Human resources and economic development in Sarawak

Abstract

Flows of people into and out of the Malaysian State of Sarawak are monitored and controlled in ways which are closely similar to those adopted by most nations. Just as with non-citizens, Malaysians from elsewhere in the country do not have automatic rights to settle in Sarawak or to seek work there. Thus, the state's labour market is separate from those of neighbouring Sabah and of Peninsular Malaysia.1 The State Government, accordingly, is capable of influencing conditions in its domestic economy and labour market to a greater extent than is typical of the authorities in administrative regions within other countries. Thus, it is sensible to treat Sarawak as a self-contained skill-creating and using economy, rather than as simply a part of a much larger national economy and labour market. The implications of these alternative perspectives for labour and educational policies are, of course, quite different. This paper investigates the progress made by Sarawak in building up its school and training system. Priorities for educational policy are identified, first by examining problems internal to education, and, secondly, by investigating the extent of present (and likely future) imbalances in the labour market.