by Peter Boon, reporters@theborneopost.com.
Posted on February 26, 2012, Sunday
SIBU: Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud calls on people living in urban centres to help rural folk acquire technical skills to meet the manpower needs of Sarawak Renewable Corridor of Energy (SCORE).
This was because those living in towns had a head-start in education due to the better facilities in urban areas.
“I have planned to expand Universiti Kolej Laila Taib (KLT) to groom more technical workers. It worries me when I think where to get these skilled workers.
“We have to go to rural areas to come up as skillled workers. Please help these people attain technical skills because we have nobody else to depend on than our own people,” he said in his keynote address at the 1Malaysia Cultural Village, Bukit Aup here.
He observed that there were fewer Chinese in the certificate category as they had moved on to higher paying jobs.
Taib represented Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to declare open the cultural village while at the same time launched the Sarawak Federation of Chinese Associations’ (SFCA) slogan ‘1Malaysia 1HuaZhong’.
He stressed that it was not feasible to depend on the foreign workforce in the long run.
Taib stressed: “We have to depend on our own people, train them and get them to be in the workforce.”
He also assured that Sibu would not lose its significance and instead grow in importance, becoming the service center for technical, financial and educational support.
The strong and aggressive entrepreneurial skills of its people would ensure that the town moved in that direction, he said.
Taib also spoke at length on the importance of unity to propel the country forward in prosperity and stability.
He said: “Politics go up and down but life must go on. We must never allow our effort to unite the people to slack because the stability of this country is vital to enable us to continue development and bring better future for all and future generations.”
He noted of the interdependence among the various races, which he described as important for continuous development.
The workforce of the future would continue to be of multi-racial composition, he added.
Taib also mentioned how the halal hub in Tanjong Manis and Mukah would provide the economic thrust for Sibu.
He further said the green basket of Sarawak, comprising Sarikei and Bintangor would help Sibu to continue to grow.
“But the Halal Hub will be the big guiding force to make Sibu more important,” he noted.
Towards this end, Taib foresaw the growing importance of the food industry and the twining of Tanjung Manis and Sibu in the industrial growth of the state.
“Tanjung Manis will gather together biotech enterprises to introduce food industry and phmarceutical industries.”
He added that the newly improved Sibu airport would enable local food products to be exported to China.
Earlier, he praised the owner of the village’s managing director Ying Tieng Chai for his farsightedness and entrepreneurial mindset.
Later, Second Finance Minister and Minister of Local Government and Community Development Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh announced Prime Minister’s grant to the state Chinese associations.
“The Prime Minister has agreed to pledge to give a grant of RM300,000 to Sibu UCA for organising the function and RM100,000 to SFCA, its (SFCA’s) youth (RM50,000) and wanita (RM50,000),” said Wong.
Earlier, words had it that PM was not coming but when contacted on Friday night, UCA Sibu president Datuk Lau Nai Hoh refuted the claim, saying that the premier would be coming.
But yesterday, it was confirmed that the Prime Minister could not make it as he was attending a function in Kedah.
Among those present were Puan Sri Ragad Kurdi Taib, Assisant Minister of Public Health Dr Jerip Susil, Lanang MP and Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King and Sibu Resident Sim Kok Kee.
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