Talent maturity must improve for Sarawak-owned enterprises to perform, says Premier

Abang Johari (second left) presenting the pledge document to Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) Controller of Environmental Quality Datuk Jack Liam during Sarawak SOEs Transformation Programme – Phase 2: A Pledge for Good Governance, High Performance and Value Creation ceremony held at a hotel on Sept 22, 2026.

By Karen Bong

KUCHING, Sept 22: Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg has urged Sarawak-owned enterprises to take immediate action to raise talent maturity, which remains relatively low, saying this is essential if the State hopes to build high-performing organisations capable of competing in increasingly complex industries.

The latest assessment under the Sarawak-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Transformation Programme Phase 2 recorded an average talent maturity score of only 1.4 out of five across the entities assessed, highlighting significant gaps in workforce readiness and organisational capability.

“The Phase 2 assessment shows that talent maturity remains relatively low across many entities, at an average of only 1.4 on a five-point scale,” he said when addressing the Sarawak SOEs Transformation Programme – Phase 2: A Pledge for Good Governance, High Performance and Value Creation ceremony held at a hotel here today.

Abang Johari said the situation could not be allowed to persist if Sarawak’s SOEs were to transform, expand and compete effectively in their respective industries.

“We cannot build high-performing SOEs with outdated organisational structures and capabilities that no longer match the industries in which we operate,” he said.

He called on boards and chief executives to treat talent development as a strategic investment rather than simply a routine human resources function.

Management teams, he said, should identify the capabilities their organisations would require over the next five years, develop existing employees to meet those needs, attract specialised expertise where necessary and establish clear succession pipelines.

The talent challenge is also closely linked to Sarawak’s broader digital transformation ambitions. The same Phase 2 assessment found that only 38 per cent of entities had digital and artificial intelligence initiatives either adopted or in progress at the time of assessment.

Abang Johari stressed that technology alone would not transform organisations without people with the skills and capabilities to implement, manage and sustain the changes.

He urged SOE leaders to create workplaces capable of attracting and retaining talent, stressing that people, technology and leadership must progress together for the transformation programme to deliver its intended outcomes.

“The opportunities we have identified give us every reason to be ambitious. But ambition must be matched by discipline and execution,” he said.

Deputy Premiers Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian and Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Minister for Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah, and Sarawak Financial Secretary Dato Sri Dr Wan Lizozman Wan Omar were among the distinguished guests present. — DayakDaily