JUN 2022
Opening Address And Official Launching Of IDECS 2022
“Decoding Big Data for Environmental and Energy Sustainability”
By YAB Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Abang Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari bin Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg
The Premier of Sarawak
9:15am, Tuesday 21st June 2022
Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK)
Salutations
The Honourable Deputy Premiers
The Honourable Ministers
The Honourable Datuk Amar Jaul Samion, The State Secretary of Sarawak
The Honourable Deputy Ministers
YB Dr Hazland Abang Hipni, Deputy Minister for Energy and Environmental Sustainability and Conference Advisor
Datu Dr Sabariah Putit, Deputy State Secretary (Operations) and Conference Chairperson
Distinguished Speakers and Delegates
Ladies and Gentlemen
Assalamualaikum,
Salam Sejahtera,
Salam Ibu Pertiwiku, and
Good Morning
1.0 Opening Comments
1.1 A very warm welcome to you all today to the 5th International Digital Economy Conference Sarawak (IDECS) 2022. The 5th IDECS is after a gap year due to Covid-19.
1.2 I would like to thank all the delegates and participants both attending either physically or virtually and supporting this premier event of the Sarawak Government.
1.3 I am made to understand that right now a total of forty-two (42) Digital Community Centers (DCCs) throughout Sarawak are logged in and viewing our sessions (YAB Premier waves to screen to the DCCs- “Apa Khabar Kitak Semua?”).
1.4 My sincere appreciation and thank you to all the speakers and panellists who will share their expertise and insight over the next day and a half.
1.5 I am very proud that the IDECS has become a truly international premier event of Sarawak Government, a cornerstone platform to share new ideas, develop strategies and address issues, challenges to move forward the sustainable Digital Economy.
2.0 IDECS 2022 Theme
Ladies and gentlemen,
2.1 The IDECS 2022 is themed on “Decoding Big Data for Environmental and Energy Sustainability”
2.2 The economic transition to an equitable, net zero and sustainable future is both one of the most pressing challenges and greatest responsibilities we have in front of us as a society today.
2.3 More than ever, we seek evidence-based insights, high quality data and advanced analytics to support strategies when linking sustainability and performance.
2.4 I have said many times that data is an increasingly valuable resource, dubbed as the new oil, in fact a renewable resource, that can provide economic value and drive environmental & energy sustainably.
2.5 Big data will play a vital role in environmental and energy sustainability protecting the environment and natural resources and assessing environmental risks. Take Aqueduct for example. This water-risk mapping tool was designed to monitor and calculate water risks around the world, relying on big data, such as water quantity, quality, and other changing regulatory issues.
2.6 Big data will enable environmental sustainability and security by giving the world the opportunity to better understand its demand for energy, food, and water.
2.7 Among the many benefits of big data for sustainability, its function in the enforcement of regulatory practices around the world in keeping track of their emissions, reaching renewable energy goals as they raise standards of sustainability in all sectors.
2.8 For example, it takes 2,000 litres of water to produce the food necessary to feed one person for a single day. The application of big data for agriculture is critical, given the average rate of resource consumption and growing scarcity. Big data is indispensable in managing the environmental and energy sustainability challenges and issue.
3.0 Sarawak Post Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030
Ladies and gentlemen,
3.1 Covid-19 pandemic, geopolitical issues and Russia-Ukraine war will have long-term effects on how economies and financial systems operate in the future.
3.2 Advancing into the future, Sarawak needs to enhance its productivity to remain competitive and at the same time, create a clean, healthy, and resilient environment that will last for generations.
3.3 In these challenging environments, on 22nd July 2021, I launched Sarawak Post Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030, for a more sustainable economic growth for Sarawak. Our development strategy is underpinned by the seventeen United Nation Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that requires integrated action on social, environmental, and economic challenges, with a focus on inclusive, participatory development that leaves no one behind.
3.4 My vision for Sarawak is that “By 2030, Sarawak will be a developed State with a thriving economy driven by data and innovation where everyone enjoys economic prosperity, social inclusivity and a sustainable environment”.
3.5 Our focus is on restructuring and diversifying our economy into high value downstream industry while creating a thriving society.
3.6 Advancing digital transformation is key towards improving productivity and efficiency. We need to fully embrace digital transformation to maximise the economic value in the global business environment that are dynamic and volatile.
3.7 Our development strategy is not only about economic growth, but it is also about cascading the wealth and prosperity equitably and maintaining environmental sustainability for all the people of Sarawak.
