No discrimination; we don’t view Chinese school students as stepchildren: Dr Annuar

KUCHING: The Sarawak government is the only state government prioritising policies for students of Independent Chinese Secondary Schools (ICSS).

Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation, and Talent Development Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee asserted that ICSS students can contribute to the state’s development.

Despite debates and challenges in implementation, the Sarawak government adopts this approach because it recognises the students’ interests and their potential contribution to the state’s human capital, he said.

“Students at this ICSS pay their own fees, and all education is conducted in the Chinese language.

“It is not an issue, as long as they are Sarawakians capable of achieving a high level of education and subsequently contributing to the state’s development.

“We have no concerns about their origin, as long as they are Sarawakians and can contribute to the future development of Sarawak, meaning they are valuable citizens.

“Therefore, the Sarawak government welcomes students from these schools to contribute to talent development and human capital for the state. We do not view them as stepchildren because they are also ‘anak Sarawak’,” he said in a dialogue over TVS last night (Dec 28).

He said ICSS students are eligible for state scholarships, allowed to apply for government positions, and accepted into any state-owned university, adding that the state government has allocated substantial funding for ICSS since 2014, with the allocation increasing every year.

Notably, this year, RM10 million has been granted to support the operation and development of these schools, bringing the total expenditure to RM52 million.

“And I hope that they continue to succeed, and furthermore, reconsider staying because they benefit from living in Sarawak compared to other places in our country,” he added.