By Nur Ashikin Louis and Ashley Sim
KUCHING, Feb 13: A proposed furniture park in Sarawak would be equipped with digital facilities and accommodate wood-industry-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), says Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
He said the Sarawak government has the space to build the park and it would allocate the seed capital for its construction.
“And then we can allocate all these wood-industry-based SMEs to be located in the park.
“Of course, (Deputy Premier) Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan will install IT, digital facilities in the park,” he said during the opening ceremony of Sarawak Design Week held at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here today.
Abang Johari disclosed that the said digital facilities would allow designers to simulate certain data needed to produce designs such as ChatGPT – a type of generative artificial intelligence (AI) known as a large language model.
“You can ask the chat how to design furniture, they will give you the reply. That is what we call AI-generated chat.
“But you cannot rely 100 per cent on the chat or data that is given in the chat. You must get the data as part of your solution,” he added.
He further said unlike Singapore, Sarawak has the upper hand in terms of space and energy.
“The only thing is we have to have our own creativity. If you combine the two (space and energy), Sarawak can be at Malaysia’s forefront in technology based on wood,” he emphasised.
Previously, it was reported that sites proposed for furniture parks are in Demak Laut and Tanjung Manis.
Among those present were Awang Tengah, Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) general manager Datu Hashim Bojet, Sarawak Design Centre (Saradec) chairman Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais and Saradec chief executive officer Dayang Nena Abang Bruce. — DayakDaily
