According to the Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development Sarawak, the centre would comprise a 10-storey building with four floors dedicated to housing exhibits designed around several themes such as biodiversity, environment, genomics, life sciences, physical sciences, engineering, and information and communications technology (ICT).

“We hope that this science centre would one day be showing all the new technologies and new discoveries. We want to make it different.

“So, this will also be a place for tourists to visit. I think this is the first one we have in the island of Borneo, so I hope that this would be a part of the Southeast Asian hub for scientific discoveries,” Sagah told reporters when met after officiating at the first piling works for the SCC project, at Jalan Stadium in Petra Jaya here today.

Planned on a site covering 10.97 acres, the centre would also be equipped with laboratories, discussion rooms, office space and hostels.

“We will provide opportunities to anyone who wants to do research, or students who want to know more about programmes offered there.

“We have also invited science centres from around the world to collaborate with us, including the Singapore Science Centre on input about providing spaces for traveling exhibitions,” added Sagah.

The SSC is a subsidiary of the Sarawak Research and Development Council (SRDC), a statutory body of the Sarawak government, operating under the purview of Sagah’s ministry.

“The centre will collaborate with my ministry and educational institutions in offering non-formal learning opportunities and promoting scientific literacy among Sarawak residents.”

The RM239 million project had its ground-breaking ceremony on Oct 1, 2020, and the works should reach completion by early 2025.

“I believe that we are on schedule,” assured Sagah.

“Our consultant for this project, who is also responsible to look after and supervise the construction, will be the Borneo Development Corporation (BDC), a state GLC (government-linked company).

“So far, BDC has been doing very well and is seriously looking into projects under the state government. We are also very much involved in this as we want things to be done properly and on time.

“This is the aspiration of our Premier who has given us the aspiration to also be like him; to look at the future from a different angle, to be more futuristic and more on sustainability.

“Most of all, we want to see more people becoming interested in science.

“We want our students to be more interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) so that we can produce the workforce later on for all the new projects,” he added.

Deputy Minister II for Education, Innovation and Talent Development Sarawak Datuk Francis Harden Hollis and permanent secretary to the ministry Azmi Bujang, SRDC general manager and SSC chief executive officer Dr Peter Morin Nissom, BDC chairman Datuk Peter Nansian Ngusie and BDC chief executive officer Nor-E-Fadzwie Salleh were also present at the event.