Kuching: Sarawak welcomes any increase in the special grant under Article 112D of the Federal Constitution, provided the Federal Government's fiscal position permits it. Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg expressed that any augmentation in the special grant for the state should be evaluated based on the Federal Government's financial capacity.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Abang Johari remarked, "If the Federal Government can afford it, we welcome it. But if it cannot, we understand its position," during a press briefing after attending the New Horizon for Western Digital (WD) Sarawak programme. He mentioned that there have not been detailed discussions on the proposal so far, although the topic was generally addressed in a recent meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Bintulu.

On June 30, Prime Minister Anwar had informed the Dewan Rakyat during the Prime Minister's Question Time that negotiations concerning the special grant for Sarawak were ongoing, aligned with the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

In addition to the grant discussions, Abang Johari highlighted the ongoing strategic partnership between Sarawak and Western Digital, which has been in place for about 30 years. This collaboration continues to be fortified through the advancement of glass substrate-based data storage technology.

Abang Johari noted, "Sarawak's advantages in renewable energy and abundant water resources are key factors that have attracted the confidence of high-technology investors. Data will become a more valuable asset than oil in the future. Therefore, the high-technology data storage industry will be a key driver of Sarawak's future economy."

Western Digital Sarawak, in a statement, explained that glass substrate is a next-generation recording technology that enables significantly higher data storage capacity, supporting the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital infrastructure.