By Dayangku Hidayatul
KUCHING, Aug 26: More than 100 young Sarawakians are set to pursue higher education with the support of approximately RM28 million in PETRONAS education sponsorships this year.
PETRONAS senior general manager of Education and Human Capital Investment, Akmal Liza Ahmad, said the sponsorships would enable the recipients to pursue their studies at leading higher education institutions in Malaysia, including Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, as well as universities overseas.
“Today, more than 100 young Sarawakians are being celebrated for their success in receiving the PETRONAS Empowering Knowledge Education Sponsorship to pursue their studies at leading higher education institutions in the country and abroad.
“This year, the total investment allocated is approximately RM28 million,” she said at the PETRONAS Education Sponsorship Excellent Student Awards Ceremony (Sarawak) for Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2025 at Pullman Hotel here today, which was officiated by Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Fauziah Mohd Sanusi.
She said the investment underscored PETRONAS’ continued commitment to developing human capital and nurturing the nation’s future talent.
Akmal Liza said the students’ achievements reflected their hard work, perseverance and determination, made possible with the support of their families, educators and communities.
“For PETRONAS, supporting these education sponsorship recipients is a manifestation of our continued commitment to developing human capital and nurturing the nation’s future talent,” she said.
She described education as a strategic investment in building a more sustainable future, adding that PETRONAS’ efforts in Sarawak extended beyond scholarships to provide broader opportunities for students and educators.
Through the Discover PETRONAS @ Schools programme, more than 350 students in Subis and Simunjan have benefited this year.
In collaboration with the Sarawak Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development (MEITD), PETRONAS is also distributing 60 Mobile STEM Kits across all 30 districts in Sarawak.
The initiative is expected to benefit up to 1,030 schools and more than 157,000 students statewide.
Since the establishment of Yayasan PETRONAS in 2019, more than 300 educators in Sarawak have benefited from its professional development programmes, supported by the STEM Hub at the Teacher Activity Centre (PKG) Miri.
Yayasan PETRONAS has also adopted 10 schools in Sarawak, providing support based on their respective needs, including Teacher Ambassador Funding, Student Innovation Centres and science laboratory upgrades.
Beyond academic education, PETRONAS is supporting technical and vocational pathways through its Vocational Institution Sponsorship and Training Assistance (VISTA) programme.
The programme has partnered with nine TVET institutions in Sarawak and produced more than 2,000 trainees, with total investments exceeding RM8.5 million.
The programme has since been strengthened as VISTA i-plus, with plans to expand the initiative to Sarawak in the near future.
Akmal Liza also reminded the sponsorship recipients that the opportunity they had received came with responsibility.
She urged them to uphold the pride of their families and the trust placed in them by their communities, while remembering that true excellence is built not only on knowledge, but also on integrity. — DayakDaily
