S A R A W A K D E V E L O P M E N T I N S T I T U T E

Seminarservices

lectures dialoguesworkshops

researchconferences

ANNUALREPORT

2012

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02• Introduction

03• Vision&Mission

04• Chairman’sStatement

06• BoardofDirectors

08• Secretariat

09• Conferences,Workshops, Forums&Talks ResearchActivities

contents

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wasestablishedon2November1995.ItisregisteredasaCompanyLimitedbyGuaranteeandnothavingaShareCapitalundertheCompaniesAct.1995,Malaysia.Asanautonomousnon-profitresearchinstitute, it isentrustedto

undertake inter-disciplinary researchonpertinentdevelopment issues related to thestateandnationforpolicyinputstothegovernmentandprivateorganisations/clients.

TheprincipleobjectiveofSDIistoprovideindependentandobjectiveinputstocomplementthepolicyanddecisionmakingprocessinSarawak.

Thespecificobjectivesareto:• Undertake interdisciplinary research forpolicy inputs to thegovernmentandother

clients;

• Provide an avenue for professionals and other practitioners to discuss, exchangeviews and opinions facing the state and nation through conferences, seminars,workshop,dialogueandlectures;

• Disseminateinformation,knowledgeandfindingstothepublicthroughbothformalandinformalchannels;and

• Network with other institutions with similar interests, in and outside Malaysia tofacilitatetheflowofinformationandknowledge.

Thepriorityfocusareasare:

• PublicPolicy

• DevelopmentStudies

• Socio-economicStudies

SDI

Objectives

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Vision• Tobealeadingresearchinstitutionintheregion

Mission• Tooffercomprehensiveprofessionalresearchservicesthatprovidevaluableinputto

plannersandpolicymakers

• Toofferprofessionalmanagementservicesforconferences/seminarsandgeneratereports and recommendations for public policy input and knowledge orientedpublications

• TocontributetoandcomplementthepolicyanddecisionmakingprocessinSarawak

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Year 2012 saw SDI involved in a wide range of programmesandeventscovering its threecoreareasofpublicpolicy,developmentstudiesandsocio-economicstudies.Ourtargetaudiencesforthisyear

wasmoreouryouthandthecivilservice;andwhileeventswereheldlocallywehadinputs

fromlocal,nationalandinternationalspeakers.Theengagementwithmulti-stakeholdersas

alwayspractisedbySDI isdoneatthemacroleveltodiscusspolicyandplanningissues

whilesimultaneouslyengagingwiththeyouth,public,non-governmentalorganisationsand

relevantcommunitiesatthemicroleveltodiscusspertinentissuesandobtaintheirfeedback.

Thisprovidesuswithawealthof information toanalyseanduse toproposesolutions to

currentissuesfacedbysocietyandtheState.

Agoodexampleofthisinitiativeatthemacrolevelwasthetworetreatsorganizedforsenior

officersandheadsofgovernmentagencieson ‘SocialEnvironmental ImpactAssessment

Stakeholders’Consultation’.TheseretreatswerecrucialandtimelyastheStateisfacinga

hostof issues in regard tosocialenvironmental impact.Theestablishmentofa taskforce

‘StrategicSocialandEnvironmentalTaskforce’aftertheretreatsandtheconsensusreached

after much deliberation on a myriad of issues such as state and international policies,

biodiversity, resettlement, forestry, land, etc. point to the urgent need for a central data

repositoryandaneffectivecommunicationnetworktoaddresstheseissues.

Along the same line was a ‘Workshop on Content

andAccesstoStatePublicPoliciesontheWeb’

organized forgovernmentofficers inchargeof

agency websites where a public policy expert

fromAustraliacritically reviewedandprovided

inputsonhowtoimprovethewaygovernment

agencies write and communicate government

policies to the public at large. The emphasis

wastounderstandapolicyandtocommunicate

itinsimplestatements.

Ourengagementwithyouthaged18-25yearsold

continuedfromlastyearwithtwointercultural

youth forums held in Kuching

and Lundu. We went further

and engaged young

working adults from

different organizations/

institutions in a series

of ‘Let’s Talk Unity:

Tea with the Chief

Minister’ dialogues

whereour future

chai

rman

’s s

tate

men

t

5

leadersgetachance toshare theirconcernswithourStateLeader.Ofnotablemention

with regard to our engagement with young people was the International Youth Cultural

Conference (IYCC) held for the first time in Sarawak and attended by participants from

13countries. ItwassupportedbyUNESCOandwehadrenownedyouthspeakers from

Malaysia,USAandIransharingtheirexperiencesattheconference.

