Rakyat harus bersama kerajaan untuk memajukan Sarawak - YAB Pehin Sri Taib Mahmud

Rakyat dan k’jaan harus berganding bahu memajukan Sarawak: Taib

KUCHING: Rakyat dan kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN) harus terus berganding bahu, bergerak bersama penuh dedikasi untuk memastikan Sara-wak membangun dengan pesat seterusnya mencapai status ekonomi berpendapatan tinggi pada 2020.

Ketua Menteri Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud berkata kerjasama itu juga akan menentukan rakyat di negeri ini terus hidup dalam keamanan, kestabilan, keharmonian selain maju dan progresif.

Beliau berkata sokongan rakyat terhadap dasar kerajaan BN selama ini terhadap keutamaan membasmi kemiskinan, membangunkan pendidikan dan memperhebatkan sistem latihan mesti dikekalkan.

Menurutnya usaha melatih belia serta lepasan sekolah dari kawasan luar bandar untuk menjalani latihan teknikal pen-ting kerana ia dapat meningkatkan kemahiran golongan berkenaan bagi memenuhi keperluan pelbagai peluang dijana dalam Koridor Tenaga Di-perbaharui Sarawak (SCORE) dan seluruh Sarawak.

“Saya amat berterima kasih kepada sokongan dan doro-ngan rakyat yang menyokong penuh dasar kerajaan BN me-numpukan keutamaan terhadap pembasmian kemiskinan, keutamaan kepada pendidikan dan kehebatan latihan.

“Kita mesti berani menghadapi masa depan yang penuh mencabar dan memerlukan persaingan dan inovasi.

“Kita mesti sanggup melengkapkan generasi muda, belia dan lepasan sekolah dengan memberi peluang melatih mereka sehingga mampu mempertingkatkan kebolehan menjadi pekerja efisien, produktif juga menyumbang kepada per-kembangan ekonomi negeri dan negara tercinta,” katanya dalam perutusan sempena Hari Krismas 2012.

Taib berkata untuk tujuan itu maka kerajaan BN telah bertungkus-lumus berusaha gigih membuka enam universiti dan banyak lagi institusi pengajian tinggi di Sarawak memberi ruang dan peluang ramai belia serta lepasan sekolah dapat dilatih menimba ilmu dalam pelbagai bidang kemahiran dan teknikal.

“Disebabkan keutamaan itu maka kerajaan telah me-nubuhkan Tabung Ekonomi Gagasan Anak Bumiputera Sarawak (TEGAS) bertujuan melatih belia-belia, lepasan-lepasan sekolah yang kebanyakan mereka datang  dari luar bandar supaya diberi peluang meningkatkan kapasiti atau keupayaan mereka mendapat kerja yang baik seterusnya memberi pendapatan lebih lumayan,” katanya.

Taib juga berterima kasih kepada rakyat pelbagai agama dan keturunan di negeri ini atas sokongan yang padu serta pe-nyertaan hebat terhadap segala pembangunan transformasi dilaksanakan oleh kerajaan BN di bandar dan luar bandar bertujuan memberi manfaat serta kesejahteraan kepada rakyat.

“Saya juga sangat menghargai persefahaman serta sokong-an rakyat terhadap projek-projek transformasi dalam SCORE yang berfokus kepada potensi besar kerana Sarawak dapat menjana serta membekalkan tenaga hidroelektrik dengan kadar mapan, lestari diperbaharui dalam kaedah yang memberi daya maju ekonomi kepada pelabur-pelabur industri-industri intensif tenaga di Samalaju dan kawasan SCORE lain.

“Pembangunan SCORE akan membuka peluang ke-pada ramai pekerja yang mempunyai kemahiran dan kepakaran,” katanya.

Dalam perutusannya itu juga Ketua Menteri berkata kerajaan negeri menghargai kerja-sama rapat antara kerajaan pusat atas peruntukan kewangan untuk gereja dan rumah-rumah ibadat serta bantuan kewangan sekolah mubaligh dan Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (SJK) Cina.

“Saya menghargai kerjasama yang rapat antara saya dan Yang Amat Berhormat Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak serta berterima kasih kepada Perdana Menteri yang bermurah hati meluluskan peruntukan kewangan untuk gereja dan rumah-rumah ibadat serta bantuan kewangan sekolah mubaligh dan SJK Cina,” ujarnya.

Posted on December 25, 2012, Tuesday

Vox Populi

Oleh Muda Tengah

Vox Populi?

Social Media users and commentators does not represent the voice of the majority.

Is it time for the silent majority (56% voted for BN Sarawak under YAB Pehin Sri Taib Mahmud in 2011 Sarawak elections while only 41% voted pakatan pembangkang) to speak up?

For too long, small but vociferous groups has appeared to dominate the public debate in Sarawak.  Its members are quick to comment on news and sometimes does reflect the sentiment held by a small minority of the populace.  But most times these groups makes bold declarations and outright lies that may not sit well with the majority.  These groups usually compels government leaders and departments to pre-empt their judgements or to respond to supposed 'crises' as per to the desires of these groups.

