KUCHING: A publication series highlighting the achievements of women in Sarawak has for the first time integrated Augmented Reality (AR) technology to provide readers with a more interactive reading experience.
The 14th edition of the state government’s ‘Sarawak Women’ series, Sarawak Women in Digital Economy, was launched here Tuesday.
Women, Childhood and Community Well-being Development Minister, Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, said readers can scan the QR codes embedded in the book with their smartphones to access introduction videos and virtual galleries for each featured personality.
She said the innovation allows readers to explore the journeys, professional challenges, and high-impact digital innovations of the 23 Sarawak women featured in the publication.
“Sarawak Women in Digital Economy is the 14th edition of the ‘Sarawak Women’ series that has been published consistently since 2010 through the Department of Women and Family Sarawak (JWKS) in conjunction with the annual Women’s Day celebration.
“The publication recognises the contributions and achievements of Sarawak women while serving as an important documentary resource for researchers, educational institutions, development agencies and future generations,” she said when launching the book at the Sarawak State Library Gallery today.
Fatimah said a total of 405 Sarawak women have been documented throughout the 14-book series, covering fields such as politics, volunteerism, arts, sports, health, safety and security, scholarly writing, business, innovation, technology and most recently, the digital economy.
She said this year’s edition features 23 women from diverse backgrounds, including academia, research, administration and business, as well as specialists in digital marketing, artificial intelligence (AI), systems development and corporate applications.
“The perseverance of these 23 personalities proves that the digital landscape is no longer unfamiliar territory for Sarawak women.
“They are no longer merely adapting to digital transformation but are now leading institutions and actively shaping Sarawak’s technology-driven future,” she said.
Fatimah said the publication supports the aspirations of the Post COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030), under which digital transformation and technological innovation have become key drivers of Sarawak’s development.
“We want to ensure Sarawak women are not merely users of technology but rise as industry players and digital leaders who fully support the vision of Sarawak Maju 2030,” she said.
In addition to the printed edition, the publication is available as an e-book, enabling wider access regardless of location and allowing more readers to benefit from its interactive content.
Fatimah also announced that her ministry will launch another publication, ‘Mawar Astana Mekar Dijiwa’, on August 17. The book is authored by Datuk Dr Jeniri Amir and Rohana Wahed.
She also announced that this year’s state-level Women’s Day celebration, themed ‘Sarawak Women in Digital Economy’, will be held on August 2 at Pullman Kuching.
The celebration is expected to attract about 800 guests, while audiences in all 45 districts throughout Sarawak will be able to follow the event via livestream.
It will feature exhibitions by the ministry and its strategic partners, a forum on women in the digital economy, as well as the presentation of seven Sarawak Women’s Awards, including the Dato Patinggi Laila Taib Award, Premier of Sarawak Women’s Leadership Award, Premier of Sarawak Women Entrepreneur Award, Premier of Sarawak Social Activist Award, Premier of Sarawak Outstanding NGO Award, Premier of Sarawak Young Leader Award, and a Special Premier of Sarawak Award for Digital Economy.
