KUCHING, April 21: Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg states that Sarawak’s education system will be strengthened further under the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government.
The Premier emphasised that this is in accordance with Clause 17 of the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) Report, which empowers Sarawak and Sabah to determine the policy of their own education system, despite the fact that education is under the jurisdiction of the Federal government.
“Sarawak’s dream must be supported by well-trained and knowledgeable human capital, as well as a world-class education system, because natural resource wealth alone will not ensure our full success.
“We can learn from the experiences of countries such as Singapore and Japan, which have been able to become economic powerhouses despite a lack of natural resources,” Abang Johari said in his Hari Raya Aidilfitri message.
He went on to say that the Sarawak government’s determination to produce human capital resources that are adapted to the needs of the region and global standards can be seen in the proposed establishment of five international schools that use the Cambridge syllabus, one of which is already operating in Kuching.
“Sarawak, through the Sarawak Foundation (Yayasan Sarawak), owns four universities, namely Swinburne University of Technology, Curtin University, University of Technology Sarawak (UTS), and iCats University College. Sarawak also has a training centre, the Centre of Technical Excellence Sarawak (Centexs), which has branch campuses all over the region,” he added.
Furthermore, Abang Johari stated that, as part of the GPS government’s initiatives, the Sarawak government has decided to continue providing Bantuan Khas Sarawakku Sayang (BKSS) on electricity bill discounts ranging from five per cent to 25 per cent for domestic, commercial, and industrial users for the first six months of this year, involving a total of RM200 million, in addition to the RM6.7 billion previously channelled through the BKSS 1.0 to 9.0 package.
In addition, the Premier urges all Sarawakians of various religions, racial backgrounds, and cultural traditions to continue working towards fostering greater unity.
“Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Maaf Zahir dan Batin, and may we be blessed with prosperity and good health,” he said.
Meanwhile, Abang Johari and his wife Puan Sri Datuk Amar Juma’ani Tun Tuanku Bujang will be hosting an open house on the first and second day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) in Kuching. — DayakDaily
