Powerful is a man who respects his role of being a provider, a protector and a peacemaker. A man who understands what it means to lead. A man who knows how to show others the right direction, and ensure he follows it too. He who does not just talk talk talk, but walks the talk…The world needs powerful men who can help build powerful countries.
― Gift Gugu Mona, poet, philosopher, songwriter and philanthropist
It is now seven years to the date that Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg first took his oath of office as Sarawak’s chief executive.
As a journalist and political observer, the task of chronicling the journey of Sarawak’s Premier has been quite eventful.
I can’t recall the number of times I have been asked to contribute to articles detailing the policies, initiatives and approaches implemented under Abang Johari’s leadership either as special features, exclusive interviews and even books.
Currently, there are more than 120 initiatives implemented by the Sarawak government led by the Premier and all these have, to an extent, benefitted Sarawakians in terms of welfare, economy and infrastructure development.
Let us go through the seven years that defined Sarawak under Abang Johari:
2017
Abang Johari’s first year in office was marked by the introduction of the Sarawak Digital Economy Strategy.
It outlined 47 strategic plans in eight economic sectors, namely agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, smart city, digital health, e-commerce, digital government, and sports, social, arts and culture.
This was a clear direction set by the Premier to drive Sarawak’s economy, achieving high-income status and become a developed state by 2030 through digital transformation.
2018
It was the election year. Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) left Barisan Nasional (BN) Sarawak and formed Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) after the 14th general election (GE14).
This signified Sarawak’s political independence from Malaya-based parties and through GPS, they were able to chart Sarawak’s own political destiny, using it as a platform, to facilitate the return of Sarawak rights under Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), Inter-Government Committee (IGC) Report 1962 and the Federal Constitution.
2019
With Abang Johari’s resolve and the commitment by the Sarawak government to seek new revenue sources, the State Sales Tax (SST) was imposed on oil and gas products with a rate of five percent.
With SST, it significantly boosted Sarawak’s income which enabled the implementation of various infrastructure development projects and government assistances to the population.
Other notable highlight of 2019 was the launch of the first integrated hydrogen production plant in South-east Asia which was a significant milestone of the Sarawak Green Energy Agenda and is seen as the first major inroad in hydrogen adoption in the state.
2020
This was the year that the nation, and perhaps, the world went into standstill due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Many could not go about their daily business due to fears of being infected by the disease.
Under Abang Johari, Sarawak became the first state, even ahead of the federal government at the time to come up with a special relief package to reduce the burden of the people.
The Sarawakku Sayang Special Assistance (BKSS) which spawned a total of nine editions from BKSS 1.0 to BKSS 9.0 is worth more than RM6.7 billion and offered comprehensive aid to various segments of the community who were reeling from the effects of the pandemic.
2021
With recovery from Covid-19 in sight, the Sarawak government under Abang Johari drafted a long-term development plan under the Post-Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 on Sarawak Day (July 22).
PCDS2030 outlined the target to double the size of the economy from RM136 billion in 2019 to RM282 billion in 2030 with an annual growth of six to eight percent until 2030.
The year also saw an overwhelming mandate given by Sarawakians to the state government during the 12th Sarawak state election in December. GPS won by a landslide, sweeping 76 out of 82 state legislature seats.
2022
The election success injected fresh impetus for the Sarawak government to pass a number of laws, one notable example is the restyling of the Chief Minister designation to Premier – a move that sets Sarawak apart from other states and redefines its status in the federation.
The same year also saw the formation of the Sarawak Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) with the Bill being passed in the state legislature. SWF seeks to maximise returns from the state’s surplus capital reserves through investments.
GPS also saw the first parliamentary election outing this year during the 15th general election (GE15). The coalition won 23 out of 31 parliamentary seats contested an improvement from the previous election and is now a partner in the federal unity government.
2023
The year started on a high with Sarawak recording its highest ever revenue performance for 2022 with RM11.9 billion, a portion of which was made up from tax revenues, mainly SST.
Later, Sarawak was accorded the status of being a high-income state by the World Bank, with it surpassing the predetermined gross national income (GNI) per capita threshold.
The free tertiary education at state-owned universities was also mooted and this year, a comprehensive study was commissioned with the implementation being set for 2026. This is a first for the country and was Abang Johari’s birthday wish for the previous year.
In November, the Premier tabled the largest state budget in history with an amount of RM12.363 billion for 2024. The increased latitude for spending was made possible with tremendous revenue growth and diversification.
To cap the year off, Abang Johari announced that Sarawak have surpassed the previous revenue record of 2022, with it recording RM13.1 billion in revenues for 2023, an increase of RM1.2 billion.
2024
Definitely, the performances of previous years have given Sarawakians every reason to be optimistic of another tremendous year. All signs are pointing towards this.
It is no longer a secret that the economic potential of Sarawak and the success of the state government led by Abang Johari in transforming the state economy resounded across Malaysia.
Every large company in the peninsula is quietly discussing among themselves about getting in Sarawak to tap into the economic spinoffs. With the state’s vast resources and energy potential, it is a powerhouse in the making.
Sometime last year, I wrote a four-part article about Sarawak’s economy and interviewed experts on the topic.
Sarawak is poised to play a vital role in the nation’s economic development through its experience in energy production sectors, political stability and good governance. That much is clear.
In that article, I also asked them on what Abang Johari’s legacy will be. They were of the opinion that his legacy is delivering vast transformation and tremendous progress to Sarawak through impactful initiatives.
They viewed that his push for equitable wealth distribution signals a commitment to ensuring all Sarawakians benefit from economic growth and the government’s focus on detailed planning, strategic execution, and rigorous monitoring sets a precedent for future administrations.
As we look forward to the future of Sarawak, we must recognise the role that is played by the Premier in ensuring sustainable economic growth, energy transition, and stability in administration as well as political acumen in navigating today’s challenges.
We hope the goals of the PCDS2030 will be fulfilled, the goals that have been laid out would be achieved and the Sarawak dream would be realised.
Thank you, Datuk Patinggi, Sir. Happy 7th anniversary.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
