Sarawak aims to be Asean's leading green energy hub
SIBU: Sarawak is positioning itself as the leading hub for renewable energy in the Asean region, with a comprehensive development strategy that focuses on economic prosperity, social inclusivity and environmental sustainability.
Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg said Sarawak's transition into a green economy is well underway, driven by technological innovation, renewable resources and a strong commitment to sustainability.
"Our development strategy rests on three pillars – economic prosperity, social inclusivity and environmental sustainability. I am proud to say that Sarawakians have responded positively to this direction," he said at the Rimbunan Hijau Group of Companies' 50th anniversary celebration on Tuesday (May 13) night.
He highlighted the state's progression from a digital economy to one centred on green energy, particularly renewable sources such as hydrogen, supported by artificial intelligence and digitalisation.
"After introducing our digital economy, we migrated to what we call real green energy. Now we are focusing on renewable energy. Using AI and digitalisation enhances this new era of our economic strategy," he said.
Abang Johari stressed that Sarawak's abundance of natural resources provides a competitive advantage in renewable energy production.
"We are fortunate to be blessed with water and gas resources that enable the extraction of hydrogen – the cleanest form of energy – to replace fossil fuels. Hydrogen from water and methane offers us a viable alternative fuel to power our economy," he said.
He added that Sarawak's ultimate goal is to become the hub of renewable energy in Asean through the "Asean Green" initiative.
"We must align our economy with ESG principles. We have the resources, but what is crucial now is the development of our human capital," he said.
Reflecting on a recent engagement with the London School of Economics, Abang Johari shared that international academics recognised Sarawak's potential.
"The professors at LSE said we are very fortunate in our part of the world – Borneo and Sarawak – because we possess what is now termed 'natural capital': untouched forests acting as carbon sinks, abundant hydrogen potential and people who can be trained."
He said the synergy between natural capital and human capital, driven by innovation and entrepreneurship, would allow Sarawak to thrive in the green economy.
"With the success of initiatives like Rimbunan Hijau and our continued focus on green development, I am confident Sarawak will become 'hijau, hijau, hijau' (green) for the world economy," he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
23 minutes ago
- The Sun
Water and energy supply key to attracting investors says PM Anwar
KUALA LUMPUR: The ability to provide sufficient water and energy supply is among the main attractions for investors in the semiconductor, data centre, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) sectors in Malaysia, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He said this was further strengthened by the country's capacity to provide professional manpower expertise, which was a key strategic requirement for investors. 'These two aspects (water and energy) are very strategic, and I wish to emphasise that we will not be able to maintain Malaysia's credibility as a peaceful and competent nation if we cannot resolve matters related to water and energy. 'It is not only about providing (water and electricity facilities to investors), but also about how we manage the (prices) of water and energy at reasonable levels without burdening the people,' he said when officiating the Langat 2 Water Treatment Plant (LRA2) here today. Also present was Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, who is also the Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA). Meanwhile, Anwar said Malaysia continued to face wastage issues, particularly involving Non-Revenue Water (NRW) due to usage practices and weaknesses in the old piping system. He said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, who is also the minister responsible, had raised the matter numerous times during Cabinet meetings. Following discussions, it would be made one of the priorities under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP). The Prime Minister said in terms of water management, ensuring comfort and meeting the people's needs remained the government's main priority. 'How can a country with an abundance of water, with floods two or three times a year, still face water shortages? That means something is wrong, not because of Allah's will, but due to a lack of human ingenuity. 'Take Jordan, for example. They may only have heavy rain two or three times a year, but they are able to store water for times of need. That is why our technology must not only focus on advancement but also ensure water-saving measures are in place,' said Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister. - Bernama
Free Malaysia Today
35 minutes ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Bursa pares most early losses to close marginally lower
