SARAWAK is on the rise, pursuing excellence in every direction. It's as if the state is making up for lost time, leaving no stone unturned in its quest to boost economic prosperity and the people's wellbeing, and also raise the spirit of self-determination.
Sarawak's forward-looking approach aligns with global megatrends, signalling a shift away from mediocrity and divisive ethnic or religious conflicts.
The state's five major ethnic communities— Malay, Iban, Melanau, Bidayuh and the Chinese, — along with 40 sub-ethnic groups, have long celebrated unity, grounded in historand culture. Today, Sarawak stands as a beacon of harmony and progress.
Since taking office in 2017 as premier, Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg has championed excellence, integrity and revenue reengineering.
This also led the state government to recently becoming the first in Malaysia to receive the Special Integrity Award for fostering a culture of trust and transparency.
The high-income state — it had a gross national income per capita of US$13,205 in 2022 — is aiming even higher.
By 2030, it intends to double its economy to RM282 billion and achieve annual growth of six to eight per cent.
This will be powered by vast resources on 125,000 sq km of land and offshore assets.
Sarawak's Post Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030 taps into global megatrends, such as supply chain resilience, digitalisation, Industry 4.0 and a green economy.
Sarawak is focused on building skilled human capital to unlock the potential of its resources.
Key to this is ensuring collaboration between the public and private sectors, with a clear understanding of what it takes to succeed.
Sarawak is seizing every opportunity to rethink old approaches and invest in its people.
One such initiative is the Centre For Technology Excellence Sarawak (Centexs), a cutting-edge technical training centre, which aims to set the gold standard for vocational education by 2030.
Initially focusing on upskilling youths in Sarawak for oil and gas, construction, manufacturing, and mechatronics, Centexs will soon expand its reach to youths across Malaysia.
Its collaborations with global tech giants are expected to boost the push towards Industry 4.0.
At the same time, Centexs is preserving Sarawak's cultural heritage, training young women in traditional crafts like songket- weaving and gold-thread embroidery.
It will also launch initiatives to market high-quality handbags and shoes in European capitals.
Soon, aerospace will be on the agenda as well.
For those entrusted with managing the shared prosperity of Sarawak, they want to cascade the wealth to the rakyat in urban areas, in rural longhouses and elsewhere. Sarawak's vision includes a dramatic shift toward renewable energy, digital innovation, and human capital development, all vital to creating a green economy that moves away from the environmental degradation that once defined its past.
Among the groundbreaking plans are hybrid rice-planting to transform Sarawak into Malay-sia's leading rice producer; becoming a green energy powerhouse and exporting sustainable power regionally; producing green hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuel; reducing carbon emissions in air travel; and building carbon capture, utilisation,and storage systems to mitigate the effect of industrial carbon dioxide emissions.
To ensure that the nuts and bolts of the state's plans are understood by the people, the media must spread the information.
It must also provide on-the-ground observations if certain plans have gone the desired way. Politicians and bureaucrats should take this feedback in their stride.
Sarawak's future is ambitious and thrilling, and it is on course to becomeing a global model of sustainable growth and inclusivity.
As its economic architect, Abang Johari has often displayed a pragmatic and intellectual rigour.
Former United States first lady and diplomat Eleanor Roosevelt once said: "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."
Abang Johari is that person, along with his officials, to ensure that more Sarawakians benefit from his vision and leadership.
The writer is a former Bernama chief executive officer and editor-in-chief