Abang Johari: Highly skilled S’wakian youths needed to help further develop state in new economy

KUCHING (Jan 14): Highly skilled Sarawakian youths are needed to help further develop the state in the new economy, says Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.

Having foreseen that the Sarawakian youths have a bright future beyond 2030, Abang Johari asserted that with the state government having set up a strong foundation and landscape in the new economy, it will attract more workforce and more investors.

“We have opened the Sarawak Microelectronics Design (SMD) Semiconductor to design chips – we have a Germany-based company that produces analogue chips. In a car, it needs about 150 chips, and these chips needs designs; so we set up a state-owned company to produce chip designers.

“Today we need about 500 engineers who are experts in chips designing, right now we only have 25. So, these youths will become engineers who can design chips.

“Who knows, tomorrow, Sarawak will have an airline company with aeroplanes using our own chips,” he said during a townhall session in conjunction with the Premier’s 7th anniversary held at Hikmah Exchange here last night.

Abang Johari also commended Sarawakian youths who managed to work in the oil and gas industry abroad; and with the implementation of the Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) system in the state, Sarawakians who worked in the Light Rail Transit (LRT) system in Kuala Lumpur had also returned to help develop the state.

“This means, our economy must be at level to match the training of Sarawakians,” he added.