Ladies and gentlemen, let me briefly touch on the outcomes that my Government is targeting by 2030.
3.8 Economic Prosperity
3.8.1 In order to achieve a high income and advanced state by 2030, we will need to achieve an economic growth rate of between 6.0 to 8.0 percent annually to double the size of our economy to RM282 billion by 2030.
3.8.2 The following 8 economic sectors will be the primary growth engines for Sarawak, namely:
a. Agriculture & Commodities, concentrating on commercial agriculture based on smart and precision farming.
b. Manufacturing - transforming our manufacturing sector to adopt Industry 4.0 to achieve higher productivity, production efficiency and flexibility.
c. Forestry with a focus on reforestation to reduce impact on climate change.
d. Tourism with efforts to increase visitor economy.
e. Mining and its exploration towards a downstream value chain.
f. Renewable Energy with accelerating hydrogen, biomass and solar energy and integrating with our hydro-energy generation.
g. Services focusing on access to affordable and quality of services, e-commerce, finance, healthcare, and others.
3.8.3 The focus will be on lifting existing productivity levels significantly and sustainably across all sectors of the economy through the adoption of digital technology, data and innovation.
3.8.4 We envisage our exports will increase by about 3 times supported by more high-value-added products created from our manufacturing, agriculture, forestry and mining sectors.
3.8.5 The Government will help the private sectors grow their respective industries and expects the private sector will respond by investing and doing more in the sectors that are the State’s focus. To support investments in Sarawak I have announced the establishment of “Invest Sarawak” to spearhead all investments in Sarawak.
3.9 Social Inclusivity
3.9.1 Our focus will not be only on growing GDP but also how the growth is translated to every Sarawakian. We want to significantly increase the average household income from the current RM4,500 to RM15,000 per month by 2030, which will put Sarawak ahead of Malaysia as a whole.
3.9.2 To achieve this we are ensuring that the initiatives are community centric. The distribution of wealth to the community must be equitable for both in urban and rural setting. We must not forget the vulnerable segments of our society, including B40, M40 and the rest. Our PCDS2030 initiatives will support financial sustainability for the poor and shelters for our fellow Sarawakians in need.
4.0 Environmental and Energy Sustainability
Ladies and gentlemen,
4.1 Decarbonization and digitalization are megatrends that will force sectors and industries to undergo structural change and fundamentally alter their traditional business models.
4.2 An overwhelming scientific consensus exists that human activity is having an unintended but predicted negative impact on the global environment. As the accelerating changes in climates are increasingly evident, the ethical necessity of understanding environmental systems and determining potential paths to sustainability has never been clearer.
4.3 To prevent severe climate change we need to rapidly reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. The world emits around 50 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases each year.
4.4 According to “One World in Data 2021”, the energy sector comprising of energy use in industry, transportation and buildings is responsible for 73.2% of Green House Gas Emissions.
4.5 Our PCDS2030 specifically highlights renewable energy as a cornerstone to our 10-year plan to accelerate the global transition to clean energy, to limit further warming and reach net zero emission.
4.6 To focus on this, I have established a new Ministry of Energy and Environmental Sustainability responsible to plan, coordinate and provide direction for the development of green growth, renewable energy, sustainability and climate change.
4.7 Our immediate effort is to undertake a study on Sarawak Climate Change Policy and Low Carbon Society Blueprint to formulate a State Policy on greenhouse gas and develop mitigation and adaptation action plans to address the impact of climate change and low carbon society.
4.8 Sarawak is currently Malaysia’s largest provider of renewable energy for a population of almost 3 million across Sarawak and parts of Indonesia in West Kalimantan. 78% of the total electricity generation is from Sarawak hydropower resources which can be harnessed to reduce our carbon footprint.
4.9 In 2018, Sarawak Energy Bhd. established and commissioned southeast Asia’s first integrated hydrogen production plant and refuelling station capable of producing 130kg of hydrogen per day at close to 100% purity. Currently Sarawak is partnering with global players from South Korea and Japan to develop environmentally friendly hydrogen and green ammonia plant at Bintulu.
4.10 Digital technologies can enable emission reductions by providing information on energy consumption and emissions; providing the capabilities and platforms to improve accountability of energy and carbon; offering innovations that capture energy efficiency opportunities and applying smart and integrated approaches to energy management.
