Stay abreast with the latest happenings in Cahya Mata Sarawak Berhad.

CMS staff plant 500 mangrove saplings at Ramsar site, Kuching Wetlands National Park

Environmental Protection at Work: CMS staff plant 500 mangrove saplings at Ramsar site, Kuching Wetlands National Park

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Kuching (Sarawak), Tuesday, 21 November 2017 – Over the past weekend, 75 employee volunteers from Cahya Mata Sarawak (CMS) planted 500 mangrove saplings (Bakau Kurap species or rhizophora mucronata sp.) at the RAMSAR site, Kuching Wetlands National Park. The programme, which is part of CMS’ ‘Doing Good’ CSR programme, was organised in collaboration with the Forest Department Sarawak – the government agency that promotes the rehabilitation of the ecosystem in Kuching Wetlands.

The volunteers braved the rain and mud, and by working together collaboratively and systematically, they managed to plant all 500 saplings in just one hour. Part of the group were assigned to do nursery work where they managed to prepare 500 saplings from the mangrove propagules as part of the propagation process. This is to meet the condition set by the Forest Department whereby the number of saplings planted must be replaced with the same number of saplings prepared in their efforts to guarantee sustainability.

As well as manpower, CMS also contributed tools worth RM2,300.00, comprising rubber boots, gloves, a ladder, hoes and garbage bins for future use as part of the programme. The contribution was handed over by CMS Group Corporate Communications Manager, Ms Shirly Ann Clarke to the Forest Department representative, Mr Haazizkin. This is the second time CMS joined the mangrove planting programme and hopes to increase its involvement and value in future programmes with the Forest Department Sarawak.

The RAMSAR site is situated 15km from Kuching and approximately 5km from Damai Beach. The Kuching Wetlands National Park covers an area of 6,610 hectares in between the Sibu Laut and Salak rivers. The park is mostly comprised of a saline mangrove system that includes an extensive network of marine waterways and tidal creeks interconnecting the two major rivers that form the boundaries of the park.

Initiated in 1971 at Ramsar, Iran, the Ramsar Convention had been adopted by many countries including Malaysia in 1995. The Kuching Wetlands National Park fulfilled four out of nine criteria suitable as a Ramsar site. The four criteria include: the site is a particularly good representative example of a natural coastal mangrove system, the site supports the Proboscis Monkey (Nasalis larvatus), the site is of special value as a nursery area for the Estuarine Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) and the site is an important spawning and nursery ground for fish and prawn species.

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Tunku Putra School’s partnership with Help Education Services promises unrivalled Academic Excellence

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Kuching (Sarawak), Wednesday, 15 November 2017 – 2017 marks an important milestone for CMS’ owned international school, Tunku Putra School (TPS), as it embarks on its next journey in educational growth with the signing of a Management Agreement with HELP Education Services Sdn Bhd. HELP has been successful in running Help University which has over 9,000 students offering a plethora of study disciplines and manages two international schools in KL and Johor respectively which together have over 2,000 students. HELP has over 30 years of experience in producing top students that have secured scholarships to study in top universities around the world including Cambridge, Harvard, MIT, LSE, Imperial College and Australian National University.

Speaking about the new agreement, The Chairman of TPS, Datuk Syed Ahmad Alwee Alsree explained that this partnership is destined to position TPS ahead of other existing international schools in the State of Sarawak with the promise of delivering excellent academic performance and good quality education by capitalising on the school’s existing holistic learning approach.

Datuk Syed Ahmad Alwee Alsree had recently toured both HELP International Schools in KL and Johor and is confident that this partnership will bring invaluable benefits to the school, not least because both schools share the common principle of holistic learning. “Students at Tunku Putra School enjoy learning and are genuinely happy to come to school. Our students are articulate, confident, driven and polite. I am very proud that our students possess these traits in droves,” remarked the Chairman after speaking to an IGCSE student who is bound for Scotland to study a Foundation programme in Computer Science.

Dr. Goh Chee Leong, CEO of HELP and the newly appointed Chairman of the Tunku Putra EXCO, in his briefing to parents and staff of TPS on 10 November 2017 shared HELP’s academic success in their KL campus, strength in talent management and teacher development and their philosophy and passion in leading the education charter. “These are all strong attributes that are absolutely transferable to Tunku Putra School as it embarks on its latest chapter in transformational and holistic learning,” added Dr. Goh Chee Leong.

Interested parents are invited to attend TPS’s Open Day at its school premises on 25 November 2017, from 10.00am to 3.00pm where they can tour the campus, meet the teachers and listen to a presentation from Dr. Goh Chee Leong.

