KUCHING: The Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) plays a vital role in supporting the state’s efforts to produce more local engineers to meet future development needs.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the development of human capital, particularly in the engineering field, must be continuously strengthened in line with Sarawak’s aspiration to emerge as a developed and strategic region in ASEAN.
According to him, global climate change and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns demand a greater role from engineers to identify root causes and formulate meaningful solutions based on science and technology.
“This uncertainty requires engineers to seek out both the causes and the solutions. This is where the role of IEM, as a professional body that brings together engineering expertise, becomes very important,” he was quoted in a TVS report during the IEM Sarawak Branch Annual Dinner 2025 held here, last night (Dec 19).
Abang Johari added that the state government has also adopted a long-term approach by providing free tertiary education to Sarawakian students at state-owned universities as a strategic step to increase the number of professionals, including engineers.
He said that the initiative aims to produce a skilled workforce capable of supporting Sarawak’s economic and infrastructure development.
At the same time, he expressed hope that the number of local engineers would continue to grow in tandem with IEM’s role as a professional platform that guides and unites the engineering community.
“When we produce more engineers, IEM will also grow and become a stronger platform in guiding and empowering the engineering profession.
“I believe that with IEM’s cooperation and our collective commitment today, Sarawak is capable of producing quality engineers and subsequently developing the state into a developed region in Asia,” he said.
Abang Johari also witnessed the exchange of three Letters of Intent (LOIs) between IEM Sarawak and the Advanced Semiconductor Academy of Malaysia (ASEM), SOLARVEST and Saint-Gobain Malaysia, as well as the exchange of a Memorandum of Understanding between IEM Sarawak and the Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia (CIDB).
