
Free tertiary education in Sarawak modelled on Nordic, German models
He said these countres, along with Germany, are known worldwide for their high and robust economic growth.
"That is why we model our free tertiary education initiative on the free education systems of these countries," he said at a townhall during the Sarawak Day celebration here.
"We want our students to have the latest knowledge for the state's future," he said.
He said the goal is to replicate the economic growth seen in those countries.
The SFTE initiative will begin next year at five state-owned institutions: Swinburne University of Technology in Kuching, Curtin University of Technology in Miri, University Technology Sarawak in Sibu, I-Cats College University in Kuching and Centre of Technological Excellence Sarawak in Kuching.
He said the state has no plans to extend SFTE to Sarawakians at federal universities.
The initiative is limited to Sarawakians enrolled at the five state-run universities.
"If we want to expand to other universities, they are financed by the federal government. We don't want to interfere with what the federal government is doing," he said.
Abang Johari said applications to state-owned institutions are not subject to UPU criteria set by the higher education ministry.
He cited many cases where students applying for an engineering course were instead diverted to study an arts subject.
He added that students with the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) from Chinese schools will be accepted if they meet entry requirements, and even those from poor families can pursue higher education in state-run institutions.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Jepak bridge renamed in honour of Sarawak icon Taib Mahmud
BINTULU: The Jepak bridge, which opened to the public in March, has been officially named the Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud bridge. Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg announced the new name during the official opening ceremony of the RM466.7 million bridge last night. He said the state government's decision to name the bridge after Sarawak's fourth chief minister was to honour his contributions to Bintulu's development. "If he (Abdul Taib) were still alive, he would surely be impressed by the bridge we are inaugurating tonight," he said. According to Abang Johari, Abdul Taib made major contributions by establishing the Regional Corridor Development Authority (RECODA), the state agency responsible for planning and overseeing development under the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) initiative, which subsequently attracted investments to the Samalaju Industrial Park area. The late Abdul Taib, who also served as Sarawak's Head of State, passed away on Feb 21 last year. The iconic bridge was among the development promises made by Abang Johari in 2017 during a dialogue session with the people of Bintulu, shortly after taking office. "I promised to build an iconic bridge like the one (Golden Gate Bridge) in San Francisco. Today, I have fulfilled that promise. This bridge is not only a physical connector but also a symbol of unity and progress for the people," he said. Abang Johari also shared a personal memory involving his late wife, Puan Sri Juma'ani Tun Tuanku Bujang, who passed away last month. She was born in Bintulu but did not live to see the completion of the bridge. "She (Juma'ani) allowed me to serve the people wholeheartedly. Tonight, I am here with my daughter (Dayang Norjihan) to witness the opening of this bridge in memory of her sacrifice," he added. The Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud Bridge, spanning 1.283 kilometres across the Kemena River, connects Bintulu town centre with the fast-developing Jepak area. The bridge shortens travel time between the two areas from more than 30 minutes to just a few minutes. As a symbol of Bintulu's 'second wave' of development, it also plays a key role in opening up a new zone in the Jepak area, featuring state administrative offices, commercial centres, housing projects, and utility infrastructure such as a domestic gas pipeline. Abang Johari said that under this second wave, Bintulu would also see the development of an Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) system stretching from Bintulu to Samalaju, in line with Sarawak's vision of a low-carbon, environmentally friendly city. Sarawak, he added, has also been recognised by the World Economic Forum as the only state in Asia listed under the Transition Industrial Cluster, positioning Bintulu as a hub for green industry and high-tech investment. - BERNAMA


New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Petros launches piped natural gas to Bintulu households
