SARIKEI: Community leaders have been urged to encourage young Sarawakians to pursue higher education and take advantage of the state’s free tertiary education scheme (FTES) initiative.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said community leaders must understand government policies so they could effectively communicate the opportunities available to people at the grassroots.
“This is particularly important in education as Sarawak needs to equip its younger generation with the knowledge and skills required to navigate a rapidly changing global economy.
“We must encourage our children who can continue their studies at university, whether they are children of farmers, villagers, fishermen, or middle-income families,” he said.
Abang Johari said the cost of providing free tertiary education was substantial, but the investment was necessary to give Sarawakian students accepted into Sarawak-owned universities the opportunity to further their studies.
The state government had allocated RM260 million for the FTES with about 4,800 students expected to benefit for the first intake, while the second intake could see more than 5,000 students furthering their studies at Sarawak-owned universities.
“The cost is not cheap, but we want all our children who are accepted into Sarawak-owned universities to be able to continue their studies for free,” he said.
Abang Johari said the changing global economy meant knowledge acquired by previous generations might no longer be sufficient to meet future needs, with new disciplines emerging alongside advances in technology.
He pointed to fields related to cyber technology, aerospace and technologies used to obtain information from the earth for development purposes as among areas now available to Sarawakian students.
“The future depends on how our children today acquire knowledge and use that knowledge,” he said.
Against this backdrop, Abang Johari said community leaders have an important responsibility not only to understand government policies themselves, but also to ensure the people they represent know what the government is doing and the direction Sarawak is heading.
“With a deep understanding of our policies, the relationship between the people and community leaders, as well as between community leaders and the administration supporting and implementing government policies, will become closer,” he added.
