Free tertiary studies to be expanded to UiTM Sarawak, local IPTAs in 2nd phase

KUCHING (March 10): Sarawak’s free tertiary education initiative will be expanded to Sarawakians enrolled at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Sarawak and other local public institutions of learning (IPTAs) in the state under its second phase of implementation.

UiTM Sarawak rector Prof Dr Firdaus Abdullah said this was agreed upon in principle by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg during a courtesy call at the latter’s office today.

“The Premier has in principle agreed, and this will be implemented in the second phase whereby the free tertiary education will be for Sarawakian students in local IPTAs, especially UiTM Sarawak,” he said in a Sarawak Public Communications Unit report.

The Sarawak government had previously announced that the free tertiary education initiative, to be introduced next year, would be offered only to Sarawak students at state-owned universities, namely i-CATS University College, Centre for Technology Excellence Sarawak (Centexs), University of Technology Sarawak (UTS), Curtin University Sarawak, and Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak.

On another matter, Firdaus said Abang Johari during the meeting suggested for UiTM Sarawak to assist the state government in agriculture transformation.

He said among the suggestions by the Premier included to make the UiTM campus in Mukah—with its 500 hectares of land—as a project hub especially for research and development (R&D) of paddy, rice harvest, and productivity.

“We will examine the proposal of the Sarawak Premier and we will establish a research team to study and propose to the Sarawak government later how we can help in terms of technology, infrastructure and productivity of rice cultivation for Sarawak, including carbon storage because rice cultivation is related to that matter,” said Firdaus.

He added Abang Johari also proposed that UiTM Sarawak prepare a working paper to form an R&D laboratory for the microalgae project.

Firdaus also said he had suggested to the Premier on the establishment of the ‘Tun Openg Chair for History And Heritage’.

He explained that UiTM will collaborate with the Chair to conduct research on the development of Islam and also the cultural history of Sarawak.