Take advantage of S’wak’s free tertiary education policy, Awg Tengah tells Lawas students

MIRI (July 12): Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan has called on students in Lawas to strive hard and take advantage of Sarawak’s free tertiary education policy by 2026.

He said this privilege given to local Sarawakians by the state government underscores the emphasis on providing quality tertiary education to meet the needs of Sarawak’s rising economy.

“More Sarawak students, including those in Limbang and Lawas, should strive to improve their academic performance so that they would enjoy this opportunity by 2026.

“We already have several universities, this is an opportunity for us to advance education among the children of our nation, including us here in Lawas,” he said.

He was speaking at the education aid presentation ceremony to students who excelled in the SPM 2023 and SPM/STPM 2024 at the Lawas District Council on Thursday.

Also present were Political Secretary to the Premier of Sarawak, Awangku Jinal Abidin Dato Pengiran Jawa and Northern Region Development Agency (NRDA) director Datu Ubaidillah Latip.

Awang Tengah, who is also state Minister of Natural Resources and Urban Development and Minister of International Trade, Industry and Investment, said a total of RM160 million has been allocated to the NRDA to improve school buildings and other educational infrastructure in its jurisdiction.

This is in line with the state government’s commitment to provide the best educational facilities for the children of Lawas and Limbang, he said.

He also pointed out that the construction of the new Center of Technological Excellence (Centexs) Lawas Branch campus building is almost completed, and it is expected to open soon.

“This augurs well with the government’s policy of promoting and intensifying development of technical and vocational skills for Sarawak to meet the demands of industries with advanced technology in the digital economy,” he said.

Awang Tengah said he also looked forward to the proposed Mara Junior Science College (MRSM) in Lawas to take off.