Sarawak should revisit idea for Chinese university branch campus, says Deputy Premier

KUCHING: Sarawak should revisit the idea of establishing a Chinese university branch campus in the state as a way to strengthen ties between Malaysia and China, says Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian.

The Deputy Premier said there was a proposal back in 2013 for Shanghai Jiao Tong University to set up a campus here, but it did not materialise.

"Unfortunately at that point, the Chinese government did not allow any Chinese university to go outside the country.

"The Xiamen University Malaysia Campus came after our proposal, it's the first branch campus that the Chinese government allowed to be established overseas.

"I suggest that we relook into establishing a branch campus of a Chinese university in Sarawak to strengthen our relationship," Dr Sim said on Wednesday (Jan 24).

He told reporters this after unveiling a pair of Chinese couplets in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of Malaysia-China diplomatic relations at the Malaysia-China Friendship Park here.

The couplets were penned by 96-year-old Sarawakian master calligrapher Sim Poh Yow.

Dr Sim said Sarawak would welcome an established Chinese university to set up a branch campus in the state, offering studies in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.

"The strength of China's development nowadays is in technology, smart cities and AI, so we want to tap into that," he said.

He called on both the Malaysian and Chinese leadership to work on the idea so that China's next overseas campus would be set up in Sarawak.

In his speech earlier, Dr Sim said Malaysia was the first Asean country to establish diplomatic relations with China in 1974.

He noted that the late Sarawakian politician Tun Jugah Barieng was deputy chief of the mission led by then-Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak to China to establish the ties.

"That was Sarawak's contribution to Malaysia's establishment of the diplomatic relationship with China.

"Since then, the relationship has been very comprehensive, covering all sectors and levels. Moving ahead, we hope the ties will continue to grow," he said.