It will be a sustainable model

KUCHING: The free tertiary-level education policy that will be implemented in 2026 will not affect other development efforts by the state government or cause an increase in taxes.

“No, we are not going to cut other development projects or increase taxes just to make this policy sustainable.

“We already know that by 2030, our gross domestic product (GDP) and income will increase, meaning this will be a sustainable model and a means of giving back to the people,” explained Deputy Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee.

He said this during a Zoom meeting with the media yesterday (Dec 28) and in response to an article by Channel News Asia (CNA).

Dr Annuar added that the new policy had been thoroughly examined and stressed that it was not a one-time policy but a continuous effort.

“We have already calculated the costs. For example, University of Technology Sarawak (UTS) has seen an increase of 380 per cent in students with just with a 50 per cent reduction in the tuition fees.

“With the increase of students, there was only 30 per cent increase in the operational cost.

“Therefore, the increase in students outweighs the operational costs in universities and will not hinder the universities’ operations,” he said.

Dr Annuar also supported the idea proposed by Dr Saidatulakmal Mohd from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) in CNA’s article, advocating for contributions from the private sector.

“I totally agree with her. The private sector should contribute because, at the end of the day, the private sector benefits from the talented pool of employees produced by higher education institutions,” he added.

Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg announced the free tertiary education policy last August.

About 25,000 students in all state-owned universities and higher learning institutions are expected to benefit from this policy starting in 2026.

State-owned universities include Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak, University of Technology Sarawak, Curtin University of Technology Sarawak, the Centre for Technology Excellence Sarawak (CENTEXS), and I-CATS University College.

The objective of the policy is to give students, particularly those from low-income or rural backgrounds, a chance to benefit from free education.