Most of the time these groups are very intolerant of criticism and differences in opinion, regularly responding to fair-minded government symphathyzers with a vindictiveness that is akin to bullying.

All of which  might be somewhat acceptable, IF social media truly represents the majority of the Sarawakian people.

To be sure, social media is a force to be reckoned with.  The supposed 'democratising' power of social media is allowing urban dwellers to speak up and be heard very loudly.  The rural Sarawakians however are still left voiceless as their voice have been hijacked by the likes of sarawakreport and freemalaysiatoday whose editors (all anti-government) write as they please and put it out as the voice of rural Sarawakians.

Every urban city dweller in Sarawak has access to internet but social media users, especially the active ones, do not represent the majority of the populace, by far.

And if this is the case, it begs several questions about the power of social media.  Namely is its impact and influence disproportionate to its actual size?  Are ministers and government departments paying more attention to it than is justified?

It can also be worrying when social media speaks so loudly that its voice is taken to be that of the majority by decision makers or when it manipulates public opinion.

Sarawakians and Malaysians in general have to sieve through these sensational portals and its facebook groups to recognize the masterminds and their agendas behind it.  Come the next parliamentary elections the 'wisdom' or 'lack of wisdom' of voters will decide the fate of their children and grandchildren.

PKR-controlled Ampng Jaya Council praises MBKS (under BN Sarawak) for proper planning and good environment

Delegation from Selangor visits Stutong Community Market

Posted on December 13, 2012, Thursday

WARM GREETINGS: Muhamad shaking hands with a hawker.

KUCHING: The delegation of 35 members from Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (AJMC) Selangor visited Stutong Community Market here yesterday as part of their study trip.

In town to exchange ideas with the local councils, they were accompanied by Kuching City South (MBKS) Mayor Datuk James Chan.

AJMC chairman Datuk Muhamad Yacob said he found the market clean and properly managed.

“It was good to see the close relationship between the hawkers and MBKS as well as between hawkers and customers,” he commented.

There were objections to the market when it was built in 2008 but the councils and traders came to an agreement.

“Stutong Community Market looks like a mall while the one in Ampang Jaya is smaller,” the AJMC chairman said in jest.

He said Ampang Jaya is 25 to 30 years old with a population of about 600,000.

Compare that to Kuching’s 200,000 population which makes Ampang Jaya look sort of crowded.

He said Kuching city folks are lucky that it is still a spacious green city.

“Kuching city is properly planned. After a few visits to Kuching, I find the environment has improved including roads and surroundings,” he said.

His delegation arrived in Kuching on Dec 10 for the three-day trip. After visiting Stutong Community Market, they moved to Satok Market.

They left for Ampang Jaya yesterday.

Belajar dan membangun diri lebih baik dari 'over politicking'

Lebih baik habiskan pengajian sebelum bertanding pilihan raya

Posted on December 18, 2012, Tuesday

KUCHING: Langkah kerajaan membenarkan pelajar institusi pengajian tinggi (IPT) bertanding pada Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-13 (PRU13) jelas menunjukkan keterbukaan dan ketelusan kerajaan dalam mentadbir negara.

Namun di sebalik keterbukaan dan ketelusan itu, langkah kerajaan membenarkan pelajar IPT bertanding pada usia yang belum matang dalam arena politik mungkin akan menghancurkan masa depan pelajar itu sendiri.

Timbalan Naib Canselor Hal Ehwal Pelajar dan Alumni Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) Prof Madya Mohd Fadzil Abdul Rahman yang khuatir pengajian pelajar akan terjejas jika bertanding berkata beliau tidak menghalang jika itu pilihan mereka.

Tetapi menurutnya, perlu diingat bahawa status sebagai seorang pelajar perlu dilepaskan jika memilih untuk bertanding sebagai calon PRU13 yang mana ia merupakan satu keputusan yang kurang bijak untuk seorang pelajar yang masih cetek ilmu di dada.

“Saya secara peribadinya tidak menghalang jika ada di kalangan pelajar IPT ingin bertanding sebagai calon pada PRU13.

“Tetapi sebagai seorang yang lebih dewasa bergelar bapa dan ahli akademik, saya tidak menggalakkan mereka mengorbankan pelajaran dan masa depan mereka untuk sesuatu yang belum pasti menjamin masa depan mereka.

“Mengapa tidak menghabiskan terlebih dahulu pengajian di peringkat universiti dan melengkapkan diri terlebih dahulu dengan ilmu, pengalaman dan kepakaran yang mencukupi sebelum memasuki dunia politik,” katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian ketika dihubungi semalam sebagai mengulas kenyataan Menteri Pengajian Tinggi Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin yang membenarkan pelajar IPT bertanding pada PRU13.

Kebenaran itu menurut Khaled merupakan tanda kerajaan mengiktiraf fungsi dan sumbangan serta kematangan daya pemikiran mahasiswa di negara ini pada masa sekarang.

Tambah Fadzil, sebagai seorang yang bertanggungjawab dalam hal ehwal pelajar, sukar untuk seseorang pelajar itu membahagikan masanya untuk pengajian dan kerjaya sebagai ahli politik di luar kampus.

