KUCHING: Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) must play greater role on the front line in empowering people to embrace change and help usher Sarawak into the digital era.
Chief minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg pointed out that SEDC have contributed enormously to the development of Sarawak in the past 45 years and will continue to play major parts in moving the state to a digital economy.
“In this challenging era, we need to accelerate into the digital economy because that’s the future of the world. And to do so, we need to have the knowledge, skills and command in technology. But technology changes very fast and unless you keep up, you’ll be left behind,” he reiterated.
He emphasised that it was the urgency to leapfrog Sarawak into the digital fast lane that brought about his latest cabinet reshuffle with focus shifted towards building human capacities, e-commerce, international trade, urban public transport and others to prepare and open up Sarawak for the digital age.
Abang Johari highlighted this at SEDC 45th Anniversary Dinner held at the Riverside Majestic Hotel here on Tuesday and attended by SEDC chairman Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr Abdul Aziz Dato Husain, deputy chief minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, state secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohammad Morshidi Abdul Ghani, second finance minister Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh as well as assistant ministers and SEDC Board members and staff.
“The economic landscape of the world has changed and evolving so my administration also has to change. Sarawak with its abundant resources can be optimised to bring benefits to Sarawak and its people.
“Sarawak must be on the forefront of technology. As such, we cannot depend solely on Putrajaya. We must help ourselves. We need to change… we need to create and provide opportunities for our people to prosper in this digital economy,” he added.
Abang Johari was confident that SEDC, which has significant involvement in various businesses of the state such as urban transportation including the proposed Light Rail Transit (LRT) as well as oil and gas projects particularly the proposed Methanol plant in Bintulu, will help translate the vision of Sarawak to become an advanced and developed state into reality.