LAWAS: Two key state government initiatives, namely the Lawas Health Clinic and the Centre for Technology Excellence Sarawak (CENTEXS) Lawas Campus, are expected to become catalysts for socio-economic growth in northern Sarawak.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said both projects reflect the state government’s commitment to narrow the development gap between urban and rural communities.
“These are strategic efforts under the state’s development agenda to improve access to quality healthcare and technical education in the northern region,” he told reporters after inspecting the sites on Sunday (Jul 20).
On the progress of the Lawas Health Clinic, he said the project is expected to be completed by October despite minor delays due to additional site works.
“I have personally visited the site and found that some of the medical equipment has arrived and is ready to be installed,” he said.
He said the new facility, once operational, is expected to serve up to 300 patients daily with improved, modern, and comfortable healthcare services.
“This will become a benchmark for healthcare infrastructure in rural Sarawak and significantly enhance public health services in the area,” he added.
Turning to the CENTEXS Lawas Campus, Awang Tengah, who is also Bukit Sari assemblyman, said the facility has begun operations and now accommodates between 500 and 700 students — a major increase from its previous intake of just 120.
The campus offers 21 skills-based training programmes across sectors such as oil and gas, food technology, data and information technology, tailoring, hospitality, and local culture.
“This initiative supports our vision of developing a skilled workforce for the state’s modern economic sectors such as smart farming, renewable energy, tourism, electronics and food production,” he said.
Lawas, he noted, has been identified as a strategic location to serve as a regional hub for technical skills development.
“As part of this vision, the campus also welcomes students from Sabah, Labuan, and even Kalimantan, Indonesia,” he said.
He said cross-border cooperation in technical education is key to advancing regional economic integration.
Also present during the working visit were Limbang Division Resident Unus Tambi, Political Secretary to the Premier Awangku Jinal Abedin Pengiran Datuk Jawa, Lawas District Officer Ladin Atok, and Northern Region Development Agency (NRDA) regional director Datuk Ubaidillah Abd Latif.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said both projects reflect the state government’s commitment to narrow the development gap between urban and rural communities.
“These are strategic efforts under the state’s development agenda to improve access to quality healthcare and technical education in the northern region,” he told reporters after inspecting the sites on Sunday (Jul 20).
On the progress of the Lawas Health Clinic, he said the project is expected to be completed by October despite minor delays due to additional site works.
“I have personally visited the site and found that some of the medical equipment has arrived and is ready to be installed,” he said.
He said the new facility, once operational, is expected to serve up to 300 patients daily with improved, modern, and comfortable healthcare services.
“This will become a benchmark for healthcare infrastructure in rural Sarawak and significantly enhance public health services in the area,” he added.
Turning to the CENTEXS Lawas Campus, Awang Tengah, who is also Bukit Sari assemblyman, said the facility has begun operations and now accommodates between 500 and 700 students — a major increase from its previous intake of just 120.
The campus offers 21 skills-based training programmes across sectors such as oil and gas, food technology, data and information technology, tailoring, hospitality, and local culture.
“This initiative supports our vision of developing a skilled workforce for the state’s modern economic sectors such as smart farming, renewable energy, tourism, electronics and food production,” he said.
Lawas, he noted, has been identified as a strategic location to serve as a regional hub for technical skills development.
“As part of this vision, the campus also welcomes students from Sabah, Labuan, and even Kalimantan, Indonesia,” he said.
He said cross-border cooperation in technical education is key to advancing regional economic integration.
Also present during the working visit were Limbang Division Resident Unus Tambi, Political Secretary to the Premier Awangku Jinal Abedin Pengiran Datuk Jawa, Lawas District Officer Ladin Atok, and Northern Region Development Agency (NRDA) regional director Datuk Ubaidillah Abd Latif.