KUCHING: Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg reiterated that Sarawak has to go digital in every aspect of its system.

He noted that times have changed and so have the ways people do things to transform their economy.

“We cannot depend on a conventional economy anymore if we want our economy to leapfrog; even conventional economic theories of capital, labour, supply and demand do not work anymore.

“We have to go digital in every aspect of our system from the economy to basic things like council services,” he said at the grand opening of the Marian Boutique Lodging House here yesterday.

Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah read out the text of his speech.

The Chief Minister said to support the desire to transform Sarawak into a digital economy, the government had taken several initiatives to upgrade Internet connectivity and speed.

He said the tourism sector is no exception as the industry players have to digitise the way they promote, package and sell their tourism products.

“We are not too late as other countries which are more advanced than us like Australia are also just starting to digitise their economy,” he said.

Abang Johari said initiatives had also been taken by the government to reduce traffic congestion.

He acknowledged it is expensive to build the light rail transit (LRT) with limited returns, but it has to be done to reduce traffic congestion especially when the population of Kuching reaches a million and a half.

“We also want to make Kuching more commuter-friendly to our people who live in and around Kuching and traveller-friendly to tourists and this is why we want to build the LRT.

“There will come a time that we have to build this kind of transport system in Kuching and it’s better for us to do it now.

“As I have said before, the LRT that would integrate public housing into its planning shall first connect Kuching with Serian, Kota Samarahan and Damai,” he said.