SDI’sroletoprovideinputsforpoliciesparticularlyatthenationallevelwasacknowledged

bythefederalMinistryofEducationinareportwesubmittedfora‘RoundtableonNational

EducationReview’whichwasorganizedinresponsetotheNationalEducationReviewfor

theMalaysianEducationBlueprint2013-2025.Theroundtablewasattendedbystakeholders

fromvariouseducationalinstitutions,NGOsandparents.

Despitesomewhathinderedbyshort-handedness,researchin2012alsoverymuchfocused

on SDI’s core areas which included the Baseline Study on Expatriates and Other Non-

ResidentEmployees(Foreigners) inSarawak,Socio-economicSurveyforKedayaTelang

Usan,MiriAgropolitianProject,Socio-economicStudyofTerubokFishermen inSarawak

(An Update), and a number of smaller on-going in-house studies. The bigger studies

areeitheratthestageofcompletionoron-goingtobecompletedin2013.Providingthe

platformforresearcherstosharefindingsfromstudiesconductedisalsoverymuchapart

ofSDI’sroleasaresearchinstitution.Thistooktheformofatalkon‘LanguageUseand

EthnicIdentityofAdolescents’whereamemberofSDIfromUNIMASsharedherfindings

withrelevantstakeholders.

ThechallengingworkthatwedoinSDIwouldnothavebeenpossiblewithoutthecommitment

oftheSDIBoardofDirectorsanditsThinkingWorkingGroupswhicharestronglysupported

bythemanagementandstaffofSDI.Itakemyhatofftothem.Myappreciationalsogoesto

ourmembersfortheirconsistentsupport;particularlyourcorporatememberswhothrough

theiryearlysubscriptionshavesponsoredourtalksonresearchfindingsandcurrentissues

ofinteresttothecommunity.Thezealoussupportofgovernmentagencies,collaborations

withregionalandinternationalorganizations,andthepartnershipwiththelocalmediaare

alwaysappreciatedandwilldriveustoenrichourprogrammesandactivities.

OnbehalfofSDI,Itakethisopportunityaswelltorecordmydeepestappreciationtothe

patronofSDI,YABPehinSriHajiAbdulTaibMahmud,theChiefMinisterofSarawakandthe

StateGovernmentfortheirstaunchsupportofourwork.

Thankyou.

Yang Berhormat Tan Sri Datuk Amar Haji Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani

ChairmanofSarawakDevelopmentInstitute

6

boar

d of

dire

ctor

s

ChairmanYB Tan Sri Datuk Amar Haji Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani

State Secretary of Sarawak

DeputyChairmanYBhg. Datu Haji Ismawi Haji Ismuni

DirectorState Planning Unit

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DirectorYBhg. Datu Jaul

SamionPermanent Secretary

Ministry of Land Development

DirectorYBhg. Datu Haji Chaiti

Haji BolhassanPermanent Secretary

Ministry of Rural Development

DirectorTuan Haji

Soedirman AiniGeneral Manager

Sarawak Economic Development Corporation

(SEDC)

DirectorYBhg. Datu Dr.

Penguang ManggilPermanent Secretary

Ministry of Local Government and Community

Development

DirectorEncik William Patrick Nyigor

DirectorInformation & Communication

Technology Unit (ICTU)

DirectorYBhg. Datu Dr.

Ngenang JangguPermanent Secretary

Ministry of Modernasation of Agriculture

DirectorYBhg. Datu Ik Pahon Joyik

Permanent SecretaryMinistry of Tourism

DirectorDr. Abdul Rahman

DeenDirector

Workforce Development Unit Chief Minister’s Department

8

secr

etar

iat

1. KamaruddinSajeli

2. NurArinahaniMohamadNasir

3. EveletteRobin

4. NurAsmidaArzmi

5. PatriciaP.Nayoi

6. AlanTeo

7. RosalindWong

8. AbdulKhalikPutit

9. LeliaSim(GeneralManager)

10. YBhg.DatuAloysiusJ.Dris (ChiefExecutiveOfficer)

1 23 4

68 9 1075

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SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (SEIA) STAKEHOLDERS’ CONSULTATION RETREAT2-3February2012,DamaiBeachResort

The SEIA Stakeholders’ Consultation Retreat was jointly organised by the ChiefMinister’sDepartment,StatePlanningUnitandSarawakDevelopment Institute.Theobjectivesoftheretreatweretobrainstormontherole,functionandactivitiesoftheStateSEIATaskforce, including itsTechnicalWorkingGroupswhichcouldbe formedasa result, to formulate theTermsofReference for theTaskforceand its TechnicalWorkingGroups;toprovidestakeholderswithanoverviewonexistingstateandfederallegislationsand international agreements, treaties, protocol and conventions related to the relevantissues including the environment, trade, investment, commodities and human rights; toconsolidatethestorage,managementanduseofrelevantdataandinformation;tofacilitatebetter information sharing and networking among the state agencies and other relevantstakeholders,includingindustriesandfederalagencies;andtochartanactionplanfortheTWGsonthekeyfocusareasidentified.Atotalof58participantscomprisingmainlytechnicalandseniorofficialsfromthepublicsector,GLCsandrelevantNGOsattendedthisretreat.

