KUCHING – The Sarawak Governor, Tun Pehin Sri Dr Haji Wan Junaidi bin Tuanku Jaafar, held a high-level meeting today to put forth the will to extend bilateral relationships between the state of Sarawak and France.
The courtesy call was held at Kasuma Resort in Petra Jaya and underscored Sarawak’s increasing impact on the international green energy market as well as its developing high-tech sectors.
Also present with the governor was his wife, Yang Amat Berbahagia Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Fauziah binti Mohd Sanusi.
The delegation of France was represented by the Ambassador of France to Malaysia, His Excellency Marc Abensour, and cultural attaché Thierry d’Anna and his Deputy Head of Economic Department, Bouthaina Harfi. Dato Fenny Nuli, Director of the Sarawak Regional Office for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also attended.
The hour-long discussion centred heavily on Sarawak’s ambitious move towards a sustainable economy by both parties. Ambassador Abensour took particular interest in the pioneering work his state is undertaking toward hydrogen production and ammonia.
With Europe pursuing diversified energy partners, Sarawak’s dedication to clean energy development thus far has made it a key potential collaborator for French industrial expertise.
So much of the conversation was on CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage). It is a keystone technology of Sarawak’s low-carbon strategy.
The French delegation said their domestic expertise in engineering and environmental technology could complement Sarawak’s plans to prevent Sub-Saharan climate impact while maintaining its industrial ambitions.
The session also covered the aerospace sector, given the state’s aim to create its own airline: AirBorneo. As France is among the major global players in aviation, there lie immense possibilities for technical partnerships, maintenance frameworks and investments that could bring Sarawak’s aviation industry to the world stage.
In addition to technology and industry, the leaders talked about human resource development. Both sides have agreed to forge technical training and education exchange programmes.
The state will be able to ensure that the Sarawakian workforce is equipped with specialised skills needed for high-tech sectors in linking between French institutions operating within Malaysia and local talent.
Some of the governance and regional issues were also on the agenda. He also took the opportunity to enlighten the French envoy on Sarawak’s constitutional position vis-a-vis Malaysia in terms of the MA63 and its own path towards socio-economic development.
At the close of the session, Tun Pehin Sri Wan Junaidi welcomed more French trade delegations to be sent to the region. He reiterated that Sarawak is no longer an orangutan country but a centre of added value strategic investment and sophisticated opportunities in green tech and innovation.
