Young ideas can shape greener Sarawak

KUCHING: A young person’s idea for a greener Sarawak should be heard, even if it starts small, said Deputy Minister for Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Datuk Gerald Rentap Jabu.

“No idea is a bad idea,” he told participants at the closing of the SDG Carnival 2026 at Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak’s Borneo Atrium here today (Sept 28).

Gerald urged students to ask questions, test their ideas and learn from their mistakes, adding that the enthusiasm he saw at the carnival showed that young people were ready to help shape a more sustainable future.

Among them were student teams who pitched solutions to waste problems through the Youthpreneur Sustainability Ideathon.

Gerald said making a difference also meant carrying sustainable practices into everyday life, long after the carnival ended.

Meanwhile, he recalled a community leader telling him during the COVID-19 lockdown in Betong that the land behind his longhouse was like a “supermarket”, with vegetables, bamboo shoots and mushrooms nearby and fish in the river.

To Gerald, it was a reminder that Sarawakians had practised resourceful ways of living for generations, and that young people could bring fresh ideas to those traditions.

“Embrace the spirit, take it home, live it every day so you can make a difference tomorrow,” he said.