Abang Johari officiating the FTES in Kuching on Thursday. – Photo by Mohd Faisal Ahmad
KUCHING (Dec 18): Sarawak is investing in its next generation of skilled professionals, aiming to become a regional influencer in Asean through the Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES), said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
Speaking at the FTES launch at a hotel here, Abang Johari described the initiative as historic, enabling talented Sarawakian students to pursue university education free of charge.
“With this forward-looking vision, it has been my ambition to speak publicly that Sarawak must be the star of Asean, not only within Malaysia, but to have influence across the region. Now you call it what? The new term among Generation Z is ‘influencer.’ Let Sarawak be the influencer in this region, and I believe we can,” he said.
He emphasised the scheme’s inclusivity, noting that it targets students from families who may not have the financial means to pursue tertiary education.
“Children of fishermen, children of farmers, children from B40 families — even if they have excellent results and are offered a place at a university, if their parents cannot afford it, their education comes to a stop.
“This, of course, affects their future prospects,” he said.
Linking FTES to Sarawak’s broader economic ambitions, Abang Johari highlighted the need for skilled professionals to add value to the state’s rich natural resources.
“We have rich natural resources, but we don’t have enough human capital to add value to these resources. We are moving towards clean energy, for example, exploring hydrogen as a clean energy source.
“We need people with backgrounds in chemistry and physics to separate hydrogen from water. If Sarawak students are that bright, let them be the people who add value to our resources,” he said.
The first batch of FTES will see 4,693 students pursuing 64 courses at four Sarawak-owned universities next year, fully funded by a RM250 million state allocation.
Courses cover fields including robotics, cybersecurity, finance, accounting, law, and medicine.
“Your parents do not have to worry. Your tertiary education becomes the responsibility of the government. We love you, our hearts are with you and your parents, so that they can sleep peacefully,” he added.
Abang Johari also stressed the importance of preparing Sarawakian students for a competitive global economy, encouraging multilingual proficiency.
“I would like students from Sarawak to have at least three languages in their command: English, Bahasa Malaysia, which is mandatory, and Mandarin,” he said.
Abang Johari linked education to technology and innovation, highlighting global advancements in microelectronics.
“Your friends now studying microelectronics are designing AI-powered chips in Cardiff, United Kingdom. We aim to have our own competitive chip technology.
“The new economy will also involve humanoids and robots, operated and commanded by chips. I hope you will be the people inventing new chip technology for the world,” he said.
The FTES initiative is expected to expand in subsequent years, with the government committed to sustaining free tertiary education and developing human capital to drive Sarawak’s future prosperity.
“Nordic countries have this, Germany has this.
“Sarawak is the first in this region to give free tertiary education to its people. This is your time, Anak-Anak Sarawak (children of Sarawak). I wish all Sarawakian students the best for the future,” he added.
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