 9 and the Barisan Nasional coalition’s fall from power, to the high drama that surrounds embattled former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and how people have reacted to the decisions made by the current Pakatan Harapan government in Putrajaya, there hasn’t been a lack of headlines since the year began.
In Sarawak, readers have been longing to know how the state’s various parties will come together to face the 2021 State Election, as component parties of Sarawak Barisan Nasional decided unanimously to leave BN and form their own coalition, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).
On the other side of the political divide, leaders and elected representatives from the state Democratic Action Party (DAP) and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) have also been in the spotlight, and the decisions surrounding the proposed revision of the much discussed Malaysia Agreement 1963 continue to be debated by all sides.
The threat of rabies and its spread persists as a major concern, while on the disaster front, the explosion at CityONE Megamall, Kuching which resulted in the death of three people is a tragedy that remains fresh in the minds of many cityfolk.
At The Borneo Post Online, we’ve compiled some of the biggest stories we’ve published on both Facebook and our site, as we look back on the year that was 2018.
Pakatan Harapan secures stunning victory, ending 60 years of BN rule
It would be remiss of us to not mention the events surrounding May 9 that ended in one of the biggest upsets in the country’s political history.
Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, at almost 93 years old, achieved what virtually everyone thought was the impossible task of galvanising mass support against the once impregnable BN’s grip on power, which before today’s historic defeat, was the world’s longest ruling political party.
Now the statesman faces the daunting task of uniting a country, and convincing the people that they made the right choice.
Sarawak leaves BN, forms new coalition
BN component parties Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) made the unanimous decision to leave BN on June 12 – a little over a month after the results of the General Election.
PBB president and Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg emphasised that the decision was made after much deliberation, reflection and due consideration, taking into account the country’s current political developments.
As GPS, the new coalition will face it’s biggest challenge yet as the State Election looms, as it hurries to consolidate power and keep Sarawak’s position as an opposition state.
Federal Court dismisses, strikes out Petronas application
A case that became public interest as fast as it was filed. Petronas had filed an application for leave to commence proceedings under Article 4 (4) of the Federal Constitution, seeking a declaration that the Petroleum Development Act 1974 (PDA) applied with regard to the regulatory control of upstream activities in Sarawak.
Their application for leave was dismissed by the Federal Court.
Explosion in shopping mall kills 3, injures 41 others
Kuching was shaken late one Tuesday afternoon, as an explosion, suspected to be caused by a gas leak, ripped through a local mall, killing three in the process.
Forty-one people were injured in the incident that occured in a yet-to-be opened fast food outlet at CityONE Megamall on Dec 4, when contractors were busy preparing the outlet for its grand opening that was supposed to take place the next day.
Investigations are still ongoing to ascertain the cause of the blast.
Baru and Chong appointed Cabinet ministers
Much speculation surrounded the appointment of the new cabinet ministers, which ultimately resulted in Sarawak getting two out the 28 Cabinet portfolios – PKR Sarawak chairman Baru Bian as Works Minister and DAP Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen as Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs.
Heroic teacher perishes in school fire
The death of primary school teacher, 25-year-old Catherine Janet Tiwi triggered an outpouring of grief and public sympathy. She died a hero, trying to save two of her colleagues from a fire that engulfed two teachers quarters at SK Batu Bungan in Mulu.
“There was a blackout and shortly after that, the fire broke out. In the chaotic situation, Catherine went back inside and tried to save the two teachers from one of the rooms but found herself trapped and could not escape,” said Marudi police chief DSP Gabriel Risut.
Catherine was laid to rest in a touching ceremony by all of the villages in her hometown, her family and friends as well as the chief minister’s wife, Datin Patinggi Dato Juma’ani Tun Tuanku Bujang.
The rabies epidemic continues
The rabies virus has hit the state hard since the official declaration of the epidemic on July 1, 2017, serving as a wake-up call for local authorities and the public as the rush to contain the virus has seen drama involving the capture and culling of strays, as well as mass vaccinations.
Spread predominantly through dogs, the disease is currently one of the worst epidemics our state has ever faced, officially claiming 15 lives of the recorded 16 human cases so far.
Salcra Roban South is the latest area to be declared a rabies infected area, bringing the total count of infected areas to a staggering 59 areas, with no end in sight.
Those have been some of our top stories that summarise the year that was 2018, but when it comes to the number of hits, our statistics paint a different picture of what’s been read on our site. Here’s an interesting look into what you, the reader, have been reading the most on our website:
Ting Pek Khiing confirms arrest warrant on him
The number one most read story on our site this year features businessman Ting Pek Khiing. Ting remains a controversial figure, as the prominent businessman reappeared after a long hiatus from the public eye shortly after the General Election, announcing a planned multibillion-ringgit development in Langkawi. The Edge Financial Daily then reported that an arrest warrant has been issued for the bankrupt businessman, following his failure to turn up in court for his public hearing enquiry.
Enjoy your midin without fear — Professor
If there’s anything that Sarawakians hold sacred, it’s their food, and besides the world-famous laksa, there’s also the jungle fern that’s become ubiquitous among local dishes – midin. A dastardly viral message swept through social media early in the year, alleging that consuming the fern had negative effects on one’s health. Of course, this was all refuted by experts who stated that midin was not only nutritious, but had high fibre content and were rich in antioxidants. Phew!
Thousands of fish mysteriously die at Unimas’ man-made lake
A large number of our readers found this interesting: A truly mind-boggling amount of fish appeared to have mysteriously died all at once one day at the university’s man-made lake, causing students and faculty alike to question the cause of their demise. It was later suspected that an algae virus was the culprit behind the incident.
That sums up the year 2018 for us here at The Borneo Post Online, and we’re glad to have kept you entertained with our features, roused your emotions with our news and hopefully, well-informed with our various articles through the year. We’ll see you in 2019 with even better stories. Thank you from all of us, for choosing us as your number one source of English language news in the state.