KUALA LUMPUR: One of the most anticipated highlights of ‘Lan Berambeh Anak Sarawak’ (LBAS) 2025 is the Sarawak Agenda Town Hall with the Premier of Sarawak, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, offering Sarawakian students and young professionals in Peninsular Malaysia a direct channel to engage with state leadership.
The annual Town Hall, a hallmark of ‘Lan Berambeh’ since its inception in 2008, serves as a platform for open dialogue and policy feedback between the state government and Sarawakians studying or working outside their home state.
According to the Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Amar Fadillah Yusof, the Town Hall has become a policy incubator, where ideas from the ground often translate into tangible state initiatives.
“It is through these dialogues that the Premier listens directly to the challenges faced by our students and professionals in Peninsular Malaysia.
“Many state policies, especially those that support students, were born from these sessions,” Fadillah said.
Among the most notable outcomes was ‘Inisiatif Graduan Pulang Sarawak’ (IGPS), which provides RM600 in travel assistance for Sarawakian students studying in Peninsular Malaysia.
Another programme introduced from Town Hall feedback is the RM1,200 pocket money allowance for students who cannot stay in hostels and must rent accommodation privately.
“These measures may sound simple, but they ease the financial burden on students who are far from home,” he added.
Each year, the Town Hall gathers hundreds of students to voice their aspirations, concerns, and ideas, from education and employment to digital innovation and sustainability.
The open format encourages constructive dialogue, helping the Premier and ministers gauge the real pulse of Sarawak’s youth, and will be moderated by Datuk Seri Doris Brodie, Member of Parliament for Sri Aman.
Additionally, Fadillah believes the 2025 session will spotlight youth participation, digital readiness, and pathways for graduates to contribute to Sarawak’s economy upon returning home.
“We want our students to be more than just observers, and we want them to be thinkers and contributors to Sarawak’s progress,” Fadillah said.
Over the years, the Town Hall has strengthened trust between Sarawak’s young generation and the state government.
By listening directly to students’ lived experiences, the state leadership gains valuable insight into issues such as housing, employment, financial aid, and connectivity, concerns that are often amplified when studying far from home.
Fadillah added that the Town Hall embodies Sarawak’s PCDS 2030 vision by empowering youth to shape inclusive, talent-driven, and equitable growth policies that will drive the state’s future.
“Sarawak’s future depends not only on policy but on the people who will carry it forward. The Town Hall is our way of ensuring that the next generation has a voice in shaping that future,” Fadillah said.
As ‘Lan Berambeh Anak Sarawak 2025’ unfolds at MITEC, the Town Hall once again stands as a living example of participatory governance, where young Sarawakians are not just beneficiaries of policy but active partners in building their state’s destiny.
The dialogue reaffirms a collective belief that the progress of Sarawak begins with the empowerment of its people, wherever they may be.