4.11 Transport bears a huge responsibility in the current situation: the sector contributes to nearly a quarter of global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. Under a business-as-usual scenario, this figure will continue rising to reach one third of all emissions by 2040.
4.12 To address Green House Gas emission from transportation sector, my government introduced number of hydrogen powered buses in 2020 and is in the process of introducing hydrogen powered Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit (ART), a rail-less train system designed to be used for urban public passenger transport.
4.13 Sarawak Government has implemented Smart Traffic Light System at 42 junctions in Kuching and the surrounding districts. Traffic data is used to synchronise the traffic lights to reduce traffic congestion, travel time and Green House Gas emissions. With modern and eco-friendly integrated transportation system, we expect carbon footprint from land transport in Kuching City will be significantly reduced by 15% by 2030.
4.14 We will continue with our initiatives to conserve, protect and manage our resources sustainably. Sarawak Government is committed to keep 60% of our landmass as forest cover. We are restoring 200,000 hectares of degraded forest and set aside 1 million hectares as Totally Protected Areas.
4.15 Conserve and promote biodiversity as a natural capital will pave the way for more investment inflow into Sarawak that will co-create solutions, generate more green jobs and business opportunities to drive our economy in a sustainable manner.
5.0 Sarawak Digital Economy - Trends and Opportunities
Ladies and Gentlemen,
5.1 Increasing digitalization of the economy and society is changing the ways people act and interact. One of the distinguishing features of various digital transformation has been the exponential growth in machine-readable information, or digital data, over the internet.
5.2 Such data are core to all fast-emerging digital technologies, such as data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing and all Internet-based services, and they have become a fundamental economic resource.
5.3 According to Oxford Economics, by 2025 digital economy will contribute an average 24.3% or US$23 trillion to the world economy. The contribution will be driven by these frontier technologies.
5.4 Data play an increasingly important role as an economic and strategic resource, a trend reinforced by the COVID-19 pandemic as many activities moved online. Cross-border data flows are a new kind of international economic flow, which lead to a new form of global interdependence. As such regulating data flows at the international level has become more urgent.
5.5 Current regional and international regulatory frameworks tend to be either too narrow in scope or too limited geographically, failing to enable cross-border data flows with an equitable sharing of economic development gains while properly addressing risks. There is a need for new regulatory framework.
5.6 Developing countries need to find the optimal balance between promoting domestic economic development, protecting public policy interests and integrating into the global digital ecosystem.
5.7 Sarawak’s Digital Economy Five Year Journey
5.7.1 Sarawak embarked on digital economy in 2018 to shift its dependence on non-renewable resources economy. The first Digital Economy Strategy (2018-2022) which was launched in December 2017, is coming to an end this year. The Strategy comprises of 47 strategic actions in eight economic sectors and seven enablers.
5.7.2 Since the commencement of the digital economy agenda in 2018, Sarawak has successfully enhanced the state's economic development through a transformation in several sectors including agriculture, oil palm industry, e-commerce, finance and fintech, digital government, smart city, tourism, manufacturing and services industry. I would like to highlight some of our achievements and measure of successes over last five years.
5.8 Digital Economy Ecosystem
5.8.1 In 2018 my Government established the Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA) under the Sarawak Multimedia Authority Ordinance 2017, a regulatory body to spearhead, oversee and facilitate the development and implementation of the communication, multimedia and the State's Digital Economy Initiatives.
5.8.2 The following key agencies were also established as part of the Sarawak’s Digital Economy ecosystem responsible for the implementation of the Digital Economy strategies:
a. Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC) was launched in June 2020, entrusted to lead the implementation of Sarawak’s Digital Economy initiatives focusing on private sector, digital infrastructure, research, innovation and entrepreneurship.
b. CENTEXS Digital Academy was established in 2019, entrusted to provide industry-relevant training and skills development focusing on school leavers, graduates and industry employees to meet the workforce needs of Digital Economy. CENTEXS will be working closely with the Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development (MEITD) to address the skills needs.
c. Sarawak Information Systems (SAINS), entrusted to lead the implementation of Sarawak’s Digital Economy initiatives focusing on Government Services.
5.8.3 Additionally, all our Ministries, Agencies, GLCs, universities and private sector are involved in the implementation of the digital economy initiatives.