Four key areas namely Policies, Laws and Regulations, International Conventions(Environment), Environmental Components; Land (use), Water, Air, Biodiversity andHuman;SEIAStudiesandResettlementIssues;andDataManagementandUtilisationwerediscussedbytheparticipantsingroups.EachgroupcameupwiththeproposedTermsofReferencefortheSEIATaskforce,TWGandidentifiedissuesandrecommendationsfortheTWG.AmongthemwereproposalsfortheStateSecretarytoheadtheSEIATaskforce,theStatePlanningUnittobeappointedasthesecretariat,amultidiscplinaryTWG,andalistofissuespertainingtoeachfocusarearespectively.

It was a consensus among the participants that there was a great need to set up acommunicationnetworkandformulatestrategiestoaddressemergingissuesaffectingthestate.However,ashighlightedduringtheretreat,thevariousgovernmentdepartmentsandagenciesneed toconsolidate their informationanddata inorder to facilitateandprovideaccurate information for this communication need. The recommendations made by theparticipantsweredeliberatedfurtheratthe2ndSEIAretreat,whichwasattendedbyheadsofdepartmentsandagencies.

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SECOND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (SEIA) STAKEHOLDERS’ CONSULTATION RETREAT7 March 2012, Damai Puri Resort & Spa

The2ndSEIAStakeholders’ConsultationRetreatwasconductedtoseekfurtherinputfromtheheadsofagenciesandministeriesontheoutcomeofthefirstretreat,andtodiscussfutureactionplansforimplementation.Amongtherecommendationsagreedbytheparticipantsweretheobjectivesofthetaskforceto include providing policy guidance on social and environmental issues to the State; toengagethemediatowritesuccessstoriesonSarawak;todevelopeffectivecommunicationplatformsforsocialandenvironmentalissues;andtoassessandrecommendguidelinestotheStateGovernmentforanydevelopmentprojects.ThefunctionsoftheTaskforceshould,among others, include formulating, developing and coordinating internal and externalcommunicationstrategiesfortheState.

The participants agreed that the taskforce should be chaired by the State Secretary ofSarawakandtheStatePlanningUnit to functionasthesecretariat. ItwasalsoproposedthatthetaskforceshouldberenamedasStrategicSocialandEnvironmentalTaskforceforit tobemorecomprehensive. On theTWGs, itwas recommended to set up twoTWGstolookafterPolicy/PlanningandAction/Executionrolesrespectively.Ahostof issueslikethe effectiveness of state policies, capacity building, biodiversity, resettlement strategies,effectivecommunicationstrategies,datadictionaryandsharingrelatedtothefocusareaswerediscussed.

A total of 67 participants from various relevant government ministries and agencies, andNGOsattendedtheSecondRetreat.

DIALOGUE WITH YOUNG CHINESE ENTREPRENEURS“ChallengesofNewDevelopmentFrontiersinSarawak”13 March 2012, 360 Urban Resort Hotel

About 60 young Chineseentrepreneurs attended thedialoguewithYABPehinSriChiefMinister of Sarawak on 13 March 2012at the 360 Urban Resort Hotel. Thedialogue’s theme was “Challenges ofNewDevelopmentFrontiersinSarawak”.In the welcoming remarks by YBhg.DatukJ.C.Fong,StateLegalAdvisor,hestated that the dialogue was organisedto establish a closer rapport betweenYAB Pehin Sri Chief Minister, the StateGovernmentandtheyoungprofessionalsandentrepreneursfromtheChinesecommunitywhom he believed can make significant contributions towards the future progress of theStateandinstrengtheningtheunityofourmulti-racialsociety.

IntheaddressgivenbyYABPehinSripriortothedialogue,heprovidedabackgroundtohowSarawakhasovercomethechallengesitfacedinthebeginningtoachievethedevelopmentprogressthatisevidenttoday.PehinSriemphasizedtheimportanceofleadershipandtherightkindofgovernmenttoleadthetransformationanddevelopmentinthestate.Withitslowpopulation, thechallenge lies inuniting thepeopleofSarawak towork togetherandsupportacommoneconomicpolicy.

Anumberofpertinentissueswereraisedduringthedialogue,namelylandissues,redtapefacedwhendealingwithgovernmentagencies,talentmanagementandretention,thegapbetween thegovernmentand thepeopleon thedeliverysystem,eco-tourismchallenges,publictransportationandnewbusinessmodels.YABPehinSriadvisedtheyoungChineseentrepreneurstogroupthemselvestogethertofindsolutionstotheircommonproblems.

