By Dayangku Hidayatul
KUCHING, Nov 19: A total of 11 Australians students from University of Wollongong (UOW) studying Master of Administration (MBA) visit the Tabung Ekonomi Gagasan Anak Sarawak (TEGAS) Digital Village today as part of a week-long study tour to Sarawak.
The visit offered the students a first-hand look at Sarawak’s push into the digital economy.
TEGAS chairman Datuk Len Talif Salleh shared how TEGAS has evolved into a key platform supporting youth empowerment, innovation and technical education.
“TEGAS is basically a bank to empower youth in education. But having said that, actually it’s meant for everybody.
“That’s why when we have our programme, we have about 100 of our programmes that run throughout the year which cover preschool up to the people of my age,” he said in a dialogue session at Tegas Digital Village.
He explained that TEGAS was designed as a non-government organisation fully funded by the State to fast-track decision-making and deliver programmes quickly.
Len Talif also highlighted the rapid development of the TEGAS Digital Village, which was built during the Covid-19 pandemic and launched in 2022 with RM30 million in State funding.
He revealed that the State government has allocated an additional RM70 million to construct TEGAS Lodge Sarawak, a digital-nomad-friendly hub set to open in 2028.
“Once you graduate, you can come over here as a digital nomad. You can stay in our facility here, walk, eat, sleep, exercise, entertain—everything.
“It will be a one-stop centre where graduates can live, work and innovate,” he added.
UOW lecturer Professor Martin O’Brien said the visit offered valuable insights into Sarawak’s development and its alignment with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“We’ve got 11 Master of Business Administration (MBA) students in various stages of their MBA programme.
“All of them working full-time and studying part-time. It’s a big challenge for all of them to find the time to come on a study tour for a week, but they’ve got to do a few assessments as part of the subject that they’re doing,” he added.
Len Talif, who is also Deputy Minister for Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment invited the group to explore Sarawak’s natural attractions, emphasising that multiple national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and mangrove areas are located within an hour from Kuching.
The dialogue concluded with an informal walkabout, giving visitors the chance to interact with TEGAS staff and alumni who now operate startups within the Digital Village. — DayakDaily
