Sarawak to prioritise critical, technical courses under FTES for now, says Sagah

Borneo Post

4 days ago

Sagah (third left), Mohamad Kadim (second left) and others carry out the 'Ngiling Bidai' ritual marking the end of Gawai. – Photo by Chimon Upon
KUCHING (June 26): The Sarawak government will prioritise critical and technical courses under its Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES) to meet the growing demands of industries in the state, said State Education, Innovation and Talent Development Minister, Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn.
While acknowledging the importance of other academic fields, Sagah said the initial focus must be on areas crucial to the state's economic development.
'I cannot make the decision myself, but what I can say is that next year's FTES will only cover critical courses.
'This is because we are seriously considering the urgent needs of Sarawak's industries,' he said.
He was responding to a proposal by i-CATS University College Vice-Chancellor, Professor Emeritus Datuk Ts Dr Mohamad Kadim Suaidi, during the institution's Gawai Celebration today, who had earlier called for the scheme to be expanded to include more disciplines.
Sagah said the state government hopes to see tangible results from the initial phase of the scheme, particularly in workforce development and income growth for Sarawak.
'If successful, the scheme may be expanded. Hopefully, as more students enter the workforce and help boost the state's income, we can eventually look at including more courses beyond just the critical ones,' he added.
Earlier in his speech, Mohamad Kadim proposed that FTES be extended to non-technical fields such as economics, business, hospitality, and tourism, arguing that these sectors also play a vital role in Sarawak's development.
He highlighted the hospitality industry's ongoing reliance on workers from outside Sarawak, stressing the need to develop more local talent for the sector.
He said by strengthening education in hospitality and tourism, there would be more opportunities for Sarawakians to fill the growing vacancies
The FTES, set to be implemented in 2026, will initially cover undergraduate programmes in STEM fields, law, medicine, accounting, finance, and psychology.
Participating institutions include Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, Curtin University Malaysia, University of Technology Sarawak (UTS), and i-CATS University College. courses Free Tertiary Education Scheme FTES Roland Sagah technical