Sarawak to be green movement model for Malaysia, says federal deputy minister
15 Sep 2023
Sarawak will be a model in Malaysia in terms of green energy and green economy, said federal Deputy Finance Minister Steven Sim.
He said the federal government seeks to restructure the economy so that businesses in Malaysia will not just fare better but get stronger and more intelligent so that they can compete against counterparts at the global level.
“For instance, green economy, digital economy and advanced technology, Sarawak has taken the first step of walking into the economy of the 21st century.
“Sarawak is capable of producing 100,000 barrels of biofuel per day using microalgae. Today, the whole country produces gas 500,000 barrels per day and just one site in Sarawak is capable of producing 100,000 barrels of biofuel every day.
“Sarawak has made the right move to opt for green economy as by 2027, the world aviation industry is set to use biofuel to fly, looking at zero carbon emissions.
“I am proud because Sarawak has become a green hydrogen hub in not only Malaysia but also the region,” he said during the Ministry of Finance’s (MoF) session to garner feedback and suggestions for Budget 2024 here today.
Sim noted Sarawak has also embarked on Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage, which is another laudable green policy.
“Looking at Sarawak, especially all these green projects, I realise that we are finally going into the economy of the 21st century. We have ‘green wave’ in Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is talking about green energy,” he said.
He added that the federal government is determined to have a restructuring process to uplift the country’s economy.
He was also noted Sarawak is implementing its Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) whereby hydrogen is utilised for public transportation.
“Hopefully this will be expanded to other cities in Sarawak, and even Peninsular Malaysia. We want our people to have access to all infrastructure including schools, roads, Internet, and many others,” he said.
Sim said the session was jointly organised by the MoF and the Sarawak government for the public and private sectors as well as non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to channel their feedback and input for Budget 2024.
“All sectors and parties have their respective requests, and so I cannot guarantee that all suggestions will be implemented. But all suggestions will be given serious considerations by MoF, this I can promise,” he added.
An MoF press release today said over 9,500 responses on Budget 2024 suggestions had been received electronically.
The responses received covered the areas of economic sustainability such as environmental conservation, green economy, good governance, digitalisation, improvements in fiscal management, and measures to uplift existing industries such as the creative and tourism industries.
After Kuching, similar sessions will be held in Perak, Selangor, and Labuan.
Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is expected to table Budget 2024 in the Dewan Rakyat on Oct 13.
Malaysians are invited to provide their feedback and suggestions on Budget 2024 via https://budget.mof.gov.my/ms/.
Source: Borneo Post
