Dr Sim (second left) joins (from left) Dr Sharifah Halimah, Jing and Dr Rafaie in a group photo on stage, ahead of the launch gimmick for the congress.
KUCHING (June 6): Sarawak is committed to driving its next phase of development through medical sciences by enhancing research capabilities and expanding supporting facilities.
In pointing this out, Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said one of the key platforms supporting this aspiration was the second edition of the International Congress of the Advanced Minimally Invasive Surgery, Robotic and Ablation Society of Gynaecologists Malaysia (AMRAS) 2026.
“Here is where talents come together through mentorship programmes, skills development, workshops and scientific discussions.
“It provides opportunities to interact with colleagues, exchange knowledge and learn not only technical expertise, but the important role we play in research,” said the state Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government when officiating at the event in Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK).
Dr Sim also encouraged healthcare professionals and researchers to venture into under-explored fields to help position Sarawak on the global stage.
“Many people continue to compete in the ‘red ocean’, while few venture into the ‘blue ocean’.
“The blue ocean is about doing what others are not doing,” he said, referring to the concept outlined in the Blue Ocean Strategy published by Harvard Business Review Press.
He noted that Sarawak had embraced this approach through the participation of Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) in the discovery and development of oncology drugs, which have since been commercialised and marketed internationally.
He also pointed out that SGH was among the institutions involved in first-in-human clinical research beginning in 2022, particularly in the fields of haematology and oncology.
The congress, which concludes today, is jointly conducted by AMRAS and the Asia-Pacific Association for Gynaecologic Endoscopy and Minimally Invasive Therapy (APAGE).
Also present yesterday were AMRAS president Dr Sharifah Halimah Jaafar, head of service for Obstetrics and Gynaecology Malaysia Dr Rafaie Amin, and APAGE president Prof Jing Sun.
