KUCHING: It has been six years since Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg took over the leadership of Sarawak, following the sudden passing of the fifth Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem on Jan 11, 2017.
Clad in a black baju Melayu, the then nine-term Satok assemblyman was sworn in as the sixth chief minister before the Yang Dipertua Negeri of Sarawak Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud at Astana Negeri on Jan 13, 2017.
It was a smooth transition process despite barely two days after Adenan died; as Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) senior leaders had reached a consensus and unanimously agreed that Abang Johari should lead the state.
The former Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president, the late Tan Sri James said appointment was in line with what Adenan wanted.
While the state was still mourning the death of Adenan, people began to wonder if Abang Johari, fondly known as “Abang Jo” among the locals, had the ability to fill ‘the very big shoes’ left by his predecessor.
However, he wasted no time in developing the state according to the “Sarawak way” and was committed and was determined to continue the fight in restoring the rights and position of Sarawak as enshrined in the 1963 Malaysia Agreement.
Apart from continuing Adenan’s legacy, Abang Johari has embarked on several programmes and outlined ambitious plans to push Sarawak forward and generate more income for the state coffers.
With his vast experience of more than four decades in the state administration, he introduced various initiatives to make Sarawak prosperous, which included the RM2.5 billion acquisition of the Bakun Hydroelectric Power Dam from the Federal government, the RM1 billion investments to prepare trunk information technology and communication infrastructure for Sarawak to harness its potential in digital economy.
Other initiatives included the establishment of Sarawak-owned Development Bank of Sarawak (DBOS), the state’s exploration into downstream activities related to the oil and gas industry and the setting up of the Autonomous Rail Transit (ART) system connecting Kuching, Samarahan and Serian to lead the state forward.
Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (PETROS) was established in August 2017 to develop the oil and gas industry in the state.
Sarawak also decided to impose a five per cent sales tax on petroleum products effective Jan 1, 2019 as a new source of revenue to support the state’s development agenda.
Under the leadership of Abang Johari, investors have remained confident in Sarawak’s political leadership as it has managed the state’s economy well, even difficult times.
Sarawak managed to attract a total investment of RM23.17 billion for 117 projects in 2020 and 2021 despite the challenging global situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the launching of Sarawak Post COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030), Abang Johari is confident that the state can achieve a developed status by 2030, underpinned by the solid foundation plan unveiled by the state government.
“We aim to increase its household income by creating more jobs, encouraging entrepreneurship and prioritising environmental sustainability in recovery efforts and long-term growth.
“We will have a thriving society driven by data and innovation, where everyone enjoys economic prosperity, social inclusivity and a sustainable environment,” he said.
Abang Johari’s new way of managing the state’s economy has managed to increase the state’s revenue from between RM5 bil and RM6 bil in the past to RM10 billion every year.
Abang Johari’s office was renamed from Chief Minister to Premier after an amendment to the state constitution on Feb 15, 2022 The constitutional amendment was gazetted and came into effect on March 1, 2022.
When tabling the expansionary 2023 state budget in the state assembly in Nov last year, the Premier of Sarawak said the state targeted a revenue collection of more than RM11 bil by next year, the highest ever.
About 48 per cent or RM5.25bil of the projected tax revenue in 2023 will be derived from taxes, including RM4.2bil from the state sales tax.
Abang Johari has also made a bold step when he decided to explore new sources of revenue in areas such as carbon storage and the hydrogen economy.
With an estimated 30 trillion cubic metres of carbon storage capacity in the seabed of its continental shelf, Sarawak is positioning itself to be a commercial hydrogen producer by 2027, thus realising the vision of turning the state into a hydrogen economy.
Sarawak Energy is already producing green hydrogen at its integrated hydrogen refueling facility in Kuching — which is believed to be the first in South-east Asia.
Apart from that, the state has also partnered with global players from South Korea to develop an environmentally-friendly hydrogen and ammonia plant in Bintulu. Once completed, the plant will produce 7,000 tonnes of hydrogen in addition to various forms of ammonia for local industries and South Korea.
Abang Johari has not only proven that he has the ability to carve out new success for Sarawak, he was able to move forward decisively within months after taking up the post of chief minister.
