KUCHING: Sarawak is committed to equipping its youth with the skills, adaptability and creativity needed to succeed in an economy increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence (AI).
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, said the state’s goal is to ensure Sarawakians become active contributors to the future economy rather than merely consumers of technology.
“Our objective is to ensure that Sarawakians are not merely consumers of technology, but active contributors to the future economy. We want our young people to possess the skills, adaptability and creativity required to thrive in industries driven by knowledge, innovation and technology,” he said.
He said this when officiating at the official launch of Western Digital (WD) Sarawak themed ‘New Horizons for WD Sarawak: Advancing AI Innovations & Powering Growth’ here today.
Abang Johari said AI was already transforming industries worldwide by improving productivity, accelerating innovation and creating new opportunities for growth, making talent development a key priority for Sarawak.
“As we embrace this transformation, our priorities remain clear: creating quality opportunities for our youth, preparing our workforce for emerging industries and ensuring that Sarawak remains competitive in an increasingly dynamic global economy,” he said.
He said the Sarawak Government continues to invest in education, digital infrastructure, innovation, research and talent development to prepare the workforce for future industries.
Highlighting WD’s three-decade presence in the state, Abang Johari said the company’s growth mirrored Sarawak’s own economic transformation since the mid-1990s.
Recalling the opening of the first facility on the site in 1995, he said Sarawak was then focused on industrialisation, attracting investments, and creating employment opportunities.
“Few would have imagined then that three decades later, this site would evolve into a globally significant operation supporting some of the world’s most advanced technologies and serving markets across the globe,” he said.
He described WD’s continued investment in Sarawak as a reflection of the strong partnership built over more than 30 years and a vote of confidence in the capabilities of the state’s workforce.
Abang Johari also welcomed WD’s ‘Workforce of the Future’ initiative, saying investments in talent and skills development would help equip Sarawakians for emerging industries and future job opportunities.
“After all, the true measure of development is not the number of buildings we construct or facilities we establish. It is the opportunities we create for people to improve their lives and realise their potential,” he said.
On sustainability, he said economic development and environmental stewardship must go hand in hand to ensure long-term competitiveness and resilience, noting that the Sarawak Sustainability Blueprint 2030 integrates environmental, economic and social priorities into a single development framework.
WD, which has been operating in Sarawak for more than 30 years, hosted the event under the theme ‘New Horizons for WD Sarawak’, highlighting its enhanced substrate manufacturing capabilities, the groundbreaking of a new glass substrate facility that will enable the future of Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) technology, as well as a renewable energy agreement with Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB).
The company said these investments would strengthen its ability to deliver next-generation storage technologies needed to support the rapid growth of AI-driven data while further reinforcing Sarawak’s position as a global hub for advanced manufacturing.
