Letter to the Editor
By Peter James
About a decade ago, I had the opportunity to interview an American diplomat who was seemingly impressed with the progress attained by Malaysia since its independence.
However, his perception of Malaysia was based on his observations of the rapid progress of Peninsular Malaysia as well as major urban areas in Sarawak as well as Sabah.
So, I shared with him that Sarawak’s major urban centres, such as Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu, and Miri, but not the smaller towns, as they are still developing in many ways and in dire need of overall development such as internet coverage, communication, and other basic amenities.
Soon after, we had a small meeting, and he acknowledged that, indeed, Sarawak has a lot of catching up to do with the rest of the country.
The perception of Malaysia to the rest of the world is that it has been transformed from a third-world to a fast-growing global economy.
But that, again, is a generalisation of what Malaysia really is, as not all the states and regions are equally developed. In actual fact, there are lots of disparities between Malaya and Sarawak, and for that matter, Sabah as well.
A case in point is that prior to the construction of the Pan Borneo Highway, Sarawak had no highway which connected all the major towns and cities. All we had then was a trunk road with a single lane. The only so-called ‘highway’ with double-lanes was the 60-km Kuching-Serian Road.
Malaya has been enjoying a much better road network with crisscrossing highways such as the North-South Highway, East Coast Highway, and the various highways that connect the country’s capital of Kuala Lumpur to major cities and towns throughout the peninsula.
Additionally, it has long been having a good railway network which connects all major towns and cities. So, too, in KL, its MRT, LRT has been the pride of the nation to showcase to the whole world that Malaysia is indeed a successful and developed country.
Now back to Sarawak, since taking over the leadership of the Sarawak government on January 13, 2017, after the passing of Chief Minister Pehin Adenan Satem, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg reorganised Sarawak’s economic scope, moving away from its traditional commodity-based industry such as timber to renewal energy.
As quickly as he assumed the reins of the Sarawak government, he acquired the Bakun HEP Dam from the federal government. Under the deal, the Sarawak government paid Putrajaya RM2.5 billion and took over the remaining RM6.4 billion debt.
Since then, Abang Johari has not turned back his desire to develop Sarawak’s green and renewable technology to greater heights.
It is with this background in perspective that we now see the real Abang Johari, who has been tirelessly working hard to ensure that Sarawak will attain developed status by 2030 through the Post-Covid Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030.
As mentioned earlier, Abang Johari’s main focus since he took over the leadership of the Sarawak government was to develop its green and renewable energy as the only way forward as Sarawak’s primary industries, such as its timber, have been depleting, and palm oil is facing fierce criticism from western consumers.
It is in the green and renewable technology that Abang Johari has excelled to the point that even the federal government has to acknowledge how far ahead Sarawak is in this new technology.
And, of course, not to mention the fact that Sarawak has been able to generate more income from its oil and gas after it imposed a five per cent Sarawak sales tax (SST) on petroleum and petroleum products in 2019.
It has been revealed that since SST was introduced in 2019, Sarawak’s revenue from oils and gas has reached more than RM14 billion. Since Sarawak set up its own oil and gas company, Petros, it has been able to generate revenue of at least RM1.5 billion annually.
In the last seven years as the head of the Sarawak government, countless major initiatives have been launched that have benefitted the whole of Sarawak. One of these initiatives is the implementation of the various development agencies implemented under the Regional Corridor of Development Authority (RECODA), which is allocated a RM1.5 billion budget each to fasten the pace of development in every nook and corner of Sarawak.
And not to forget other major initiatives introduced by Abang Johari, such as the coastal highway with the missing bridges being built.
In terms of transport, he has revolutionised public transport through the Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) system network, which is currently under construction. Additionally, Sarawak will soon have its own airline to provide better and seamless air connectivity with major destinations in the South East Asian region.
All these major initiatives by Abang Johari cannot be mere luck and coincidences, as some of his critics claim. In fact, they are well-thought-out, well-planned, and well-implemented, with only the best brain could have ever achieved.
Abang Johari is no ordinary politician; he is well qualified as he possesses an MBA from Brunel University, London.
And politically, the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), which he leads, now commands 80 out of 82 seats in the Sarawak Legislative Assembly. This speaks volumes of who Abang Johari really is, as no other Sarawak leaders have achieved such a feat before.
So, whoever tried to demonise, demean, and criticise Abang Johari and hit him below the belt will surely be rebuked and debunked by all Sarawakians regardless of their race and religion, as he is seen as a moderate, fair, and capable leader of Sarawak to achieve its Vision 2030.
Peter James is a former lecturer and a native of Sarawak.
This is the personal opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of DayakDaily. Letters to the Editor may be lightly edited for clarity.
