KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 25 (Bernama) -- The MADANI Government remains committed to driving the wellbeing of the people of Sarawak through strategic investments, inclusive economic development and the creation of new job opportunities, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said full commitment was also being given to the implementation of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), in addition to fair management of oil and gas resources to ensure that economic benefits were channelled directly to the people.
“Every initiative is planned and implemented to build a more advanced, sustainable and prosperous Sarawak, for the benefit of today and for generations to come.
“Real transformation for the people of Sarawak is under way, and we are all part of this journey,” he said in a post on his Facebook page today.
The Prime Minister said among the MADANI Government’s achievements for Sarawak this year were strategic development, quality investments and new job opportunities to drive Sarawak’s future as Malaysia’s economic powerhouse.
Anwar said Sarawak had been identified as one of the main focuses of national development through his regular visits to Kuching, Bintulu and Miri, in addition to the signing of global investment memoranda of understanding and the announcement of strategic projects involving the energy and heavy industries sectors.
These developments have seen Sarawak’s green energy economy continue to expand with the implementation of the RM184 million Batang Ai Floating Solar project, alongside the inflow of investments from Japan, South Korea and Europe in the green hydrogen sector.
He said investments in the international logistics sector, data centres and artificial intelligence (AI) had also strengthened Sarawak’s position as Asia-Pacific’s green investment gateway.
Anwar said in the oil and gas sector, the role of Petroleum Sarawak Bhd (PETROS) had been strengthened through strategic collaboration with Petroliam Nasional Bhd (PETRONAS), opening up opportunities for new exploration, gas development and clearer revenue-sharing arrangements to boost state revenue.
According to him, Sarawak’s green hydrogen projects have also been recognised as leading in Asia, positioning the state as Malaysia’s future energy powerhouse.
The Prime Minister said strategic investments and high-impact industrial development had also opened up more job and skills opportunities for the people of Sarawak, including in the green energy, semiconductor, electrical and electronics sectors, as well as methanol and hydrogen hubs, and the strengthening of the logistics and aerospace sectors along the Kuching-Bintulu-Miri corridor.
Anwar said the development of people-centric facilities had also been made a key priority, with housing programmes such as the People’s Housing Programme (PRR) and Rumah Mesra Rakyat expanded, alongside the implementation of the Step-Up Financing scheme to help Sarawak youths own their first homes, while assistance under the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) initiatives had helped ease cost-of-living pressures, particularly for families in rural areas.
He said efforts to empower Sarawak’s rights and autonomy under MA63 had also been accelerated through negotiations between the Federal Government and the Sarawak Government, including the restructuring of powers in the education and health sectors, increased special allocations to the state, as well as recognising Sarawak as an equal partner in the Federation of Malaysia.
Overall, Anwar said Sarawak was now becoming increasingly progressive under the MADANI Government under the slogan “Sarawak Makmur, Malaysia Sejahtera”
-- BERNAMA
