In search of state’s ‘hidden wealth’
Sarawak to set up council to coordinate researches on unexploited resources in the state
KOTA SAMARAHAN: Sarawak will set up a research council to coordinate all researchers in exploring the ‘hidden wealth in the state’s resources’.
According to Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg, the proposed council would study all the recommendations from research bodies and subsequently ‘give value to our economy’.
“We feel that there is a lot of hidden wealth in our resources that we have to exploit and have good methodologies in research,” he told reporters at the ‘Ramah Tamah Aidilfitri and Ngiling Bidai 2017’ at Sarawak Tropical Peat Research Institute (Tropi) here yesterday.
In his speech earlier, Abang Johari announced that the state government would table a Bill in the next State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting to pave way for the establishment of the said research council which according to him, would be empowered with the regulatory power on research with the ultimate aim of benefitting the state’s economy.
Explaining further when met by reporters later, the chief minister said the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Research (MESTR) would gather all the information, which ‘is no longer a secret; it can be shared’.
This information, in turn, would be stored on the state’s ‘Big Data’ – a centralised database that provides access to the community.
“The people can retrieve all this important information from our data (Big Data) and then, the private sector will be able to use that data for further development
We feel that there is a lot of hidden wealth in our resources that we have to exploit and have good methodologies in research. — Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg, Chief Minister
on products.
“This is very important (in view of) when I was talking about balancing between timber (felling of trees) and the properties of our biodiversity, where the wealth is more than the timber itself,” he pointed out.
Abang Johari said Sarawak’s biodiversity is ranked among the top globally.
“What happens is that we have to preserve this and then try to gain value from our own properties.”
He said the MESTR would be collaborating with universities to conduct research, set to benefit the state.
Moreover, he stressed that Sarawak must work on bridging the gap with regard to the commercialisation of its products.
“That is our weakness. We need a Japanese university to collaborate with us so that we can get the IP (intellectual property). When we get the IP, then it becomes our pattern, our right.
“You just imagine the royalty that we can get from that (IP), which will make the revenue for the state government. That’s why I don’t mind investing more on research because at the end of the day, you can get the return from this investment,” he added.
Meanwhile Education, Science and Technological Research Minister Dato Sri Michael Manyin Jawong, who was also present, said his ministry would get the papers ready the latest by September.
“After that, we will pass it to the (state) cabinet, which will then be tabled in the next DUN sitting (expected in November),” he added.
To a question, Abang Johari said his administration would focus on passing the Bill in the coming DUN sitting first.
“The rest is consequential. The research will become one of the key drivers of our economy,” he said.
Abang Johari attended the event yesterday with his wife Datin Amar Dato Juma’ani Tuanku Bujang. Also present were Manyin’s wife Datin Sri Mary Manyin, Assistant Minister of Education and Technological Research Dr Annuar Rapaee, permanent secretary to MESTR Dato Sudarsono Osman, TROPI advisor Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu and TROPI director Dr Lulie Melling.