5.9 Digital Infrastructure and Connectivity
5.9.1 Sarawak Government strategy is to build digital infrastructure to widen the coverage and provide connectivity, especially to rural communities. With Sarawak’s vast landscape, it is estimated that we will need 7,000 telecommunication structures to achieve 99.9% internet penetration throughout Sarawak.
5.9.2 Sarawak Linking Urban, Rural and Nation (SALURAN) initiative, is a Sarawak Government initiative to provide connectivity to the rakyat. Under the SALURAN initiative, the Sarawak Government has allocated SMART 600 towers to be built under the Sarawak Multimedia Authority Rural Telecommunication (SMART) project. The Federal Government through MCMC has allocated additional 742 new towers to be built in Sarawak through National Fiberization and Connectivity Plan (JENDELA). SMART 600 Phase 1 (first 300 towers) is targeted to be completed by Q3 2022 with Phase 2 (second 300 towers) by Q4 2023.
5.9.3 As part of SALURAN, Sarawak Rural Broadband Network, MySRBN, is a first State owned 4G ready and 5G Oriented Broadband Telecommunication Network that uses Fixed Wireless Broadband technology. 158 sites across Sarawak have been implemented to connect rural families and communities. In upcoming phases, MySRBN will be extended across all the SMART 600 infrastructure and aims to provide home broadband services for 100,000 rural homes in the next few years.
5.9.4 In far-reaching areas, the Sarawak Government has equipped 250 sites with Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) under the Wi-Fi SALURAN project. This is an interim solution to give internet access to the underserved community which 86,562 users have benefited to date.
5.9.5 Sarawak Government has recently completed Sebauh Rural High-Speed Open Broadband Network. This project involves an expansion of fibre optic cables to connect 49 longhouses, 6 schools, 2 higher education institutions, and 3 government offices in Sebauh district.
5.10 Human Capital
5.10.1 As new roles arise and job requirements fluctuate, the scope of the existing talent in skilled workers may not cope with the changing demands due to advancements in technology such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, industry 4.0, virtual/augmented reality, robotics, cybersecurity, IoT, cloud computing and others.
5.10.2 According to WEF, by 2025, 85 million jobs will be displaced, 95 million new high-tech jobs will be generated and 54% of all employees, that is more than half will have to upgrade their skills significantly due to emerging technologies.
5.10.3 Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development (MEITD), our universities, TVETS and technical colleges are all addressing the skill needs for Digital Economy. To accelerate the upskilling and reskilling needs in Sarawak, in 2019 my Government established Digital Academy at CENTEXS to focus on the skills needs for the digital economy. The Academy is established in partnership with the multinational technology companies, including Eon Reality, Huawei, Bosch Rexroth, Keysight, and others. Later today we will be witnessing our partnership with Microsoft.
5.10.4 This model will see Digital Academy as a leading industry focused regional training Centre in Big Bata & Data Analytics, IoT, Software, Cybersecurity, Immersive Technologies (AR/VR), 5G, Telecommunications, Industry 4.0 and more to meet the skills needs of Digital Economy.
5.10.5 My Government through the Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development (MEITD), is also in the process of establishing International Schools to further complement STEM education and human capital development in Sarawak.
5.11 Research, Innovation & Entrepreneurship
5.11.1 To tap the opportunities offered by the global digital economy, we need to be (on) par with the developed countries in our digital journey – we need to push ahead in new digital & data science research areas like Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, 5G, Internet-of-Things, Cloud Computing and others, or we will be left behind
5.11.2 To leapfrog our research and development capabilities, my Government has established Centre of Excellence for Digital Economy in partnership with all the five universities in Sarawak, leading global universities, like National University of Singapore, and leading global multinational technology companies, including IBM, Eon Reality, Honeywell, Huawei, GE, Keysight and others.
5.11.3 The Centre’s research and innovation ecosystem include university-based research laboratories focusing on Big Data and Data Analytics, 5G, Immersive Technologies, Cybersecurity, Software, IoT, etc.; industry-focused Open Lab to commercialize the research outcomes and sector-focused Testbeds to showcase technology, solutions & use cases, platform for research & training, industry and workforce transformation.
5.11.4 In 2020, 5G testbed, a partnership between MCMC, SACOFA, Maxis, SDEC, SMA and CENTEXS was launched. The testbed is the first in Sarawak and will be used to develop and showcase 5G cases studies in broadband and media, transport, critical services and infrastructure, healthcare, industry 4.0, human machine interface, sensor network and more.
