KUCHING: Strategic cooperation among the business communities of Sabah, Sarawak, Kalimantan and Brunei must be strengthened to position Borneo as a global player in addressing climate change, says Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
He said closer regional collaboration is crucial as Borneo is endowed with vast natural resources and extensive tropical rainforests, making it strategically positioned for carbon storage and the development of the green economy.
Abang Johari said Borneo also possesses significant offshore potential for carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) technology, further reinforcing its role as a regional hub for sustainable economic growth.
“Seven months ago, I was invited by Indonesia’s industry and business community to deliver a lecture in Jakarta. In my address, I shared my views on the new economic order driven by climate change.
“I proposed that we work together and collaborate, at least among the regions of Borneo — Sabah, Sarawak, Kalimantan and Brunei,” he said during the 17th Joint Dayak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI)–Kadazandusun Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Gawai Kaamatan Celebration at the UNIFOR Complex here on Sunday (Jun 28).
Highlighting Borneo’s strategic importance, he said that the island is the third largest in the world, covering about 748,168 square kilometres.
Citing the 2020 data, he said Borneo has a population of approximately 23 million people, while its forest cover spans about 427,503 square kilometres, accounting for nearly 60 per cent of the island’s total land area.
“More importantly, Borneo is home to one of the world’s oldest tropical rainforests. In other words, this region is ideally suited for carbon storage, while its offshore areas also hold immense potential for the implementation of CCUS,” he said.
Abang Johari added that collaboration between Indonesia’s chambers of commerce, particularly Kalimantan, together with DCCI and KCCI, would enable Borneo to emerge as a global leader in tackling climate change.
“It is important for us to have a common platform because Borneo is located at the heart of Asia. Sarawak is ready to share its resources, and I believe Sabah shares the same commitment.
“In fact, we are already sharing energy resources, with Sarawak supplying electricity to Sabah. We will also supply power to Brunei.
“Beyond Borneo, once the subsea cable project is completed, we will also export electricity to Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia,” he said.
On a related matter, Abang Johari said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had sought his views on the proposed ASEAN Grid initiative, noting that a clear common framework and platform to drive the ASEAN Grid agenda has yet to be established.
“I informed them that Sarawak is currently adopting a bilateral approach with our regional partners. We are sharing electricity with Sabah and Kalimantan.
“Kalimantan has now requested an additional 300 megawatts (MW) of electricity, and Sarawak has been supplying power to Kalimantan for the past five years.
“At the same time, once the Sabah–Sarawak transmission grid linking to Sipitang is fully completed, we will be able to connect it to Brunei Darussalam’s grid,” he said.
