Time to stand on our feet and chart our development and progress: Abang Jo
BINTULU: Fifty-six years of dependence on others is enough and it’s about time Sarawak determined its own direction of its development and growth.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg is confident that Sarawakians have the strength and ability to stand on their own feet to make their state stand tall as the other states in Malaysia.
However, there are ‘outside’ elements who are trying to ruin their unity while some Sarawakians have already forgotten the struggle of defending the rights of their state, and they are willingly controlled by others for their own interests, said the chief minister.
Abang Johari called on Sarawakians to rally behind Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) to further develop the state.
“Having taken over the leadership of the Sarawak government, I have made changes to transform the economy into a digital one in line with the global trend or else we will be left behind,” he said in his speech at the Sarawak Independence Day 56th anniversary celebration here yesterday,
He thanked Head of the State Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud for trusting the new generations of Sarawakians led by him to turn the state into a high-income and well-developed state by the year 2030.
“The young generation of Sarawakians will adjust to new demands, especially in the new era of global economic development,” he said.
On the Head of the State, Abang Johari likened Taib to a big ‘umbrella’ with multiracial people under his roof.
“The British handed over administrative power to Sarawak for self-government on July 22, 1963.
“Two months later, on September 15, the last British Governor, Sir Alexander Wadell, sailed off from Pengkalan Batu in Kuching on a British navy ship.
“Tun, who was at that time a member of the first Sarawak Cabinet, and my late father were among those who bid farewell to the Governor,” he said.
On Sarawak’s economy, the chief minister stressed that it would be developed in accordance with current trends.He said various initiatives have been planned and implemented to ensure that Sarawak is able to shift to digital technology, from agriculture, to business, industries, tourism and government services. He assured that Sarawak is capable of meeting the people’s essential needs.
“Although certain people say that Sarawak will go bankrupt within three years, Sarawak
has proven to be capable of running its own economy well,” he said.
Taib and wife Toh Puan Ragad Kurdi Taib, Abang Johari and his wife Datuk Amar Juma’ani Tun Tuanku Bujang, state Cabinet ministers, namely, State Legislative Assembly Speaker Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar and Deputy Chief Ministers Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing, Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan and Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas were among those present at the ceremony.
