In 2025, Sarawak is deepening its shift from a resource-dependent economy to one anchored in technology and innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Driving this momentum are the state\u2019s youth – defined broadly by the Sarawak Youth Ordinance 2019 as those aged 15 to 40 – who play a dual role as both the target and architects of progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This broader age range reflects the realities of Sarawak\u2019s demography, ensuring digital advancement is inclusive, especially for those entering the workforce at a later stage in rural and underserved communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Youth Cohort<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The youth demographic in Sarawak is far from homogenous, encompassing everyone from teenagers in secondary school to small-scale entrepreneurs in their late thirties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While some navigate social media and mobile technologies with ease, others are only now being introduced to digital skills through structured training initiatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recognising this rich diversity is vital: progress must be inclusive of both the early adopters and the latecomers, especially those in remote areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Laying the Foundations: Infrastructure and Skills<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Connectivity Gains, but Gaps Remains<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n By mid-2025, Sarawak had installed more than 3,800 telecommunication towers, with roughly an additional 761 planned for completion by year-end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This infrastructure forms part of the state\u2019s broader ambition to reach 99.9% internet penetration by 2030.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A major investment, over RM1 billion, has gone into lifting rural broadband speeds from a sluggish 3\u20135\u202fMbps to about 30\u202fMbps, a vital step in empowering rural communities to participate in the digital economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Digital Skills in Transition<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n By the end of 2024, close to 81,800 educators had undergone ICT training through state-led programmes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, with only 1.76% reaching advanced competency and 25% remaining at the basic level, the system struggles to deliver effective digital learning across the board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This imbalance weakens the potential for digital skills to trickle down into classrooms and rural learning hubs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meanwhile, adult learners – especially those approaching the upper end of the youth age range – continue to face a shortage of tailored retraining opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Challenges Surface: Why the Gap Persists<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Across Sarawak, several barriers continue to stand in the way of inclusive digital progress:<\/p>\n\n\n\n – Connectivity remains unreliable in many remote areas, where access to digital devices is also limited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n – Youths in the 30\u201340 age bracket are frequently overlooked, falling outside eligibility for both youth-focused financial aid and adult professional training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n – Development efforts are still heavily concentrated in urban centres, leaving rural communities with limited support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, a scarcity of qualified mentors and entrepreneurship networks limits support for digital start-ups and e-commerce ventures among young Sarawakians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From Blueprint to Action<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Recognising the urgency, the state has taken action with a suite of targeted programmes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n – Digital Community Centres (DCCs) in rural districts provide locally tailored ICT training to enhance digital literacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n – Through a collaboration between SDEC and MDEC, the Business Digitalisation Initiative (BDI) empowers MSMEs, including those led by young entrepreneurs, to embrace technologies like e-invoicing and cloud-based solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n – The establishment of MBAN Sarawak has facilitated the training of more than 150 high-net-worth individuals to serve as start-up mentors and participate in angel investment activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Holistic Path Forward<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n To overcome the current challenges and fast-track digital access for youth between 15 and 40:<\/p>\n\n\n\n – Scale up Digital Community Centres (DCCs) to ensure coverage across all state constituencies, with tailored learning tracks for youth in their 30s and 40s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n – Curriculum design must reflect the learner\u2019s stage; students could explore coding and app design, while older participants benefit from practical skills in digital marketing, fintech tools, and online business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n – Develop a mentorship framework that bridges youth with professionals in technology, entrepreneurship, and digital media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n – Implement a transparent monitoring system that tracks key impact indicators, including digital literacy rates, the number of rural startups, and income improvements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n – To reach underserved areas, mobile ICT units should be deployed alongside culturally relevant and multilingual materials in Iban, Bidayuh, and Bahasa Sarawak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Successful implementation will depend on coordinated efforts involving the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Entrepreneur Development, SDEC, the Education Department, MDEC, TEGAS, academic institutions, and community-based NGOs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Key Stakeholder Gains and Wider Community Impact<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n – Youth acquire in-demand digital competencies, paving the way for entrepreneurship and long-term income generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n – Local communities thrive as skilled youth drive grassroots innovation and remain rooted in rural areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n – MSMEs gain access to a digitally skilled workforce, boosting productivity and expanding market reach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n – The overall economy benefits through greater innovation, increased inclusivity, and stronger contributions to state GDP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sarawak\u2019s youth – spanning ages 15 to 40 – are not merely users of digital technology, but active partners in driving the state\u2019s development agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With adequate infrastructure, skills development, mentorship, and inclusive policies, the digital transition can be both equitable and sustainable, led by those it aims to empower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n References:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2025, Sarawak\u2019s shift toward a tech-driven economy hinges on empowering its diverse youth cohort – aged 15 to 40 – with digital infrastructure, skills, and mentorship for inclusive and sustainable development.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1134,"featured_media":27092,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,2,46],"tags":[521,2965,5581,1200,1954,2566],"class_list":["post-27653","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-from-rakan-sarawak","category-featured","category-rencana","tag-digital","tag-empowerment","tag-inclusion","tag-literacy","tag-sarawak","tag-youth"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rakansarawak.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27653","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rakansarawak.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rakansarawak.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rakansarawak.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1134"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rakansarawak.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27653"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.rakansarawak.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27653\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27654,"href":"https:\/\/www.rakansarawak.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27653\/revisions\/27654"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rakansarawak.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27092"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rakansarawak.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27653"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rakansarawak.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27653"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rakansarawak.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27653"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n