By Amanda L
KUCHING, July 4: Sarawak is targeting a 70 per cent smart population by 2030 while moving to standardise digital applications across government systems under its broader smart city and digital science agenda.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the State is focusing on building a tech-literate society supported by a uniform digital ecosystem to ensure smoother implementation, maintenance and coordinated upgrades across agencies.
“We want the applications to be uniform so that the software is easy to maintain. In terms of safety, a uniform system allows upgrades to be done simultaneously, with monitoring coordinated through the Sarawak Integrated Operation Center (SIOC),” he said at the launching of the Miri Smart City Command Center today.
He said the push towards a smart population is closely tied to demographic changes, as Sarawak prepares for an ageing society that will require greater reliance on technology to remain productive and healthy.
“We are heading towards an aged population, where people live longer but remain active. Therefore, we have to use all these smart gadgets and devices, particularly in health,” he said.
Abang Johari said the State’s free tertiary education scheme (FTES) plays a key role in developing a talent pipeline for emerging industries, with Sarawak targeting between 39,000 and 48,750 high-skilled digital jobs by 2030.
“That is why we are sending our young students to university for free. We are preparing this pool of young talent so they are capable of mastering technology and operating these advanced systems,” he said.
He added that future job creation will be driven by high-value technological transitions, citing Western Digital’s facility as an example that could generate between 500 and 1,000 engineering and technical positions in advanced storage technology.
He also highlighted Bintulu’s growing industrial base including OCI TerraSus Sdn Bhd, which is involved in polysilicon manufacturing.
Abang Johari said 540,000 participants have been trained under State digital upskilling and reskilling initiatives since 2018 helping bridge the urban and rural digital gap.
He also shared an encounter in Siburan involving an elderly woman using S Pay Global at a market stall which he said reflected growing digital literacy at grassroots level.
“I asked if she had paid, and she said she was waiting for the confirmation. Even an elderly lady understands what ‘confirm’ means,” he said. He added that such examples demonstrate the effectiveness of Sarawak’s digital literacy programmes beyond statistics, expressing confidence that the State is on track to become a model for digital governance and administration. — DayakDaily
