At Tun Openg’s biography launch, Abang Johari describes late father as his mentor

KUCHING (Aug 4): Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg learnt two important lessons from his late father Tun Abang Openg, the first Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak.

One of them, he said, was to place focus on education, which his father strongly believed in.

“The late Tun Abang Openg was born in 1905 and while growing up before war, our community in Sarawak particularly the Bumiputeras were mostly illiterate. There was no school, so it made it harder for children to learn.

“My late father was able to find a job as a clerk in the native office and later served in Sarikei as a low-rank officer in the native office there. It was from there he started attending night school at St Anthony School in Sarikei, taking Junior Cambridge lessons.

“He continued to focus on his studies and finally rose to the rank of a senior officer in native affairs where he continued to work in the public service. Due to his tenacity, he was also appointed as a member of the state council by the Brooke administration and later on as the first governor of Sarawak,” he said at the launch of the First Governor of Sarawak: Tun Openg biography at Hikmah Exchange Event Centre here today.

He said as such, this was one of the reasons why the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government has placed strong emphasis on education for Sarawakians.

“If the late Tun Abang Openg can take up night classes to continue advancing his education, we should also give adequate education to our children for our future.

“That is why we decided to provide free tertiary education for all Sarawakian children at Sarawak-owned universities. We want to provide the opportunity to everyone especially the less fortunate so that they can face the future and so we can strengthen our income,” he said.

Describing Tun Abang Openg as his mentor, Abang Johari said he also learnt about economic stability from his late father.

“Back then the cession of Sarawak as a British crown colony was due to our financial position as we do not have the resources especially after the war (Japanese occupation). If we are not strong from in terms of our financial standing and unity, it would be difficult for us to carry out initiatives for the people.

“I learnt that lesson on financial independence so when I was given the opportunity to lead Sarawak, the first thing I did when I took over from the late Pehin Sri Adenan Satem was to reinforce our financial position,” he said.

Abang Johari said today Sarawak is quite financially independent.

“We have been recognised by the World Bank as a high-income state and we want to continue our efforts so that Sarawak will continue to progress and be prosperous in the years to come,” he said.

He thanked Dato Dr Jeniri Amir for writing the biography, which took the author 16 years to carry out his research.

“His research has been very comprehensive, and I understand that he even travelled to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and London to find out more about the history and journey of Sarawak which was pioneered by the late Tun Abang Openg and his partners at the time,” he said.

Among those present at the launch were Abang Johari’s wife Datin Patinggi Datuk Amar Juma’ani Tuanku Bujang, Deputy Premiers Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan and Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian, Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, and Education, Innovation and Talent Development Minister Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn.