SARAWAK Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg today blamed the state’s low household income per capita to the lack of employment opportunities in its Putrajaya-controlled oil and gas industry.

Speaking at the launch of the state-level fly the Jalur Gemilang campaign in Kuching today, he said the state is now taking steps to correct the distorted statistics on its household income and remove the derogatory tag, “a rich poor state”, before 2030.

The state’s contributions to the national economy are not reflected in the economic and social wellbeing of its people, he said.

“There’s no denying this resource-rich state is one of the biggest contributors to the national economy.”

Last year, for example, the contribution to the national GDP was RM136.05 billion but its household income per capita was RM53,317. 

“The statistics look impressive. But that was not the reality,” he said.

“Our household income per capita was only RM5,218 in 2019.”

Abang Johari said even though oil and gas are the biggest contributors to the national coffers, the household income is low because the industry does not employ enough Sarawakians.

“Sarawak needs to take a good look at this imbalance in micro detail and take steps to address it.”

Therefore, one of the focuses post-Covid-19 is to develop its petrochemical hub in Bintulu. 

Sited on a 404ha piece of land at Tg Kidurong, the hub will have a RM3.74 billion methanol plant and the downstream economic activities are projected to generate 74,000 jobs. – July 28, 2020.