Abang Johari (centre) joins the children and their parents at the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Playground of the fair. Also seen are Manyin (left) and Len Talif (right).
KUCHING: The Sarawak government wants to enhance the process of ‘converting imagination’ into an economic process to develop Sarawak.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg believes that Sarawakians ‘have such imagination’ and can convert all the resources to produce marketable products.
He said as the development of physics, science and Industrial Revolution 4.0 is already there, he wanted young Sarawakians to ride on this knowledge and use it to convert the resources that Sarawak has to produce something new ‘through their imagination’.
“Sarawak has all the resources, and Sarawakians have the imagination. My imagination is to make Sarawak the most developed state in Malaysia by 2030.
“To reach that, I need all the ‘Anak-Anak Sarawak’ (Sarawakians). I know you can – ‘Anak-Anak Sarawak’ can,” he said at the launch of Sarawak Career and Training Fair (SCaT Fair) 2019 at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) yesterday.
Quoting Albert Einstein’s famous quote ‘imagination is more important than knowledge’, Abang Johari also reminded young Sarawakians who have such an imagination, to find the right disciplines that connect with the development of Sarawak.
He encouraged all young Sarawakians to draw inspiration from Einstein, who began his tertiary education in a polytechnic, before pursuing his studies in physics and ending up becoming a Nobel Prize winner.
“Enstein did not go to an elite university first. If Einstein who went to a polytechnic could, then ‘Anak-Anak Sarawak’ from Politeknik Kuching also could.
“Whoever has completed the SPM (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia) examination, go to a polytechnic if you cannot enter a university. Even if you could enter a university, find a university that could offer disciplines that are wanted by the job market today.
“You must choose the right discipline that matches your future. Aside from that, you must master other languages that are equally important, like English and Mandarin,” he said.
Abang Johari said the Sarawak government strives to groom young Sarawakians to become talented Sarawakians, who know every sector of knowledge.
He believed that with the right creative talents – plus creative leaders, Sarawak could leapfrog to Industrial Revolution 4.0.
Nevertheless to achieve this, he said the people of Sarawak must ‘read and read a lot’.
“Even all ministers have to read books. If we don’t read books, we are left behind; our policy will go backwards. We have to read more and position ourselves because knowledge is very important.
“That is why I share the story of Einstein with you, about his theory of relativity. The same theory also applies in economics. The success in economics must relate to the economies of the world because we are global,” he said.
Minister of Education, Science and Technological Research Dato Sri Michael Manyin; Minister of Local Government and Housing Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian; Assistant Minister of Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Datu Len Talif Salleh; Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports Datuk Snowdan Lawan; and Assistant Minister of Corporate Affair Abdullah Saidol were also present.