KOTA SAMARAHAN: The Sarawak government planning to introduce e-residency for foreign investors and professionals to make it easier for foreign investors and professionals to enter Sarawak.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the digital identity would also enable investors to remotely manage their operations in Sarawak from their home countries.
He said the digital identity is modelled after Estonia’s e-residency which gives the country’s foreign investors remote access to its business environment and services.
Abang Johari said at the moment, foreign investors to Sarawak are given a five-year work permit.
“Now we are giving them approval to come here with a work permit, which means they can stay here for five years. This is for professionals, but it is only a temporary measure.
“What we are looking at next is e-residency which allows them to be at their own place and at the same time manage their operations here from their home countries, and we will give them a special pass for them to come in and out Sarawak,” he said.
He was speaking at the launching of the Tun Abang Haji Openg Digital Centre at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) here today.
Meanwhile, Abang Johari said the state needs data analysts and cyber security experts.
“With the digital centre, established by UNIMAS, this is a long-term approach that will produce graduates with skills we need in transforming our economy.
“We need a lot of data analysts because new data keeps on coming and this data is your source for you to produce new products.
“Beside data analysts, we need cyber security experts. There are certain strategic data that cannot be shared, as it’s a process of technological change. We need to secure this data as it could be hacked,” he said.