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2nd INTERCULTURAL YOUTH FORUM23-25 March 2012, Yayasan Sarawak

JointlyorganizedwithYayasanPerpaduanSarawakthisforumwasheldfrom23rd–25thMarch2012atYayasanSarawak.Thisisthesecondinaseriesofforumsheldwherethefirstonewasheldfrom8-10May2009atCampPuehSematan.ThisforumwasanovernighteventwherealltheparticipantsstayedatYayasanSarawak’shostelfor2nights.

Theeventwasattendedby147youthaged18 to25yearsold fromSarawak (Miri,Sibu,Bintulu,Betong&Mukah),Sabah(Penampang&KotaKinabalu),WestMalaysia(Selangor,Penang,Johor,Melaka,Terengganu,Perak&Kelantan)aswellasinternationalstudentsfromMyanmar,Uzbeskistan,Nigeria,Russia,PhilippinesandIndonesia.YABPehinSriHajiAbdulTaibMahmud,ChiefMinisterofSarawakofficiatedtheeventandalsolaunchedYayasanPerpaduanSarawak’sCalendarofActivitiesfor2012.Inhisremarks,PehinSricalledforagreaterunderstandingonculturesandtheimpactofcurrenthappeningsonthesecultures.Hebelievedtheyoungergenerationwillhavetofacealotofchallengesinunderstandingandadjustingtotheconstantchangesthatarehappeningaroundtheworld.Havingastrong foundation inone’sculturewill support theyouth to face thechallengesbetter.

The participants also had an interactive session learning about Sarawak’s local culturesthrough presentations by Madam Lelia Sim, General Manager of Sarawak DevelopmentInstitute and Mr. Mark Bonchol, Secretary to the Board of Trustees, Yayasan PerpaduanSarawak.Theirunderstandingwasfurtherenhancedwithpresentationsfromtherespectiveethnic associations namely Bidayuh, Chinese, Iban, Indian, Malay, and Orang Ulu, whosharedontherespectivecommunities’cultures.

This was followed by a host of teambuilding games and mini workshops on the localcommunities’ cultures. Seven ethnic groups (Bidayuh, Chinese, Iban, Indian, Malay,MelanauandOrangUlu)displayedandsharedwiththeforumparticipantsontheirtraditionalcostumes,musicalinstruments,food,books,etc.Oneofthehighlightsoftheforumwasthetalenttimesegmentwherealmostalltheparticipantsshowcasedtheirtalentsthroughgroupperformanceslikeshortdrama,singing,traditionaldances,martialartsanddrumming.

OnthestrategiestocontinuetheinterculturalharmonyandunityinSarawak,theparticipantshighlightedthattheywouldliketoseemoreopenmindedpolicies,greaterexposurethrougheducationandtoorganisemoreculturalbasedeventswhichhavetobefunandinteresting.

LET’S TALK UNITY: TEA WITH THE CHIEF MINISTER31 March, 2012, Grand Margherita Hotel

This dialogue with the Chief Minister was jointlyorganizedwithYayasanPerpaduanSarawakandwas attended by 46 participants from variousuniversities’ alumni in Kuching, professional bodies,institutions of higher learning, business chambers,bloggersandAZAM’sIntegrityAmbassadors.

Theobjectivesofthisdialogueweretoprovideaplatformfor engagement between future leaders and a stateleader; toprovideanavenue for future leaders’ voicestobeheard;toestablishrapportandnetworkingamongthe working professionals in the State; and to gatherfeedbackonissuesrelatedtounityandharmonythatareofconcerntothefutureleadersofSarawak.

Someof the issuesdiscussedduring thedialogue include issueson thedevelopment inSarawak, privatizing healthcare, unity, education system, biomedical research, propertyvalueandpromotionoflocaldialects/culturesinschools.

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16th MIER-SDI REGIONAL CORPORATE ECONOMIC BRIEFING 2012 19 April 2012, Dewan Asajaya, Grand Margherita Hotel

The16thMIER-SDIRegionalAnnualCorporateEconomicBriefingwasjointlyorganisedwiththeMalaysianInstituteofEconomicResearch(MIER).According to the IMF’s World EconomicOutlook Update, January 2012, the globalrecovery was threatened by intensifyingstrains in the euro area and fragilitieselsewhere. It projected global outputto expand by 3¼ per cent in 2012, adownward revisionofabout¾percentagepointrelativetotheSeptember2011WorldEconomicOutlook.Italsoexpectedgrowthin emerging and developing economiestoslowbecauseof theworseningexternalenvironment and a weakening internal demand. Dr. Zakariah Abdul Rashid, ExecutiveDirectorofMIERdiscussedon theseeconomic issuesduring thebriefingandpresentedtheresultsofthefirstquarter2012BusinessConditionsandConsumerSentimentSurveys.TheresultofMIER’sother four industrysurveyscoveringautomotive, residentialproperty,retailtradeandtourismwerepresentedaswell.HealsopresentedontheminimumwagepolicywhichwillbeadoptedandimplementedinMalaysia.Thebriefingwasattendedby26participantsfromthepublicandprivatesectors.