“Untuk menjadi seorang ahli politik yang berkaliber, pertama ia menuntut ilmu dan kebijaksanaan.

“Pelajar merupakan golongan muda yang mudah terdorong kepada sentimen disebabkan taksbi kepada sesuatu perkara atau isu.

“Disebabkan sikap ekstremis ini ia akan mendorong kepada sentimen-sentimen tertentu yang tidak baik untuk negara,” katanya.

Jelas Fadzil lagi, tiada jaminan bahawa pelajar yang terlibat dalam politik tidak akan berpolitik di dalam kampus jika berjaya menjadi wakil rakyat.

Lebih membimbangkan apabila pengikut-pengikut dalam kampus turut serta dalam aktiviti berkempen dan sebagainya sehingga mengabaikan pengajian yang mana akhirnya mengundang kepada kegagalan.

“Politik adalah bermusim, selepas lima tahun jika tidak dipilih lagi bagaimana nasib mereka jika tidak dibekalkan dengan ilmu yang secukupnya serta masa depan yang kukuh.

“Justeru, pelajar-pelajar di luar sana yang mungkin berhasrat untuk bertanding seboleh-bolehnya tamatkan pengajian terlebih dahulu.

“Meskipun saya tidak menghalang pelajar untuk bertanding tetapi dalam hati kecil saya ada rasa kurang selesa dan khuatir ia akan menghancurkan peluang pelajar untuk berjaya di luar sana,” katanya.

Sarawak has to be defended from economic attacks and sabotage

By Muda Tengah

For the past few months PKR, DAP and its controlled NGOs have been conducting a massive smear campaign against Sarawak to sabotage SCORE.  But does Sarawakians realize DAP, PKR and its NGOs are depriving Sarawakians of millions of jobs in the future?

The old economic model of cheap labor to attract FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) has been outdated for the past decade.  Sanmina plant closure recently shows that the past economic model isn't viable and competitive.

Sanmina closed due to relocation to China

by Lim How Pim, Lian Cheng, Phyllis Wong and Anasathia Jenis, reporters@theborneopost.com. Borneo Post on November 2, 2012, Friday

HELP US, PLEASE: Retrenched workers demand that the state government step in to help them obtain better retrenchment benefits during a protest in Samajaya. — Photo by Chimon Upon

KUCHING: The closure of Sanmina-SCI Corporation (M) Sdn Bhd, Kuching (Sanmina-SCI) was the result of its San Jose headquarters’ decision to cut cost and move its operations to its new facility in Wuxi, China.

In a full transcript of Sanmina-SCI’s report on fourth quarter fiscal yearend 2012 earnings made available on line by Seeking Alpha, a Stock Market News, Opinion and Analysis specialist, its CFO Bob Eulau said the closure of the Kuching facility would help to cut cost by USD3 million to USD5 million on a quarterly basis.

“This was a difficult decision, but one that we believe positions us for better financial results in both the short and long term,” said Eulau.

The transcript which recorded real time discussions on Oct 31 also revealed that the decision to expand its printed circuit board manufacturing capacity in Wuxi China was made a couple of years ago and that an experienced team has been in place in Wuxi.

“With this closure, we were able to transfer a significant portion of the equipment in that factory (Kuching) to our new building in China.

“Our estimate is that we are saving approximately USD20 million to USD22 million.

“Once we complete this transition, we will have eliminated approximately USD3 million to USD5 million in costs that would have continued to be incurred on a quarterly basis. The payback period for this closure should be about six to nine months.”

The reports also quoted Wamsi Mohan, an analyst at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, who was among nine analysts present at the discussion posing the question to Eulau with regard to the closing of the Malaysian facility: “Your Malaysian footprint was about 5 per cent of your revenues; are you completely closing the Malaysian facility or is it a subset of that facility?”

To which chairman/CEO of Sanmina Jure Sola replied that the company was leaving some technology engineering group there that would be working on some research and development.

“We are not going to be manufacturing printed circuit board at that factory in the future. It’s a really high technology product, and based on present demand and future demand, we believe we can provide a better solution from China.”

  

Borneo Post end.

Sarawak and indeed even Malaysia cannot compete with China or even Vietnam in attracting FDI based on cheap labor alone.  West Malaysia is far more competitive than Sarawak in terms of infrastructure and international connectivity.  West Malaysia  has bigger and more diverse pool of human capital to offer MNCs (Multinational Corporations) to attract FDIs.  West Malaysia with its bigger population has a bigger consumer market than Sarawak.  So Sarawak is presently in an even more disadvantagous position than West Malaysia in atrracting FDIs.

The only way for Sarawak to remain competitive in the South East Asian or global market is give an added competitive factor to its offering to MNCs.  According to American and European surveys the future of manufacturing is automation.  In other words the most competitive factories in the future will be a factory with less human workers and more machines.  Therefore the overhead costs of such a maufacturing facility will have less manpower and more machine power.  Robotics and precision machinery is making it more competitive to produce products with less manpower.  The costs for manpower will be less and the cost of electricity will be more.  Therefore it would stand to reason that MNCs will look at power costs as a significant factor when they make their FDI decisions.

