KUCHING: The Sarawak Government is looking at sending experts from the state overseas to learn about the latest technology in treating cancers.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said they will be sent to South Korean company, Samsung Biologics where the company is doing research to produce medicine to fight cancer.
“Samsung Biologics is doing research to produce medicine that specifically targets the cancer cell and without destroying other cells.
“If this happens and with our Sarawak Cancer Centre coming up, the centre may also use this technique to treat cancer.
“So, I will send our doctors from the Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre (SIDC) led by Dr Alan Fong and Prof Datuk Dr Andrew Kiyu to Samsung Biologic to study the latest devices or machines to produce this medicine,” he said.
He said this during the Kota Samarahan Municipal Council (MPKS) 6th-anniversary celebration at Hilton Hotel here last night (Nov 11).
Abang Johari added that the compound to produce the medicine may also be found in the state’s forest resources.
In a similar development, the Premier said in addition to the Sarawak Cancer Centre being located at Kota Samarahan, there is also the SIDC, Sarawak Heart Centre, and Sarawak Tropical Peat Research Institute.
“With all these, it will bring in a lot of scientists as well as experts coming over to Kota Samarahan. In other words, the whole area will become a health cluster and a busy area,” he said.
Hence, the Premier said there is a need to build more residential areas to cater to this group of people including having proper planning by building roads that will lessen the ongoing traffic congestion in the Kota Samarahan area.
“That is why we planned roads to be built in the area that will help to disburse the heavy traffic along the main road (in Kota Samarahan). This includes building a road that connects Tanjung Bako to the new Sejingkat Bridge and straight to Petra Jaya,” he said.
He added there will also be a new port development in Tanjung Bako and will be connected to the coastal area.
“We carry this out as part of our long-term plan that we have between Kuching, Greater Kuching, and Samarahan. These three regions will be integrated in terms of our overall development,” he said.
“As you know, Kuching is the capital city and the spillover to Samarahan will be there. And with the development plan under the state along with our expected increase in income through a revenue reengineering approach, we will also develop the area that will link Sebuyau straight to Lingga.
“This means that the area will become the agricultural hub and as such, once you open up the road and the land, then the land can be used for agricultural development,” he said.
Abang Johari said with all the planning in place, an overflow of development will take place in Kota Samarahan within the next seven years until 2030.
“I also believe Samarahan will be a metropolis that is modern and will be an area that Sarawakian can be proud of,” he said.