TALK ON LANGUAGE USE AND ETHNIC IDENTITY OF ADOLESCENTS23 April 2012, 360 Urban Resort Hotel, Kuching

ThistalkwasjointlyorganizedwithYayasanPerpaduan Sarawak under its Unity TalkSeries.ThetalkwaspresentedbyDr.TingSu Hie, a lecturer at the Centre for LanguageStudies, UNIMAS, who is also a member ofSarawakDevelopmentInstitute.

Dr. Ting shared research findings on thedominant language use in the lives of youngMalaysians,andtheirattitudetowardstheirownand other ethnic groups. In her research, sheinterviewedoverone thousandschoolstudentsaged13–17yearsold fromthe ruralandurbanregionsofKuching,SibuandMiri. Among thefindingswere:therespondentswerefoundtobemultilingual,speakinganaverageof3.33languages; the use of Bahasa Malaysia exceeded English among the three main ethnicgroups(Malay,IbanandChinese),showingthesuccessofthenationalpolicyontheuseofBahasaMalaysiaasthemediumofinstructioninpublicschools;inamodernsocietythatisundergoingsocialtransformation,manyprevailingfactorsareinafluxandarelikelytoshiftlanguageusepatternstowardsthedominantstandardlanguages,perhapstothedetrimentandviabilityofethniclanguages;althoughthedevelopmentofethnicidentityisinafluxforadolescents,theyarenotexperiencinganyconflictsinbeingMalay,Chinese,Iban,BidayuhorMelanauandatthesametime,arebeingopentootherethnicgroups.TheresearchwasconductedinJanuaryandFebruary2011inKuching,Miri,Sibu,DurinandBario.

This talk was attended by more than 40 participants from cultural and communityassociations,relatedgovernmentdepartmentsandagencies,statutorybodies, institutionsofhigherlearning,SDIandAZAMmembersandthemedia.

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LET’S TALK ORGANIC14 June 2012, MBKS Auditorium, Kuching

This talkwaswellattendedbyabout110participants from various private andpublic sectors, members of the publicandthemediawhocametoupdatethemselveson organic agriculture, composting methods,regional organic happenings and knowledgesharing on personal experiences related tohomecomposting.

SDI updated the participants on the outcomes of the Regional Collaboration Follow-upMeetinginSeoulin2009andthe17thIFOAMWorldCongressin2011whichincludedtheformationofaregionalforumcalledOrganicAsiawhichlooksintodatacollection,researchnetworking,peerreviewandorganicresearchadvocacy,traininganddevelopment;theneedfornationalorganicassociationstobeengagedindomesticmarketdevelopment,andtheuseofacommonorganicmarktouniteorganicoperatorsinthecountry,incomplementtousingaglobalorganicmarkforlocal-globalpartnershiptogrowtheorganicsector.

Ms.ChuaAnnAnn,alocalorganicfarmerwhoalsoattendedthe17thIFOAMWorldCongress2011,sharedherexperiencelearningfromherpeersindifferentcountriesonfertilizing,pestanddiseasecontrol.Shealsosharedoncompostingmethodsfororganicfarms.TheotherpresentationswereontheTakakuraMethodofCompostingbyMr.KhoJooHuat,AssistantEnvironmentalHealthOfficerofMBKS,HomeComposting(BokashiMethod)byMr.HenableHenry,AssistantEnvironmentalHealthOfficerofDBKU,andMs.ShariahbtUmar,ResearchOfficerfromtheAgricultureResearchCentre(ARC)sharedonthelatesttrendsandupdatesinrelationtoorganicagriculture.AresidentfromMBKS’sareaalsosharedhersuccessstoryandexperienceincompostingherkitchenwastethroughtheTakakuraMethod.

Aminidisplayoforganicproductsandproducessuchasvegetables,importedfood,clothes,beverages, supplements, fertilisers, seed composts and composting materials was alsoorganisedtocomplementthetalk.ThehalfdaytalkwasjointlyorganizedwiththeKuchingSouthCityCouncil(MBKS).

ROUNDTABLE ON NATIONAL EDUCATION REVIEW20 June 2012, AZAM Conference Room

TheroundtablewasorganizedinresponsetotheNationalEducationReviewtodiscussissuesoneducationandproposerecommendations to theMinistryofEducation. Itfocusedon4priorityareasnamely: teachers,school leaders,qualityofschoolandmultilingual proficiency. The roundtable discussed on issues such as the sustainabilityand consistency of Malaysia’s Education Policy, implementation and communication ofeducationalprogrammesandinitiatives,andtheengagementwithstakeholdersonthenewprogrammesandinitiatives.RecommendationsweremadeintheareasofaspirationfortheoverallMalaysianEducationSystemand foreverychild, implementationof theeducationsystem,schoolandteachers’performanceandkeydriversforstudentperformances.

