Rare Earth Stays Domestic
27 Oct - 2 Nov 2025. Issue 61.
This week’s theme is otherness.
If you think back to secondary school chemistry, there were always a few elements we didn’t quite know what to do with. Today, those same “odd ones out” - rare earth elements - have become indispensable to modern industry. Sarawak may not have much of them, but what we do have is vital to the sectors we’re trying to grow. The infographic this week explains what they are and why they matter.
One of the quiet struggles for young Sarawakians (and Sabahans too) starting their careers in the Klang Valley is the feeling of being completely alone - not just in a new job or city, but without the support many West Malaysians take for granted, like being able to live at home during their first job. Abang Jo’s idea of a Sarawak Complex in Kuala Lumpur may sound extravagant, but at heart it’s an act of care - a way to give our young people a home base and a sense of belonging as they begin their working lives.
In A String of Thought, I also explore the social side of otherness - how we were all once “others” ourselves, and how we came together to build our lives side by side. It is, one might argue, the Sarawak way.
Read A String of Thought here: