Abang Johari: Sarawak govt determined to develop state despite its vastness
KOTA SAMARAHAN: It is a very big challenge to develop a vast state like Sarawak, said Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.
Despite the restraints, he said the Sarawak government is determined to implement development projects and its main focus now is to overcome the difficulty of supplying treated water and electricity to the rural areas.
Speaking at the 22nd convocation ceremony of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) here yesterday, he in formed that the state government had allocated RM11 billion for the state’s infrastructure and utilities development over the next two years, the biggest allocation so far by the state government for such purpose.
He commended Unimas for assisting in providing utilities such as micro hydro power in rural areas not covered yet by government agencies.
“I hope that these projects would be continued in other parts of the rural areas for the benefit of the people.
“Apar t from that , I have personally visited Unimas Water Desalination Laboratory that is doing research in desalination of saline water to produce clean water. This research is relevant with the current needs of the state government, to fi nd the best alternatives to resolve clean water problem in the coastal areas of Sarawak.
“I hope this project can be intensified, so that it will give benefit not only to the locals in Sarawak but can be shared and commercialised at the international level,” he said.
Meanwhi le, on Industrial Revolution 4.0 ( IR 4.0) that emphasises on the development of virtual reality technology without depending too much on human capital, he said it will defi nitely give a big impact on human resource development globally.
“This happens because with our small populations, and our vast and uneven landscapes, Sarawak can no longer depend on low cost and low-tech strategies, which use a lot of manpower to spur economic growth.
“Looking at the needs and the demands, the state government today is working hard to develop high speed Internet infrastructure to support Sarawak’s digital economy.
“The state government has allocated about RM1 billion to upgrade the ICT infrastructure in this state, and apart from that, the establishment of Digital Village in Sama Jaya, the Innovation Centre in Sarikei and Development Bank of Sarawak ( DBOS) and Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA) are expected to expedite and boost digital economy in the state.
“The role and contributions of Unimas in Sarawak’s digital economy are needed. In this matter, Unimas is entrusted by the state government to be the coordinator for Sarawak Centre of Excellence ( CoE) that acts as a prime mover to allow research development and technology to be done holistically to support our digital economy,” he said.
Abang Johari believes that Unimas will continue to contribute to the growth of Sarawak.
“As a public university that has reached its 26th year, and has its own specialists and experts in various disciplines, Unimas has advanced with the state government, assisting to transform the Land of Hornbills into a developed and a high income state before 2030,” he said.
The 22nd Unimas convocation saw 1,731 graduates from 5 faculties - Cognitive Sciences and Human Development, Computer Science and Information Technology, Social Sciences and Humanities, Medicine and Health Sciences and Language and Communication - receiving their scrolls.
Among those present at the ceremony were Unimas pro chancellor Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang, Unimas Board of Directors chairman Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Sulong Mat Jeraie and Unimas vice chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohamad Kadim Suaidi.