The Sarawakku Sayang (SKS) programme is a travelling state event that stops in one division at a time. In 2026 it has also been where Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg makes his main announcements for each division. At the Bintulu stop he set out a staged start to the Trans-Borneo Railway. At Kapit he described a plan to upgrade nearly 5,700km of logging roads. At Sibu he announced a RM1.5 billion Sibu Economic Zone.

Each announcement was made at a press conference after the Premier opened that division's programme, according to Bernama's reports from Bintulu, Kapit and Sibu.

What the programme is for

The state government describes SKS as a way to hear from people in each division. At the Kapit opening on 27 June, Abang Johari said feedback from the programme would be used as the basis for state policy through a bottom-up approach, so that development matches what people need.

On the ground it works as a public fair where government agencies offer their services. An earlier Miri edition was run with the federal government as the MADANI Rakyat Sarawakku Sayang programme. Bernama reported that it was organised by the Prime Minister's Department, with the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Ministry (PETRA) as lead ministry and the Sarawak government as host. Agencies had exhibition booths and job information for visitors. One of the busiest counters was a police booth offering a 50 per cent discount on traffic summonses.

Bintulu: the railway would begin with Bintulu–Kidurong

At the Bintulu programme, held at the Old Bintulu Airport on 23 May, Abang Johari said the state was ready to support the proposed Trans-Borneo Railway. He said Sarawak already had a preliminary alignment, which would be refined and agreed with the federal government before any work began.

The first stage he proposed was short and industrial:

  • Route: Bintulu to Kidurong, serving Bintulu Port, Kidurong and Samalaju, where he said heavy cargo traffic could affect road conditions.
  • Scope: Sabah and Sarawak first. Indonesia would come later, through government-to-government cooperation.
  • Status: Bernama noted that Transport Minister Anthony Loke had said in March that the final feasibility study report was expected by the middle of this year, and that the full project could take decades.

The full proposed line would link Sarawak, Sabah, Brunei and Kalimantan.

Kapit: logging roads turned into public roads

At the Kapit programme on 27 June, the Premier said the state was upgrading nearly 5,700km of logging roads over five to six years for public use. He said Kapit's new road link had already moved congestion from the jetty, where it used to be when travel depended on the river, onto land, as more people come to trade and work.

He also placed Kapit within the state's wider plans. He described it as a key hydroelectric area that would be developed as a sustainable green city. He spoke of forests being valued as carbon sinks for carbon trading, of 64 education and training programmes, and of talks between Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (PETROS) and Petronas on the energy sector.

Sibu: an economic zone with its own agency

The largest financial commitment came at the Sibu programme on 11 July. Abang Johari said the state government had agreed in principle to a dedicated development agency, the Sibu Economic Zone (SEZ). He said he would put RM1.5 billion into the new state budget to start it.

According to Bernama's report, the zone is meant to:

  • coordinate Sibu's economic development across several sectors, rather than one at a time;
  • attract investment and strengthen services, including finance and insurance;
  • support the Sibu redevelopment master plan, which is to be carried out in stages over 15 to 20 years.

The Premier linked it to the Second Trunk Road, due for completion in 2029, which he said would cut the drive from Kuching to Sibu to about two hours. The idea of a special body for Sibu had been put forward at the same event by Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee, Sarawak's Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development. On 2 August he said the zone's priorities would include jobs, slowing the outflow of skilled workers and an ageing population, housing, and investment.

What an SKS announcement does and does not settle

These announcements are commitments of different strength. The Sibu zone was agreed in principle, and its RM1.5 billion was to go into the next state budget, not money already spent. The railway alignment is preliminary and still needs federal agreement. The logging-road upgrade has a five-to-six-year timeframe. All three came from the Premier's press conferences, and the programme's stated purpose is to collect feedback that shapes policy afterwards.

Sources