KUALA LUMPUR : Bursa Malaysia pared most of its earlier losses to close marginally lower as profit-taking was offset by selective buying in heavyweights, amid cautious sentiment in regional markets, a dealer said. UOB Kay Hian Wealth Advisors Sdn Bhd head of investment research Sedek Jantan said the broader market sentiment today remained guarded ahead of policy signals from the US Federal Reserve's Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium later this week. 'Sector rotation was evident, with industrials outperforming on the back of a double-digit rally in petrochemicals, while plantations and consumer cyclicals also showed strength – underscoring resilient domestic demand amid external policy uncertainty,' he told Bernama. Meanwhile, Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng viewed today's profit-taking as a healthy correction since it allows the market to digest the recent strong uptrend. 'The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) is holding well above the key 1,585 support mark, which sets the stage for further gains. 'Barring any external shocks, we expect the benchmark index to trade within the 1,570 to 1,600 range throughout the week,' he said. At 5pm, the FBM KLCI slipped 2.03 points, or 0.13%, to close at 1,588.21 from Tuesday's close of 1,590.24. The benchmark index opened 2.21 points lower at 1,588.03, and moved between 1,583.40 and 1,591.04 throughout the day. The broader market was negative with decliners outpacing advancers 647 to 376, while 487 counters were unchanged, 1,084 untraded and 16 suspended. Turnover narrowed to 2.55 billion units worth RM2.5 billion from 2.6 billion units worth RM2.74 billion yesterday. Among the heavyweights, Maybank and Public Bank were flat at RM9.80 and RM4.46, respectively. Tenaga Nasional declined six sen to RM13.66, CIMB fell three sen to RM7.36, while IHH Healthcare rose three sen to RM6.88. Of the most active counters, Vantris Energy eased 0.5 sen to 3.5 sen, Sime Darby trimmed one sen to RM1.75, while Zetrix AI added one sen to 87.5 and Tanco was flat at 73 sen. Across the broader market, the FBM Emas Index decreased 29.58 points to 11,782.83, the FBMT 100 Index shed 29.35 points to 11,568.30, the FBM Emas Shariah Index gave up 32.06 points to 11,699.34, the FBM 70 Index dropped 106.51 points to 16,603.46, while the FBM ACE Index slipped 13.77 points to 4,695.92. By sector, the financial services index slid 20.36 points to 18,165.14, the plantation index garnered 46.12 points to 7,592.60, the industrial products and services index perked up 1.61 points to 160.73, and the energy index eased 0.93 of-a-point to 749.29. The Main Market volume dipped to 1.46 billion units valued at RM2.28 billion from yesterday's 1.49 billion units valued at RM2.51 billion. Warrants turnover improved to 780.41 million units worth RM93.66 million from 732.43 million units worth RM101.91 million previously. The ACE Market volume declined to 310.2 million units worth RM124.67 million from 375.68 million units worth RM134.87 million yesterday. Consumer products and services counters accounted for 247.19 million shares traded on the Main Market; industrial products and services (235.22 million), construction (146.13 million), technology (189.98 million), financial services (82.44 million), property (176.76 million), plantation (25.02 million), REITs (21.21 million), closed-end fund (3,000), energy (186.91 million), healthcare (32.64 million), telecommunications and media (47.13 million), transportation and logistics (34.33 million), utilities (38.49 million), and business trusts (11,600).
Free Malaysia Today
44 minutes ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Ringgit ends lower ahead of US FOMC minutes
KUALA LUMPUR : The ringgit appreciated against most major currencies but eased slightly against the greenback at the close today amid cautious market sentiments ahead of the release of the US federal open market committee (FOMC) meeting minutes later tonight. Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Afzanizam Rashid said that apart from the minutes, comments by senior US central bank officials will also come into focus after the release of the FOMC details. 'Markets are anxious about whether the US Federal Reserve (Fed) will deliver a 25 basis points interest rate cut in the upcoming FOMC meeting,' he told Bernama. Afzanizam said last week's US consumer price index and producer price index dynamics suggested that the Fed might continue to focus on inflation, but noted that the weak labour market warranted additional monetary stimulus. In addition, the market sentiment will stay guarded ahead of policy signals from the Fed's Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium later this week. At 6pm, the local currency dipped to 4.2250/4.2290 against the US dollar from yesterday's close of 4.2215/4.2255. At the close, the ringgit settled mostly higher against a basket of major currencies. It gained versus the euro to 4.9196/4.9242 from 4.9307/4.9354 yesterday and inched up against the British pound to 5.7033/5.7087 from 5.7066/5.7120, but dropped vis-à-vis the Japanese yen to 2.8648/2.8677 from 2.8572/2.8601. The ringgit also traded mostly higher against other Asean currencies. It gained versus the Singapore dollar to 3.2864/3.2898 from 3.2901/3.2935 at yesterday's close, strengthened against the Thai baht to 12.9756/12.9935 from 12.9848/13.0027, and inched up vis-à-vis the Indonesian rupiah to 259.6/260.0 from 259.8/260.2. However, it slid against the Philippine peso to 7.41/7.42 from 7.39/7.40 yesterday.
