Awang Tengah speaking at the MoU signing ceremony in the presence of Taib (second right) and officials from Yayasan Sarawak and BSAU. — Photo courtesy of Mahmud Sulaiman
CHENNAI, India: The state has entered into a significant agreement with BS Abdul Rahman University (BSAU) on addressing the human resource (HR) needs of the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE).
The exercise was performed during the visit by delegates led by Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud here last week.
Speaking before the signing of two memoranda of understanding (MoUs), Second Resource Planning and Environment Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said the move marked meaningful steps taken by the state government in its endeavour to realise the state’s vision of becoming a highly developed economy.
According to him, the sealing of the deals is timely as Sarawak is pursuing its industrialisation programme with the hope of making itself among major industrial hubs in the country.
Awang Tengah – also Public Utilities and Industrial Development Minister – hoped that with the proposed collaboration between BSAU and the state’s University College of Technology Sarawak (UCTS) and Yayasan Sarawak, more strategic long-term plans could be drawn in manpower development, staff and students exchange programmes, joint design of courses of studies, as well as conferences and seminars.
He also urged local institutions of technical education to step up their programmes in coming up with relevant and suitable courses, slated for producing the much-needed workforce for the industries in the state, particularly those set up within SCORE.
He further pointed out that SCORE itself was regarded as a new development in the state and thus, its requirement for workforce was also ‘new and unique’.
“As such, the institutions of technical education have to be versatile, innovative and creative in designing their courses so that they could produce the workforce that is able to meet whatever requirements and situations demanded by SCORE,” he stressed.
The signing of the MoUs here was witnessed Taib and BSAU officials.
The Head of State was accompanied by his wife Toh Puan Ragad Kurdi Taib. The delegation included Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Pattingi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu and wife Dato Sri Empiang Jabu, State Legislative Assembly Speaker Datuk Amar Mohd Asfia Awang Nassar, Malaysia’s Consul-General in Chennai Citra Devi Ramiyah, and representatives from Yayasan and UCTS.