Wisma Melayu Sarawak platform to enhance community’s economic opportunities

KUCHING: Wisma Melayu Sarawak has the potential to become a catalyst for knowledge advancement, cultural preservation, community development and economic growth among the Malay community.

Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the building’s significance went beyond its distinctive architecture, which reflects the identity of Sarawak’s Malay community, as it could serve as a platform to strengthen the community through education, cultural activities and economic opportunities.

“However, the true value of Wisma Melayu lies not merely in its physical beauty, but in its potential to serve as a centre for knowledge, cultural activities, community development and the community’s economic advancement,” he said.

He said this in his speech at the opening ceremony of the complex in Petra Jaya here on Wednesday (Nov 11), which was officiated by Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.

Abang Johari also said Sarawak’s Malay community possessed a rich cultural heritage encompassing language, customs and traditions, literature, performing arts, traditional attire and heritage cuisine, which must be preserved and passed down to younger generations.

He hoped Wisma Melayu Sarawak would become a centre for cultural documentation, research and development through collaborations with higher learning institutions, researchers, arts practitioners and community organisations.

He also called for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technology to safeguard the community’s heritage through the digitisation of old manuscripts, recordings of oral histories and the development of digital archives.

“This approach will enable Sarawak’s Malay cultural heritage to be preserved and made accessible to future generations,” he said.

On education, Abang Johari stressed that it remained a crucial means of breaking the cycle of poverty and improving the socio-economic standing of the Malay community.

He said the agricultural and fishing sectors, which were traditionally associated with the Malay community, needed to be modernised by harnessing the capabilities and knowledge of younger generations.

He also highlighted the Sarawak government’s Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES), which provides opportunities for Sarawakian students of all races to pursue higher education and realise their aspirations.

Urging Malay youths to acquire knowledge and expertise in emerging fields, he said Sarawak was looking beyond the digital economy towards developing the space economy.

‘I hope the Malay community will continue striving to become experts in emerging global economic sectors and help position Sarawak as a competitive state, while ensuring that the Malay community itself can compete on an equal footing with others.

“I hope this centre will become a meeting place for Malay youths to discuss and shape their future, safeguard their cultural heritage and, ultimately, elevate the standing of the Malay community in the years ahead,” he said.