Sarawak, which has been enjoying 47 years of development and progress in our beloved nation, Malaysia, enters a new era of development, a transformation of the economy from the present structure of medium income to high income economy towards the year 2020 and beyond. For this reason, the State needs to widen economic perspective and diversify the activities. More importantly, the Sarawak needs to focus on creating its niche and building the strength. Basically, the transformation is no longer an exercise to restructure the traditional economic sectors such as timber and agro-based industries but to increase the share of the secondary sector, such as value-added activities of timber and agriculture products and tertiary sector, such as transport and communication.
Hence, the state’s strategy for development must necessarily engage the private sector to involve in wider fields of economic activities. It is a matter of logical progression that the private sector should be involved more and more in the development of the state economy. There is a limit that the public sector, by its very nature, can do to boost the economy. The private sector, when it lives up to the reputation of being mobile and creative, can become efficient agents of growth in the economy.
Essentially, in the next 12 years, the state must be involved in a transformation from infrastructure-oriented to human resources approach, primarily to accelerate economic growth, which relies heavily on efforts of the quality of service and productivity of skilled workers.
The State, through SCORE will focus on the development of industries include:-
(i) The development of vast hydro potentials in order to attract energy intensive industries. In the long run, huge renewable hydro energy produce in Sarawak will transform the State as a power house to drive the economy of the nation;
(ii) The Pulp and Paper industry as an extension of the current initiative to promote downstream timber activities. The State has embarked on establishing forest plantations with Acacia tree to meet the requirement of the industry on a sustainable basis;
(iii) Tourism: Sarawak has large land mass of unique terrain and well conserved tropical rainforest that complement the rich culture diversity to make tourism a lucrative industry;
(iv) Agro and food- based industry: The land surface of Sarawak is vast and the coast line, very long to make agro and fishery based industries highly potentials. As of now, Sarawak is opening up one million hectares of oil palm in areas contiguous of each other. The production of palm oil should be able to trigger enormous downstream processing industries.
Those in Tanjung Manis, which is being developed as Halal Hub
will be using sophisticated technology, mainly bio-tech for the purpose. The value added downstream activities will enhance the potential of the State as the major halal hub in the region; and
(v) Hi-tech Industry: The introduction of hi-tech industry is a long term effort of the State to restructure the economy from the medium income to high income economy. In other words, the hi-tech industry is crucial in the process of migrating from the medium income to high income economy towards the year 2020 and beyond.
Another focus area will be the participation of the low-income group into the mainstream of development. This will be carried out through the various poverty eradication programmes and projects. Socio-economic development will continue to be given importance to further strengthen the unity of the people.
For example, the 2011 budget aims to ensure balanced development throughout the State. In this connection, the State Government will undertake proactive measures in the development of physical infrastructures especially in less developed areas. The budget takes into consideration that there is still a need for rural areas to catch up with development in urban areas. Hence, greater emphasis must be given to the development of infrastructure and amenities such as roads, drainage, telecommunication, electricity and water supplies in these areas.
Rightly, the State government will be emphasizing on the following as the main thrusts of development:
* To raise the capacity for knowledge and innovation and nurture
first class mentality;
* To address persistent socio-economic inequalities constructively
and productively; and
* To improve the standard and sustainability of Quality of Life.
Obviously, the development programmes and projects cover both the urban and rural areas to ensure balanced regional development across the State. This will not only intensify and accelerate the development for SCORE but those areas outside the corridor.
Understandably, the state’s strategy for economic development must necessarily focus on the development and growth of rural areas in order to spread the benefits as well as to bring about renewed growth in traditional sectors. Efforts must also focus towards marshalling economic potentials to be integrated at the rural level so as to induce critical mass.
Hence, continuous efforts are being made to develop Rural Growth Centres (RGCs) primarily to provide basic amenities to the people and upgrade their quality of life that is being measured by the quality of public housing, transportation, public sanitation, the environment, safety and security. Indisputably, the state has achieved tremendous progress. It has been transformed from a backward state a progressive one in the country. Any well-informed people, will not dispute this fact. The people must surely be able to see the tremendous stride that has been made, which among other things, help to reduce unemployment among the people and more importantly, take the state into a level of prosperity never seen in the history of the state.
However, the State’s success has not come about by itself. The approach has been well thought of and takes into consideration the local conditions. The philosophy, like that in the rest of the country, must necessarily be to increase the size of the development cake by ensuring a sufficient and sustainable speed of development. The State must endeavor to keep up with the momentum of growth and ensure that the distribution of benefits remain balanced. In other words, no segment of the society will have the feelings of extreme neglect and frustration in the common pursuit for progress and advancement.
The progress has been further enhanced by the successful implementation of the Ninth Malaysia Plan (2006-2010) that has been focusing on the development of human capital and R&D capability; speeding up growth in rural areas; engaging the private sector more intensively and enhancing the quality of life of the people.
In Sibu, the United College of Sarawak, which has been renamed College Laila Taib, has been focusing on providing technical courses such as quantity surveying and others. The state can also boast the presence of a number of skills development centres and polytechnics including the recently completed one in Mukah.
Looking back when Sarawak joined the Federation of Malaysia on September 16, 1963, the constitution included special protections allowing Sarawak to enter into the union as a semi autonomous state. The constitution included special protection allowing Sarawak to enter the union as an autonomous state. The provisions, among other things, allow Sarawak to exercise powers over immigration and imposition of sales taxes.
Other protections relate specifically to Sarawak unique demographic make up and the rights of indigenous communities, who must enjoy the same special rights given to the Malay community in Peninsular Malaysia.
benuasains
*Photos Source: google.com images
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