Uggah (third left) presents a souvenir to Abang Johari during the appreciation dinner. Looking on (from left) are Nanta, Asfia, Manyin and Fadillah. — Photo by Chimon Upon
KUCHING: A special office will be set up in Singapore by January next year to facilitate agriculture and tourism activities between Sarawak and the island nation.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said the office would serve as a support outlet particularly for the export of agriculture produce from Sarawak to Singapore.
More importantly, he said the office would be manned by state civil officers and would give Sarawak a strategic presence in Singapore – the heart of Asean.
“Civil officers from Sarawak will be manning the office. So anyone (from Sarawak) who wants to communicate with Singapore (on agriculture and tourism) can do so (through the office).
“I have directed the State Secretary (Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani) to do so (set up the office). Hopefully the office could be set up latest by January 2019,” he disclosed this at the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) 14th Convention appreciation dinner here last night.
The decision to set up the office, he said, was made following a fruitful working visit to Singapore recently. During the visit, Abang Johari said the Sarawak and Singapore governments discussed areas where they could collaborate on, especially in the agriculture sector.
“So we want to take the advantage of the opportunity since we have partnered with Singapore to set up a mobile digital payment platform, which will ease our trade and business activities,” he added.
The chief minister’s wife Datin Patinggi Dato Juma’ani Tuanku Bujang, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi, State Legislative Assembly Speaker Datuk Amar Mohd Asfia Awang Nassar, Minister of Education, Science and Technology Research Dato Sri Michael Manyin, and Minister of Welfare Community Well Being, Women, Family and Childhood Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah were among those present.