Sarawak's development approach must not be influenced by racial sentiments, says Dr Annuar

KUCHING, June 11 2026: Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development Dr Annuar Rapaee stressed that Sarawak's development approach must not be influenced by racial sentiments that could undermine the harmony and political stability of the state.

Caption: Deputy Minister Dr Annuar Rapaee says Sarawak must continue to distance itself from race-based politics for a more sustainable future

"Racial sentiments can easily stir emotions, but their consequences can damage the stability and unity we enjoy today.

"Sarawak must continue to distance itself from race-based politics for a more sustainable future," he said at the opening of the Sarawak Malay Graduates Convention held at the Institut Pendidikan Guru (IPG) Batu Lintang today. 

He added that political stability and public unity are the key factors contributing to Sarawak's success in achieving sound financial management, thereby enabling the state government to implement various welfare initiatives, including free education.

He emphasised that the ability to provide free education is a result of effective economic management and state revenue surpluses that are returned to the people.

"A government with surplus income should give it back to the people, and free education is one of the best forms of investment for the future of Sarawak's children," he explained.

In addition, he also stressed the importance of mastering the English language as a future necessity, without sidelining the Malay language as the national language.

He said that proficiency in English provides a competitive advantage in the job market, and therefore efforts to strengthen English language skills must be pursued in a balanced manner.

Dr Annuar said the graduates convention served as an important forum for strengthening community unity and discussing the direction of education and human capital development in the state.

He said that the organisation of such a convention is highly significant in empowering the Sarawak Malay community — which does not constitute a majority group — while ensuring that their voices and interests continue to receive due attention.

Bintulu Transitioning Industrial Cluster launched, joining 38 others from 20 countries

KUCHING, June 11 1026: Bintulu Transitioning Industrial Cluster (TIC), Malaysia’s and Asean’s first, was launched today, joining 38 other clusters across 20 countries that are working on the future of clean and competitive industry. 

Caption: Premier Abang Johari Openg says the real value of Transitioning Industrial Cluster lies in connecting Bintulu to  the global movement

Collectively, these clusters represent approximately USD 808 billion in economic output, 6.6 million jobs, and 870 million tonnes of potential carbon emissions abatement.

Premier Abang Johari Openg said the Bintulu TIC will give Sarawak access to international expertise, proven solutions and strategic partnership in areas such as clean energy, industrial symbiosis, digitisation,hydrogen, carbon management, circular systems and workforce development.

Speaking at the launch, the premier explained that the significance of this initiative is not simply that Sarawak is the first in Malaysia to participate.

“Its real value lies in connecting Bintulu to a global movement that is redefining how industrial regions grow, compete and decarbonise.

“Industrial clusters are the cornerstone of economies, generating meaningful jobs. At the same time, they account for some of the toughest emissions to abate,” he said.

Abang Johari said the industrial clusters are where the greatest opportunities for rapid, shared decarbonisation lie, while protecting industrial competitiveness and accelerating Sarawak’s green growth agenda.

He said the TIC is built around five pillars — policy, finance, technology, partnerships, and infrastructure.

On policy, he said Sarawak is not starting from scratch, but through the Energy Transition Policy, Hydrogen Economy Roadmap, Sustainability Blueprint, and more recently, Sarawak Net Zero Strategy and Carbon Plan, Sarawak has already set a clear direction for sustainable growth.

On finance, he said it helps translate ambition into investable opportunities by strengthening the governance, planning and project development needed to attract capital and accelerate implementation.

On technology, the premier said it connects Bintulu to a global network of industrial innovation — from digitalisation and artificial intelligence to hydrogen, carbon management and circular industrial systems.

“This allows us to learn from leading industrial clusters around the world, adapt proven solutions to our own context, and move faster.

“A critical enabler of this transformation is partnerships to create shared platform and infrastructure,”he said.

He stressed that industrial decarbonisation at scale depends on infrastructure that connects industries across energy systems, carbon management, digital platforms, logistics, waste, water and resource flows.

“This is what allows the cluster to function not as separate industrial assets, but as a coordinated system,” he said, adding that Sarawak’s industrial sector is both a major driver of economic growth and a key contributor to emissions.

 

Recruiting 15,000 nurses from Indonesia is not the solution to fill up the vacancies in Malaysia, rights activist reminds Putrajaya

KUCHING. June 11 2026: Recruiting of up to 15,000 nurses from Indonesia to fill up 18 per cent of the vacancies in Malaysia is not the solution, but a public admission of system failure, Sarawak rights activist Peter John Jaban reminded Putrajaya.

Caption: Activist Peter John Jaban cakks for the implementation of a mandatory 35% market-incentive allowance for local nurses working in high-pressure public hospitals and rural Borneo clinics to match regional economic realities.

He called on the federal government to stop outsourcing the country’s national healthcare security to cover up its refusal to pay local workers a living wage.

He also called for an immediate freeze on recruiting foreign nurses and halt any government-to-government agreement with Indonesia until a comprehensive, transparent review of local nurse retention and wage revision is presented.

He also called for an immediate granting of health autonomy for Sarawak, saying that if Putrajaya cannot afford to pay nurses a competitive regional wage, devolve full financial and administrative healthcare powers to Sarawak so the state can implement its own specialized civil service wage scale.

Peter also called for the implementation of a mandatory 35% market-incentive allowance for local nurses working in high-pressure public hospitals and rural Borneo clinics to match regional economic realities.

“If Malaysian nurses are good enough to anchor the world-class hospital systems of Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and Australia, they are good enough to be paid a thriving wage at home.

“Putrajaya must stop using foreign labour to suppress local wages,” he said in a statement.

He said Malaysia does not suffer from a shortage of talent, but from a severe shortage of political will.  

“Our locally trained, world-class nurses are fleeing to Singapore and the Middle East in droves.

“They are not abandoning their country; they are fleeing financial starvation. When a fresh Malaysian nurse in a public hospital is expected to survive on a base salary of roughly RM2,600 to RM3,500 while enduring brutal 24-hour shifts, it is not a career but it is exploitation,” he moaned.

“Across the causeway, Singapore lures them with RM12,000 to RM17,000 a month, while Dubai offers up to RM18,000 tax-free,” he said, blasting Putrajaya’s move to bring in 15,000 foreign workers instead of fixing the leaky bucket.

He said the move is an insult to every local medical graduate who has been forced to look abroad just to afford a middle-class life.

Peter accused the federal government of being completely blind to the realities of Sarawak’s need for more trained nurses.

“Importing Indonesian nurses might satisfy the commercial greed of private medical tourism hubs in Kuala Lumpur or Penang, but it will do absolutely nothing for the critically understaffed, underfunded rural clinics of Kapit, Baram, or Lawas.

“Under the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), health is supposed to be a shared responsibility, yet Sarawak continues to be treated like an afterthought.

“We do not want a two-tiered system where our local nurses burn out training foreign replacements while being paid fractions of what their skills are worth globally.

“If Sarawakian youths are given the right incentives, fully funded localized scholarships, and a dignified regional wage scale, we can staff our own hospitals,” Peter.

It was reported that Indonesia was prepared to supply up to 15,000 nurses to Malaysia to help address a critical shortage of healthcare workers.

New Straits Times quoted Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia  Raden Mohammad Iman Hascarya Kusumo as saying that the matter was discussed during a bilateral meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono on the sidelines of the 17th Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation meeting in Indonesia last week.

Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan was previously reported as saying Malaysia is considering Indonesia's proposal to expand placement of Indonesian healthcare workers, particularly nurses.