Tapping Sarawak's potential Hydro power is the only way to create millions of jobs for our children and grandchildren.  A combination of high skilled human capital and very competitive power rates will allow Sarawak to compete with West Malaysia and even other South East Asian countries in attracting FDIs.  This has been the vision of our YAB Pehin Sri Taib Mahmud for the past few years.  This is for all our children and grandchildren.

Sadly the opposition have taken upon themselves to destroy this future for Sarawakians.  They are willing to say and do anything to sabotage Sarawak SCORE.  PKR and DAP creates lies and spread slander on Sarawak's leader and the major infrastructure components that will make SCORE a success.  They don't care if more and more plant closes in Sarawak and no new FDIs come in to create replacement or new job opportunities.  The only thing PKR and DAP care about is to incite hatred towards Sarawak's leader and use Sarawak as part of their power grab of Putrajaya.

They use 1 or 2 locals and send them overseas pretending that these few people represent the majority of rural Sarawakians (the truth is a big majority of Sarawakians voted in this State Government and supported SCORE as their future).

 Peter Kallang misrepresent himself as leading majority of rural Sarawakians and spreads misinformation overseas

James Nyurang and Peter John Jaban

They admit (read below PKR-controlled FMT website) that they target to destroy SCORE by attacking the expertise or the foreign companies that can make SCORE a success.

Next target is Sjotveit, Norconsult

FMT Staff

 | December 6, 2012

Why is a reputed Norwegian hydropower company, Norconsult, supporting violations in Sarawak's mega dams project? ('violations' is pakatan controlled fmt subtle labelling (to imprint in reader's minds) and not proven or accepted in any court of law)

KUCHING: With Hydro Tasmania succumbing to public pressure and committed to phasing itself out of Sarawak following a damning national-level Australian campaign launched last week over its involvement in the Murum dam project and the ill-treatment of native communities here, focus is now on Sarawak Energy Bhd’s (SEB) Norwegian CEO Torstein Dale Sjotveit and Norconsult, another key player in the project.

Save River network, a coalition of Sarawak NGOs, and the Swiss-based Bruno Manser Fund (BMF) want Sjotveit and Norconsult out of Sarawak for the same reason they pushed for Hydro Tasmania’s pullout.

Having successfully mobilised Australians to pressure their government into compelling the pull-out of state-owned Hydro Tasmania from Sarawak, the group is now seeking to use the same modus operandi to purge Sjotveit and Norconsult from the state.

The coalition’s success with Hydro Tasmania was closely linked to it having anchored the support of Australian Greens party. The Greens are in a formal alliance with the Australian Labor Party in the Tasmanian Parliament.

The party together with Save Rivers launched a campaign last week which led to Hydro Tasmania’s announcement that it would withdraw from Sarawak by the end of 2013.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, BMF said they will continue with the campaign to save the rivers and the natives.

“We will continue with the campaign. The spotlight will now focus on the role of Norwegian expats and consultants in the Sarawak dams programme, such as the Sarawak Energy CEO, Torstein Dale Sjøtveit, and Norconsult.

“[We want to know] why are Sjøtveit and Norconsult involved in a project that Hydro Tasmania found unfit to support? ” said the statement.

Norconsult, which described itself as the “largest consulting engineering company in Norway” is assisting SEB in the development of the Sarawak Corridor for Renewable Energy (SCORE). It is a pet project of Chief Minister Taib Mahmud.

‘The sun will still rise’

by Lim How Pim, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on December 7, 2012, Friday

APPRECIATION: Taib looks at a memento presented to him by vice-chancellor and president of Swinburne University of Technology Prof Linda Kristjanson after the opening ceremony as Swinburne Sarawak pro vice-chancellor and chief executive Professor Ken Heskin looks on.

No impact if Hydro Tasmania pulls out of Sarawak, says Taib

KUCHING: Sarawak’s hydro-electric industry will remain intact even if Hydro Tasmania pulls out of the state by the end of next year.

Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud is completely confident that another corporation or two would join the state’s efforts to boost its renewable energy development.

Met by journalists here yesterday, he believed that non-governmental organisations (NGOs) had their agenda which did not seem to tag along with the state government’s visions.

“That has nothing to do with technology and it is part of the NGOs’ politics. Well, they pull out, never mind. We can have somebody else.

“Bukan kerana ayam tak kokok, hari tak siang (It does not mean that there is no daylight if the cock does not crow),” he said after opening the Swinburne Sarawak Research Centre at the university’s campus here.

He was asked to respond to an online report that Hydro Tasmania would leave the state by the end of next year due to strong pressure from local and international NGOs.

End of Borneo Post.

If Sarawakians are taken in and fooled by this PKR and DAP strategy what will be the future of employment in Sarawak?  West Malaysia and other South East Asian countries will take off leaving Sarawak behind with no competitive economic base.  Millions of Sarawakians will have to look for jobs in China (as per the below thestar newspaper article) or Vietnam.