The objectives of the National Education Review are to define aspirations for the overallMalaysian education system and for every child, establish a performance baseline (i.e.examine how well the education system has delivered; how Malaysian students havefaredovertimeversusotherstudentsfromothercountries);tounderstandthekeydriversof student performance; to identify priority areas for further development; and to makerecommendationsfortransformation.

The roundtable was attended by 20 individuals representing the Education Department,teachers’ trainingcolleges,publicandprivateuniversities,pre-school institutions,parentsandnon-governmentalorganizations.TheroundtablereportwassubmittedtotheMinistryofEducation.

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3rd INTERCULTURAL YOUTH FORUM7-8 July 2012, Union Yes Retreat & Training Centre, Lundu

The 3rd Intercultural Youth Forum wasattendedbyabout70youth fromSarawak,Sabah,WestMalaysiaaswellasinternationalstudentsfromChina,India,Mauritius,Bangladesh,Pakistan,Nigeria,SudanandVietnam.Theyouthwere mainly from schools, colleges, institutes,universitiesandcommunityassociations.

Theparticipantsweretaskedtodomuralpaintingsto depict their understanding on interculturalharmonyandunity.Thebestmuralpaintingproduceddepictstheneedforpeopletostayconnectedandunitedtoeliminatenegativefeelingsfromdestroyingthepeaceandunitythatweenjoyandmakingtheworldabetterplacetolivein.DuringtheTalenttimesegment,thebestperformanceawardwenttoSEGI’scollegefortheteamworkandrichculturalcontentintheirpresentation.

Among the ideas from the group presentations on enhancing and strengthening theintercultural unity and harmony in Sarawak were on the establishment of a CulturalTheme Park; enhancing intercultural interaction through early childhood and high schooleducation;celebrationoffestivals;intermarriages;‘anakangkat’programmes;sports,smartapplications,youth forums/dialogues/camps;andsharing throughsocialandmainstreammediaandothers.

From the feedback received from theparticipants,especially fromoutsideSarawak, theyenjoyedandappreciatedtheopportunity to learnmoreabout localcultureandto interactaswellasshare theirculturewith the local youth. The local youthalsocalled forsimilarprogrammestobeorganisedregularlytoenablethemtolearnmoreaboutlocalcultureandtointeractwithyouthfromdifferentbackgrounds.

2nd LET’S TALK UNITY: TEA WITH THE CHIEF MINISTER 19th July 2012, Mega Hotel Miri

Following thesamedialogue format inKuching, the2ndLet’sTalkUnity:Teawith theChiefMinisterwasorganizedinMiri.Thedialoguewasattendedby42participantsfromuniversityalumni,schools,professionalinstitutionsandorganizations.FourquestionswereaskedwhichwereontheroleofmediainpromotingunitythroughoutMalaysiaastheusageoftermlike“MalaysiaincludingSabahandSarawak”wasstillwidelyusedinthemedia;fundsorfinancialsupportavailabletopromoteunity;howtoleverageonthecurrentunityandharmonyforbetterprogress;andhowtoreducebraindrainandretaintalentsinSarawak.

TheChiefMinister’srepliestothesequestionsincludetheneedforSarawakianstocorrectthe wrong perception of West Malaysians on Sarawak; to harness one’s creativity andinnovativenesstosucceed;the importanceofkeepinganopenmindandtoacceptotherculturesandpractices;andtopromoteunityateveryopportunity.Onbraindrainandtalentretention,YABPehinSribelievedthatSCOREwillbeabletoprovidethejobopportunitieswhenitisfullyoperational.

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INTERNATIONAL YOUTH CULTURAL CONFERENCE (IYCC)28-30 November 2012, Sarawak Cultural Village

Withyouthparticipantsfrom13countries,itwasindeedanexcitingandentertainingtimefortheparticipantsandorganizersoftheinauguralInternationalYouthCulturalConference. An array of fun activities such as traditional food demonstration,traditional music and dance workshop, cultural games and jungle trekking were part ofthe conference programme. Participants, both from local and foreign countries enjoyedthe showcase of local culture and fun learning experience immensely during the 3 daysconference.

The conference also featured top youth personalities cum speakers such as Ms. ZeeAvi andMr.Michael Teoh fromMalaysia,Ms. LaurenPrince,Mr.BlairDalyandMs.AmaDeniseGharteyfromtheUnitedStatesofAmerica,andMs.NatashaShokri,fromUNESCOBangkok.OneoftheparticipantscommentedthattheconferencewaslikeaminiTED(ideaworthspreading)conferencetohim.

