1,344 students turn down free tertiary education offers while 4,694 accept, with Sibu’s UTS recording highest number of beneficiaries

Sarah delivering his ministerial winding up speech at Sarawak Legislative Assembly here on May 18, 2026.

By Lian Cheng

KUCHING, May 18: While 1,344 Sarawakian students had turned down offers under the Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES) as of Q1 2026, a total of 4,694 Sarawakian students accepted the scheme, with students from Sibu’s University of Technology Sarawak (UTS) topping the list at 2,020 beneficiaries.

In reporting this, Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development Dato Sri Roland Sagah gave the breakdown that this cohort comprises 1,834 newly enrolled students and 2,860 continuing students.

“Of these, 75 pre cent are enrolled in STEM courses, while the remaining 25 per cent are pursuing fields such as accounting, finance, and psychology,” said Roland when delivering his ministerial winding up speech at Sarawak Legislative Assembly here today.

He further pointed out that while the scheme remains robust, the ministry also recognises the autonomy of Sarawakian students in making educational and financial decisions.

“To date, 1,344 individuals have chosen to decline FTES, mainly in favour of alternative scholarships or external funding opportunities,” said Roland who is also Tarat assemblyman (GPS-PBB).

The breakdown of tertiary students benefiting from the scheme are as below:

Curtin University Malaysia, 543 students; i-CATS University College, 172 students; Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, 1,959 students; and University of Technology Sarawak (UTS), 2,020 students.

He also announced that that 2,893 students, or 61.63 per cent of all FTES beneficiaries, have qualified for a stipend of, RM10,000 for living expenses, and RM5,000 for accommodation expenses.

On the request by Padungan assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen (PH-DAP) to extend FTES to the public universities and even for diploma courses, Roland said a comprehensive study on the effectiveness and impact of FTES is essential before any considerations can be made. —DayakDaily