Abg Jo: Strong unity among S’wakians allows state to achieve many successes in last 60 years

LAWAS (May 28): The strong unity among the various races in Sarawak has allowed the state to achieve many successes throughout the last 60 years, said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.

He regarded such unity as a strength for Sarawak, allowing the state to be an example to other states in Malaysia.

“We have been successful for 60 years. Although we have differences, we can live as a family with strong unity.

“This is something that cannot be followed (by the other states in Peninsular Malaysia). That is why the King came to officiate the National Unity Week in Sarawak because Sarawak is an example of unity in Malaysia,” he said in his speech during a dinner with the local community at the Lawas Indoor Stadium last night.

Abang Johari believed that with a strong unity among the people, Sarawak can be a developed and high-income state by 2030.

“With a strong unity and political stability, we, in Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), can continue to focus on economic development to develop the state.

“Alhamdulillah, I think we have the right direction. After Covid-19, we brought in experts to discuss how to restore the economy.

“From there, the Post-Covid 2030 Development Strategy was formulated for Sarawak to become a developed and high-income state.”

He also thanked his team in GPS for providing their support and ideas to develop Sarawak to become a high-income and developed state by 2030.

He said Sarawak has implemented many projects and also funded federal projects such as the dilapidated school projects because the state believes that children’s education is more important than anything else.

Therefore, Abang Johari said he is grateful that Sarawak’s revenue has doubled in the past six years, with a total of RM12 billion being recorded last year.

“Sarawak has a new economy, which is carbon, and Indonesia wants to cooperate (with us) in carbon trading.

“We have natural resources to generate new income, such as algae, through cooperation with Japan and Petronas, which can produce oil for aviation. There are other things and our state’s revenue is increasing, so we dare to implement projects for the people.”

Commenting on the development in Limbang and Lawas districts, he said the state government, through the Northern Development Agency (NRDA), has allocated RM1.5 billion to implement development projects in northern Sarawak.

“It is up to (Deputy Premier Datuk Amar) Awang Tengah (Ali Hasan) and his team to spend on the planned projects and if the funds finish in three years, we will allocate more.”

Also present were Awang Tengah, State Legislative Assembly (DUN) Speaker Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar, Deputy Minister of Transport Malaysia Datuk Hasbi Habibollah, Minister of Tourism, Creative Industries and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Minister of Utility and Telecommunication Datuk Julaihi Narawi, Deputy Minister for Food Industry, Commodity, and Regional Development (M-FICORD) Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail and Lawas MP Dato Henry Sum Agong.