Sarawak Welcomes Higher Special Grant If Federal Fiscal Position Allows, Says Abang Johari

KUCHING, July 2 (Bernama) -- Sarawak welcomes any increase in the special grant under Article 112D of the Federal Constitution, provided the Federal Government's fiscal position permits it.

Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said any increase in the special grant for the state should be considered based on the Federal Government's financial capacity.

"If the Federal Government can afford it, we welcome it. But if it cannot, we understand its position," he told reporters after attending the New Horizon for Western Digital (WD) Sarawak programme here today.

He said there had been no detailed discussions on the proposal so far, although the matter was raised in general terms during a recent meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Bintulu.

On June 30, Anwar told the Dewan Rakyat during the Prime Minister's Question Time that negotiations on the special grant for Sarawak were continuing in line with the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

Meanwhile, Abang Johari said the strategic partnership between Sarawak and Western Digital, spanning about 30 years, continues to be strengthened through the development of glass substrate-based data storage technology.

"Sarawak's advantages in renewable energy and abundant water resources are key factors that have attracted the confidence of high-technology investors.

"Data will become a more valuable asset than oil in the future. Therefore, the high-technology data storage industry will be a key driver of Sarawak's future economy," he said.

In a statement, WD Sarawak said glass substrate is a next-generation recording technology that enables significantly higher data storage capacity, supporting the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital infrastructure.

-- BERNAMA