By Ashley Sim
KUCHING, March 12: The Sarawak government will unveil the details of courses eligible for its free tertiary education initiative this November, announced Datuk Seri Roland Sagah Wee Inn.
According to the Minister of Education, Innovation, and Talent Development (MEITD) Sarawak, the initiative is in its final stages, with funds expected to be disbursed soon.
Speaking at the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Catalysts Raspberry Pi press conference held today at Sarawak Skills, Sagah mentioned that the initiative would initially focus on science-related courses, particularly in engineering and other STEM fields.
“For now, let the students focus on their studies. In November, we will release the full details of the eligible courses, so everyone knows what to expect.
“Roughly speaking, they are science-related courses. As for the arts stream, they include the ones I mentioned earlier,” he said.
Courses under the arts stream would include finance, accounting, law, and psychology.
Sagah further noted that applications for the courses will open after November, with no quotas being set, and the first intake of students is expected to begin between February and April 2026.
It was reported that Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg had agreed in principle to extend the free education policy to Sarawakians studying at public institutions of higher learning (IPTA) in the state, including Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Sarawak Branch.
UiTM Sarawak Rector Professor Dr Firdaus Abdullah said the proposal was presented to Abang Johari during a courtesy visit at Wisma Bapa Malaysia here on March 10.
“We (UiTM Sarawak) proposed that scholarships or free education for Sarawakians be extended to students from public institutions, especially UiTM.
“Abang Johari agreed in principle to this proposal, which he said would be the second phase (of the policy),” he was quoted as saying.
The first phase will see free education provided to Sarawakians studying at state-owned universities, namely i-CATS University College, Centre for Technology Excellence Sarawak (Centexs), University of Technology Sarawak (UTS), Curtin University Malaysia, and Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus (SUTS), starting next year. — DayakDaily