Sunday December 2, 2012

It’s tough but so is life

By YU JI
yuji@thestar.com.my

KUCHING: A number of retrenched Sanmina-SCI Corporation (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd workers are going as far as China for new employment.

Spokesman for the group of retrenched workers James Jalai Gayau, 43, said a handful had actually secured similar jobs in China and would be moving there soon.

“Some of them are going to China, not with Sanmina-SCI; they found jobs with other companies there. It’s tough. I ask you, how many of us can find printed circuit board (PCB) jobs in Malaysia?” Jalai told The Staryesterday.

“A few others have also followed Sanmina-SCI to China, mostly the higher ranking staff who are going to finish their contracts so they can get their bonuses. After that, they will come back and face the same problems that we have here,” said Jalai, who worked at the just-closed factory for 16 years.

End of thestar article.

It is my hope that all Sarawakians look at SCORE rationally and analytically.  Sarawak's leader is trying to create a strong economic future for Sarawakians.  We can help or we can destroy our own future. 

Swinburne University Sarawak menjangkau kemajuan lebuh tinggi

Swinburne vice-chancellor: RM40m for research centre to reach new heights

Posted on December 7, 2012, Friday

SEALING PARTNERSHIP: Taib (third right, standing) and Kristjanson (second right, standing) witness the signing of memorandum of understanding between Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak, Biotech Alliance International Sdn Bhd, Algaetech International Sdn Bhd and Association of Consulting Engineers Malaysia Sarawak branch.

KUCHING: The Swinburne Sarawak Research Centre for Sustainable Technologies will see an investment of RM40 million over the next couple of years to bring its research achievements to new heights.

Vice-chancellor and president of Swinburne University of Technology Prof Linda Kristjanson said the centre provided a venue for individuals with the relevant expertise and passion to interact so as to generate new ideas.

In addition, it focused on research efforts from across the campus with common emphasis on sustainability, she said before Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud opened the new centre at the university campus here yesterday.

Kristjanson pointed out that the centre would host over 20 postgraduates, five postdocs and visits from world renowned expertise, particularly those from the Melbourne campus.

“Laboratories across the campus are associated with the work at the centre. This includes our biotechnology, chemistry, electronics, civil and robotics laboratories.

“The centre is also linked to our supercomputer at Melbourne campus, which is among the most powerful in Australia for research simulation work.”

She announced that Swinburne Melbourne prided itself in having appeared in the top 500 of the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) for the last few years in a row.

“Swinburne University of Technology aims to be recognised not only for high quality research but also for research that is relevant and engages with the community, industries and government.”

Hence, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding with three institutions to explore the possibilities of joint research projects. The partners are Biotech Alliance International Sdn Bhd, Algaetech International Sdn Bhd and the Association of Consulting Engineers Malaysia Sarawak branch.

According to Kristjanson, Biotech Alliance International Sdn Bhd is a hugely successful locally grown biotech company with international presence in Australia, China, Myanmar and Indonesia. It is a bio-nexus status company that specialises in environmentally sustainable oil palm waste management systems. True to their strong roots in biotechnology for oil palm, the company has also successfully developed and marketed its very own bio-fertiliser and bio-fungicide.

Algaetech International Sdn Bhd is a company based in Kuala Lumpur that spearheads the technology used in algae cultivation. It has businesses in Indonesia, the Middle East and Africa. Last year, the company was officially recognised as one of the top 100 SMEs of Malaysia.

Starting off as a technology provider for algae cultivation, the company is now venturing into large scale biodiesel production using algae, which is biodegradable, renewable and sustainable.

Kristjanson said the Association of Consulting Engineers Malaysia Sarawak branch had given the university campus good and wise inputs into the development of its engineering programmes’ curriculum.

“The association has a very good understanding of the engineering needs in the real world. We now look forward to their inputs to our research direction, and for them to be the springboard for us to engage with engineering firms nationwide.”

She also disclosed that the research centre would soon receive several support schemes including an internal funding of up to RM300,000.

“I hope our current and future research partners will take this opportunity to work with us. With now the research centre and support we are getting as well as our past achievements, I truly believe the best is yet to come.”

SCORE menjadi tumpuan

IN DISCUSSION: Taib (right) discusses something with Adenan during a photo call with recipients of the Chief Minister’s Special Award. – Bernama photo

SCORE our main devt thrust — Taib

Borneo Post on December 6, 2012, Thursday

KUCHING: The emerging Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) will heavily dictate how the state shapes its educational development and economic planning for the future.

This is because the state seeks to make SCORE the main development thrust to provide strong and stable economic growth, said Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, considering that SCORE will be able to relate to the development of the global export market, producing many intermediate manufactured products through its heavy industries related to steel and renewable energy.

At the same time, he said, the state would prepare sufficient manpower to meet the needs of the industries, projected to generate more than 1 million jobs by 2030, through extensive educational development plans.

“In the past, the state had to look into agriculture and agro-based industries to complement the slow growing industrialisation development here due to the limited domestic market. Sabah and Sarawak, despite strong economic collaboration, could not provide a strong impetus due to insufficient infrastructure in place to serve its wide area when compared to the peninsula.

