SEBUYAU: Sarawak is intensifying efforts to unlock the economic potential of its rural areas as it seeks to raise household incomes and strengthen its position among Malaysia’s highest-income states.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said Sarawak had maintained its high-income status, based on the World Bank’s income classification, and was now focused on raising household incomes in rural areas.
He said expanding infrastructure, improving market access and creating new economic opportunities remained key to increasing household incomes across the state.
“Our focus as the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government is to open up rural areas because our struggle is to increase household incomes.
“Sarawak has remained a high-income state for the past four years. We are behind Johor, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, but I believe we have the potential to catch up,” he said when officiating at the opening ceremony of the Batang Lupar 1 Bridge here today (July 9).
Abang Johari said Sarawak’s gross domestic product (GDP) per capita had already exceeded RM70,000, placing it above the national average.
He said the state also aimed to strengthen its export-oriented economy by capitalising on the ASEAN market, which offered far greater opportunities than Sarawak’s population of about 2.8 million.
“We are an export-oriented economy because our population is only 2.8 million, while ASEAN has around 700 million people. That is the market where we can expand our businesses,” he said.
Abang Johari said Sarawak had established representative offices in Brunei Darussalam and Singapore to strengthen economic ties and facilitate access to overseas markets.
He said the strategy was already producing results, citing weekly exports of tilapia from Batang Ai to Singapore.
“Even our tilapia is selling well. Every week, tilapia from Batang Ai is exported to Singapore because they say it tastes good.
“That means higher incomes for our fish farmers,” he said.
Abang Johari added that local fisheries products, including terubok from Sematan, Batang Lupar, Daro and Batang Lassa, stood to benefit from improved transport infrastructure.
He said better road networks and bridges would provide producers with easier access to markets, creating greater economic opportunities for rural communities.
“Prices have increased because there is better access to markets, with willing buyers and willing sellers. That translates into higher incomes for rural communities,” he said.
