By Natasha Jee and Alexandra Lorna
KUCHING: The Sarawak government is committed to bring development to the state.
At the opening of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) 15th Triennial General Meeting (TGM) on Saturday, Premier Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, who is also president of PBB outlined the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government’s plans for the future of Sarawak.
Here is an abridge version of Abang Johari’s speech:
We are grateful that we are able to gather here for this convention and recall what has taken place in the last five years, and also to identify the direction in which Sarawak will head.
In a situation where we are facing different challenges, the first challenge that we faced was the COVID-19 pandemic. We underwent lockdown and were afraid to go out because of the fear of getting infected. Not only human lives were affected then, but also the economic sector.
Thank God, the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government was able to face the challenges well. At that time, Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas and I went to meet the former Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to request the federal government to supply the COVID-19 vaccines to Sarawak, and Sarawak was ready to spend RM200 million to acquire the said vaccine. Why? This is because we care for the health of people.
Thankfully, the federal government agreed to our request, but another challenge that we faced was how to get the vaccine to the rural areas. So, the state government used cars, helicopters and even boats to bring the vaccine to the rural community. All of this were borne by the GPS government.
In addition, those coming back to the state and needed to undergo quarantine at the hotels, the quarantine fees and food were also paid for by the GPS government. We use our money for our people, because we want our people to be protected.
Alhamdulillah, we are now in the endemic phase, and this is because of our approach that we have in overcoming those challenges.
The second challenge that we encountered was the political instability at the federal level. Never in history, the federal government has seen a change of three prime ministers within three years. Plus, there was no clear policy and the way of administration was affected.
Gratefully, we (four local-based parties) left (Barisan Nasional or BN) early in 2018 or else we would have been affected as well.
When we left BN, PBB together with our partners in GPS, were able to fight for Sarawak rights under MA63, and also look at how we can get back our eroded rights.
Our next challenge is to look for fund. PH had cancelled the bridges projects. But we went ahead with it. We continued the development of the bridges. This is because we found a way on how to generate income for our state.
That is through the implementation of the State Sales Tax (SST) on our oil and gas resources. In just three years, Sarawak managed to raise RM8.54 billion. Even now the world oil price has gone up, between USD115 to USD120 per barrel. My estimate was around USD75 for the Sarawak budget, but now it is USD120. So, Insya Allah, what the people ask for, we can fulfill.
But for me, it is still not enough, Sarawak must be financially strong. We have thought very hard on how to generate more income for the state.
Therefore, the Sarawak government passed the Land Code (Amendment) Bill 2022 because the existing law is not detail on the right to our air, it does not mention that power. So I asked the State Attorney General to study the matter three years ago. I said, if the air above the ground is the right of Sarawak, then the ground below is also our right.
International countries also manage their airspace such as aviation using legislation like this. Under international law, if you sign it, you are allowed to use the airspace. So now our airspace is the right of Sarawak. Now everyone uses the airspace including for communication purposes via the internet such as WhatsApp, Instagram, drones and so on that no longer use cables. All this is based on signals. Meaning the signal travels in space and it also emits carbon.
So at the same time we have to manage our state’s air using our own laws, anyone who wants to enter or use our air, they must greet GPS first.
This includes spectrum under the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) Act 1988. Under this law, before you can distribute spectrum, you need to seek permission from the party who owns it first. Meaning, you must ask permission from Sarawak first before you can use it. This, I know based on digital terms, it will provide a relatively sustainable income.
Today, I want to share with you about carbon credit, it will heat the air and is a challenge for the survival of humans as well as the planet. When the air is hot it will carry heat. Then we inhale carbon dioxide which adversely affects human health. Therefore, the world must reduce carbon emissions, which is why Sarawak is playing a role by amending the relevant state laws.
I went to Rotterdam, the Netherlands and met the chairman of Shell as well as an expert in this matter. They said in the world, there are only four places that can be used as carbon storage including Sarawak because of its stable geographical position, immobile land and being outside the pacific fire ring. In the world there are only four, one of the four is our land, Borneo.
Therefore, we must amend the law to allow the state to have a carbon extraction and storage facility (CCUS).
