By Dayangku Hidayatul
KUCHING, Nov 14: “Maybe they want us to stay on trees again,” said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg in response to critics questioning Sarawak’s push for ambitious infrastructure and technology projects, including its hydrogen-powered Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) system.
He said Sarawak could not afford to abandon innovation and progress amid calls to halt some of its major projects.
“Many people are sceptical about what we are doing. We are developing Tanjung Embang, but some people are asking me to stop it.
“We want to improve our public transport system through the hydrogen-powered ART, but some people are saying we should stop that too.
“I don’t know, maybe they want us to stay on trees again,” he said when addressing the Sarawak Entrepreneur of the Year Awards (EOYS) 2026 at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) last night (Nov 13).
Recalling the stereotype that Sarawakians once lived in trees, he said the State now had far greater ambitions.
“But we want to send satellites, not trees,” he said, emphasising Sarawak’s determination to move forward.
Abang Johari said the State must position itself at the forefront of the global economy by investing in energy, data and technology, rather than remaining a consumer of innovations developed elsewhere.
He also said Sarawak was working towards having its own satellite in low Earth orbit by 2030 to support data storage, particularly for the State’s sovereign data.
He added that investments in data centres were part of Sarawak’s broader strategy to strengthen its position in the digital economy. — DayakDaily