5.11.5 The economy might not provide sufficient opportunities or assist promising entrepreneurs in the digital space. This contributes to brain drain, as the innovators may shift abroad to commercialize their inventions.
5.11.6 Over the last five years, my Government has already established nine Digital Innovation Hubs across Sarawak and is expected to complete four more Innovation Hubs by the end of 2022. In 2021, I launched Digital Village comprising of numerous co-working spaces for entrepreneurs and to provide support such as market access, intellectual property protection, access to investors and talent upskilling. Approximately 500 programs have been conducted to train MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) and individuals across Sarawak.
5.11.7 Earlier this month my Government launched Prototyping lab at the Digital Village to help industries leapfrog to IR4.0 adoption. MSME Digitise and Go Digital programs, partnership between SDEC and the Ministry of International Trade, Industry and Investment, have supported more than 600 MSMEs across Sarawak with digitalisation support.
5.12 Digital Government
5.12.1 Digitalizing something as large and complex as the public sector is an enormous transformation task. This would lead to a host of new policy challenges for governments, including the digitization of public administration, the automation of public sector workflows, and policy issues.
5.12.2 The transformation requires leveraging digital technology to improve workflow efficiency and productivity, enhancing digital skills of civil servants, utilising data to improve government services, enhancing regulatory compliance through fit-for-purpose policies that are data driven.
5.12.3 We now have more than 200 applications developed for the State services and due to the massive technology transformation, the State also started to evolve from Client-Server platform to Web, Mobile App and now in Cloud services.
5.12.4 Over the years of digitalization, the State has accumulated massive amount of data in our Data Centres. Sarawak Government has developed an Open Data portal which contains data on Agriculture, Economy, Education, Environment, Government and Public Sector, Health, Infrastructure, Local Government, Society, Utilities, Travel and Tourism which can be monetised and eventually assist the State in generating revenue.
5.13 Digital Inclusivity
5.13.1 In order to ensure that all Sarawakians will benefit from the digital economy, the Digital Community Centres are being developed throughout the State to provide digital skills training and capacity building programs.
5.13.2 These digital inclusivity initiatives will help in developing local socio-economic sector by empowering the community to benefit from the State’s digital transformation. It is hoped that these efforts will create a sustainable and resilient community that is technologically savvy while maintaining their respective values and identity. Currently 43 Digital Community Centres have been established across Sarawak conducting 2,171 programs that benefitted 57,941 participants.
6.0 Cybersecurity
Ladies and gentlemen,
6.1 According to European Commission Cybersecurity Report, Cybercrime cost the world EUR5.5 (US$5.76) trillion in 2020. This is the largest transfer of economic wealth in history.
6.2 Cybercrime is a very fast-growing business, and as such Cybersecurity is no longer a technological ‘option’ but a societal need. It is not only about data and information protection but includes critical infrastructure, transport system, healthcare, manufacturing, retail & finance, societal aspects and more.
6.3 Disruptive technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain and Quantum computing will have an impact on the way cybersecurity will need to be achieved.
6.4 Since cybersecurity risks cannot be eliminated, the question is, how can it be mitigated? Cooperation and collaboration, knowledge and timely communication regarding the threats and how to address them will be an important step going forward. Education is of equal importance, both for end-users and for industries: cultivating a security-conscious approach such as security-by-design and security-by-default will help to mitigate the risks at an early stage.
6.5 However, cyber-attacks will still take place because cybercrime is a business. Therefore, it is crucial to be ready to face them with the lowest impact possible on the overall system.
7.0 Private Sector Economy
Ladies and gentlemen,
7.1 The public-private and community partnership involving all stakeholders will provide a platform to bring about successful economic transformation. My government will concentrate on facilitating a regulatory environment that will allow a level playing field, make available seed funding and invest in basic and critical infrastructure, research and talent development.
7.2 The Government will enhance the policies to encourage participation and investment by private sector and to act as an enabler in driving economic growth. The Governments role is to facilitate, build infrastructures and provide incentives and policy guidelines
7.3 To support the growth of private sector, in particular MSMEs, Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation and CENTEXS Digital Academy in partnership with MINTRED, will cater towards digitalization of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Sarawak to spur their growth, productivity and efficiency. Our packages include provision of technologies, digital platforms, industry relevant upskilling & re-skilling and support that will take their businesses to the next level.