“In this sense, the state had to skip the phase of industrialisation in regards to imports substitution industries as the state could not take full opportunities on such development.

“SCORE is the new development method the state will rely on, taking full advantage of its sustainable hydro energy to counter the increasing prices of bio-fuel,” said Taib when officiating at the 2012 Chief Minister’s Special Awards presentation ceremony at Hilton Hotel here on Tuesday.

Also present at the event co-organised by the Sarawak Foundation and Education Department were Special Functions Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Adenan Satem who is also the foundation’s chairman, State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Morshidi Ghani, State Federal Secretary Datuk Mohd Yahaya Basimin and state Education director Abdillah Adam, among others.

Highlighting that about 32 per cent of job opportunities in SCORE will require skilled and semi-skilled workers, Taib asked Sarawak Foundation to assist in looking for the best approach to promote education based on technical skills among students in the state.

“After designing the right kind of education to suit our economic development, we should concentrate our efforts in this initiative. Technical education has emerged important to our development, considering our changing way of life which requires us to be involved heavily in the manufacturing sector.

“The export industry here is also growing significantly, where a favourable balance of payment of the country each year has been contributed by the state.

“The export aggressiveness among Sarawakians has grown to substitute the inability to be heavily involved in the import substitution industries. Considering all these, there is a good reason for the state to plan its education system based on certain line of skill development that can assure good employment opportunities,” he explained.

Despite certain quarters suggesting that the state focus on developing tourism and other industries rather than building hydroelectric dams, Taib stated that income generated from these industries would not even reach half of the employment opportunities and other rewards that SCORE could give to Sarawakians.

Alam sekitar tanggungjawab dunia bersama - Adenan Satem

Environmental conservation a global effort — Adenan

by Johnson K Saai  theborneopost.com. Posted on December 4, 2012, Tuesday

ALL SMILES: Adenan (second right) sharing a light moment with NREB officers after a group photo session at the launch of the conference. — Photo by Chimon Upon

KUCHING: Preserving and protecting the environment require global efforts, thus it is vital that Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) establish close cooperation with neighbouring countries in handling environmental issues and phenomena, said Minister of Special Functions Tan Sri Datuk Amar Adenan Satem.

He pointed out that no single country in the world could say it had nothing to contribute towards safeguarding the environment as it was the duty of everyone.

“There must be a global effort. You may say we are only a small country and whatever we do will not bring any impact to the global environment which is wrong because everybody must chip in their part,” he said.

He said environment was a global matter and therefore there must be cooperation, especially between neighbouring countries.

“We must have cooperation from neighbouring countries because this is a global matter. For example, the haze from Kalimantan cannot say to itself let’s stop at the border with Malaysia.

“There is no such thing so you need international cooperation with our neighbours and they need our cooperation. There must be a global effort,” he said.

In this regard, he said NREB must work together with other relevant agencies, bodies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

“Our officers must associate themselves with international efforts…must know what is going on in other countries also and not just within the local scene,” he said.

He said being the leading environmental manager in the state, NREB should also think well beyond curing the damages caused to the environment over the years, stressing that its officers must not only know what they were doing but most importantly must be able to predict and pre-empt all possible consequences if laws and regulations to protect and safeguard the environment were breached.

“To cure is fine but it is even better to prevent it from happening in the first place because prevention is always better then cure.

“So you must have a capacity in doing something new. Capacity to predict what is going to happen…capacity to pre-empt what is going to happen if you don’t follow this or that,” he said.

Adenan, who is also NREB chairman, said this when opening the NREB senior officers’ conference (SOC) 2012 at a leading hotel here yesterday.

He said it was pointless for a country to have laws and regulations to protect the environment if they were not implemented properly and fully.

“We can have beautiful elaborate comprehensive laws but if they are not implemented properly and fully it will not achieve what we have set on. The laws are as good as the implementation,” he said.

State environmental quality controller Peter Sawal also spoke at the conference.

Ucapan Penuh Penggulungan YAB Pehin Sri Taib Mahmud di Mesyuarat Kedua Penggal Kedua DUN ke 17

