MELBOURNE, Australia, July 26, 2017 - Chief Minister
Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said today that he would like Sarawak to be
an “innovation lab” in South-east Asia region that will explore and come up
with new ideas and develop new ways of doing things.
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| Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Openg and members of the Sarawak delegation being briefed by officials from Swinburne University |
He said this in his speech to thank Swinburne University
in conjunction with his study visit to the university at its campus here.
“This is my personal ambition for Sarawak,” said Abang
Johari who is currently leading a delegation of state government and university officials on a
weeklong study tour of Melbourne and Tasmania.
Earlier, he witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) between the state government and the university on the
field of research and development in collaboration with the university’s branch
campus and other local universities in Kuching.
The signing of the MoU was followed by briefings by
officials of the university on current research projects of the university’s
branch campus in Kuching, the way forward to creating a culture of innovation
in the society, transport innovation and the development of digital technology.
Later, he and members of his delegation were taken on a
guided tour of the “Factory of the Future” facility at the campus that
showcases digital and technological innovation to create an autonomous factory
environment.
Abang Johari said for a start in view of the large oil
palm development in Sarawak the collaborative effort should look at creating a
machine that not only can pick and transport fresh fruit bunches (FFB) but
having the ability to determine precisely the ripeness of FFB.
He said if such a machine can be developed and made
available to the industry it would not only cut the extensive labour needed but
at the same time reduce dependence on foreign labour and increase productivity.
He expressed his belief that such a machine has good
market potentials particularly in the BIMP-EAGA where oil palm is a major cash crop.
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| Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari (second left) with Victoria State's Governor Linda Dessau, State Secretary Tan Sri Morshidi Ghani and Consul General of Malaysia to Melbourne Westmoreland Palon (left) |
Abang Johari said he was impressed with a research being
carried out at the university on human
DNA compositions that would lead to identification of certain types of protein
that can be used to repair human DNA.
In view of this, he said Sarawak’s rich biodiversity
might have a lot to offer to the effort to identify and produce protein
required to repair diseased DNA and provide impetus to find innovative
treatment of cancer.
“The ideas might sound farfetched but it is not
impossible and can happen one day with technological advancement,” he said.
Later, in the afternoon the Chief Minister paid a courtesy
call on Victoria’s Governor, Linda Dessau at her official residence.
He was accompanied during the visit by State Secretary
Tan Sri Morshidi Abdul Ghani,
Consul-General of Malaysia in Melbourne Westmoreland Palon and Principal
Private Secretary Wan Khalik Wan Muhammad.
During the visit
Abang Johari presented the Governor with gifts of handwoven Iban Pua Kumbu
scarf, Orang Ulu bead necklace and a Sarawak travel book and he officially invited
the Governor to visit Sarawak.
This was followed by calls on Australia’s Parliamentary
Secretary for Multicultural Affairs and Asia Engagement, Hong Lim and
Commissioner for Victoria to South East Asia, Jeff Brett.
Meanwhile, members of the state delegation took part in a
roundtable discussion hosted by the state government of Victoria.
Among the topics covered in the workshop were ICT and
technology development, connected cities and public wi-fi programme, strategic
communication and engagement and protocol and transport innovation, investment
and engagement. ends
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