NOVEMBER 2020
Sarawak to Have Centre for Infectious Disease, First In Country: CM
KUCHING: Sarawak will be building a Centre for Infectious Disease at a site in Kota Samarahan that will spearhead collaborative efforts in research and development, Chief Minister, Datuk Patinggi Abang Haji Johari Tun Abang Haji Openg said today.
The State Government had allocated RM190 million to establish the Centre that was expected to be completed in 2024, he said in his opening address in conjunction with the launch of the Innostre Special Edition 2020: The 1st Global Summit on Viral Immunology and Anti-Viral Therapy of COVID-19 at UITM in Kota Samarahan.
“This will be a research centre where scientists can work and collaborate between the academia, the government as well as world institutions that are credible in terms of research and development.
“We do hope that the facility will be completed by the year 2024 where our scientists can work together to identify source material for us to develop, and of course, at the end of the day we can produce products or drugs that can control or mitigate the spread of new diseases. COVID-19 is one of them and we do not know what will happen in the future because of pollution and other environmental issues,” he said.
Talking to reporters later, he opined that it would the first of such centres in the country dedicated to research in tropical diseases.
He pointed out that human and talent development was also an important aspect of development for Sarawak to focus as part of its post COVID-19 exit strategies,
“The State Government is giving due emphasis on this. You know, education is under the purview of the federal government but I have set up a new ministry that focuses on education under Datuk Amar Michael Manyin.
“The State Government have to intervene in order to give the right kind of training to our young people. The State Government is quite flexible. One of the questions posed to me in the last webinar session is a question on education, and I said Sarawak must cover the three areas. One is the national syllabus that comes under our national education policy that we have to comply with.
“Secondly, of course we must be exposed to command of languages, including English. We set up our international school based on Cambridge syllabus.
“We also recognize UEC that focuses on relevant subjects including mandarin. Meaning, the people that we produce from our education system in Sarawak would be well-versed in English, Mandarin and scientific subjects. This should enable them to a play a part in the world economy, as you know, the English speaking countries are the top in the global economy, followed by China as the world’s second biggest economy,” he told the people.
So, if Sarawakians could speak mandarin, English, command our national language, they should be able to succeed wherever they are placed as the Malay saying says “Diletak di laut menjadi pulau, diletak di darat menjadi gunung”, he pointed out.
Earlier, Rector of UITM Sarawak Campus, Professor Dato Dr Jamil bin Haji Hamali and the Chinese Consulate-General in Kuching, Cheng Guangzhong also spoke.
Also present were the Minister of Education, Science and Technological Research, Datuk Amar Michael Manyin ak. Jawong and ADUN for Muara Tuang, Dato Haji Idris Buang.
Sumber dari : Sarawakku