Bintulu: The unity of the people, regardless of religion and ethnicity, continues to serve as the main foundation for Sarawak’s success in emerging as a new economic powerhouse in the country.

Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Tun Datuk Abang Openg said the stability and solidarity of Sarawakians have enabled the state to move aggressively in exploring future industries, including green energy, hydrogen and the low-carbon economy.

“What matters is our unity regardless of religion and ethnicity. We are united in a single movement to position Sarawak like Bavaria in Germany.

“Sarawak is becoming the heartbeat of Malaysia’s economic development and if we succeed, Malaysia succeeds,” he said.

He said this when officiating the Sarawakku Sayang (SKS) Bintulu 2026 Programme here on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Datuk Patinggi Abang Zohari said Sarawak’s willingness to take calculated risks in the green energy sector is now paying off, with the state emerging as the first hydrogen production hub in the ASEAN region.

He said the initiative was introduced early in preparation for the expected decline in fossil fuel resources in the future.

“We take risks, but they are calculated risks. You must know how to calculate and anticipate what will happen in the future because fossil fuels are depleting and hydrogen is growing.

“That is why today we are the hydrogen production hub in ASEAN and we are the first,” he said.

He also said Sarawak’s sustainable development approach has gained international recognition, with the World Economic Forum acknowledging Bintulu as one of four low-carbon industrial clusters in the world.

According to him, the development of the low-carbon industrial area in Bintulu proves that Sarawak is capable of balancing economic growth with environmental preservation.

In a related development, he said Sarawak has also successfully exported more than one million metric tonnes of methanol to the Asia Pacific market, worth billions of ringgit.

He added that methanol produced in Sarawak carries high added value as it can be processed into various other products, including ammonia and fertiliser.

During the same programme, Datuk Patinggi Abang Zohari also presented symbolic contributions under the Sarawak Basic Needs Assistance (SKAS) and the Sarawak Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES) to 10 recipients, as part of the state government’s commitment to ensuring that no Sarawakian child is left behind in education.

Also present were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Amar Fadillah Yusof, Sarawak Deputy Premiers Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas and Datuk Amar Prof Dr Sim Kui Hian, Sarawak Legislative Assembly Speaker Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar, Sarawak Minister for Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom, and Sarawak Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki. -UKASnews

Prepared by: Grace John Lee
Photo: Ameerul Syafiq Khir
Translator: Uilson Ng