Abang Johari delivers his speech at the dinner. – Penerangan photo
KUCHING (July 19): Sarawak is fully financing its pioneering hydrogen-powered Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) system after facing uncertainty over federal funding for major infrastructure projects, said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
Reflecting on the challenges of securing allocations from the federal government, he said Sarawak had chosen to rely on its own financial strength to realise the ambitious project, unlike other states that received federal assistance.
“Ini Sarawak susah oh (It is difficult for Sarawak), I tell you. Sometimes our friends in KL (Kuala Lumpur), dia kasi (they give), tidak kasi (they don’t give), kasi, tidak kasi. But now, we have good revenue, and this ART is financed by the Sarawak government alone.
“I really salute Penang. Penang pun mau buat ART or LRT (Penang also wants to build an ART or LRT system), but Penang got money from KL, kita tidak ada dari KL (whereas we did not receive any from KL),” he said in his speech when officiating the 20th Global Reunion of Nanyang University Alumni dinner at a hotel here on Saturday.
Abang Johari said the state opted for a hydrogen-powered ART system because hydrogen is the cleanest energy sources available, in line with Sarawak’s commitment to developing a green and sustainable economy.
“Our ART is powered by hydrogen, the first in this region. We opted to use hydrogen because hydrogen is the cleanest energy.
“The universe has this gas from protons and neutrons and then produces gas and one of the molecules is hydrogen. We can get hydrogen from water. We got a lot of rivers, lot of water, find the hydrogen and we produce hydrogen through the process of electrolysis and hydrogen become the new energy.
“So I hope next year you can try our ART,” he told the international gathering of alumni.
He said Sarawak’s strong revenue position had enabled the state to independently pursue strategic investments in clean energy, advanced technology and future industries.
Beyond the hydrogen-powered ART system, he said Sarawak is capitalising on its abundant water resources and solar potential to strengthen its position as a regional leader in renewable energy through hydropower and solar development.
Abang Johari said the state’s long-term strategy also places strong emphasis on education and talent development to prepare Sarawakians for an economy increasingly driven by green technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor industries.
As part of this vision, he reiterated that Sarawak is providing free tertiary education at its state-owned higher learning institutions.
Eligible Sarawakians holding identity cards bearing the ‘K’ indicator will have their tuition fees fully funded by the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government.
The four institutions participating in the initiative are Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, Curtin University Malaysia, i-CATS University College and University of Technology Sarawak (UTS).
“This is part of our efforts to produce learned intellectual manpower and the programmes that we give, we offer, 64, all science-based except finance psychology and of course law because we want people to understand what is MA63. They must study the constitution and they must study the original cause of MA63 and it is a treaty by itself.
“Sorry lah Semenanjung, you must understand this. That’s why we are fighting that MA63 must be respected and complied with,” he added.
Also present at the dinner were Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Sebastian Ting, Nanyang University Alumni chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King and organising chairperson David Wong Siew Chow.
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