COMMENT | Migrating to Sarawak – ministers share their views

COMMENT | A few days ago, I received an interesting email from a Malaysiakini reader asking me about the possibility of Peninsular Malaysians (read Malayans) migrating to Sarawak.

I thought that was a good and valid question and one which I felt was important enough to pay attention to.

I took the trouble to follow up and share the email with four ministers from Sarawak (two serving in Sarawak and two at the federal level) as they were in a better position to respond and with more credibility on the subject than me.

I am penning this here as a public sharing as I believe many others would also like to know about migration to Sarawak and its requirements/criteria.

However, as I did not obtain their permission to use their names in this article, I will quote them anonymously. I believe they do not mind sharing their views which are “useful and relevant” to the public at large.

The responses are edited for brevity and clarity.

First, this is the reader’s email received on July 5: “Hello Francis Siah, I wonder if Malaysians from the peninsula want to migrate to Sarawak, especially non-Malays, would the Sarawak government welcome them?

“Like those talented ones who went to Singapore to study and work; they could also help Sarawak to develop and progress like Singapore.

“The bottom line is: Would Sarawak be prepared to defy those clowns in the federal government and accept the non-Malay Malaysians to start a new life in Sarawak? I would like to hear your comments on this.

“Instead of going to Australia, New Zealand...