Sarawak could overtake Johor as third-largest contributor to GDP, says Abang Jo

PETALING JAYA: Sarawak is capable of overtaking Johor as Malaysia’s third-largest contributor to the national GDP, says Abang Johari Openg.

The state premier said he was confident that Sarawak’s economic transformation over the last few years had strengthened its national position and could potentially close the gap with Johor, Dayak Daily reported.

“Looking at our progress today, maybe we can overtake Johor in terms of GDP and income,” he was quoted as saying at the opening of the Batang Lupar Bridge 1 in Kuching today.

According to the statistics department’s 2025 data, Sarawak was the fourth-largest contributor to Malaysia’s GDP, accounting for 8.8% of the country’s economy, while Johor ranked third at 9.8%.

Selangor was Malaysia’s largest economic contributor in 2025 with a 26.5% share of national GDP, followed by Kuala Lumpur at 15.3%.

Abang Johari said Sarawak had achieved high-income status over the past four years, and that the state’s economic progress had placed it among the country’s top-performing economies.

“Today, our GDP per capita is above RM70,000, higher than the national GDP per capita of RM59,167,” he said.

The statistics department’s 2025 data showed Sarawak recorded a GDP per capita of RM73,757, the fifth highest among Malaysia’s states and federal territories.

Abang Johari said the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government has always been focused on opening up rural areas and raising household income through development.

He said major infrastructure projects such as the Batang Lupar Bridge 1 were part of Sarawak’s broader strategy to improve connectivity, unlock rural economic potential and create more opportunities for communities across the state.

“Our goal is to increase household income,” he said.