SIBU: Sarawak must create a new economic platform based on technology, innovation and high-value industries to address brain drain and provide opportunities for its increasingly well-educated younger generation.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the failure to create sufficient high-value opportunities was among the reasons youths who pursued higher education overseas often chose not to return home.
“I have read Dr Annuar’s views on why youth who study overseas often do not return home. Why is that? The main reason is that our economy is still at a relatively lower level of development,” he said.
Abang Johari was officiating at the opening of the 18th Triennial Assembly of the Sarawak United National Youth Organisation (SABERKAS) here today.
Recently Deputy Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee said based on a survey of 1,000 students, about 60 to 70 per cent of them indicated that they did not intend to return to Sibu after completing their studies.
The reasons cited included lack of suitable job opportunities, avenues for talent development, affordable housing and lifestyle options.
Abang Johari said Sarawak’s youth were pursuing increasingly higher levels of education, but the state’s economy had not developed at the same pace.
“In reality, our youth are pursuing higher levels of education, yet our economy has not developed at the same pace. Therefore, we need to create a new economic platform,” he said.
Abang Johari said the younger generation would play a crucial role in strengthening Sarawak’s economy, particularly by becoming entrepreneurs and creating new employment opportunities.
“We must not forget that the younger generation holds the key to strengthening our economy. By creating new jobs through your own ventures and businesses, you can drive economic growth and contribute to the development of Sarawak,” he said.
He said Sarawak’s economic transformation was already moving towards high-technology industries, citing the state’s ambition to develop its own satellites by 2030.
“Looking ahead to our 2030 targets, we aim to develop our own satellites. Some may question why we are pursuing such an ambitious goal, but we recognise that data and information are increasingly important in today’s world,” he said.
Abang Johari said the COVID-19 pandemic had demonstrated the importance of satellite technology, particularly in ensuring access to data and information.
He noted that satellites were sophisticated and costly assets that required advanced technologies, including the latest semiconductor chips.
“This demonstrates how Sarawak’s economy is evolving through the development of expertise and technology, moving beyond traditional agriculture towards industries that depend on advanced technologies such as semiconductors,” he said.
According to Abang Johari, the shift towards such industries was necessary if Sarawak was to strengthen its competitiveness with other nations and provide meaningful opportunities for its younger generation.
“As our economy undergoes this generational transformation, we must strengthen our competitiveness with other nations. This is a critical endeavour,” he said.
He also called on young Sarawakians to move beyond being consumers of technology and instead become creators and innovators.
“We need to encourage young people to become creators and innovators of products and technologies, rather than merely consumers,” he said.
Meanwhile, Abang Johari also clarified the age composition within the Sarawak United National Youth Organisation (SABERKAS), stressing that the presence of older members (30 per cent) did not diminish the organisation’s role as a youth-oriented movement.
