KUCHING: Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have been urged to strengthen technical capabilities, digital readiness and artificial intelligence (AI) adoption to boost productivity and competitiveness.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said local vendors must be equipped with the expertise and capacity needed to support the state’s long-term development agenda under the Post-COVID 19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030.
“Under PCDS 2030, I have made it a priority for Sarawak to invest: one, skill development and vocational training; two, entrepreneurship that support SMEs; three, infrastructure to enable digital and energy connectivity; four, business transformation support, especially for local and rural enterprises; and five, quality of our workforce.
“These are the five that are given priority in our transformation programme. Therefore our vendors, especially our SMEs, must be equipped with the capabilities and technical expertise and capacity,” he said.
He said this in his speech at the Sarawak Energy Vendor Excellence Awards (SEVEA) 2026 at Hikmah Exchange Event Centre here on Wednesday (Jul 8).
Abang Johari said Sarawak’s transformation extended beyond economic growth and was about building confidence, strengthening capabilities and enabling Sarawakians to shape their own future.
“The transformation we seek is therefore not merely economic. It is also about building confidence, strengthening capabilities and creating a future that is owned and shaped by Sarawakians ourselves.
“We can’t rely on other people. We must have our own pillar, with our strong confidence for us to move forward and even explore the unknown,” he said.
He said Sarawak had been recognised by the World Bank as a high-income economy for the fourth consecutive year, with a per capita GDP exceeding RM70,000 since 2022, achieving the state’s 2030 target much earlier than planned.
“We actually, our target was 2030, but we have achieved success every year, with the good performance of our economy and this is contributed by the willingness and confidence of Sarawakians that you can achieve success in transforming Sarawak,” he said.
Abang Johari also revealed that during a meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim earlier in the day, the latter acknowledged Sarawak’s leadership in renewable energy and its growing role in supporting regional energy security.
“I was with the Prime Minister on the question of energy as well as climate change, and the Prime Minister has mentioned about the role of Sarawak in supplying renewable energy, not only to Malaysia but also to ASEAN member states. And he has recognised us because we are forward-looking,” he said.
On regional connectivity, he reiterated Sarawak’s commitment to participating in the Borneo Grid as part of the wider ASEAN Grid initiative, saying the expansion of Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) would also create opportunities for local vendors to expand beyond the state.
“If we expand SEB operation, within the region, the vendors have the opportunity to follow SEB. The vendors will become regional players to provide services to SEB and SEB’s partners in ASEAN because of the fact that you know the tools and you know how to manage services required by SEB and its regional partners,” he said.
