KUCHING: The Land and Survey Department Sarawak (JTS) must strengthen its enforcement and mineral management functions, including expanding its surveying capabilities to Sarawak waters.

Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Tun Datuk Abang Openg said Sarawak firmly maintains that the continental shelf falls under its jurisdiction as it constitutes an extension of the land, thereby also requiring surveying.

Consequently, he said technological advancements enable surveying and mapping to be executed more effectively, including detecting subsea resources.

“That is why those conducting oil drilling no longer use old methods because it can be done through new technology using sensors that detect what lies underwater.

“That is why I feel the Land and Survey Department is now shifting its functions, including in maritime areas, and JTS Director Datu Awang Zamhari Awang Mahmood informed me that his department has no issues because they are innovative.

“They will continuously innovate to find solutions. Thus, I believe JTS can execute these tasks even in maritime areas,” he said when speaking at the Land and Survey Department Innovation and Integrity Day (HIITS) 2026 at a prominent hotel here on Wednesday.

Datuk Patinggi Abang Zohari noted that mineral resources represent a new domain that also brings new responsibilities to Sarawak, thereby necessitating the strengthening of JTS’s enforcement and mineral functions.

He stressed that the development of mineral resources must be guided by three core pillars, namely knowledge, governance and sustainability, including resources in the ocean in efforts to search for minerals to know more accurately the available resources, their location, value as well as risks so that they can be developed responsibly.

He added that in the era of strategic minerals and rare earth elements, decisions cannot be made based on assumptions, instead, they must be grounded in scientific data, precise mapping, environmental assessments and clear governance.

“There are important minerals. We must process those minerals and not send them out in raw form.

“Because in my view, we possess a resource that is extremely important, which is tied to semiconductor manufacturing as well as data storage on a small chip,” he explained. -UKASnews

Prepared by: Ahmad Daniel Faiz
Photos: Ameerul Shafiq Khir
Translator: Ryan Lim