SAMARAHAN: The Sarawak government has been working closely with Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) to make Sarawak a prosperous and high-income state by 2030.
Chief Minister and UNIMAS pro-chancellor Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said both parties must remain determined and consistent in their respective responsibilities in order to achieve this.
“In Sarawak, we are actively strengthening the digital economy network in urban and rural areas. We have been digitalising economy the since 2017.
“The emergence of Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0) which emphasises the construction of virtual reality technology without using much labour will definitely have a huge impact on human resource development globally. In Sarawak the IR 4.0 wave is already felt and needs to be addressed wisely.”
He said this while speaking at the 25th UNIMAS convocation ceremony at Dewan Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra here today.
Abang Johari pointed out that Sarawak could no longer rely on cost strategy and low technology that requires a lot of labour to spur economic growth.
“Looking at the needs and demands, the state government is now working to further develop high-speed Internet infrastructure to support Sarawak’s digital economy that must move fast to remain relevant with the current needs.
“Thus, the state government has allocated RM1bil to upgrade the Internet and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure in Sarawak. Besides the development of the Digital Village in Sama Jaya, Sarikei Innovation Centre, the establishment of the Development Bank of Sarawak (DBOS) and Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA) are expected to accelerate and strengthen the state’s digital economy policy.”
He noted that the roles and contributions of Unimas in digital economy were crucial, which was why the university had been entrusted by the state government to be the coordinator of Sarawak Centre of Excellence (CoE).
He said the CoE acted as the main driver in enabling research and technology development to be implemented holistically, including to support the digital economy sector.
“As a 30-year-old public university with a number of experts in various disciplines, Unimas has indeed moved in tandem with the state government in helping to transform our beloved land into a developed and high income state.”
On the efforts to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, Abang Johari said the state government, through collaborations with Unimas and several other government agencies, had set up the Sarawak Centre for Infectious Diseases (SIDC) last year.
“The establishment of SIDC, especially in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic, illustrates the state government’s high trust in Unimas researchers.
“The RM150mil centre will also focus on the production of drugs and new treatment methods that can be used to control the spread of infectious disease. The university is also given the responsibility to train and guide researchers at the centre.”