BELUM DISUNTING
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32
(Mesyuarat dimulakan pada jam 2:34 petang)
[Tuan Speaker mempengerusikan Mesyuarat]
Tuan Speaker:  Ahli-Ahli Yang Berhormat dengan segala hormatnya saya menjemput
Yang Amat Berhormat Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib Bin Mahmud, Ketua Menteri Sarawak,
Menteri Kewangan dan Menteri Perancangan Sumber dan Alam Sekitar untuk
menyampaikan ucapan penggulungan.
Ketua Menteri (Y.A.B. Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib bin Mahmud): Bismillahir Rahmanir
Rahim. Tuan Speaker, terlebih dahulu saya ingin mengucapkan syukur ke hadrat Allah
S.W.T kerana dengan rahmat dan kurniaNya maka kita dapat bersama-sama bersidang
di Dewan yang mulia ini untuk membahas perkara-perkara yang penting mengenai
pembangunan negeri dan kesejahteraan rakyat. Kita juga perlu bersyukur kerana
negara kita Malaysia dan Negeri Sarawak khasnya berada di dalam keadaan aman dan
damai. Walaupun kita ada saksi berlakunya beberapa buah negara-negara khasnya di
Eropah yang mengalami keadaaan sosial, ekonomi dan politik yang kurang stabil.
Kestabilan politik dan ekonomi  yang stabil yang kita kecapi selama ini telah
memboleh kita meneruskan agenda perjuangan dan pembangunan kita untuk membela
nasib dan masa hadapan rakyat kita. Setelah meneliti perbahasan oleh Ahli-Ahli Yang
Berhormat di Dewan yang mulia ini, saya dapati kebanyakan Ahli-Ahli Yang Berhormat
telah membangkitkan isu-isu yang berkaitan dengan pembangunan, kebajikan dan
kesejahteraan rakyat.
Kesemua isu-isu tersebut telah pun dijawab oleh Menteri-Menteri saya mengikut
bidang kuasa kementerian masing-masing. Di dalam ucapan penggulungan saya ini,
saya akan menjelaskan kepada Dewan yang mulia ini betapa pentingnya pembangunan
untuk terus menyediakan tenaga ataupun  energy development yang cukup untuk
pertumbuhan ekonomi kita.
Di dalam konteks pembangunan Negeri  Sarawak, pembangunan tenaga
terutama sekali tenaga hidro secara sistematik melalui pelan pembangunan SCORE
merupa langkah yang paling sesuai untuk memacukan pertumbuhan ekonomi negeri ini
ke arah mencapai status sebuah negeri maju yang berpendapatan tinggi menjelang
tahun 2020.
Sarawak Niche in Global Economy Today
Tuan Speaker, since merdeka, the initiative of the national Government elected
by the people had always been focused on pushing the growth and diversification of the
National economy in order to bail on the success of Malaysia as a prominent commodity
producer.  We could not stay there all the time. We have to move by other strategies
especially by industrialization.
The whole of Peninsular Malaysia was transformed by this new drive. Even
Penang which was planned by British to be an entre port has to revamp its development
plan to make sure it will not be left behind by only relying on tax free position. The tax
free position could not stay forever and when it got to be taken out Penang must be
ready or through, find new base for economy development.
That was splendidly achieved by the initiative of a visionary leader in a person of
the late Tun Lim Chong Yu who through the support of the Federal Government being
the electronic industry that has become the life blood of Penang Island today. This is the
perfect case of how responsible autonomy given to a State has integrated the island BELUM DISUNTING
28 NOVEMBER 2012
33
economy into the big national economy.  So, as to from the construction of two very
expensive bridges, we in Sarawak, like Penang, does not have the same ready made
structure to fit into the uniform pattern of development as the main body of Malaysian
economy. And therefore have to find our own niche to further push our development to
achieve high income status. For us, SCORE is the answer. No matter what pattern of
development, Penang and Sarawak adopt, to keep pace with the Malaysian economy
which we will benefit from the fact that we have the aggressiveness to find the
appropriate role as parts of the world trader as Malaysia has always been for many,
many years.
The rising price of petrol and the changing world market configuration between
the developed and developing world gave Sarawak a chance to carve our own niche in
the new world trades shift.
World Economy Situation
Energy is an important resource for all economies. Countries can even go to war
for energy. Without adequate energy supply, there will be no modern economy. Without
the development of energy resources, there will be no economic growth. The  World
Bank this year reported that Asia Pacific account for 39% of the world‘s energy.
According to its latest available data, which are for 2009, China alone consumes
half of it, at 19%. North America and Europe consume 22% each. India consumes 6%
and Japan 4%. Much of the problem of the global warming issue comes for the burning
of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels account for over 70% of the green-house gas emissions in the
world. Fossil fuels are estimated to account or about 81% of global energy consumption,
nuclear power, nearly 6% and renewable energy nearly 13%.
The preferred shift of world energy consumption is from fossil fuels and nuclear
power to renewable energy. In renewable energy, the areas being explored are solar
energy, wind power, geothermal energy, biomass, hydropower and ocean energy. Most
of these new energy maybe available only at a very high cost.
In reality, it will be the economics of the generation and distribution of energy that
will determine the direction of the trend. Several developments are taking place.
According to the International Energy Agency, there is resurgence in oil and gas
production in the United States, driven by upstream technologies which are unlocking
light tight oil and shale gas resources. This could moderate the rise in the price of
energy. At the same time, the United States will be reducing its import of oil as it could
become the largest oil producer in the world by 2020, with North America expected to
become a net oil exporter by 2030. This is a change in scenario. American oil exports
will go to Asia, which will intensify the security of the strategic route through the Middle
East.
Iraq is striving to be the second largest oil exporter in the world with an eye to
increase export to China.
The demand for LNG will grow in China, India and Middle East. The US will have
abundant supply, this abundant supply will see gas overtaking oil by around the year
2030 to become the biggest fuel in the energy mix. Gas in Europe is trying to regain its
previous predominance, while in Japan, gas is limited by higher gas prices and a policy
to focus on renewable and energy efficiency.
In the last decade, coal met nearly half the rise in the demand for energy in the
world. China and India are projected to account for nearly three-quarters of the growth in BELUM DISUNTING
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34
coal demand outside of OECD countries. China demand will peak around 2020 and
become steady by the year 2033. India will rise and by the year 2025 will overtake the
US as the second largest user of coal in the world.
Japan and France seem to reduce its use of nuclear energy. Nevertheless,
nuclear output will continue to grow, driven by capacity expansion in China, Korea, India
and Russia. But its share in the global electricity mix will fall slightly over time.
There has been a steady increase in hydropower development and the rapid rise
in wind and solar power. The development of solar energy in the equatorial area is still
not as efficient as elsewhere, and may not be able to give a firm and steady supply of
energy. Bio-fuel supply can be increased in the future but it has to compete with rising
demand for food to supply the growing world population, especially in the likely
occurrence of disruption caused by climate changes. By the year 2035, renewable
energy is expected to account for nearly one-third of the world‘s total electricity output
but at what price?
Sarawak as Energy Producer
Tuan Speaker, we know Sarawak is a major energy producer. It is probably not
on par with the big world producer, but certainly within the context of our population and
our future growth. We have benefited from the development of oil and gas and many
Sarawakians have developed world-class careers as a result. Entire towns like Miri and
Bintulu, in particular, have sprung up because of the oil and gas industry.
It is very clear in the mind of the State economic planners that the energy sector
is a sector that we must strengthen and develop further. Sarawak can become a much
bigger economy, with the availability of energy resources especially if the industrial
sector can be developed more ambitiously. We until now have petroleum and natural
gas. And now, we are going into coal-fired plants and hydro-electric power dams. We
shall also explore biofuels and solar energy in the future, once we are sure of its
economic viability.
Building a Manufacturing Industrial Base
Instead of just exporting our resources abroad, however, we are drawing the
buyers of our resources to do their operations in Sarawak so that more jobs can be
created for Sarawakians in their own country. By this incremental step, we wish to create
a significant manufacturing and industrial base in Sarawak that can generate even more
good jobs and business opportunities to our people in the immediate years ahead.
Attracting investments and investors into Sarawak and creating jobs and
business opportunities are an important step in our development strategy. It is the
inducement of investment and the corresponding build up of talents that we are going to
accelerate the development of Sarawak and equip her to compete effectively with the
rest of the world. We shall build this critical mass on the back of a competitively-priced
energy that is determined predominantly by hydro-electricity power in the energy mix.

