By Lian Cheng
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 21: Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg has announced that Sarawak will charter flights for Sarawakian students to allow them to return home during festive seasons.
He said the students will bear a certain amount of the airfare while the rest will be subsidised by the Sarawak government.
He said this in response to a student who lamented that students studying in Peninsular Malaysia have to struggle with expensive airfares especially during festive seasons, when many a-time, the airfares between Peninsular Malaysia and Kuching may even be higher than overseas trips.
The question was raised by the student at the ‘TanyakAbgJo Session’ during the Lan Berambeh Anak Sarawak 2018 event which was held at Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre yesterday.
Abang Johari immediately instructed Petra Jaya MP Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof to work out the details of the mechanism where students would likely be using their student cards to show eligibility and pay by using Sarawak Pay to take advantage of the charter.
Meanwhile, Abang Johari also announced the setting up of Sarawak’s own television network with entertainment such as drama, performance and music programmes.
He said this in response to a Sarawakian television programme producer who has been working in Peninsular Malaysia, and is interested in making movies.
“We want to give encouragement to performing acts. There is already an allocation to turn the old State Assembly Building into a Centre of Performance Art.
“A sum of RM21 million has been allocated to build a studio in the building which we will set up this year. This is meant for anything related to cinematography.”
Abang Johari said, presently there are platforms like Netflix which is available for movie makers to showcase their productions.
“And if our productions are of quality standard, it will be shown to the world through software like Netflix.
“Moving making will be the new future career of Sarawak,” he said.
