KUALA LUMPUR: According to Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) women vice-chief Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri, former Sarawak Yang di-Pertua Negeri and chief minister Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud left behind a strong economic legacy that helped the state accumulate a reserve fund of RM31 billion by 2018.
Shukri stated that with such reserves, the Sarawak government did not have to worry when it suddenly became the opposition after Pakatan Harapan took over the Federal Government following Barisan Nasional’s (BN) defeat in the 14th General Election.
She said, “There were many (accusations) made about him (when he was the Chief Minister), but when BN lost in the 2018 general election, and he was no longer the chief minister, the truth about what he had accomplished for Sarawak emerged…as the reserve fund at that time amounted to RM31 billion.”
Shukri added that, “At that time, Sarawak was the one with the most reserve funds that could be utilised when we were no longer part of the federal government and had become the opposition.”
The late Tan Sri Adenan Satem, who took over the leadership, and the current Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, did not use the reserve fund as there were other allocations for Sarawak, said the Women, Family and Community Development Minister.
Shukri also mentioned that the Sarawak Premier is continuing this legacy by introducing new economies, including hydrogen technology, to boost the state’s income.
Dr. Evan Lau Poh Hock, the Deputy Dean of Research and Commercialization at the Faculty of Economics and Business at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), stated that Abdul Taib’s budgeting and development strategy led to Sarawak’s economic prosperity and infrastructure growth during his tenure as chief minister, earning him the title ‘Architect of Sarawak’s Economy’.
The economic expert noted that Abdul Taib’s forward-thinking approach led to establishing various industrial zones in Sarawak, such as the Sama Jaya High-Tech Park in Kuching and the Samalaju Industrial Park in Bintulu, aimed at attracting foreign investors.
Lau mentioned that Abdul Taib took this initiative because he did not want to rely solely on the federal government’s support to attract foreign investors and believed Sarawak needed its own alternatives.
“The creation of these industrial areas attracted numerous foreign companies, resulting in various job opportunities and facilitating the transfer of new technologies as part of his strategic planning,” Lau said.
Abdul Taib, aged 87, died at a private hospital in Kuala Lumpur at 4:40 am on Wednesday (Feb 21). He was laid to rest after Zohor prayers on Thursday at the family cemetery in Demak Jaya, Kuching, Sarawak. – Bernama
