By Nur Ashikin Louis
KUCHING, Feb 6: Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg has been invited to talk on smart cities at the Asean Education Cities Conference (AECC) 2023 in Kuala Lumpur next week.
He said the federal government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim, has acknowledged that the Sarawak government has well-thought plans to develop cities.
“…so much so next week I was invited to be the speaker on smart city in Kuala Lumpur organised by Sunway (University) and Asean region. Thus, I will attend as a speaker.
“Previously, I had given a talk at Rotterdam’s (World Hydrogen Forum) in the Netherlands, the 15th Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) in Singapore, and (Time To Act: Hydrogen Forum 2022) in Japan.
“But next week, I will become a speaker to present about smart cities. This means Sarawakians are intelligent people,” he said during the Chinese New Year Dinner 2023 hosted by the Sarawak Federation of Chinese Associations of Kuching, Samarahan and Serian Divisions (SFCA) at Imperial Hotel here earlier tonight.
According to the AECC programme schedule, Abang Johari will give a talk on ‘The Cities in Sarawak’ at 2.30pm on Feb 11 at Lecture Hall JC1, Level 1 of Sunway University, Kuala Lumpur.
At the same time, Abang Johari, who is also the Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development as well as Minister for Energy and Environmental Sustainability, further said that the government is setting up Greater Kuching Coordinated Development Agency (GKCDA) with an initial allocation of RM1.5 billion.
Thus, he hoped that the Bumiputeras and the Chinese would collaborate to develop two areas: agriculture and tourism.
“I hope the Chinese business community (would) work together with the Bumiputeras to develop this Greater Kuching encompassing Kuching, Samarahan and Serian. This is the area we want to improve mobility where the Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) system will be operating.
“As you know, we are implementing modern public transportation using ART powered by hydrogen because we want to be a smart city, a city that is less polluted and a city that we can be proud of,” he added.
Amongst those present were Deputy Premiers Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas and Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian; Minister of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah; Minister of Transport Lee Kim Shin; Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Kuching, Xing Wei Ping; and SFCA president Dato Richard Wee Liang Chiat. — DayakDaily
