KUCHING, Dec 24 (Bernama) — Sarawak’s Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES) aims to produce a highly educated and competitive workforce capable of driving the state towards a high-income economy said Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
He said that, in addition to its focus on physical and economic development, the Sarawak government also places strong emphasis on nurturing knowledgeable and highly skilled human capital.
“A total of 64 bachelor’s degree programmes have been identified for inclusion under the scheme, involving 10,000 students at an estimated cost of RM250 million.
“The scheme is open to all eligible students regardless of family income background, reflecting the government’s commitment to providing education as a basic need,” he said in his message in conjunction with the 2025 Christmas Day celebration.
Four Sarawak-owned higher education institutions – Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, Curtin University Malaysia, University of Technology Sarawak and i-CATS University College – will be involved in the FTES.
The FTES not only covers tuition fees but also provides monthly allowances to eligible recipients to help meet basic living expenses throughout their period of study.
The scheme focuses on undergraduate degree programmes in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), as well as medicine, law, accounting, finance and psychology, in line with Sarawak’s talent development needs.
Meanwhile, Abang Johari said that the Sarawak government is also committed to strengthening secondary education through the establishment of the Yayasan Sarawak International Secondary School (YSISS).
“This initiative is a major step in the state’s education strategy, offering the Cambridge curriculum and aligning Sarawak’s education system with international standards,” he said.
— BERNAMA