Minister: Free tertiary education for Sarawakians nationwide not feasible, requires Fed approval and funding

Sagah delivering the winding-up speech for the Ministry of Education, Innovation, and Talent Development at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly sitting on Dec 1, 2025. Photo credit: Sarawak Information Department (Japen).

by DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Dec 1: Extending the Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES) to include all Sarawakian students attending universities across Malaysia is not feasible under the current policy, as it requires policy approval and funding from the Federal government and the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE).

Sarawak Minister for Education, Innovation, and Talent Development (MEITD) Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn said this in his ministerial winding-up speech at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) today, in response to the proposal to extend the FTES to include all Sarawakian university students nationwide, including University of Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM).

“While Federal government public universities (IPTA) already charge very minimal fees, making them already affordable for all, UNIMAS and UiTM still fall outside the financial and administrative jurisdiction of the Sarawak state government’s FTES,” he said.

Meanwhile, he noted that the Sarawak government is prioritising strategic investments in its own institutions to enhance quality, boost enrollment, and align academic programmes.

Focus areas include Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), Law, Medicine, Accounting, and Finance, in line with the State’s specific economic and talent development needs. – DayakDaily