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Miri-Marudi Road upgrading works well ahead of schedule

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Kuching (Sarawak), Friday, 13 October 2017 – CMS Roads Sdn Bhd today confirmed that the upgrading of the 43.2km road connecting Miri to Marudi is progressing well ahead of its original 30-month schedule. By 25 September 2017, the road upgrading was scheduled to be 12.53% complete, but stands at 30.80% complete – the equivalent of 18.27% ahead of schedule.

The upgrading began on 15 September 2016, and in view of the extensive public interest in the upgrading of this road link due to its unsatisfactory condition and growing importance, CMS Roads volunteered in March 2017 to provide quarterly updates on the project’s progress.

Speaking about the third update of the upgrading, Director of CMS Roads, Dato’ Richard Curtis, commented: “We are pleased to report that notwithstanding the many challenges ranging from the road’s remote location in terms of getting materials in, weather, crop compensation issues and the need to keep the road open to users as much as possible whilst works are underway, we are many weeks ahead of schedule. In carrying out and exceeding the project targets, we have carefully considered the different type of vehicles that access the road and their impact on the road’s development and upgrading. After 12 months since the project’s commencement, the focus remains on expediently providing long-lasting upgrades to the road so it’s safe and fit-for-purpose for those who travel between Miri and Marudi.

Status updates for the project as at 25 September 2017:

  • Scheduled Physical Progress of Road Upgrading: 12.53%
  • Actual Physical Progress: 30.80%
  • Ahead of Schedule by 18.27%
  • Premix Surfacing Completed: 15.83km
  • Completed Road Base: 18.68km
  • Reinforced Concrete Pipe Culverts: 12 completed out of 21
  • Roadside Earth Drains: 8km completed (both sides of the road)
  • JKR and Lands & Survey Department assisting with outstanding land matters

CMS Roads’ next planned update on this project is scheduled for the start of 2018.

Click to read Press Release in BM or Chinese.

Miri Marudi Road Rehabilitation Infographic
CMS Kick Starts its Fifth Safety Month Campaign

CMS kick starts its Fifth Safety Month Campaign

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Kuching (Sarawak), Monday, 2 October 2017 – This year marks the 5th anniversary of CMS’ group-wide Safety Month Campaign. The campaign, which kicks off every October of the year since its inception in 2013 aims to create awareness among its employees and stakeholders on Occupational Safety & Health, as well as environmental and sustainability values.

“Safety is an attitude, a frame of mind, an awareness of our environment, our actions and activities all day; put simply, safety is a way of life at CMS and is central to all of our activities,” said CMS Group Managing Director, Dato’ Richard Curtis during the launch of the CMS Safety Month 2017 at Wisma Mahmud in Kuching, today. This year’s campaign is themed “A Better you, Today!” and carries the slogan “Your Life’s Matters!”. Witnessing the launch were DOSH Sarawak’s Assistant Director, Sadiyuk Henry Rigit, Deputy Director of PERKESO Sarawak, Dundang Udong and CMS senior management and employees.

CMS incorporated Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) performance criteria into its staff KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) from 2009 and the company has since endeavoured to ensure excellence in OSH management, group-wide.

Among the activities organised during the Safety Month are safety talks and training from DOSH, PERKESO, BOMBA, Health Department, and the Sarawak Government Hospital, private clinics, PPE suppliers and invited speakers from local companies. A compulsory site walkabout is also included in the program whereby selected employees will have the chance to visit other subsidiary companies within the CMS group to observe and input on other group of companies’ OSH practices and standards. A “Heart Run” to emphasise this year’s focus on a healthier lifestyle, will be organised to close the campaign in the final weeks of October 2017.

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Record crowds throng to Bandar Samariang Celebration

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Kuching (Sarawak), Wednesday, 30 August 2017 – Last Saturday’s (26 August) event extravaganza hosted by Projek Bandar Samariang drew in excess of an estimated 5,000 people, making it one of the largest community-based events hosted by a developer in Kuching’s history. The grand concert finale to the memorable day featured Ashraf Hardy, At Adau, Eleena Harris, Ricky Andrewson, The Double Shoes, Floor 88, Ila Damia, Noh Salleh, Misha Omar and Hazama.

Dato’ Richard Curtis, CMSB Group Managing Director, said: “The response and the turnout by the community was truly unbelievable, far greater than we could have ever expected. Being onstage to launch the show and give away the prizes was breath-taking, looking out at a sea of people. The excitement and fun levels were through the roof. When we created the concept idea for Bandar Samariang, we worked on the guiding idea that everything we did should be woven into the community and always put serving the community at its heart.

“The attendance at the event proves we got it right. The perfectly planned development mix of residential types, styles and functions, mapped on a blueprint to provide abundant and easy access to a well-thought-out retail and commercial mix, clearly works to create a thriving and vibrant community. To be a resident or retailer in Bandar Samariang is to be at the heart of a true community. It is easy to see why Bandar Samariang is a popular choice when people are looking at areas to live in or invest in.”