Premier leads UK-Ireland visit focused on AI, data centres, semiconductors, talent devt

Abang Johari greeting Sarawakian students upon his arrival in Manchester, UK on May 1, 2026. Photo: Ukas

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, May 2: The Premier of Sarawak, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, is leading an official working visit to Manchester and Bristol in the United Kingdom (UK), as well as Dublin, Ireland, from May 2 to May 5.

According to the Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas), the working visit is seen as a strategic mission to position Sarawak within the global value chain, encompassing data centre infrastructure, artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, and world-class talent development.

In Dublin, the Premier is scheduled to visit the Strategic Data Centre Campus K2, including the DUB4 and DUB5 facilities, which serve as key hubs for large-scale data centre operations in Europe.

In Manchester, he will participate in a town hall session to strengthen engagement with the Sarawak diaspora and attend the Lan Berambeh Anak Sarawak Dinner, which continues to symbolise unity within the overseas community.

He is also scheduled to hold an engagement session with representatives of the Greater Manchester regional government at the British Muslim Heritage Centre, involving roundtable discussions and strategic networking sessions, as well as the signing of a Letter of Collaboration (LoC) and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

In Bristol, the Premier is scheduled to attend an engagement session with SMD Semiconductor in collaboration with the University of Bristol and deliver a keynote address at the event.

He will also witness the exchange of MoU documents between SMD Semiconductor and the Bristol Research Group, as well as a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between SMD Semiconductor and the Sarawak Foundation.

The agenda continues with visits to the National Composites Centre (NCC) and the Isambard-AI supercomputer facility, which reflect world-class research and innovation capabilities in high-performance computing.

The NCC is a world-class composites research and development centre in the UK, focusing on composites, digital engineering, and sustainability, bringing together top expertise and advanced technologies to help address the most complex engineering challenges globally.

Accompanying the Premier are Sarawak Secretary, Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki; Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Law, MA63, and State–Federal Relations), Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali; and Sarawak Financial Secretary, Dato Sri Wan Lizozman Wan Omar.

Welcoming the Premier upon arrival were the Chief Political Secretary to the Premier of Sarawak, Dato’ Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman; Yayasan Sarawak director, Datu Mohamad Junaidi Mohidin; as well as Sarawakian students and Sarawak Volunteers. — DayakDaily