By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Oct 16: Sarawak must ensure graduates benefiting from its Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES) have a pathway to guaranteed, high-paying jobs locally before they collect their scrolls, rather than risk losing them to overseas employers, says Tanjong Datu assemblyman Azizul Annuar Adenan.
He said Sarawak must strengthen employment opportunities for its graduates to ensure its substantial investment in free tertiary education translates into long-term economic benefits for the State.
“Because the scheme carries no service bond, what stops Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, or Western multinationals from poaching our best engineering and tech minds the moment they graduate?
“If we fund their degrees only to watch them board flights abroad, we risk becoming a tuition-paying incubator for foreign economies,” he warned when debating the Sarawak Budget 2027 at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUNS) sitting today.
Azizul noted that Sarawak’s annual investment in FTES was expected to scale up to RM400 million, following allocations of RM250 million under the 2026 Budget and RM200 million for 2027.
He described the initiative as a historic commitment to ensuring that a family’s financial circumstances would not prevent its children from pursuing higher education.
The scheme covers undergraduate tuition fees at Sarawak-owned institutions, including Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak, Curtin University Malaysia, the University of Technology Sarawak (UTS), i-CATS University College and the Centre for Technology Excellence Sarawak (CENTEXS).
It also covers more than 64 disciplines aligned with Sarawak’s future economic needs, including science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), computer science, medicine, law and green technology.
For underprivileged students from the B40 income group, the scheme also provides an annual living stipend of RM15,000, helping ease the financial burden of pursuing higher education.
However, Azizul cautioned that Sarawak’s investment must be accompanied by measures to retain talent and ensure the scheme delivers tangible returns for Sarawakians.
He identified brain drain as one of two major weaknesses requiring attention, alongside what he described as an equity gap affecting Sarawak students pursuing similar qualifications at other public universities and local technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions.
“What of the Anak Sarawak studying the exact same engineering or medical degree at other Malaysian public institutions like Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), or local TVET institutions? Are their families any less deserving of State support?
“We must address the two glaring vulnerabilities in the current frameworks,” he stressed.
On talent retention, Azizul proposed establishing industry co-funded graduate employment pathways involving State-linked companies such as Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (PETROS) and Sarawak Energy, as well as foreign investors in the State’s green energy and hydrogen sectors.
Under the proposal, participating companies would work directly with FTES institutions to identify workforce requirements, develop relevant training and establish employment pathways for students before they graduate.
“Every graduating cohort must have a guaranteed, high-wage local job track mapped out before they collect their scroll,” he said.
Azizul said such partnerships would allow Sarawak to align its education investments with actual industry demand while giving graduates greater certainty about their career prospects within the State.
He also proposed a “Return and Retain” incentive programme to encourage FTES graduates to establish their careers in Sarawak, rather than relying on compulsory service bonds.
“We should introduce state income tax rebates, housing assistance grants, or startup incubation funds specifically for FTES graduates who choose to build their careers right here in Sarawak for their first three years,” he said.
He argued that offering attractive employment and financial incentives would be a more effective way to retain talent than imposing restrictive legal obligations that could breed resentment among young professionals.
“Talent does not stay where it is merely educated; talent stays where opportunity and dignity are found,” he said.
Azizul stressed that FTES should be regarded not merely as a social welfare initiative but as a long-term investment in Sarawak’s human capital and economic future.
He said the scheme’s effectiveness would ultimately depend on whether graduates could secure meaningful employment, competitive salaries and opportunities for career advancement within the state.
With Sarawak pursuing development in areas such as green energy, hydrogen, technology and other high-value industries, he said the State had an opportunity to create an ecosystem capable of absorbing its growing pool of skilled graduates.
He added that strengthening local career opportunities while addressing disparities in access to educational assistance would help ensure that the benefits of FTES extended beyond individual students to the wider Sarawak economy.
“If we refine its mechanics, plug the leakage of brain drain through robust local career ecosystems, and ensure fiscal equity across all institutions, Sarawak will not just educate its youth — we will empower them to build a global powerhouse right here on our own soil,” he said. — DayakDaily
