By Ling Hui & Karen Bong
BINTULU, Nov 1: The new Mara Junior Science College (MRSM) Bintulu, developed through a collaborative effort between Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS), the Sarawak government and Yayasan Sarawak at a cost of RM122 million, is set to commence operation in March 2024.
As the fourth MRSM established in Sarawak, alongside those in Kuching, Betong and Mukah, the Bintulu campus spans an impressive 22,000 square metres and can house up to 450 students.
Boasting an array of facilities including the administration building, academic block, resource centre, student hostel, student centre, dining hall, multipurpose hall, a pavilion, surau, staff residence, teacher’s residence, annex building, and sports facilities, the campus is carefully designed to meet the diverse needs of students and educators.
MRSM Bintulu will provide opportunities for students in Sarawak, especially in Bintulu, to access quality education and stimulate interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
Speaking at the handing over and launching of MRSM Bintulu at its campus today, Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg expressed gratitude to PETRONAS for building such a beautiful “hardware” (education institution) with cutting-edge equipment and facilities for Sarawak.
Noting that Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) will be managing the institution’s administration and teaching, he underscored MARA’s historical significance in Malaysia’s education sector.
“UiTM (Universiti Technologi MARA) started from MARA to now becoming an excellent higher learning institution. It has trained and nurtured many Bumiputera students, contributing to all sectors of the economy in Sarawak.
“For Bintulu, this is a testament of the Sarawak government’s partnership with our partners to celebrate and ensure our children have full opportunity to gain knowledge and master important fields in building Sarawak,” he said.
Abang Johari emphasised that the Sarawak government has spent RM2.7 billion on infrastructure development (RM2 billion) and several programmes to cater for the needs of teachers and students (RM700 million) in enhancing the education sector in the State.
“This is on top of funding from federal government. The Sarawak government stepped in to invest in the education sector given the delays from the federal government as we view education as important to building the workforce of the future needed by Sarawak,” he added.
PETRONAS chairman Tan Sri Mohd Bakke Salleh believes that close cooperation and mutual commitment in producing a quality education sector is capable of driving Sarawak and Malaysia towards a brilliant future.
“It is a social and joint responsibility of PETRONAS to develop human capital for the development of the country in general.
“As Malcolm X once said: ‘Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.’ It should start from the early stages of education for a guaranteed future,” he said, adding that PETRONAS will continue to look for opportunities to work together to dignify the education sector and human capital development in Sarawak and Malaysia as a whole.
Meanwhile, Federal Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Rubiah Wang highlighted the tripartite cooperation’s crucial role in driving educational development in Bintulu Division, especially in bolstering human capital development.
“MARA will continue to be committed to ensuring that the development of the entrepreneurship and education sectors is always prioritised,” she added.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian, Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) Speaker Tan Sri Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar, Minister of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah, and Minister of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Dato Sri Stephen Rundi Utom were among those present. — DayakDaily
