Chief Minister pledges to implement all initiatives announced within his time in office
Abang Johari (second left) shares a laugh with deputy chief ministers Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas (second right) and Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan (left) at the DUN complex yesterday. Also seen at right is Minister of Local Government and Housing Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian. — Bernama photo
KUCHING: Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg has pledged that all initiatives announced by him would be implemented during his tenure.
He pointed out in his first winding-up speech as Chief Minister during the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting yesterday that he announced many initiatives during his first 100 days in office, “which have caused so much apprehension among the DAP (Democratic Action Party) members that they are now in ‘hot soup’ and ‘hot air’ themselves”.
“My initiatives are to leapfrog our economy into the current global digital frontier. Those who do not have the courage to embrace bold ideas, instead of leapfrogging, we find them living under the coconut shell,” he told the august House.
“I want to repeat here to everyone in this august House that as long as I am the Chief Minister, I will ensure that all my initiatives, as I have explained earlier, will be implemented. If anyone has any doubt of my capability and promise, you are ‘hot air’ yourself.” He pointed out that the Penang DAP government has yet to implement an LRT system there as promised.
“I sympathise with member for Kota Sentosa (Chong Chieng Jen), who has been deceived by his counterpart in Penang. Our LRT will be funded by our own financial model and not direct federal funding,” said Abang Johari.
He said the financing model for strategic projects in the state will not be as Chong and Wong King Wei (DAP-Padungan) had envisaged, which he called a “primitive and coffee shop-type of business funding method”.
Abang Johari stressed that Sarawak’s economy is still growing, but admitted it is not as strong as it used to be due to the global slowdown.
“The current economic consolidation of China has brought about a fall in commodity prices to lower but more sustainable levels. We, therefore, have no choice if we want to get out of our dependence on natural resources, and get into the digital world, which has been growing by leaps and bounds, creating millionaires by the day,” he said.
Abang Johari said the state government must create good jobs for young people in Sarawak so that the state could grow faster.
As such, he said Kuching will take the lead when it comes to implementing a good public transport system in urban centres statewide.
The proposed Light Rail Transit (LRT) system will be complemented by the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), private taxis and private cars, he asserted.
“We should focus our attention on the creation of new housing areas to cater for a faster increase in the population as we attract talents to urban centres.
“The Sarawak government shall spearhead this digital development but we will leave it to the private sector and the young entrepreneurs to do whatever they can do best to make a living and a name for themselves.”
Abang Johari said his administration would provide all the necessary incentives to help young start-ups to formalise their operations. The state government should encourage greater digitisation and more automation especially in the city centres, agriculture, manufacturing and services including the tourism sector, he said.
“We shall use the availability of our energy to attract global digital companies to host their operations in Sarawak. For this, we need to upgrade our digital infrastructure to a world-class level. This we will push.
“We shall not forget the rural villages, which we want connected in order for us to bring them tele-medicine, e-learning and e-commerce. The growth of the rural areas will be accompanied by the development of the transport and logistics of Sarawak.
“This is my vision and indeed the vision of Barisan Nasional for Sarawak. God willing, it will come true,” he added.