KUCHING: The Sarawak government continues to take initiatives to use natural resources, especially rivers, to promote economic and agricultural development in the state.
The Premier of Sarawak, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Tun Datuk Abang Openg said, he intends to harness the potential of the Batang Lupar River by utilising its water resources to produce electricity through the concept of gravity.
He believes that this system will not only provide electricity but also enables soil irrigation for rice cultivation.
"We have many rivers, I want to try Batang Lupar - take the water through the pump and put it in the inhibitor tank.
"Then, a pipe from the tank will release the water and rotate the turbine to produce electricity because it is based on the concept of gravity.
"Whatever goes up must come down. You put water in, it will flow down and the power source that flows is actually flowing water,” he said.
He said this at the Hopoh Semalaysia Festival 2024 held here, on Saturday.
Datuk Patinggi Abang Zohari added that he wants to test this project in the hope that Sarawak will become the main producer of rice and be able to support rice sharing with the Hopoh Association in Peninsular Malaysia.
"Then, there will be a lot of water flow from the turbine where we store the water and then it can become a soil irrigation system for paddy and produce rice.
"This means that the new technology will have two functions, one to create electricity and the second to irrigate the soil.
"This (technology) is new, whether it works or not, I want to try because if it happens later, maybe we are rice producers in Sarawak and we can supply rice to the Hopoh Association in Peninsular Malaysia," he said.
He also commented that Sarawak has the goal of becoming the most developed state in Malaysia by 2030.
"We are together with friends from other states, of course we are also working hard to achieve these goals and targets.
"However, in Sarawak, we want all communities to work together.
"Whether we are Bumiputera, Chinese, Iban, Malay, or Orang Ulu, we are united in achieving the same goal and we believe that with cooperation and unity among all levels of society, we can move forward together as a more developed and prosperous state by year 2030," he said.
Also present at the event were Deputy Premier of Sarawak, Datuk Amar Professor Dr Sim Kui Hian, Sarawak Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Sarawak Minister of Transport, Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin, Sarawak Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Datuk Sebastian Ting Chiew Yew, Kota Sentosa assemblyman, Yap Yau Sin, Mayor of Kuching South City Council (MBKS), Dato Wee Hong Seng, President of Sarawak Hopoh Association, Datu Dr Chai Khin Chung, and other dignitaries. - UKASnews