AkeymessagefromTheRightHonourablePehinSriHajiAbdulTaibMahmud,ChiefMinisterofSarawakandChairman,BoardofTrusteesofYayasanPerpaduanSarawakwasfor theyouth toadoptapragmaticapproach todealwith issuesandutilizeaproperplatform tofightfortheircause.Healsosharedthatthereisnoonesolutiontothesameproblemindifferentcountries.Aspecialsessionwiththespeakersandselectedparticipantswasalsoorganized for theRightHonourablePehinSri. During thespecial session, speakersandyouthparticipants raised issues related topromotingSarawak’scultureoutsideSarawak,gettingmoreyouthtoparticipateinunityrelatedactivitiesandcoveringsocietalissuessuchasthehandicappedandunderprivilegedchildren.

DuringtheconferenceparticipantsfromthePhilippinesandIndonesiastoodoutastheywereveryactiveandinvolvedinculturalrelatedactivities.TheywereveryeagertoshareandlearnthroughouttheconferenceascomparedtoyouthfromothercountriesincludingMalaysia.Thereweremany ideasgenerated fromthe IdeaGenerationWorkshops facilitatedby thespeakerswhere theparticipantsshared their ideasondifferent topics likeculture,music,unity,worldpeace,socialmediaandentrepreneurship. Someof theproposals includeaschoolprojectonrecycling,culturalconference,settingupafoundationtosupportyoungentrepreneurs,aworldmusicvideo,etc.

Fromtheconferenceitwasevidentthatmore localyoutharetakinganinterest inculturalrelatedactivitiesandthiswasclearlyseeninthelocalmusicbandswhichperformedusingtraditionalinstrumentsduringtheculturalconcertheldattheendoftheconference.Aclearoutcomefromthisconferenceisthatitmetitsobjectiveinprovidingaplatformfortheyouthfromdifferentcountriestoshowcaseandlearnabouteachother’sculture.TheYPS’sIYCCFacebookisstillbeingactivelyusedbytheparticipantstocommunicatewitheachother.

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WORKSHOP ON CONTENT AND ACCESS TO STATE PUBLIC POLICIES ON THE WEB12-13 December 2012, Damai Beach Resort, Kuching

The two-day workshop was attended by 35 officials from various state departmentsand agencies. It was facilitated by Mr. Lance McMahon, Research Associate, JohnCurtinInstituteofPublicPolicy,CurtinUniversity,WesternAustralia.Hegaveadetailedoverview on public management evolution and what shaped the public administration ofthepresentWestminstersystem.Hehighlightedhowrapidcommunicationandcomputingtechnologyand theuseof the internethavechanged theway todisseminate informationfromthepublicsector.Hestressedthatpublicsectormanagersneedtobeskilledintheutilizationandmanagementofwebaccess.However,healsomentionedthatwritingforthewebstillsubscribestotheestablishedmethodsofwriting,meaningtheyneedtowritetotheirreaders,butadjustittosuittheweb.

TheworkshopparticipantswerealsorequiredtoreviewtheSarawakGovernmentWebPortal(HandyGuide)wheremostof themcommented that itwasnotuser friendlyandneededto be further improved in terms of categorization of policies, language used, keywordsearch,FAQs,etc.Forcasestudiestheparticipantsalsoworkedingroupstorewritepolicystatementsavailableoncertainwebsites.Fromthefacilitator’scommentsontheirefforts,itwasclearthattheparticipantsunderstoodwhatwasrequiredinwritingpolicystatements.TheInformationandCommunicationTechnologyUnitalsosharedwiththeparticipantsanewtemplatethat istobeusedbyallgovernmentagenciestouploadtheir informationontheportalinthefuture.

Issues raised during the workshop included: what is public policy, how much can beshared and the legal issues involved when one rewrite policy statements. According toMr.McMahon, thechallenge is inunderstanding thepolicyofeachdepartmentand thentoprovidesimplestatementstocommunicatetheinformationtothepublic.Hefeltthattheparticipantswerestillconfusedonthe ‘what’ thatshouldbecommunicatedto thepublic.However,given thevastscopeof this topic, theworkshophadprovidedaclearerpictureto the participants on how to improve government department websites’ effectiveness incommunicatinggovernmentpolicies.

