16/5/11 PRODUCTIVE GROWTH-SARAWAK PERSPECTIVE

In the last article, I touched on the Productive Growth more from the National Perspective. Now I would love to provide my simple view about the same subject matter from the Sarawak State (State) Perspective, particularly on how, I understood Taib Mahmud (Taib) had steered the State into such a paradigm.

(2) Originally I have no intention to write this article. Nonetheless, judging from the current mounting pressure onto Taib to immediately step down, especially among those whom not able (refused) to see the diamond among the shattered glass, I feel oblige to say something here on the same subject. My next article would dwell on how as an Organization and Individual we must also then play our role to achieve the Productive Economic Growth as mooted by Mustapha Mukammed.

(3)Taib by all intend had steered the State in a very controlled manner. As compared to all the other states in Malaysia, Sarawak development undertaking is with the strict approval and monitoring of the Chief Minister through his State Planning Authority portfolio.

(4) No development in the State is without his knowledge and controlled. There are many pros and con about that, but one thing for sure, we seldom see abandon private project in the State as compared even in the center of Kuala Lumpur.

(5) Taib indeed is a very visionary and strategist leader. As I have said many times, he steered the development of the State on a very incremental but strategic basis. He moved the State economic development within the capacity of the State, but with some far forward push.

(6) Let me place on record here that, upon the defeat of SUPP in the last State PRU10, he made small but very strategic State cabinet reshuffled. He made himself as Minister of Industrial Development, as well as Minister of Finance and Resource Planning and Managment. He maintained Alfred Jabu as Minsiter of Rural and Agriculture Development along side as the Minister of Infrastructure Development. The same with James Masing, as Minsiter of Land Development. While Abang Johari, is tasked to shoulder both the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and Minister of Tourism. To me those are logical integrated blending for Taib to deliver the robust Productive Economic Growth for the State.

(7) With Finance, Resources and Industrial under his control, Taib is then able to steer the mega-project development very smoothly. He can easily direct the State development into sectors and regions that he believe would give the greatest socio-economic impact. In this regard, the SCORE Project, both in term of power generation, infrastructures and facilities development and mega-industrial development, he would then not only will deliver to Najib a Productive Growth, but as he always said, he want to bring Sarawak into the status of the richest State in Malaysia at least by 2030.

(8) Jabu and Masing are Taib counterparts that are working hard to transformed the rural sector of the State. The Iban, Bidayuh, Orang Ulus and Malays are the majority of the State population. Thus their portfolio would take care the interest of these rural folks and their political fundamental supporters. With his good grip on land resources, again Taib has a strong hold over which region(s) to move faster in term of rural transformation. Oil palm and reafforestation became his main tools to achieve greater rural economic development. The development of these two commodities will bring along income improvement and as well all other related development to the rural areas. Most important, rural urbanization process is making a great in road into our rural sector. The fast development of oil palm and forest sector is very important since those are among the critical mass commodities that would feed into the SCORE Project.

(9) Taib has been gearing fast in uplifting the educational and skill level of the Sarawakian. With the establishment of UNIMAS (Kota Samarahan), UiTM (Kota Samarahan and Mukah), Swineburn University (Kuching), Curtin University (Miri), Colledge Laila (Sibu), and UNIPUTRA (Bintulu) is a clear spread of educational facilities that he had implant strategically for the long term need of the State. With the possible drastic demographic change among the State population, Taib anticipate, rural-urban migration would surge high.

(10) Thus, he then anticipated there would be a serious urban social issues if rural-urban migration is not well facilitated. Therefore, a dynamic person such as Abang Johari is the rightful man that he has to manage the urban development. Lots of urban renewal programs need to be well planned and implemented. Accordingly, as to sustain the urban High Quality of Life, tourism becoming the next commodities that must not be neglected. The State vast tropical beauties, cultures and good urban and neighborhood development would give Sarawak a true setting of tropical paradise to the world.

(11) Definitely, these three senior cabinet members are not the only team that Taib has to move the State fast forward. Adnan Satem, Awang Tengah Ali Hassan, Mawan Itom, Fatimah Abdullah, and Micheal Manyin are among those that would give him all the support to run his other concern areas smoothly.

(12) As I could see it, politically and economically, not many people could see the strategic move that Taib had in place to ensure Sarawak not only be a rich but truely economically independent State. I believe, some who noticed this, and being envy about this, thus they mount an assault to bring Taib down so that they could benefit from his success. What an opportunist, be they his friends (musang berbulu ayam and or gunting dalam lipatan) or enemies. To me if this happen, definitely there will be a setback to our smooth great success into the near future.

(13) The political and economic crisis of post-Mahathir-Abdullah takeover would happen to Sarawak if our leadership transition takeover is a forced type of transition. We Sarawakians, as the majority should be well versed with this greed by whoever. We must never be blinded by a mere political or emotional call without weighing seriously on the economic repercussion: jangan sudah terhantuk, baru tengadah; sesal dahulu pendapatan, sesal kemudian, sendiri merana

Kuching, sarawak
18 May, 2010