8.0 Digital Economy 2030 Blueprint
Ladies and gentlemen,
8.1 Moving forward, the new Sarawak’s Digital Economy 2030 Blueprint will set out how Sarawak will secure its future as a modern and leading digital economy and society by 2030. It will be the foundation to Sarawak Post Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030, builds on the Sarawak’s existing Digital Economy Strategy 2018-2022 and will be underpinned by United Nations Sustainability Development Goals.
8.2 The blueprint will focus on:
a. Nurturing integrated ecosystem to foster inclusive digital society
b. Building the right foundations to grow digital economy
c. Fostering business growth and vibrant technology sector
d. Capitalizing on digital technologies to maximize digital value, and
e. Delivering simple, secure, and trusted services
8.3 It will align with the national and global blueprints and recognises that the Government plays an enabling role with focus on developing both public and private sector economies. The public-private and community partnership will provide a platform to bring about successful economic transformation.
8.4 Our 2030 Blueprint will be built on five pillars:
a. Focusing on Economic Growth Priorities – Accelerating digitalization of economic sectors, data monetization and boosting economic competitiveness through digitalization.
b. Growing Digital Businesses - Supporting and growing globally competitive and vibrant technology sector, including start-ups in Sarawak.
c. Transforming Public Sector & Services – Delivering efficient, secure, and trusted services and improve ease of doing business.
d. Adoption of Frontier Technologies – Enabling economy wide transformation and economic growth.
e. Building the Foundation – Accelerating Digital Readiness in infrastructure & connectivity, data governance & cyber security, digital talent & skills, research, innovation & entrepreneurship, and inclusivity.
8.5 Data centre infrastructure will be the force in the growth of the digital economy. This was very apparent during the Covid-19 pandemic when cloud computing technology enabled us to persevere and adapt to the new normal. Businesses, governments, and end-users, all depend on data centres to host, process, analyse and access their data.
8.6 Sarawak Government together with the private sector is actively planning to develop and adopt green data centres in the State. These data centre will become our primary repository for the Sarawak Government data storage, management, and dissemination.
8.7 Sarawak to move forward will require long term investments by both public and private sectors. One measure my Government is taking is to set up Sovereign Wealth Fund for Sarawak to protect State’s wealth and invest it properly for future.
9.0 Digital Readiness
Ladies and gentlemen,
9.1 Digital transformation is advancing at a rapid pace creating new and exciting opportunities. However, while the impact of digitization is widespread, the benefits it yields are distributed unevenly.
9.2 Based on the UN Digital Economy 2021 Report, geography of Digital Economy is clustered in two countries USA and China accounting to 50% of hyperscale data centres, 94% of all funding of AI start-ups, 90% of the platform market capitalization and highest rate of 5G adoption in the world. The global dominance by the USA & China and their capability to build and secure the resulting value are estimated to heighten global inequalities.
9.3 Although having access to technology and the infrastructure is critical; we cannot take full advantage of digital opportunities if we do not invest in human capital development, research, business and start-up environment, business and government investments, agile legislative and policy frameworks, a vibrant private sector industry, agile public service and dynamic governance.
9.4 Our regulatory framework is fundamental in boosting investment in digitalization, innovation and competitiveness. This framework needs to be flexible and adaptable to technology advancements that may lead to innovative business models and competition, while also safeguarding stakeholder interests.
9.5 We need to understand our digital readiness and what interventions and investments could help us to address our 2030 Economic Growth Agenda. These will need to be delivered through concerted planning and investment by both the public and private sector.
10.0 Concluding Remarks
Ladies and gentlemen,
10.1 The Sarawak Government is ambitious about Sarawak’s digital future. Our goal is to be a leading digital economy and society by 2030. In summary it means that there will be a frictionless government service delivery, all businesses are digitally driven business, Sarawak has a vibrant and globally competitive technology sector, thriving high growth industries, all Sarawakians have access to digital skills and technology and that Sarawak is cyber secure. With carefully planning, commitment, partnership and focusing of delivery excellence, I am confident that Sarawak will be a thriving society driven by data and innovation.
10.2 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices, are becoming a major strategic imperative for nearly all corporations and public sector organizations. There is a growing convergence between the adoption of digital technologies and their potential as an ESG enabler, to maximize ESG strategies, drive long-term growth, performance, maximize shareholder value while managing and mitigating risk.
10.3 With this, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I hereby officially declare open IDECS2022 and wish you all very fruitful discussions and networking during the next day and a half.
End.
Sumber dari : Sarawakku