By Ashley Sim
KUCHING, April 26: Sarawak is collaborating with consultants from Singapore on the new RM200 million Sarawak Science Centre (SSC), which is expected to complete by 2024, one year ahead of the 2025 schedule.
According to Minister of Education, Innovation, and Talent Development (MEITD) Datuk Roland Sagah Wee Inn, the Singapore Science Centre is the region’s oldest science centre, having been in operation for 45 years, and has made significant advances in the field.
“We also know that they have collaborated with other countries in the Asia Pacific region, so we believe that collaborating and consulting with them was the right decision,” he said during a press conference following the SSC Masterplan Workshop (Phases 4 & 5), which was held this morning at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK).
He added that the site for the centre is near Jalan Stadium, between Wisma SESCO (Sarawak Energy) and Wisma Sumber Alam.
“It is almost opposite the Sarawak State Library, which means that those who prefer to study through books can do so there (at the library), while those who prefer immersive learning can do so at the SSC.
“The SSC is not only for students but also for the general public,” he added.
Furthermore, when asked about the site’s progress, Sagah stated that construction is nearing completion. However, they are still awaiting land settlement, which is why they can now say that they hope to complete the SSC ahead of schedule.
On the masterplan workshops for the new SSC, it was a one-day programme held in collaboration with the Singapore Science Centre.
“The workshop’s objectives are to explore ways to improve collaboration among stakeholders in developing impactful and unique visitor experiences and informal learning programmes for the new science centre, as well as to provide a platform for sharing best practices in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) exhibitions and informal learning programmes, especially to meet the needs of achieving a scientifically literate society.
“It is also intended to improve the community and public’s understanding of the science centre and its implications for STEM informal education in Sarawak,” he explained.
Sagah added that 70 stakeholders from various agencies and departments attended the workshop.
“One of the ministry’s main catalytic initiatives under the Sarawak Post Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030) is to enable the public to achieve good civic scientific literacy by 2030, resulting in a society that understands and accepts science and its application in their daily lives.
“The prerequisite to communicating the role of the public in creating a science culture is to acknowledge that ‘Science is Culture’.
“If we do not succeed in building such a culture today, our children, the future Sarawakians, will be unable to make meaningful contributions to the ecosystem,” he pointed out. — DayakDaily
