KUCHING: Knowledge and intelligence plays an important role in today’s modern economy, says Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
He noted that traditional economic principles, which once centred on land, labour, and capital, have evolved significantly.
“In the past, when we studied the economy, we were taught that there must be land, labour, and capital.
“But today, not everyone has land. The world today is different. Instead, success now also depends on intelligence,” he said.
He said this during the Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) Integrity Day and breaking of fast event at a hotel here last night (Mar 14).
Abang Johari, who is also the Finance and New Economy Minister, cited successful figures such as Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and DeepSeek’s founder who thrived through intelligence and innovation.
“Also, Jack Ma, he was an English teacher, faced academic and job rejections, but he persevered. This is because he had integrity and now, he is a successful entrepreneur,” he said.
Thus, he said success must also be paired with a strong sense of integrity.
Earlier, SEDC chairman Tan Sri Datuk Amar Abdul Aziz Husain said integrity is a fundamental principle the Corporation values highly and serves as a guiding force in all its endeavours.
“Therefore, SEDC plans to implement the Corporate Integrity System Malaysia (CISM) across all 21 active subsidiary companies.
“This initiative is essential to establish proper procedures and processes that mitigate the risks of corruption and abuse of power within these subsidiaries,” he said.
He added the Integrity and Risk Management Department (IRM) has already laid the groundwork and preparatory measures to ensure the subsidiaries are well-prepared for CISM certification.
During the event, Abang Johari also witnessed the presentation of a RM150,000 mock cheque for zakat contributions from SEDC to Tabung Baitulmal Sarawak (TBS).
