TSI committee in a group photo. Tenewi is at fifth left (seated).
KUCHING: A new Sarawak-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) named The Sarawak Initiatives (TSI) has been formed, and it is headed by former diplomat Datuk John Tenewi as its first elected chairman.
A statement from TSI said it is an NGO focusing on issues facing Sarawakians. It is a civil society registered with the Registrar of Societies (ROS) Malaysia on Dec 18 last year, and held its inaugural general meeting on Feb 22.
The general meeting that day also saw Sidi Munan elected as deputy chairman, Ir Goh Leng Yeu as secretary, Datu Ir Mohidden Ishak as treasurer, while Professor Dr Hamsawi Sani, Ratanah Devi Perumal, Margaret Bedus, Paul Raja and Dr Paul Tulik Peter Raig were elected as committee members.
The statement said among the objectives of TSI is to promote and help all Sarawakians to attain a high level and standard of education, create a peaceful and harmonious living environment, cultivate good values and integrity, create a unique Sarawak identity based on Sarawak’s cultural diversities and to create a healthy economy.
“TSI is created for the sole purpose of bringing change for the better for all Sarawakians. The world is advancing in such speed that if we do not keep up with the pace, we will be in danger of being left behind. If we do not act now, future generations will not be able to compete globally and would have to be contented to live an inferior life as compared to the people from the more advanced world.
“This is proven as we look at the facts on the progress made by non-oil producing countries like Japan, South Korea, Singapore, China and some oil producing countries like United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Brunei, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
“With vast natural resources and bright minds of Sarawakians, there is absolutely no reason why we have been deprived of one of the best education systems and one of the best possible economies in the world,” it said.
The statement added TSI believes Sarawakians can do it with great success and the only thing preventing Sarawakians from these goals is the right foundations that have not been put in place for them to make progress.
As such, TSI has set up five bureaus to promote the five objectives based on five foundations; namely Education Bureau, Living Environment Bureau, Values &Integrity Bureau, A Sarawak Identity Bureau and Economics Bureau.
TSI also plans to hold a seminar on ‘Education in the 21st Century’, seminar on ‘A Sarawak Identity’ and international conference on human rights this year and 2021.