Centexs Santubong to become academy

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Abang Johari (second right) looks at a robot at Centexs Santubong. At second left is State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani, who is Centexs chairman. — Photo by Chimon Upon

SANTUBONG: The Centre of Technical Excellence Sarawak (Centexs) here will be upgraded to an academy offering graduate training and master’s courses next year.

Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said Centexs Santubong currently offers training at certificate level only.

“Our target is to upgrade Centexs to an academy. When it is an academy, the certificate level training will be upgraded to graduate training that includes master’s, especially on digital training,” he told journalists after launching the Centexs Technical, Digital and Heritage Integrated Complex here.

Abang Johari said the Sarawak government would further enhance Sarawak’s digital economy through 5G service.

“We need to up our infrastructure to 5G. 5G is real time, and we can see how we can rear fish through 5G. The westerners use 5G to monitor the growth of salmon, maybe we can use it to increase the population of terubok.”

For instance, he said the centre could study the nature of terubok through 5G service and the data would be transmitted to the centre.

“We can get the expert advice on how to multiply the population of terubok,” he said.

He stressed that “outdated technology” would not enable Sarawak to achieve an advanced digital economy.

By next year, Abang Johari said Centexs Santubong will be further upgraded to become an academy.

“Today, we have seen a lot of labs and special equipment that can be used for research,” he said.

He said only Centexs Santubong would be upgraded to an academy while other Centexs in Sarawak would continue to offer certificate-level training.

“Once they’ve got the basic certificate training, then they will be upgraded to this academy,” added Abang Johari.

Following a recent upgrade, Centexs Santubong now houses digital training labs and classrooms equipped with state-of-the-art training facilities and equipment.

The facilities at the complex also include upgrading of training rooms into modern IT-based style training, cafeteria, hostel, multipurpose hall, lecture theatre, pavilion, football field, and futsal court.

The integrated complex is the result of cumulated and joint efforts of the Sarawak government, Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA), Yayasan Sarawak, Huawei Malaysia, and the Centexs board of directors.