KUCHING: Construction works on the Sarawak Science Centre have officially begun with a ground-breaking piling ceremony at Jalan Stadium, Petra Jaya here today.
The project, costing RM239 million, was officiated by Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development (MEITD) Datuk Roland Sagah Wee Inn.
“Today marks the beginning of this remarkable journey. As of today’s first piling, we are on track and acting within budget.
“For this site, we need to drive more than 600 piles with a depth of up to 24m into the ground. Upon completion of piling works, we will be ready to start the main building construction works,” he said during the first piling ceremony.
On a related note, he said the Sarawak Science Centre will work closely with MEITD and educational institutions to offer non-formal learning opportunities to promote science literacy among Sarawakians.
“We want our people to cultivate interest in science so that we can produce a workforce for new projects within the STEM fields,” he said.
Additionally, he revealed that the ministry has plans to collaborate with science centres around the world to organise travelling exhibitions.
“To facilitate this, we have met with the London Science Museum and our consultant, Singapore Science Centre, to seek their guidance in achieving this vision,” he said.
As the first science centre in Borneo, Sagah also expressed hopes for the Sarawak Science Centre to become a tourist attraction.
The centre was first announced in 2020 with the objective of promoting and inspiring Sarawakians and Malaysians to develop a keen interest in science and technology.
Strategically located within 10km of the city centre of Kuching, the centre will be easily accessible to schools and universities.
The proposed centre will be 10-storey high, featuring four floors dedicated to exhibits focused on themes such as the earth, biodiversity, environment, genomics, life sciences, physical sciences and engineering and ICT, all aimed at stimulating interest in sciences and technologies.
The centre will include hostel accommodation, providing researchers with opportunities to conduct their research on-site.
It will be complemented by the Sarawak Bio-Industrial Park and Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre, which are among the initiatives that are under the 10th thrust for the State Budget 2023 and Post-Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030.
Also present at the first piling ceremony were MEITD deputy ministers Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee and Datuk Francis Harden Hollis, MEITD permanent secretary Azmi Bujang, SRDC general manager Dr Peter Morin Nissom, Borneo Development Corporation Sdn Bhd (BDC) chairman Datuk Peter Nansian Ngusie, BDC CEO Nor-E-Fadzwie Salleh, and education advisor to the Sarawak Premier’s Office Datuk Amar Michael Manyin Jawong.