BASELINE STUDY ON ExPATRIATES AND OTHER NON-RESIDENT EMPLOYEES (FOREIGNERS) IN SARAWAK

The study commenced in July2012 after the signing of theMemorandum of Agreementwith the State Planning Unit. A team ofresearchers from Universiti TeknologiMara,SarawakCampus isassistingSDIin the study. The study comprises fourstages. The first stageofdesk researchwhich involved a comprehensive reviewof research reports, position papers,articles, and statistics was undertakenafterthesigningoftheagreement.TheseweresourcedfromtheEconomicPlanningUnitof thePrimeMinister’sDepartment,StatePlanningUnitoftheChiefMinister’s

Department, Sarawak, Ministry ofManpower Malaysia, the IndonesianConsulate, Department of Statistics,researchunitsoflocaluniversities,Police,and Health authorities, ImmigrationDepartment,andlibraries.

Based on statistics obtained from theLabour Department and ImmigrationDepartment on the number of

establishments that employ foreignworkers and expatriates in the fourselected sectors of manufacturing,construction, agriculture, wholesale andretailtrade,stratifiedsamplingwasdonebasedonthenumberofforeignworkersemployedinthecompanies/firmsandbydivisioninSarawak.AnInceptionReportwas prepared and submitted to SPU inNovember2012.

The other three stages of the study willcommence in 2013 which comprisesdata collection through semi-structuredinterviews(personalinterviewsandfocusgroup discussion with agencies andcommunityleaders),usingquestionnaire(establishment, expatriate and foreignworkers),andstagefourwhichconsistofdataanalysisandreportwriting.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC SURVEY FOR KEDAYA TELANG USAN, MIRI AGROPOLITAN PROJECT

TheTermsofReference(ToR)forthissurveywasreviewedandacceptedby the Resident’s Office Miri andSDIwasofficiallyappointedastheprojectconsultant inNovember2012.However,the signing of the study agreementbetween SDI and Resident’s Office Miriwas delayed, thus the survey could notcommencein2012.Itisexpectedtotakeoffin2013.

Based on preliminary readings on thebackgroundof thesurveyarea,PunangKelapangwhichisunderKedayaTelangUsanRegion iscategorizedunderZone4 and is the most remote among theselected areas for the Miri Agropolitan

Project. Majority of the communitiesare from the Kenyah, Penan, Sabanand Kelabit ethnic groups. Accordingto previous records, no developmentplan has been proposed for this area,probably due to its remoteness andaccessibility.ThejourneyfromMiritothisareabylandtakesabout8hoursthroughlogging roadswhilebyplane it isaboutoneandhalfhoursfromMiriviaMaruditoLongBangaairport.

This proposed survey will cover threePenan villages (Long Beruang, LongLamaiandBa’Lai), twoKenyahvillages(Long Pulung and Lio Mato), twoSaban villages (Long Banga and LongBalong) and one Kelabit village (LongPeluan). There are 416 families with apopulation of 2,278 people living withinthePunangKelapangValley.Majorityofthe communities in this valley practise

self-sufficient activities such as plantingof hill paddy, fishing, and hunting. It isestimated that about 81per centof thehouseholds are living under hardcorepoverty level. Currently, there is nocommercial planting of crops in thisremotearea.Allsettlementsinthisvalleyare connected by logging roads exceptBa’LaiandLongLamai.

SOCIO ECONOMIC STUDY OF TERUBOK FISHERMEN IN SARAWAK (AN UPDATE)

ThestudycommencedinApril2012with preliminary visits to the studyarea in Daro, and to Lingga andSebuyau in May. The purpose of thevisit was to collect data on the existingTerubok fishermen in the area and totest the questionnaire formulated. Theactual fieldwork was conducted in May2012 for Daro and covered a total of155 fishermen; while that for SebuyauandLinggawasJuly2012covering124fishermen.

The study is completed and a draftFinal Report has been submitted to theInlandFisheriesDivision,DepartmentofAgriculture.Basedonthestudyfindings,Terubok fishing is still considered as

a main source of income for 93.2 percent of the fishermen, with almost allfishermen in Batang Lupar who do nothave a secondary occupation. A factorcontributingto their lackofasecondaryoccupation is low land ownershipespecially among the fishermen inBatangLuparatonly25.0percent.Morethan half of the households covered bythesurveyarelivinginpoverty.

Though the level of interest amongthe fishermen to participate in Terubokconservation programmes is ratherencouraging with many supportingthe closed fishing season to ensurethe survival of the Terubok, their keydisagreementwith theclosure is lossofincome during the four months of theclosure as it also prevents them fromcatchingotherfish.

Among the recommendations of the

study are: there is a need to identifyalternative income generating activitiesforthefishermeninordertoreducetheirdependency on fishing and Terubok;a need analysis should be done toidentify skills, capacities, interests, localresources and market available forpotential income generating activities;and more dialogues and discussionson the closed fishing season to betterexplain its core basics to gain supportandunderstandingforitsimplementation.

SARAWAK DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE

Kompleks AZAM, Jalan Crookshank, 93000 Kuching, Sarawak

Tel : 6082-415484, 416484 Fax : 6082-412799, 419799

www.sdi.com.my