TUN PEHIN SRI HAJI ABDUL TAIB MAHMUD, who served as the fourth Chief Minister of Sarawak from March 26, 1981 to February 28, 2014 considered himself lucky to be able to inherit a legacy of peace and political stability, which enabled him to focus efforts on development.
Then his primary concern was to pull Sarawak out of the backwater of development into its mainstream. He was preoccupied with the idea that Sarawak must run faster than other states in order to catch up with their progress and advancement.
The rate of poverty was about 60 per cent and unemployment among the people especially youth in villages and longhouses were very high. The demographic pattern of the State was about 80% rural and 20% urban.
He realised the situation gave rise to an explosive feeling of dissatisfaction against the government, which was being accused of pursuing politics of favouritism. Consequently, instigating racial and communal feelings was the best weapon to win support, though a highly divisive support, in any elections.
To Datuk Patinggi Abdul Taib politics in Sarawak, like those in the rest of the country, must be based on sincere desire to achieve something to fulfil independence with good economic growth and development that can bring positive changes to the people. Whatever political views they entertain, must not prevent them from agreeing, as a matter of principle, on the question of development for the people.
He has been pursuing politics of development as the basis of his struggle because the other forms of politics, with a lot of rhetoric or worse empty talks, do not bring development benefits to the people, state and country.
Tun Abdul Taib said politics of Development represented efforts of the Government under his leadership to bring about changes in the mentality of the Rakyat to get involved and get the benefits from changes in the economic development.
Politics of development, in his own words, makes politics substantial to the demands of development. It dictates in the people the kind of attitude that places demands of development above own politics as long as they do not conflict with the prospects of survival.
He believed Politics of Development helped to bring about tremendous success and given benefits to the people by creating more employment and business opportunities, which have helped to raise the income and standard of living of the people.
He said the leadership of the late Pehin Sri Haji Adenan bin Satem, as the fifth Chief Minister of Sarawak from March 1, 2014 brought about a new scenario to political development in the State. His leadership was successful in implementing various initiatives and development programs, which were people centric.
He was active in fighting for the State’s autonomy and the evolution of powers from the Federal to the State Government in accordance with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA 63). During his administration, the construction of Pan Borneo Highway project, the biggest infrastructure project, could be launched in Sarawak.
Tun Abdul Taib said Sarawak has been fortunate to be led by leaders who were dynamic, trustworthy and responsible; they were all concerned with the peace and prosperity of the people. They have been able to achieve political stability through the sharing of power.
Sarawak is fortunate to have every ethnic group being tolerant and having mutual respect for each other. Their attitude of being tolerant and having mutual respect for each other is an important asset that should be preserved to ensure the success of development for the prosperity of the people.
The Yang di Pertua Negeri TUN PEHIN SRI HAJI ABDUL TAIB MAHMUD in his speech at the opening of the special session of the DEWAN UNDANGAN NEGERI SARAWAK to mark its 150th anniversary said Sarawak must take lessons from the disturbances that are happening in other countries that have destroyed their development, properties, loss of life and untold sufferings to the people. In this regards, the people must value peace and stability, which they have inherited all these while.
Tun Abdul Taib believes that Sarawak is on the right track to attain the status of a developed State by the year 2030 because of its strength is founded on the unity of the people of various races.
In this regards, the people must reject attempts by foreign elements with the selfish interests to undermine and disrupt the peace and harmony in the State. They must bear in mind that it has not been easy to promote the unity and unity in a community comprising diverse races; their unity and solidarity can be destroyed once they lulled into complacency.
Tun Abdul Taib called on the people to remain vigilant and continue to work together in defending their unity and be reminded of the adage “that unity is strength and divided they fall apart.” Since Independence, the people have been using their own way of developing the economy. Obviously more active efforts have been made in the development of their economy after Independence.
He said the immediate challenge after Independence like the Indonesian confrontation and the armed threat by the Communists did not weaken the spirit and resolve of the people to implement the development agenda of the State. On the contrary, the challenges were successfully overcome due to the wisdom and integrity of the past leaders.
He said success has enabled efforts to be focussed fully to the planning and development of the socio economy of the State. In this connection, the people should be grateful that Sarawak is being endowed with rich natural resources.
In the beginning, Sarawak could only export the resources in the forms of commodities like crude oil and timber. For that reason, employment and business opportunities were quite limited.
He said Sarawak started to diversify and add value to economic activities by implementing a more integrated and comprehensive planning and involving in the development of more downstream activities based on natural resources.
For example, the traditional activities of agriculture have been transformed to become commercial activities with the opening of land for estates or plantations that can provide plenty of employment and business opportunities for the Rakyat to upgrade their livelihood.
