Sarawak eyes UK partnership for new medical school at UTS

SIBU (Dec 12): The Sarawak government is advancing plans to establish a medical school at Universiti Teknologi Sarawak (UTS), a key part of its long-term strategy to strengthen higher education in the state.

State Deputy Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development, Dr Annuar Rapaee, announced that the initiative has garnered encouraging interest from a leading university in the United Kingdom.

“We have received good response from one of the best universities in the UK to collaborate with us to develop this medical school,” said Dr Annuar during the 2025 Education Development Programme Appreciation Night here on Wednesday.

“I have been working very hard on this over the last few weeks, and we hope it will materialise.”

He added that by January 1, the government expects to appoint a team of approximately five experts to conduct a feasibility study and propose the best approach for establishing the school.

“These experts will recommend to the government how to proceed with opening the medical school.

“This is part of our bigger plan to elevate UTS and provide more opportunities for our young generation,” he said.

Dr Annuar highlighted UTS’ significant growth, with student numbers rising from just over 1,000 to more than 5,000, reaching full capacity.

“Our next phase is no longer about increasing student intake. It is about elevating UTS’ ranking and prestige, not only in Sarawak but nationally,” he explained.

He also addressed the upcoming rollout of the state’s Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTS), which will offer 64 courses across STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and non-STEM fields.

He urged teachers to carefully guide students carefully in selecting their academic packages (A, B or C), emphasising that FTS presents a major opportunity for students to apply directly to their preferred universities outside the federal UPU (University Admission Unit) system.

Dr Annuar called on schools to engage parents early next year to ensure they understand the new academic packages and the opportunities under FTS.

He also expressed gratitude to educators for their role in implementing successful programmes like Laman Ilmu, STEM50, and KLIKSPM (Klinik Latihan Intensif Kecermelangan SPM), which have shown tangible results in student performance.

The appreciation night concluded with awards presented to participating schools, in which a total of 102 recipients were involved: nine from the Laman Ilmu programme, 33 from KLIKSPM, and 60 from STEM50.

The awards were also presented to 21 volunteers from the Rumpun Pewaris Sibu Youth Club (RPS) and the Sibu Bumiputera Graduates Association (PGBS).

Present were STEMPRO Secretariat Chairman Ts Abang Fairul Syamil Abang Mohammad and Rumpun Pewaria Sibu chairman Abdul Hafiz Jimmy Dr Rozario.