KUCHING: Chief Minister Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud said by 2030, Sarawak will become the richest state in the whole of Malaysia.

He believed that this could be achieved because the state had better leaders coming up in future.

“There are a lot of promising young men coming up.Also from the Chinese community, I see that there are quite a lot of promising and talented young men.If only you can help them so that they can come up and take up the challenges to build our country together,” said Taib when speaking at the Federation of Kuching and Samarahan Divisions Chinese Associations’ 2012 Chinese New Year Gathering and 33rd anniversary dinner at Thian Court, Crown Square here last night.

“You must think of this.Give a chance to all the clever guys that we have in our society.We have spent millions of ringgit to nurse and nurture them.Every Chinese family gambled hundreds of thousands of ringgit to build very capable younger generation.

“Make sure that the younger generation will come up and lead our society into the future,” he said.

“I am throwing you the challenge today, not only to political parties but also to grassroots organisations because that is where you will make sure, with a prepared outlook, to dominate your thinking for the next 20 or 30 years.

“We will succeed and we will be second to none in Malaysia,” said Taib, adding that he was confident the Chinese community would rise to the occasion.

The Chief Minister also called on the people to look at the success rather than the failure in the past.

“We have to do our piece.Every association and every community, with the right education, can continue to progress into the future.In the spirit of oneness, in the spirit of consolidation, and in the spirit of give and take, as we have done before, everybody can find a place in our struggle to build a better future,” he pointed out.

On the financing of Chinese education, which involves both government and private initiatives, Taib said it had become a major issue and accepted as important issue at both the state and federal levels.

He said the burden of shouldering this must be left at national level because the federal government acquired the most of the taxes.

He said there must be viable and sustainable funding to be used to continue Chinese education, which was no longer a culture issue but a Malaysian issue.

“Education and preparation of proper manpower for the industries must get the support of all the communities,” he stressed.

On the request of the federation for a piece of land to construct its own building, the Chief Minister said he had instructed his officers to look for a piece of land for the purpose.

Meanwhile, Minister of Local Government and Community Development Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, President of the Federation of Kuching and Samarahan Divisions Chinese Associations Lu Kim Yong and the Organising Chairman Lee Vui Shin also spoke at the function.

(Source: New Sarawak Tribune, 2 Feb 2012)