SITTING in the media room throughout this week’s State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting, I felt the familiar rhythm of debates, replies, and political exchanges.
Yet something was different. The air felt heavier, more deliberate.
Perhaps it was the weight of the 2026 Sarawak Budget.
Perhaps it was the quiet sense that Sarawak is bracing itself for a very different decade.
Whatever it was, this sitting carried a tone of continuity and recalibration.
It revealed where Sarawak believes its future lies.
When the Premier rose to table the 2026 Budget, the Chamber immediately shifted. Conversations stopped.
Phones went silent, and everyone listened.
The figures were significant – RM12.91 billion in total expenditure with a projected RM144 million surplus – but numbers were not the heart of his message.
His tone was.
This was not a one-year plan; it was a roadmap.
“We must prepare Sarawak not only for today’s needs but for the global realities we will face in twenty, thirty years,” he said.
That line echoed long after he finished.
It resurfaced in debates, in the corridors, and in quiet conversations among members trying to make sense of what “future-proofing” means for a state as geographically vast and culturally diverse as ours.
The budget makes one thing clear: the administration is determined to maintain its development-driven momentum.
More than half – namely RM7.3 billion – is dedicated to the development of roads, schools, utilities, and rural infrastructure.
These are not just projects; they are lifelines.
Agriculture, often treated as a traditional sector, took on new emphasis.
A total of RM73 million has been set aside for modernisation.
The push is clear: high-technology farming, cluster-based systems, and a new wave of agropreneurs.
The Premier stressed that agriculture must become a real business, not a fallback plan, and it is a bold shift.
If training, market access, and supply-chain support keep pace, this could reshape Sarawak’s economic backbone.
Equally notable was the focus on the carbon and green economy agenda.
The carbon levy framework, hydrogen development, and emerging carbon capture and storage initiatives show a state positioning itself for the global energy transition.
These are not mere buzzwords.
They signal intent – a strategic attempt to carve out a sustainability-led identity.
Becoming a regional leader in this space will require regulatory clarity and international partnerships.
But the groundwork is there, and it is firm.
Tourism and cultural revitalisation also coloured this week’s discussions.
The plan to transform the old DUN building into a performing arts centre sends a strong message: Sarawak is investing in its stories, not just its structures.
The redevelopment of the Kuching City South swimming pool into a water-fun park follows the same logic.
The state is thinking beyond natural attractions by shaping experiences.
This marks a shift.
Tourism today is driven by emotion – by what visitors feel, not only what they see. Sarawak seems ready to embrace that narrative.
Another development, quieter but potentially transformative, was the tabling of the State Ownership Policy.
It will reorganise state-owned enterprises into strategic, developmental, and commercial categories.
This is not administrative housekeeping.
It is a structural reset, one designed to strengthen governance, sharpen accountability, and prepare Sarawak’s economic machinery for greater responsibilities.
As with any major budget, questions naturally surfaced.
Yet the tone of the conversations around this one was strikingly optimistic.
Many welcomed the calls for transparent implementation and stronger monitoring.
Not as criticism, but as a chance to build trust and reinforce public confidence.
There is real money on the table – especially for agricultural modernisation and rural infrastructure.
The challenge now is execution in timeliness, maintenance, and fair distribution.
If these pieces align, as the state intends, the 2026 Budget could shift from policy to real impact.
It could become a budget that genuinely changes lives.
As the week wound down, I found myself thinking about how Sarawak has changed – and how it has not.
The state remains committed to its development narrative, and that has not wavered.
But there is now a conscious push to weave in new economic pillars: sustainability, creativity, technology.
This budget is part of that evolution; it feels familiar yet more deliberate and more future-facing.
The intentions are clear, the priorities are firm, and the ambition is unmistakable.
But the true test lies outside the Chamber.
It lies in longhouses waiting for stronger connectivity, in farmers learning new skills, in industries preparing to operate in a greener world, and in communities hoping these numbers translate into real progress.
If Sarawak maintains its momentum, this DUN sitting may be remembered as a turning point – the moment the state chose not only to grow, but to prepare, to look ahead with clarity, and to step into the future on its own terms.
“Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.”
– Joel A. Barker, an American futurist, author, and speaker, best known for his work on paradigm shifts and strategic foresight. He gained prominence in the 1980s and 1990s for explaining how leaders and organizations can anticipate change and innovate by recognizing ‘paradigm shifts’ – fundamental changes in how people think or how industries operate.
The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune. The writer can be reached at sarahhafizahchandra@gmail.com.
