Credit : Datuk Amar Fadillah Yusof's X
SIBU, October 23, 2026 – Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Amar Fadillah Yusof, who is also Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA), tonight met officers, staff and personnel of his ministry and the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) at a dinner held in conjunction with the national-level World Rivers Day celebration in Sibu, Sarawak.
The dinner, attended by officers from PETRA as well as DID Malaysia and DID Sarawak, was held on the eve of the official launch of the national-level World Rivers Day 2026 celebration, which is scheduled to take place in the central Sarawak town on Saturday, October 24.
“Tonight I had the opportunity to meet and mingle with the officers, staff and personnel of PETRA as well as the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) Malaysia and DID Sarawak who attended the dinner in conjunction with the National-Level World Rivers Day,” Fadillah said in a post shared on X on Friday night.
The post was accompanied by four photographs showing the Deputy Prime Minister posing for group pictures with ministry and department staff, chatting with officials and joining younger personnel for a selfie during the event.
https://x.com/PetraJayaMP/status/2113646272859246686
According to a media invitation issued by PETRA’s Corporate Communications Unit, Fadillah is scheduled to attend the official opening of the National-Level World Rivers Day 2026 celebration at Dataran Tun Tuanku Bujang Phase 2 in Sibu from 9.30am on October 24. Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Tun Abang Openg is listed in the programme to officiate the celebration.
The programme includes the launch of the Guidelines for Development Within River Corridors, as well as the handover of a coastal erosion control project at Kampung Semarang in Pusa, Betong, and national river trails at Sungai Pesang in Kampung Pesang and Sungai Serin in Kampung Stabut, both in Serian. Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) studies for Sungai Samarahan, Sungai Sibuti and Sungai Saribas are also set to be handed over, alongside the presentation of the National Water Resources Expedition (EKSAN) awards and the Special Water Resources Award (AKSA) 2026.
PETRA Water Resources Division secretary Roshana Alma Mohamad Ali earlier said Sibu was chosen as host because of the town’s close connection with rivers, particularly the Batang Rajang, Malaysia’s longest river, which plays an important role in the lives of the local community, The Sun reported.
She said the celebration, themed “Sungai dan Anak Sungai di Dalam Komuniti Kita” (Rivers and Streams in Our Communities), aims to encourage the public to learn more about and connect with the rivers near their homes. Activities lined up include a national water resources expedition from Sibu to Hulu Kapit, photography and videography competitions, a fishing competition, community programmes, a two-kilometre walk along the river, an exhibition of innovative products by local communities and a Rahmah Sale on the main event day.
Roshana also stressed that river sustainability must be taken into account from the early stages of development planning, noting that the IRBM approach is used as a guide so that development takes into account its impact on the entire river basin. In Sarawak, IRBM plans for the Sungai Sibuti, Batang Saribas and Batang Samarahan basins have been completed to guide the state government’s planning.
Ahead of the main celebration, the eighth edition of EKSAN was flagged off at Dataran Tun Tuanku Bujang on October 21, Utusan Sarawak reported. About 50 participants from various agencies, including PETRA and the National Water Services Commission (SPAN), took part in the two-day expedition to Lembah Tunoh in Bukit Mabong, aimed at raising public awareness of the need to protect the nation’s water sources.
World Rivers Day is observed internationally to highlight the value of rivers and the need to protect them. In Malaysia, the national-level celebration is organised by DID under PETRA, and was held at Sungai Tebrau in Johor Bahru, Johor in 2024, which Fadillah also officiated.
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