No race-based quota under FTES, selection left to universities

From sixth left: Wee, Tun Wan Junaidi, Toh Puan Fauziah, Datin Dona Drury-Wee pose and others pose for a group photo at Wee's residence on Feb 17, 2026.

By Shikin Louis

KUCHING, Feb 17: The Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES) does not impose any race-based quota, as student selection is determined by the respective universities based on their own admission criteria.

Yayasan Sarawak Board of Trustees member Dato Sri Richard Wee said the matter had been discussed at board level and it was agreed that the authority to select students would be delegated to the institutions.

“We have decided to leave the selection to the respective universities to determine whether students qualify for the courses they apply for,” he told reporters during a Chinese New Year open house at his residence here today.

He was responding to a query on whether quotas would be introduced to confirm placements for Chinese students.

Under the arrangement, once students are accepted by the universities, the institutions will compile and submit the list to Yayasan Sarawak for funding disbursement.

“Yayasan will then process the list, secure the funds and channel the money to the universities. The actual selection process, we leave it to the universities,” he explained.

The board has delegated the authority to institutions such as Curtin University Malaysia, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, ICATS University College and University of Technology Sarawak, each of which has its own admission requirements and selection process.

“For example, if a student applies for engineering, the university may set certain academic requirements such as 2C or 1B. The university will decide.

“Yayasan only takes care of funding after the students have been selected,” he said.

Describing the process as fair and merit-based, Wee stressed that Yayasan Sarawak’s student loans and scholarships are open to all Sarawakians, regardless of race.

“It does not matter whether you are Chinese, Iban, Malay or from any other race. As long as you meet the criteria, including the required CGPA and interview assessment, you can apply,” he said, adding that emphasis is also placed on courses aligned with Sarawak’s development needs.

Beginning 2026, the FTES will be implemented through an automatic mechanism. Students who successfully enrol in any of the 64 approved undergraduate programmes at the four Sarawak-owned universities will automatically qualify for the tuition fee waiver.

Those with ‘K’ status on their MyKad will not be required to submit a separate application to the State government, as funding will be processed directly through the respective universities.

Earlier, Sarawak Governor Tun Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar and wife Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Fauziah Mohd Sanusi visited Wee’s residence in conjunction with Chinese New Year celebration. — DayakDaily