Abang Johari (seated in the middle) and other dignitaries in a photo call with the participants.
KUCHING: The state will continue to provide the necessary facilities for the development of e-commerce to maximise the resources and products available in the state, said Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.
He said this was because the state must have the correct environment for waves of technological changes to take place.
“The penetration of the market for our indigenous products and services through the Internet is great and on the part of the government we will continue to provide the facilities to further boost our e-commerce,” he said at the closing ceremony of Sarawak e-Commerce Forum 2017 at Imperial Hotel here yesterday.
The forum was attended by 529 participants.
According to him, Kuching may become a Digital Free Trade Zone (DFTZ), adding that he had talked to Pos Malaysia, a partner of Alibaba.
He added that the DFTZ will be placed at Kuching International Airport (KIA) to facilitate e-commerce among Sarawakians in the global market, and for Customs and Immigration clearance.
Abang Johari stressed that he had taken the initiative to develop e-Commerce, knowing the prominent role it plays in the modern era of trading, such as by allocating RM1 billion for high speed Internet, RM30 million for Digital Village at Samajaya and Innovative Hub.
“We need to take a digital approach to maximise our resources to leapfrog our economy through e-commerce, and it will be part of our economic transformation,” he pointed out.
Present were Minister of International Trade and E-Commerce Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, Assistant Minister of E-Commerce Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais, Minister of Local Government and Housing Datuk Sr Sim Kui Hian and Minister of Utilities Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi.