Premier Abang Johari wants community leaders to improve their leadership standards

SIBU, July 10 2026:  The leadership standards of community leaders need to be improved to be able to meet the needs of the new era that has witnessed rapid changes in technology, green economy and the global development landscape.

Caption: Premier Abang Johari Openg says that  among the changes that the community leaders need understand include low-carbon economic development, carbon trading and digitalisation of government services.

Premier Abang Johari Openg said that they need to go beyond the traditional role of information transmitters, instead becoming leaders who understand government policies, master digital technology and are able to guide the people in facing current changes.

According to him, failure to understand new policies will create a gap in understanding between the government and the people, thus affecting the implementation of the state's development agenda.
"That is why the standards of community leaders, I apologize, need to be improved. Otherwise, there will be no correct understanding between the people and our policies and our policies are made to the needs of the new era," he said at a dinner with the community leaders night.

The premier added that among the changes that they need understand include low-carbon economic development, carbon trading, digitalisation of government services, use of technology in administration and development centered on environmental sustainability.

According to him, community leaders need to understand the approach so that it is in line with government policies that are adapted to the demands of the new era, especially in the aspects of digitalisation and use of technology.

"This is what we call 'bottom-up', from the bottom up, not from the top down.

"This is the policy of our government under my leadership from the beginning until today. That is why in this Sibu area we want community leaders to understand the policy that we are implementing today, which is that we are in line with the needs of the new era," he said.

He also reminded that the future of Sarawak depends on the ability of its own people to govern and develop the state without being too dependent on other parties.

"Sarawak must depend on the strength of Sarawak itself. Only Sarawakians can manage Sarawak," he stressed.