By Lian Cheng
KUCHING, July 22: The Sarawak government needs the commitment of all Sarawakians to make the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030 work.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg called on for Sarawakians’ support for the strategy which is a roadmap charting the course of Sarawak for the next decade.
“But the government cannot do this alone. We need all Sarawakians to translate commitment into daily action, and drive sustainability on the ground.
“The government can set the policies, but the energy to bring about concrete change must come from all of us – business leaders who want to produce their goods and services in a more resilient and sustainable way, parents who wish to leave behind a better world for their children, and in sum, every one of us have our part to play.
“I am optimistic about the plan and I believe your commitment will make it happen. I can assure you that with the mandate given to the GPS (Gabungan Parti Sarawak) Government, more development will be enjoyed by the people. Therefore, let us work together for a brighter future for Sarawak,” said Abang Johari at the launch of the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030 held in conjunction with Sarawak Day today.
He understood that in the current difficult situation, Sarawakians from all walks of life have gone through various difficulties in their daily lives. Many businesses were disrupted, many lost their jobs, students could not return to study in school, many graduates could not have jobs, family members could not visit each other during the festive seasons.
Acknowledging the frontliners, he commended their tremendous sacrifices in providing services to serve and treat those infected with Covid-19 amid their efforts to strive to ensure that hospital facilities are always adequate to cope with the increasing number of patients in need of treatment, including those who are not Covid-19 infected.
“The GPS government under my leadership has always given priority to efforts to ensure the safety of the lives of our people.
“Therefore, the State Disaster Management Committee works around the clock for the safety of all of us and to ensure that the virus can be controlled and defeated. To face such a dire situation and as a measure to reduce the impact of Covid-19, the government has provided various assistance packages through the Sarawakku Sayang Special Assistance (BKSS) worth four tenths of a billion (RM4.5 billion),” he said.
While bracing for the current pandemic, Abang Johari stressed that Sarawakians should not forget what they can do for the future of Sarawak.
“We want Sarawak to recover from this pandemic with a stronger and more resilient economy and to sustain the level of economic and social development. This is to assure future generations of Sarawakians a happy, peaceful and prosperous State with opportunities for all, regardless of their racial, cultural and religious backgrounds or the regions in the State they are from.
“To accomplish this, the State government has charted our journey for the next decade. Nobody knows when the pandemic will end but we know where we want to be, comes 2030,” said Abang Johari.
The Post Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030, he said, outlines what Sarawak is planning to do and the strategic direction Sarawak Government has devised to accomplish the objectives of the plan.
Deputy Chief Ministers Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Tan Sri Dr James Masing Jemut and Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan as well as State Secretary Datuk Amar Jaul Samion, federal ministers and assistant ministers were among those present. — DayakDaily