Kempen serang fitnah pemimpin dan kerajaan merosakkan ekonomi negri - YAB Pehin Sri Taib Mahmud

Taib: Campaigns to discredit individuals, government are economic sabotage

November 28, 2012

KUCHING, Nov 28 — Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said today systematic campaigns to discredit individuals and even a legitimate government were tantamount to economic sabotage which warranted a serious response from the state government.  

Taib (picture), who is also Sarawak Finance Minister cum Resource Planning and Environment Minister, said he did not condone such systematic campaigns which tried to prevent a small developing economy from growing even though in a democracy the people were free to assert their wishes.

“Increasingly, we notice that negative actions are being organised in Sarawak to gain global attention and a handful of local organisers seem to lead this opposition to get funding from foreigners,” he said when winding up debate in the state assembly meeting, at Petra Jaya, here. 

“They discredit the government in a web of lies and half-truths wrapped around ignorance and twisted logic,” he said, adding that it was the position of the Barisan Nasional (BN) that the economic strategy was sustainable growth as opposed to economic stagnation.

As such, he said, it would be short-sighted to oppose the construction of dams in Sarawak and to listen to outsiders whose real intention towards the state’s continued development was suspect at best. 

Taib said that having developed the state’s economy with oil and gas, timber and palm oil, the current development strategy was to develop Sarawak’s resources and promote energy-intensive industries in order to build a niche as part of the global supply chain.

It was also a rare opportunity for the government to create good-paying jobs in Sarawak and to stimulate the business and investment environment, he said.

On dam construction to generate hydro power, he said, the state government would carry out its plan to develop hydro-electric power projects to make the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (Score) a success as such an energy development roadmap was important to provide Sarawak with a certainty in its future economic direction.

He said hydro dams had the advantage as a cheaper source of energy besides serving multiple purposes, including flood control, water irrigation, water supply and ship navigation, as well as the development of tourism.

Even International Rivers, an international non-governmental organisation that had spread its tentacles, acknowledged that opposition to a dam did not mean that it should not be built, he said.

Pointing out that the government was serious in ensuring that the hydro dam projects were done properly, he said it established the Sarawak socio-environmental impact assessment (SEIA) process, which was an adaptation of the key elements of international guidelines to Sarawak’s conditions, including the right of the indigenous people to land and land-based activities. — Bernama

Yang Amat Berhormat berucap 'winding up speech' untuk persidangan DUN Sarawak yang berakhir hari ini.