KUCHING: Sarawak is accelerating its transformation into a knowledge and innovation-driven economy, with major investments in education, advanced technology and talent development forming the backbone of its next phase of growth.
In his Gawai Dayak message, Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said this year’s celebration carries special significance as the state enters the second phase of its Post-Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 through the implementation of the Sarawak 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) for 2026-2030.
He described the plan as a roadmap that will shape Sarawak’s future and drive its ambition of becoming a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable developed region by the end of the decade.
“By 2030, Sarawak aims to become a developed region powered by innovation, technology, data and high-quality human capital.
“In 13MP, we are targeting a gross domestic product (GDP) of RM282 billion and it will be guided by three strategic pillars — Fix, Build and New,” he said today (May 31).
Under the framework, the state will address existing constraints to improve efficiency, build on current development momentum and pursue new opportunities in the global economy to propel Sarawak to greater heights.
He stated that Sarawak is also moving beyond an economic model that depended heavily on oil, gas and other natural resources, and is now laying the foundation for a future driven by knowledge, innovation and intellectual capability.
“The era of depending entirely on limited natural resources is over. Today, Sarawak is building a new economy based on knowledge, innovation and the strength of our human capital,” he said.
“If in the past development was largely fuelled by oil, gas and natural resources, we are now progressing towards an economy driven by brainpower.”
Abang Johari added that investing in education remains one of the state’s most important priorities, noting that knowledge, creativity and skills are assets with limitless potential.
As part of that commitment, 4,694 students have benefited from Sarawak’s Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES), with the number expected to increase to 10,000 by the end of the year.
He pointed out that the state is also strengthening its talent pipeline through a four-year PhD sponsorship programme introduced by Yayasan Sarawak in collaboration with the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom.
“Sarawak’s ambitions are also taking shape through strategic industrial projects, including the development of Southeast Asia’s first semiconductor-grade polysilicon plant in Bintulu.
“The project has secured support from the World Bank Group through the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a development he said demonstrates growing international confidence in Sarawak’s emergence as a future technology and high-value manufacturing hub,” he said.
