2020.12.01 Devt lab to leverage on Miri’s economic potential — Lee

Lee (seated, centre) and Abdul Aziz, on his left, join members of the programme’s organising committee and participants in a photo-call taken after the opening ceremony.

 MIRI: The ‘Greater Miri Development Master Plan Lab’ is aimed at identifying ways to leverage on this division’s economic potential for the well-being of its people, says Minister of Transport Datuk Lee Kim Shin.

He adds that it is vital to unlock such potential in a systematic manner towards transforming Miri into a more developed and prosperous division.

“This potential covers various sectors including oil and gas (O&G), tourism, agriculture (oil palm plantation), manufacturing, shipbuilding, timber-based industries, education, as well as SMEs (small-medium enterprises).

“This is what you (participants) will be discussing,” said Lee, who is Senadin assemblyman, in his speech for the opening of the two-day ‘Greater Miri Development Master Plan Lab’ at a hotel here yesterday.

Citing the O&G sector as an example, Lee said the enforcement of the Oil Mining Ordinance (OMO) 1958 meant to protect the interests and investments of companies undertaking oil and mining exploration in Sarawak – both onshore and offshore – would continue to place Miri as a key O&G hub in the state.

“Even more so, the recent relocation of Shell headquarters to this division would further revitalise the city as the centre for the O&G sector, including the related supporting industries.”

Moreover, Lee also pointed out many great tourism products that this division had, such as the Mulu and Niah caves, Lambir National Parks, Loagan Bunut, and the Miri-Sibuti Coral Reefs National Park.

In this regard, he stressed on the importance of capitalising on digital technology to “promote and market our products, and also to widen our market coverage”.

On shipbuilding and manufacturing, the minister regarded them as “still being important and relevant, but sustaining them would be very challenging”.

Another significant parameter in regional-planning for Miri, said Lee, was the Highland Development Agency (HDA) established under Regional Corridor Development Authority (Recoda).

“We must work closely with HDA to avoid unnecessary overlapping of programmes and projects for the same people in the same area.”

Meanwhile, the Miri Development Master Plan Lab continues today with further discussions of topics relating to urban development, social welfare and well-being, housing, digital economy, agriculture, transportation and tourism.

“My expectation of this lab is high – I trust that many brilliant ideas and recommendations would be raised by the participants.

“These proposals and recommendations would be deliberated and then, be submitted to Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg for consideration and approval, especially on matters related to funding,” said Lee.

Acting Miri Resident Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusuf was also present to witness the opening ceremony yesterday.

BY CINDY LAI , The Borneo Post

Source : https://www.theborneopost.com/2020/12/01/devt-lab-to-leverage-on-miris-economic-potential-lee/

DCM impressed with entrepreneurship of young men in starting mini crayfish farm

From right) Sim shows Uggah and Dennis a group of crayfish fry in a plastic bag

MIRI: Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah is impressed with two young entrepreneurs on their success in setting up a mini crayfish farm at a commercial centre along the Miri Airport Road.

During a visit to the farm last Saturday, Uggah who is also Minister of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development, gave his thumbs up to Elvis Hii and Willy Sim for their crayfish-rearing business interest under ‘Aqua Tech Z Sarawak’.

Joining in the farm visit were Assistant Minister for Local Government and Housing Datu Dr Penguang Manggil, and Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau.

A crayfish reared in one of the tanks in the mini farm.

“I am impressed by the entrepreneurial spirit of our young people now.

“Quite a number of them are venturing into unconventional areas in the agriculture sector. They know what they are doing. They go for trainings and are always keeping themselves informed of any development and technology in their businesses.”

He said although landless, it was not a problem for the two friends as they opted to use shoplots to establish their mini crayfish project last year.

“It is an irony. We have people with land but are keeping themselves busy fighting over ownership, or to claim an even bigger land.

“They fail to use such land and thus, get little returns.

“But these landless youths — they are earning good monthly incomes.”

According to Hii, they have good demand for the crayfish fry, which they sell locally.

He added that they would source the parent materials from rivers in the division.

2020.02.16 Utilise SMA-Tegas Digital Innovation Hub — CM

Abang Johari (second right) places a tablet into a platform
to symbolically launch the innovation hub

MIRI: Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg yesterday launched the SMA-Tegas Digital Innovation Hub at Miri Times Square in Marina Parkcity here.

The hub serves as an inclusive platform to support and empower early-stage start-ups and social enterprises in Sarawak.

Abang Johari called upon young Sarawakians to make good use of the hub, which would promote the culture of nurturing talents and create innovation to ultimately move the state forward.

“To our young people, big data is the data, and you have a very good future.

“Our young people can really create new products and they can go into what the market wants, and because of this, we have to have a place for them to innovate.

“With this sort of resource we have among the young, it is the intention of Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA) and Tabung Ekonomi Gagasan Anak Sarawak (Tegas) to create innovators among young Sarawakians in order to create new products based on what we call real platforms.

“This will enable them to progress and transform our economy,” he added.

He congratulated Tegas and SMA for having successfully launched another approach for Sarawakians to adopt whatever devices they have in place to transform the state economy from conventional to digital economy by establishing an innovation hub in Miri.

The hub’s facilities and benefits include a co-working space, high speed internet, discussion rooms, knowledge sharing and capacity development programmes as well as access to Sarawak Digital Village Ecosystem Network.

Abang Johari said another area that he would like Sarawakians, particularly the young, to know is the importance of artificial intelligence.

He said robots operate based on artificial intelligence and these artificial intelligences are also connected with signal transfer, coding and decoding, and are linked to augmented and virtual reality.

“Those who study cyberspace should know there are two separate worlds, physical and virtual. To link them is what we call interaction through artificial intelligence.

“Artificial intelligences are based on cyber big data.”

Abang Johari said artificial intelligence and augmented reality were being used in many fields including medical.

“I found out in Malaysia there is no focus on virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). We are now working to train our people how to manage augmented and virtual reality.

“We are now doing that which is driven by the private sector and because of that SMA has to focus on it.

“We want to work together with the private sector to guide young start-ups and produce new products,” he added.

He also suggested that Mirians sell ‘bubuk’ (krills) and its by-products online, among other products.

“Today, I have just launched the Nature Discovery Centre at Piasau Nature Reserve, which also has an information centre and kiosk. What young Mirians can do is to start creating an app on tourism attraction in Miri and the northern part of Sarawak and connect them to the centre which has an IT centre.

“You can then show through augmented reality your attraction such as Luconia Shoals Marine Park, Niah Cave and all other attractions in the city.

“These are some of the products which you can sell online.

“Miri City Council is also going to have a smart interactive between citizens. Miri is going to be a smart city and I believe Mirians are smart people who can transform Miri into a smart city.

“As long as GPS is in charge, we will go for smart cities throughout Sarawak,” he added.

The launching of the hub also coincided with the exchange of memorandum of understanding (MoU) between SMA and Malaysian Technology Development Corporation, and Yayasan Pesona.

Tegas also signed five new strategic partners, namely Grab, Curtin University Malaysia, pitchIN, FutureLab and CentaCube. These partners support the #InnovateSarawak campaign that focuses on promoting digital innovation and entrepreneurship in Sarawak.

A member of SMA Board of Directors Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan, Transport Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin, State Secretary Datu Jaul Samion, Tegas chairman Datu Len Talif Saleh, and Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA) general manager Dr Zaidi Razak were also present at the event.