BINTULU: The Sarawak government's master plan for transforming cities in the state into Smart Cities, in line with its digital blueprint, aims to improve the economy as well as the overall living conditions of Sarawakians towards the future.

Sarawak Deputy Premier, Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, stated that the initiative is being implemented in stages, beginning with Kuching, and is being expanded to Miri, with other districts such as Bintulu to follow suit.

“In Kuching, for example, we have already focused on several key areas such as waste management, security, health, and telecommunication infrastructure.

“We are migrating from 4G to 5G, and we have introduced hydrogen-powered buses. Soon, we will also have Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) vehicles driven by hydrogen,” he said.

He said this during a question and answer session of the Townhall in Conjunction with the Sarawak Day Celebration 2024 held at the University of Putra Malaysia Bintulu Campus on Monday. 

Datuk Amar Awang Tengah emphasised that the step-by-step adoption of these technologies is aimed at improving urban living conditions, boosting the economy, and enhancing safety.

According to him, the government’s goal is to ensure a healthier living environment for the urban population, stimulate economic growth, and enhance public safety through the integration of advanced technologies.

The Sarawak government is committed to embracing innovative solutions to create sustainable, smart urban environments for its citizens.

Also present were the Speaker of the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly, Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar, Minister for Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development, Dato Sri Hajah Fatimah Abdullah, Minister in the Sarawak Premier's Department, Dato Sri John Sikie Anak Tayai, Deputy Ministers of Sarawak, Jepak Assemblyman, Iskandar Turkee, Deputy State Secretary of Sarawak (Operations), Datu Hii Chang Kee, State Attorney General of Sarawak, Datu Saferi Ali, General Manager of Bintulu Port Authority (BDA), Datu Muhamad Yakup Kari, Director of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Bintulu Campus, Prof. Dr. Shahrul Razif Sarbini and other honoured guests.-UKASnews