Padungan assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen has called on the Sarawak government to relax immigration policies to facilitate the entry of professionals and technical experts into the state.
He stressed that Sarawak should leverage its position as a key influencer (kingmaker) in the federal government to advocate for a preferential tax policy that favours foreign direct investments (FDI) in the state.
“Perhaps a 10-year tax exemption status and a more lenient immigration policy for professionals and technical experts to enter Sarawak. Providing state government incentives to attract such expertise would be beneficial.”
Highlighting the importance of FDI, Chong noted that in 2023, Sarawak ranked sixth among Malaysian states in approved FDI, with figures amounting to RM7.8bil.
“Compared to states like Penang (RM61.6bil), Johor (RM31bil), Kuala Lumpur (RM30.5bil), Kedah (RM20bil), and Selangor (RM17.3bil), our FDI figures are considerably lower. Hopefully we can do better this year,” he told the august House on Thursday (May 9).
Considering the ongoing geopolitical tensions between China and the United States, Chong stressed the urgency for Sarawak to capitalise on the influx of technology companies seeking neutral ground, with Malaysia emerging as a prime destination.
“Sarawak must seize the opportunity to attract investments amid this global scenario. We cannot afford to remain passive spectators.”
Furthermore, Chong urged the Sarawak government to tailor its efforts to attract specific FDIs to Sarawak, citing Microsoft’s RM10bil investment to develop Malaysia as a hub for cloud computing and advanced technologies, including generative Artificial Intelligence (AI).
“Additionally, there’s the impending investment by Google in Malaysia, as announced by Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, the Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry.