Obviously, the Government has developed basic infrastructure like roads, water and electricity supplies and telecommunication to support socio-economic development throughout the State. The development of logistical infrastructure at ports and airports also helps to promote economic activities in the State.
Tun Abdul Taib said the Government has been developing human capital to support the development of the economy. Numerous academic institutions and training centres have been set up to train human capital to meet the requirements of industries for skilled and semi skilled manpower. This has given opportunities to the local people, the majority of who are still young and easy to train, as skilled workers.
He is happy that the Government is giving serious attention to the welfare of the people in rural areas. For example, efforts are being intensified to accelerate the pace of development in rural areas for the benefits of the people.
More importantly, numerous economic potentials are being developed through the development of Ideal lands for the development of estates or plantations that help to raise the income level of the people in rural areas.
Generally, the people in rural areas are getting greater access to health services and education through continuous efforts of the Government to develop them. In this connection, the State Government, in continuous efforts to transform the economy, is exploring other new sources of wealth that can be exploited.
Undeniably, the development of Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy has been successful in developing the potentials of hydroelectricity like Batang Ai hydro dam, Bakun hydro dam, Murum and Baleh to accelerate the process of industrialization in Sarawak.
Tun Abdul Taib is happy SCORE has been able to attract lots of investments especially in energy intensive industries that have been able to create many employment and business opportunities for the local people. They have been to raise the Gross Domestic Products (GDP) to RM124 billion in 2016 as compared to RM550 million in 1963.
During the same period, the export value broke the RM77 billion ceiling in 2016 as compared to RM373 million in 1963. There were 1.2 million jobs in 2016 as compared to 294,000 in 1963. Now Sarawak has reached the level of common user of manpower almost to the full with the rate of unemployment more or less 4%.
Tun Abdul Taib is grateful, with the availability of employment and business opportunities in the State, rate of poverty has been reduced from 56% in 1976 to only 0.6% in 2016. Clearly, the achievement is proof of the credibility and capability of leaders in the Government, which has been making conscientious efforts in the struggle to serve the welfare and interests of the Rakyat.
He is confident success that has been achieved will raise the spirit of leaders and the people to intensify efforts in development for Sarawak to attain a more glorious level of development and create a name for itself at the global stage.
Tun Abdul Taib is confident Sarawak will achieve bigger success under the leadership of Datuk Patinggi Abg Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari bin Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg as the sixth Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues and attain the status of a developed State.
Sarawak, which has laid a strong foundation to build a more glorious future ahead, is truly blessed to have leaders who have the wisdom and the foresight in pushing for development to achieve the agenda not only to attain the status of a developed State but the richest State in the country by the year 2030.
Obviously, the Government is committed to give priority to the welfare and interests of the Rakyat in its development planning, which is an important step to develop the economic landscape, which is more substantive and progressive in the overall development of the State.
Tun Abdul Taib sbelieve the economy is experiencing a giant step forward through the initiative of the Digital Economy, which gives a new dimension to economic activities of the State of Sarawak. The new initiative clearly shows that the leadership of the Chief Minister is farsighted and concerned with the prevailing changes in the world economy.
The Digital Economy creates a lot of opportunities for the new generation to involve in business. In this regards, the young people, who represent the group that is creative and innovative, are relevant to the demand of the digital era and capable of creating a name for themselves in their own field at the international level.
Tun Abdul Taib’s advice to young people is to grab for opportunities which are being created by the Government to equip themselves with knowledge and skill in digital technology. Besides, all concerned must appreciate and support efforts and initiatives being implemented by the Government to ensure their own benefits.
Generally, the digital era should be able to bring about changes to livelihood and the working life of the people. For this reason, they must build their strength and endurance in pursuit of development and in facing the challenges of the digital era.
Tun Abdul Taib is confident the new approach in development like the setting up of Development Bank of Sarawak (DBOS), Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (PETROS) and Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA) will reinforce the development and growth of the economy.
He is happy that the Chief Minister is making continuous efforts to protect the rights and interests of the State of Sarawak especially within the context of Malaysian Agreement 1963 (MA63) and the exclusive rights over the Maritime Boundary and the mineral resources.
Tun Abdul Taib reminded the local lawmakers, in conjuctrion with the special sitting of Dewan Undangan Negeri Sarawak to mark its 150th anniversary, to
keep themselves up to date current events and happenings and evaluate their services and responsibility, which they have to discharge in their respective constituencies.
He said the development and progress being planned and implemented must be based on the needs of the people regardless of their backgrounds. In this regards, all members, as elected representatives of the people, must go down to the down “to touch the nerve” of the people.
Tun Abdul Taib took the opportunity to wish all members of the Dewan and the people of Sarawak a Happy and prosperous New Year. They should celebrate the New Year in a happy and joyous mood. The celebration should be more joyful and merrier with presence of friends and colleagues from other ethnic groups joining it.
