By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Jan 20: Anak Sarawak remain eligible for dual education support, as the State government has clarified that the Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES) and the Endowment Fund Sarawak (EFS) serve different purposes but complement each other.
Minister of Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said students who benefit from FTES remain eligible for the RM1,000 EFS grant.
“There have been some public enquiries, so let me clarify that these are two separate but supportive initiatives.
“FTES ensures access to tertiary education, while EFS provides a financial foundation for the child’s future. The fund can be used for educational expenses beyond tuition or for other developmental purposes when they come of age.
“EFS is deposited for every eligible Sarawakian child with at least one Sarawakian parent. It acts as a seed fund that grows over time and can be accessed by the child for qualified purposes, primarily education, upon reaching maturity,” she told reporters yesterday (Jan 19), according to a TVS news report.
Fatimah said the initiatives reflect the vision of Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg for inclusive prosperity.
“He often reminds us to share prosperity with the people. We are investing in education today to build our human capital for tomorrow,” she added.
The ministry also presented the RM450 Post-Natal Assistance (BIB), with 16,999 applications approved and payments fully disbursed as of Dec 31, 2025.
Meanwhile, Affin Bank Berhad has been officially appointed to manage Endowment Fund Sarawak (EFS) 2.0.
Fatimah said EFS applications will be linked to birth registration at the National Registration Department (JPN) beginning in 2026, with at least 80 per cent of applications targeted for efficient processing.
“The moment a birth is registered, the process for both benefits will be initiated quickly, with data accessed directly from JPN,” she said. — DayakDaily
