KUCHING: Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg today said there is no room for race-based leadership and policies in Sarawak.
He said no one race could lead the multiracial society in Sarawak, otherwise the state will not be able to move forward.
“Everything we do must be Sarawakian-centric, especially in our policies,” he said at the Wisma Melayu Sarawak groundbreaking ceremony here today.
“We will continue to be fair to all races, regardless of whether they are Melanau, Iban, Bidayuh or Chinese. We are all Sarawakians,” he said.
Abang Johari said the people from various races and religions should put aside their differences and come together as one in order to progress and fight for more rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963.
He cited the recent commercial settlement signed between the Sarawak government and Petroliam Nasional Bhd as a good example and said a united society with a stable government could benefit everyone.
He also said the land for Wisma Melayu Sarawak was allocated by former chief minister Adenan Satem, who had wanted to build a building for Amanah Khairat Yayasan Budaya Melayu.
“It is a symbol of unity of the multiracial society in Sarawak and represents the identity, contributions and sacrifices of the Malay community in Sarawak,” he said.
The two-storey building will be a new landmark in Kuching once it is completed in 24 months.
It features a main hall with a capacity for 2,000 people, three seminar and meeting rooms, a Malay art gallery, exhibition space, management office, a surau and 290 parking lots.