Abang Johari about to flag off the Merdeka convoy.
SIBU: Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg is confident that Sarawak will become the most progressive state in Malaysia by 2030 based on the implementation of its development plans and programmes.
He said former chief ministers like the late Tan Sri Datuk Amar Stephen Kalong Ningkan and Dato Penghulu Tawi Seli had provided the basis for the development process, whereas Tun Datuk Patinggi Abdul Rahman Yakub continued the development including setting up Sarawak Foundation (Yayasan Sarawak) to help students acquire study loans.
He then said Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud introduced the politics of development whereas the late Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem presented several new initiatives including fighting for Sarawak’s rights.
“Thank God, with the trust given, I will continue the policies that had been introduced and at the same time, present several new initiatives such as the digital economy,” he said in launching the state-level ‘Negaraku Sehati Sejiwa 2017’ programme at Dataran Pehin Setia Raja in Mukah yesterday.
He said as Sarawak progressed, the state could also contribute towards the nation’s development.
In this connection, he said several measures would be introduced to tap the knowledge and new opportunities because the economy had become integrated whether in this region or globally.
In the effort to spur Sarawak towards becoming the most developed state in Malaysia by 2030, Abang Johari cited Estonia, a country in Europe, as an example.
He said Estonia was a small country but possessed high technology, which enabled it to be developed and comparable with several other developed nations in the world.
“If Estonia could progress, Sarawak could as well,” Abang Johari, who is Satok assemblyman, pointed out.
After the launch, came the raising of the national flag followed by singing of national anthem.
Abang Johari later handed over the national flags to representatives of various government agencies, community leaders and non-governmental organisations.
He later flagged off the Merdeka convoy involving 25 vehicles.
Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Family and Childhood Development Datuk Fatimah Abdullah, who is Dalat assemblywoman, in her welcoming speech said she was grateful that Mukah was chosen to host a major state-level event with national significance.
Chief Minister’s wife Datin Amar Dato Juma’ani Tuanku Bujang, Minister of Education, Science and Technological Research Dato Sri Michael Manyin, Assistant Minister of Corporate Affairs Abdullah Saidol and State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Gani were among those present.