The Sarawak premier says love for the country should be matched by progress made through knowledge.
He dismissed the notion that speaking English was a sign of a lack of patriotism, which he said should also be measured by a nation’s ability to achieve development and earn global respect.
“Elsewhere, they say English is not patriotic. They say ‘You do not have that spirit of patriotism because you also want to speak English’,” DayakDaily quoted him as saying.
“Here, we do not make noise about it. If we are patriotic but do not achieve a high level of development, that is not true patriotism because people will not respect us.
“But if we master knowledge, people will respect us,” he said at a programme in Mukah.
Abang Johari said proficiency in English was important as it provided access to new knowledge, particularly in science and technology, which would help drive Sarawak’s development.
This was why the state continued to invest in education, including allocating RM25 million to the Sarawak Education Enhancement Programme to strengthen the mastery of knowledge among teachers and students.
He also pointed to the Dual Language Programme (DLP), which uses English to teach science and mathematics, saying it would better prepare students for the future.
The chief minister cited the achievements of Sarawakian talent in the semiconductor industry, including SMD Semiconductor chief executive Shariman Jamil, who has a laboratory in Cardiff and collaborates with the University of Bristol on chip technology.
He said Sarawak also aims to launch its own satellite by 2030 to support data storage and management.
He said achieving this goal would require young Sarawakians to build strong foundations in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. - FMT
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