Abang Johari (third right) flies a kite to open the Darul Hana Carnival, while Asfia (left), Sharifah Hasidah (second left) and Dr Abdul Rahman (right) look on. — Photo by Muhammad Rais Sanusi
KUCHING: Sarawak must be governed by Sarawakians to ensure that development is compatible with her unique culture and struggles.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said only Sarawakians were capable of developing Sarawak.
“In matters of governance and administration, only we (Sarawakians) know the true conditions of the state. Thus, Sarawak should only be governed by Sarawakians,” Abang Johari said when officiating at the opening of Darul Hana Carnival at the compound of Darul Hana Mosque here yesterday.
He added that Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) would continue to keep their promise to develop the state.
“However, we must be careful with our actions and planning. We cannot be too hasty because that can lead to a misstep, and misstep can be dangerous for our future and the next generation,” Abang Johari said, adding that new methods and input should be employed to further develop Sarawak and Malaysia as a whole.
He said Darul Hana would be equipped with the latest digital facilities.
“It is our hope that Darul Hana would become a ‘smart city’, complete with 5G technology. This would hopefully upgrade the level of its facilities, and we want to expand this technology to Damai which is a tourist area, and other heritage areas,” he added.
He said Darul Hana had become a model for developments in Sibu and Bintulu as a way to modernise the Malay, Melanau and other Bumiputera communities in Sarawak.
He added that other developments in the pipeline for Darul Hana included a RM8 million Islamic Garden around the Darul Hana Mosque, as well as a RM3 million Heritage Museum, apart from homes that would be developed in stages.
Speaker of the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) Datuk Amar Mohd Asfia Awang Nassar, Assistant Minister of Rural Electricity Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi and Assistant Minister of Law, State-Federal Relations and Project Monitoring Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali were among those present.