If you’ve ever walked down Carpenter Street or reminisced about the cool morning air of your kampung while scrolling through Sarawak news overseas, here’s something that’ll warm your heart. Sarawak has just tabled its largest-ever budget.
—RM15.8 billion for 2025—and it’s a powerful signal to the world: Sarawak is ready. For local families and overseas anak Sarawak alike, this is more than a budget—this is an invitation.
It’s a call to return, to contribute, and to reimagine our future under the Malaysia Madani
framework. If you’ve been thinking about reconnecting or starting fresh, now is the time.
Malaysia invest policies and Malaysia investment pathways are open wide—and Sarawak is leading the charge.
The 2025 Sarawak Budget, as outlined by the Premier of Sarawak, allocates a staggering
RM9.2 billion for development—a clear demonstration of the Sarawak commitment to
inclusive progress. This budget isn’t just about figures, it’s about transformation. It’s about
rebuilding trust between the government and its people, and offering real, tangible changes to the everyday lives of Sarawakians. From better healthcare access in the most remote areas to reliable, clean water and electricity reaching previously underserved villages, the development is holistic, heartfelt, and far-reaching.
Crucially, it is anchored by the Post-COVID Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030),
Sarawak’s roadmap for sustainable economic transformation. With a strong focus on sectors like manufacturing, commercial agriculture, tourism, mining, forestry, and social services, PCDS 2030 is engineered to drive long-term resilience. It places Sarawak as a key player in Malaysia’s economic renaissance and signals a new era for Malaysia invest efforts, particularly in green technology, innovation, and skilled workforce development.
Beyond the economic headlines, this budget represents a broader Malaysia Madani vision—a progressive, sustainable, and inclusive society grounded in unity, trust, and shared prosperity.
Under this framework, Sarawak’s role is not peripheral but pivotal. With its abundant land,
young and diverse population, and geopolitical position in the booming ASEAN corridor,
Sarawak is poised to become a thriving hub not only for Malaysia investment but also for regional and global investors eyeing Southeast Asia.
For entrepreneurs, both homegrown and abroad, the opportunities are exciting. Sarawak has earmarked substantial support for Malaysia investment prospects within its rapidly expanding industrial parks such as Sama Jaya for high-tech industries, Samalaju for heavy industries, and Tanjung Manis for halal ventures. For tech-savvy diaspora thinking of returning, imagine setting up your agritech or biotech start-up in a land where your roots are deep and the soil is rich with potential.
In Sama Jaya Free Industrial Zone alone, Malaysia invest incentives include pioneer tax status, competitive land rates, and full infrastructure support—a dream setting for those seeking to build future-proof industries.
Sarawak’s trade numbers reinforce this momentum. In 2023 alone, exports reached RM130.4 billion with a trade surplus of RM67.7 billion, driven by liquefied natural gas, crude petroleum, palm oil, aluminum, and other raw materials.
But the Sarawak of today is not resting on natural resources. It is moving boldly into the hydrogen economy, championing renewable energy solutions, and exploring carbon capture technologies to ensure sustainable industrial growth for generations to come. With flagship initiatives like the H2ornbill and H2biscus hydrogen projects, Malaysia investment is fast flowing into clean energy innovation, positioning Sarawak as a national and regional leader in decarbonization.
Public transportation, once a lingering pain point, is now part of a futuristic overhaul. The Kuching Urban Transportation System (KUTS), powered by hydrogen trains and feeder
buses, is set to revolutionize daily life in the city. Imagine boarding a zero-emission train at Kota Samarahan and arriving in the heart of Kuching while enjoying Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, and a sense of civic pride. That’s no longer a dream—it’s under construction. KUTS is part of a wider transport vision to connect rural and urban Sarawak more efficiently, supporting not just mobility but equitable access to education, jobs, and healthcare.
Digital transformation is another pillar of Sarawak’s development strategy. From smart villages equipped with high-speed internet to e-commerce enablement for rural artisans and farmers, Sarawak is investing heavily in narrowing the digital divide.
The Malaysia Madani spirit is deeply embedded here—empowering communities with tools and platforms to thrive in the digital age. If you’re an IT specialist abroad or a digital content creator, this is the perfect ecosystem to return to. Government grants, talent development programs, and a population eager to learn and innovate are ready to support your journey.
And we can’t overlook Sarawak’s push to become a global halal hub. Tanjung Manis Halal
Hub has already attracted Malaysia investment from key food manufacturing players across Asia and the Middle East.
With ample land, streamlined logistics, and strong state backing, it is an ideal entry point for exporters and entrepreneurs looking to tap into the trillion-dollar global halal market. Sarawak is aligning itself with Malaysia’s national halal agenda and extending it with local flavors, traditions, and agricultural strength.
Healthcare is also receiving a major upgrade under the 2025 budget. With emphasis on rural healthcare coverage and digital medical access, the aim is to ensure that no Sarawakian is left behind. Telemedicine infrastructure, mobile clinics, and new rural health centers are part of the rollout. These measures support both elderly communities and young families who have long suffered from limited access to consistent care.
For healthcare professionals overseas, this opens up new Malaysia investment-linked partnerships in health tech, diagnostics, and eldercare services.
Tourism, another vital sector, is being reimagined. Gone are the days of merely promoting
rainforests and orangutans—though they remain iconic. Sarawak is focusing on immersive, heritage-based tourism experiences: longhouse homestays, culinary tours, and river eco-cruises powered by green engines. Investments in heritage conservation and smart tourism infrastructure are designed to attract higher-spending, environmentally conscious travellers.
If you’re passionate about culture, storytelling, or ecotourism, this is your call to join a movement that values identity and innovation.
And for the students, educators, and scholars? Sarawak is doubling down on human capital. With 40% target enrollment in science and technical fields, alongside scholarship programs for B40 communities, Sarawak is sowing seeds for long-term prosperity. Universities and research institutions are encouraged to form international linkages, presenting new Malaysia investment opportunities in education tech, vocational training, and research commercialization.
This budget also opens doors for the creative industry. Kuching, already recognized as a
UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, is nurturing its arts, music, and design ecosystem.
Cultural centers, music festivals, film grants, and digital storytelling workshops are being
supported through state and private Malaysia invest collaborations.
For Sarawakians abroad in creative fields, this is a golden moment to return, create, and connect. But perhaps the most moving aspect of this budget is its emotional pull. It speaks to the heart of every overseas Sarawakian. It whispers that the land remembers you. That the rivers still flow with stories you grew up with. That every upgraded road, every new school, every thriving rural marketplace is waiting for your footsteps to return. Not to reclaim the past—but to co-create the future. So whether you’re a professional in Perth, a chef in Shanghai, a teacher in Toronto, or a retiree in Penang, take a moment to pause and feel this: Sarawak is calling.
The Malaysia Madani spirit is alive here, not just in policy, but in practice. It’s in the bustling construction sites, the clean energy start-ups, the children logging into school online from remote villages, and the farmers exporting organic pepper to Europe.
Sarawak news will continue to highlight these milestones, but we hope you don’t just read about them. We hope you come home to be part of them.
Retire in Kuching. Set up your dream studio in Sibu. Open your eco-resort in Limbang.
Collaborate on Malaysia investment projects that uplift rural communities. Mentor a group of high school students in Serian. Rebuild your roots in a place that has never forgotten you.
This isn’t just a 2025 budget. It’s a 2030 vision. A Malaysia Madani promise. A Sarawak
story. And we hope, your story too.
So keep your eyes on Sarawak news. The transformation has begun—and it’s not just for
those who stayed, but for those who will return.
