Sarawak, South Korea to further enhance bilateral relationship through energy devt, says Premier

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Abang Johari delivers his speech at a ceremony to mark a MoU signing between Petroleum Sarawak Bhd (Petros) and Posco Group at Wisma Bapa Malaysia today.

KUCHING (Dec 12): Sarawak and South Korea will further enhance their bilateral relationship through energy development, said Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.

According to him, both Sarawak and South Korea are no strangers to one another as they have long established a good relationship since the 1970s.

“Since then, our trade relationship has steadily grown, alongside with energy development especially in recent years,” he said when officiating at a ceremony to mark a MoU signing between Petroleum Sarawak Bhd (Petros) and Posco Group for their collaboration in the development of carbon capture and storage (CCS) business in Sarawak at Wisma Bapa Malaysia, Petra Jaya here today.

“In fact, after Japan and China, Republic of Korea is our third biggest importer of liquefied natural gas (LNG),” Abang Johari pointed out.

Abang Johari said in the year 2020, Sarawak exported 4.9 million tonnes of LNG worth RM5.9 billion to South Korea.

Commenting on the MoU signing between Petros and Posco group today, Abang Johari believed that it was a step in the right direction which would further solidifying Sarawak-South Korea’s relationship while playing their roles to create a sustainable energy future for the benefit of the coming generations.

“We must ensure that we strike a balance between building our economy and mitigating the impacts on our environment and society. We are glad to be working with a like-minded corporation that places emphasis on sustainable development,” he added.

Abang Johari said as Sarawak transforms and push towards a high-income prosperous state, environmental sustainability is vital and instrumental in the state’s ability to secure both thriving human communities and abundant and healthy natural ecosystems.

“Many assume that economic interests and environmental interests are in conflict but new discovery and research makes the case that this perception of development versus conservation is not just unnecessary but actively counterproductive to both ends,” he added.

He said: “Sarawak welcomes sustainable partnerships across the value chain and including the community. Together, I believe there are plenty of exciting opportunities we can realise. And together, I believe we work together towards addressing climate change and creating a sustainable future for us all.”

Abang Johari said he is also looking forward to seeing this partnership develop further, with the anticipation of witnessing sustainable green growth towards net zero emissions targets.

“I believe this signing ceremony today marks the beginning to a robust collaboration between Sarawak and the Republic of Korea in sustainability. The future is bright.

“Foremost, I would like to congratulate Posco Holdings for realising this partnership, and most importantly planning towards a sustainable trajectory for the development of CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) project in Sarawak, Malaysia,” he added.