By Karen Bong
KUCHING, July 27: Sarawak has all the ‘powers’, including hydro, solar, and abundant resources, but now needs more ‘brain power’ to elevate the region and advance towards a sustainable future in the new economy.
Addressing the Sarawak Education Expo 2024 at i-CATS University College in Stampin here, Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg stressed that Sarawak must step up its game in nurturing more talents, expertise and professionals, including embracing multilingualism, to fill the missing gap in brain power necessary for transforming the region.
“I leave it to our young generation. Whether we have the brain power is in your hands. But Sarawak is determined to support any initiatives towards producing the brain power of the Sarawak brand,” he said.
Under his leadership, Abang Johari affirmed that Sarawak will continue to prioritise education with an increased budget to be allocated to create more conducive facilities and initiatives, such as this expo.
“But the community, especially parents and children, must respond. Spend time while you are young to gain knowledge before old age slows you down. Learn new things, elevate Sarawak, and strengthen the economy, and then people will acknowledge us. Respect has to be earned,” he reminded the students.
Abang Johari also encouraged university and college students not only to be proficient in English but also to take up additional languages, such as French or Mandarin, as elective subjects to enhance their edge in this globally competitive world.
He pointed out that English is no longer a colonial language but a universal one essential for acquiring greater knowledge. Referring to information technology, he noted that terms like ‘IT’ could have different meanings, which in the Malay language could stand for ‘ibu tunggal’ (single mother).
In the evolving landscape of information technology, he mentioned the significance of learning about cybersecurity and cyberspace, which are predominantly in English.
“Even the science behind information technology and engineering, for instance, the splitting of water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen, is knowledge mostly in English. You buy a smartphone, and the manual is also in English,” he said, emphasising the importance of English as the language of knowledge.
“That’s why Sarawak still maintains two languages. Bahasa Malaysia is important because it is our national language, but we cannot neglect English. If people perceive English as a colonial language, it will become a challenge. But today, English is a universal language and no longer a colonial language. It is a language of knowledge,” he reiterated.
He stressed that all these must be achieved through proper education policy and direction while encouraging multilingualism.
“If you know a third language, it is good for you. In this global world, if you want to sell oil palm to China, depending on English could be difficult. But if you know Mandarin, it leads to better negotiation outcomes. We have to be pragmatic,” he said.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian, Sarawak Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki, Sarawak Finance Secretary Dato Sri Wan Lizozman Wan Omar, and Yayasan Sarawak director Mersal Abang Rosli were present. — DayakDaily
