UNITED KINGDOM: Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg has arrived in Manchester at 1.15am this morning (local time), marking the start of a high-level working visit to Manchester and Bristol in the United Kingdom, as well as Dublin, Ireland, from May 2 to 5.
Accompanying him were State Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki, Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department (Legal, MA63 and State-Federal Relations) Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali, and State Financial Secretary Datuk Seri Wan Lizozman Wan Omar.
The visit is viewed as a strategic mission to position Sarawak within the global value chain, particularly in data centre infrastructure, artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductor technologies, and world-class talent development.
In Dublin, the Sarawak Premier is scheduled to visit the K2 Strategic Data Centre Campus, including the DUB4 and DUB5 facilities, key pillars in large-scale data centre operations in Europe.
In Manchester, he will participate in the ‘Sarawak Agenda – Townhall with Premier Sarawak’ programme to engage with the Sarawak diaspora, and attend the ‘Lan Berambeh Anak Sarawak’ Dinner, symbolising unity among the overseas Sarawak community.
He is also set to hold an engagement session with representatives of the Greater Manchester authorities at the British Muslim Heritage Centre, involving roundtable discussions, strategic networking sessions, and the signing of a Letter of Collaboration (LoC) and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
In Bristol, Abang Johari will attend an engagement session with SMD Semiconductor in collaboration with the University of Bristol and deliver a keynote address.
He will also witness the exchange of MoU documents between SMD Semiconductor and the Bristol Research Group, as well as a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between SMD Semiconductor and Yayasan Sarawak.
The programme continues with visits to the National Composites Centre (NCC) and the Isambard-AI supercomputing facility, highlighting world-class research and innovation capabilities in high-performance computing.
The NCC is a leading UK research and development centre specialising in composites, digital engineering, and sustainability, bringing together top expertise and advanced technologies to address complex global engineering challenges.
Welcoming Abang Johari upon arrival were Chief Political Secretary to the Premier Datuk Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman, Yayasan Sarawak director Datuk Mohamad Junaidi Mohidin, as well as Sarawakian students and Sarawak Volunteers.
