KUCHING: Sarawak is continuing efforts to position itself as a key player in the ASEAN economy for the upcoming year.
said the state will leverage its natural resources and strategic initiatives to drive sustainable growth and human capital development.
“Becoming a leading economy in ASEAN is a tall order but not impossible to realise because we have the strength and the resources to be one,” he said in his 2025 Christmas message.
Highlighting Sarawak’s potential, the Premier said the state’s vast river systems and hydropower capacity could make it a leader in clean energy production, including pioneering green hydrogen and solar power for both local use and export.
He also said Sarawak has also been identified as a contributor to the proposed ASEAN Power Grid, aiming to serve as a “battery” for the region through renewable energy generation.
“In the realm of natural gas, Sarawak is endowed with vast gas resources which would be used as feedstock for the petrochemical industry, including the building of necessary infrastructure such as gas pipelines and terminals. With billions in potential investment, this is expected to further invigorate the Sarawak economy.
“Sarawak is also fortunate that both its onshore and offshore geological structures present significant potential for carbon storage to support the Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) initiative. This initiative is expected to create a new revenue stream for Sarawak’s economy,” he explained.
The Premier also highlighted the emerging semiconductor industry as a promising sector, with Sarawak taking steps to become a major player in chip design, research, and innovation.
Beyond economic development, Abang Johari said the state government is equally focused on nurturing human capital.
Starting in 2026, all Sarawakians enrolling in state-owned universities will benefit from free education under the Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES) with a total of 64 undergraduate programmes
The FTES costing RM250 million, will cover 10,000 students, open to all eligible students regardless of family income.
“With this initiative, we are not only investing in the future of individuals but also in Sarawak’s future by providing a highly educated, competitive workforce capable of driving a high-income economy.
“In line with this, the state government is also strengthening secondary education through the establishment of the Sarawak International Secondary School Foundation (YSISS), which will offer the Cambridge Curriculum and align local education standards with international benchmarks,” he added.