We in PBB have made strides. PBB is no longer a village party, today, we have taken a step forward in line with what is happening in the world. That is why I was invited by the Netherlands to give a speech, not to boast, I am very humble, but the world recognises the potential that exists in Sarawak and Malaysia.
So this is the situation today, many parties come to invest in Sarawak. A few days ago, Germany, Belgium and Korea came here to ask about Sarawak Energy. Even South Korea wants to capture carbon and store carbon here. I say yes and we will conduct a study as this is an additional income for Sarawak which can be more than SST.
Therefore, when we see the potential of Sarawak is so good, I recommend the establishment of a Sovereign Wealth Fund based on surplus income.
The sovereign fund is based on our surplus. Following Norway, they set up their sovereign fund in 1973 and there is more than USD1.3 trillion in the fund. If Norway can do it, I believe Sarawak can also do it. Consequently, we will develop the whole of Sarawak regardless of where our people are.
Another thing I want to share with you is Language. We in Sarawak have accepted Bahasa Malaysia as the official language. And we still retain English language as another language that can be used for us to communicate.
In this book (Federal Constitution), it stated that under Article161 and (3), “Without prejudice to Clause 1, no such Act of Parliament as is there mention shall come into operation as regard the use of the English language for proceeding in the High Court in Sabah and Sarawak or for such proceeding in the Federal Court or the Court of Appeal as are mentioned in Clause 4 (4) until the Act or the relevant provision or it has been approved by enactment of the legislation of the State of Sabah and Sarawak. And no such Act shall come into operation as regard the use of the English language in the state of Sabah or Sarawak in any other case mentioned in paragraph B or C of Clause 2 until the Act or the relevant provision of it has been approved by an enactment of the legislature of that state.
This means that we still can use English. And now we want to enter into the digital economy as well as hydrogen economy. In these economies, all of the terms are in English.
Therefore, we have to be practical. It does not mean that I am not aligned with the federal policy. There are some people who said that Abang Johari don’t follow national policy. It is not, I follow, but I also have the right under this book (Federal Constitution).
When we went overseas, as Sarawakian, English is familiar to us. Imagine if I use Malay language in Rotterdam. We have to be practical. It does not mean that we are against the national policy. I have to clear this matter. That is why in PBB convention we also use English because our PBB members are also multilingual.
I want to update you on what we fought for in PBB. We have PCDS (Post COVID-19 Development Strategy).
Agriculture must be modern and use Internet of Things (IOT). People usually refuse to join agriculture sector, because it gives weird photo, using hats with a hoe and hard face, that is why some people do not want to join the agriculture sector.
Now, agriculture people use drone, they use drone to apply fertiliser. In Singapore they are doing vertical farming.
We have lots of land, but still we are importing foods.
Now the paddy farming has three seasons but before that we must have the seeds first. So I have asked Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi (Minister for Modernisation of Agriculture and Regional Development) to look for more seeds. In Sarawak we also have lots of fruits and flowers, and we thank God for our resources.
We generate electricity using hydro and water. Now the water can be divided into hydrogen and oxygen through the process of electrolysis.
On electricity, the state is supplying electricity to our neighbouring country, Indonesia so as to help our friend.
We also have agreement to supply electricity to Sabah and Brunei. And now Singapore wants us to supply electricity to the Republic.
I told them, Sarawak can only give a certain amount, but if you have any investment requiring energy you bring to Sarawak. They agreed.
Lastly, I want to share with you all that PBB will continuously be ready to face the general election.
In the last state election, we won 76 seats out of 82 through GPS and our coalition parties. And I am confident that we can cooperate, unite and sweep all the seats in the upcoming general elections.
We welcome youth aged 18 to 28, we want them to be with us. PBB always want them to be with us. Today, PBB prepares for their future. We develop sovereign fund for them including for those who are not born yet.
This is for their future. We know the 18 years old are with us because we care for them.
Lastly, I want to share a pantun, “Ikan bekut terkonang-konang, anak tani anak peladang, PBB rangka developement, terus berusaha ke sarawak cemerlang”.
Hidup PBB! Sarawak First!
