Minos: Education, rural development key in Sarawak’s 2027 Budget

KUCHING: Political pundit Datuk Peter Minos expects education and rural development to receive greater attention in Sarawak’s 2027 Budget, saying both areas are crucial to ensuring more balanced progress across the state.

With Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg scheduled to table the State Budget 2027 on October 12, Minos said the budget is likely to prioritise long-term investments in human capital while continuing to address other important sectors.

He said education should be a key focus because Sarawak’s future depended on developing knowledge, skills and expertise among its people.

“Our future lies with education, with knowledge, with skills and expertise. Sarawak and us as individuals rise up by and from education,” he said.

Minos also welcomed Sarawak’s policy of providing free tertiary education to eligible Sarawakians, describing it as a significant step and the right direction of the state’s development.

However, he said the policy should be complemented by efforts to train more Sarawakians in professional and technical fields, including engineering, law, accountancy, medicine and architecture.

“For Sarawak to move further up, there is no escape from education. Now is the time to train our people to become engineers, lawyers, accountants, doctors, architects and all other types of skilled people,” he said.

Minos stressed education represented the basic foundation for modern progress and development, making continued investment in human capital essential as Sarawak pursued its development ambitions.

On rural development, he said it remained a necessity as many rural communities still lacked basic infrastructure and services.

He said greater attention should be given to roads, clean water, electricity and education, alongside economic projects capable of creating employment and income opportunities in rural areas.

“If not, many of our rural folks will continue to languish in economic backwardness and in some poverty. This must not happen in a fast-growing and fast-advancing Sarawak,” he said.

Minos also pointed out the need to narrow income disparities between urban and rural communities, saying development should benefit Sarawakians more equitably.

“If possible, there must be no severe income disparity among Sarawakians. We try to rise up in equity and at tandem together,” he said.

He described the state budget as an important instrument for addressing areas that remained inadequate or in need of improvement.

“Of course there are many things that the budget must tackle but the education of the people and rural development must take some priority,” he said adding greater emphasis on the two areas could contribute towards making Sarawak a place of progress, fairness, happiness and equality.