BINTULU: Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (Petros) today marked a key milestone with the official launch of piped natural gas supply to households in Sungai Plan, Bintulu, bringing direct energy access to local households for the first time since natural gas processing operations began in Bintulu in 1982. Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg said the launch was the first step to distribute gas to the people so they could benefit from the natural gas supply obtained from the state. "The state government has launched the broader Sarawak Gas Roadmap (SGR) so that we can supply gas throughout the state through a gas pipeline system," he told reporters after the launch. He said the distribution of gas through a pipeline was not new as it had been done in Lutong before the formation of Malaysia. He said the power to distribute gas, from the start to the buyers, must be managed by Sarawak through the appointment of Petros as the sole gas aggregator. Abang Johari said the first piped gas to the Sungai Plan project is Petros' first residential piped gas supply initiative in Bintulu and marks a tangible step towards bringing Sarawak's gas resources directly to its people. Petros group chief executive officer Datuk Janin Girie, in a statement, said the pilot phase involved the construction of a dedicated reticulation system, which includes a newly built city gate station, over 3km of distribution pipeline, and internal piping for the initial 39 connected households. He said Petros aimed to extend gas coverage to over 3,500 households in the Sungai Plan area by the end of 2027. He said this infrastructure delivers natural gas directly to homes for cooking and other domestic uses, offering residents a cleaner, more convenient, and cost-effective alternative to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). "By providing direct access to natural gas, we are delivering a cleaner and more affordable energy solution to local communities while supporting Sarawak's broader socio-economic ambitions," he added. In addition to improving convenience and affordability for households, he said the piped gas initiative supports the longer-term industrialisation of Bintulu and surrounding areas. Under the Sarawak Gas Roadmap (SGR), Bintulu has been designated as one of four strategic gas hubs alongside Miri, Samalaju, and Kuching. These hubs form part of a statewide "Hub-and-Spoke" model that aims to deliver consistent and reliable gas supply to both urban and hinterland areas across Sarawak. Investments in supporting infrastructure are well underway. In Bintulu, Petros is constructing the 65km Samalaju Pipeline (SPL) to supply natural gas to the Samalaju Industrial Park, including to the 1,500MW Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) Power Plant currently under development. Petros is also progressing works on the Gas to Bintulu (GtB) Trunkline Project, extending the transmission gas pipeline from the Kidurong Industrial Area to Jepak and Samalaju Industrial Park Ringmain (SIPR), which will further enhance intra-zone gas distribution. For areas not yet connected to pipelines, Petros is implementing a Virtual Pipeline System (VPS) using modular transport to deliver natural gas via road and sea. The first customer in Kuching is expected to receive supply via VPS by end-2025, with a broader rollout planned for 2026. As the sole Gas Aggregator for Sarawak, Petros plays a central role in developing and managing the state's gas distribution system. These efforts aim to raise Sarawak's domestic gas utilisation from 6 per cent to at least 30 per cent by 2030, in alignment with the Sarawak government's energy transition agenda. Among those present at the launch were Minister for Utility and Telecommunication Datuk Seri Julaihi Narawi, Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi Anak Utom, and Petros chairman Tan Sri Hamid Bugo.

Barnama
4 hours ago
- Barnama
Jepak Bridge Now Known As Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud Bridge
GENERAL BINTULU, July 23 (Bernama) -- The Jepak Bridge, which was opened to the public in March, is now officially named the Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud Bridge. Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg announced the name during the official opening ceremony of the RM466.7 million bridge tonight. He said the state government's decision to name the bridge after Sarawak's fourth chief minister was to honour his contributions to the development of Bintulu. 'If he (Abdul Taib) were still alive, he would surely be impressed by the bridge we are inaugurating tonight,' he said. According to Abang Johari, Abdul Taib had made major contributions by establishing the Regional Corridor Development Authority (RECODA), a state agency responsible for planning and overseeing development under the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) initiative, which subsequently succeeded in attracting investments to the Samalaju Industrial Park area. The late Abdul Taib, who also served as Sarawak's Head of State, passed away on Feb 21 last year. The iconic bridge was among the development promises made by Abang Johari in 2017 during a dialogue session with the people of Bintulu, shortly after taking over the state leadership. 'I promised to build an iconic bridge like the one (Golden Gate Bridge) in San Francisco. Today, I have fulfilled that promise. This bridge is not only a physical connector, but also a symbol of unity and progress for the people,' he said. Abang Johari also shared a personal memory involving his late wife, Puan Sri Juma'ani Tun Tuanku Bujang, who passed away last month. She was born in Bintulu but did not live to see the completion of the bridge.