By Ling Hui
ATOP a hill along the highway to Bintulu Airport, a resort-like structure stands boldly on the left, just after the junction to Kampung Jepak.
A distinctive “MRSM” signage on the elevated water tank facing the road, identifies the building – the recently launched Mara Junior Science College (MRSM) Bintulu.
Spread across an impressive 26,000-square-metre area, MRSM Bintulu was built to accommodate 450 students, and with top-notch facilities, it is set to redefine the standards of learning environment.
The comprehensive layout includes an academic block with classrooms, labs and workshops, resource centre, administration building, student centre, open theatre, dining hall, multi-purpose hall, pavilion, surau, entrepreneur square, petanque terrain, outdoor fields for football, basketball, netball, ‘sepak takraw’ and an indoor stadium for futsal and netball.
Apart from student hostels, MRSM Bintulu also provides residential quarters for its principal, deputy principal, head warden, warden, teachers, and other staff members. These living spaces are designed to create a sense of community and support for both students and staff.
The development of MRSM Bintulu — a sprawling RM122-million campus where Sarawakians can access quality education and stimulate interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) — is a collaboration between PETRONAS, the Sarawak government through Yayasan Sarawak and Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA).
While PETRONAS contributed fully to the construction and infrastructure development as part of its social impact’s Powering Knowledge programme, Yayasan Sarawak facilitated the land approval, while MARA oversees the college’s administration and education services delivery including the planning of academic syllabus.
A recent interview with Yayasan Sarawak director Mersal Abang Rosli shed light on the Sarawak government’s enthusiasm and dedication towards providing not just basic, but state-of-the-art facilities to create a conducive learning and training environment for Sarawak’s young talents.
He pointed out the Sarawak government’s generosity in providing one of the best lots in Bintulu for the establishment of the facility, which is said to be among the best-equipped MRSMs in Malaysia.
“MRSM Bintulu not only has the best facilities and infrastructure among all MRSMs; its location is also very strategic. In the evening, there is breeze coming from the sea, so it’s very cool and windy here.
“In terms of facilities, there are science labs in MRSM Bintulu, unlike most of the non-technical schools out there. Hands-on experiences in labs are how the students’ interests in STEM can be nurtured.
“During my time, we had science classes in labs, and we brought plants and all sorts of things there for experiments. The students nowadays seldom or rarely have hands-on experiences. They learn mostly from textbooks, but how can you like science just by looking at pictures?” he told DayakDaily recently.
Mersal said that the Sarawak government is actively promoting STEM studies, as there has been a decline in Sarawakian students’ interest in STEM over recent years. One of the causes, he said, was the lack of STEM facilities such as labs in schools.
He also said an unconducive home environment also contributes to the students’ disinterest in effectively studying and absorbing information.
The lack of interest in STEM learning, Mersal pointed out, would result in the students being unable to qualify to pursue higher education and become professionals in STEM such as an engineer, scientist, doctor, architect or technologist, which Sarawak requires on its path towards a Developed State by 2030.
Thus, in a passionate plea, Mersal called on parents to play their part in encouraging their children who are interested in STEM to further their studies in related fields and allocate at least 10 to 20 per cent of the family budget for the children’s education.
Secondary students who embrace technology and innovation, especially those in rural areas around Bintulu, Miri and Sibu are also urged to enroll in MRSM Bintulu, which will start operating in March 2024. One hundred and eighty students are expected to join the first intake.
“Sarawakians, this is your chance to become smart, knowledgeable, and become a leader of Sarawak in the future. Like what our Premier said, don’t flush given opportunities down the toilet. ‘Ketek saja’ (With a click), there’s the MRSM Bintulu.
“‘Ketek saja’ while you study hard and you can become an engineer, a doctor or an IT champion from MRSM Bintulu,” said Mersal, citing the Sarawak Premier’s famous quote, which implied that opportunities are just a click away in today’s digital world.
PETRONAS Group Human Resource Management senior vice president Farehana Hanapiah envisions MRSM Bintulu as a premier institution not only in Sarawak but nationwide.
Recognising the strong demand from oil and gas (O&G) industry for STEM graduates, she emphasised the need for the best minds from Sarawak to contribute to the sector’s growth. The goal is to attract top talents and position MRSM Bintulu as one of the leading campuses that will nurture future skilled professionals.
“As an important player shaping the future of the energy landscape in Malaysia and in other targeted markets, PETRONAS remains committed to human capital development – starting from early education – to support the growth of the industry.
“So, our collaboration with MARA and Yayasan Sarawak in the development of MRSM Bintulu is expected to encourage a lot more students to be enrolled in and muster STEM subjects to nurture skilled talents that will be pivotal in the future development of the energy industry,” she said.
PETRONAS’ commitment towards education and human capital development, Farehana added, runs deep within its DNA.
This year, 119 SPM 2022 high achievers from Sarawak were awarded education sponsorships under the Powering Knowledge programme. Since 1995, PETRONAS has contributed RM556 million towards education programmes, benefitting 490,000 students and educational institutions in Sarawak.
PETRONAS also introduced the Discover PETRONAS @ Schools (DPS) programme, which is an interactive and experiential learning programme that engages with secondary school students, enabling them to realise their academic pursuits and career path, especially in the energy industry. To date, over 1,500 students in Mukah, Kota Samarahan, Miri, Bintulu, Tatau and Sebauh have had exposure opportunities and introduction to the oil and gas industry.
There is also the PETRONAS Vocational Institution Sponsorship and Training Assistance (VISTA) programme which is targeted to enhance technical and vocational capabilities for Malaysian talents in the oil and gas industry. For 2023 to 2026, PETRONAS plans to collaborate with 21 vocational and technical training (TVET) institutions across the country including six in Sarawak to make the VISTA programme a success.
MRSM Bintulu stands as the fourth MRSM in Sarawak alongside those in Kuching, Betong and Mukah, and the 56th in Malaysia.
It was officially launched on Nov 1 by Premier of Sarawak Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg. Also at the event, Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian, Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) Speaker Tan Sri Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar, PETRONAS chairman Tan Sri Mohd Bakke Salleh, Minister of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah, Minister of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Dato Sri Stephen Rundi Utom, and Federal Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Rubiah Wang.
The project management team was led by KLCC Projeks Sdn Bhd with Hock Seng Lee Bhd as the local contractor and Arkitek Seniformasi Sdn Bhd as the local principal contractor. — DayakDaily
