KUCHING: Puncak Borneo MP Datuk Willie Mongin has urged Sarawak Democratic Action Party (DAP) chairman Chong Chien Jen to press the federal government to expand its funding and subsidies on the higher education tuition fees instead of mischaracterising the state government’s initiative to implement Sarawak Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES).
He said the FTES was never meant to replace the federal government’s responsibility.
“If Chong is sincere about helping Sarawakian students in federal and private universities, the principled course of action is clear: press the federal government to expand its funding and subsidies on tuition fees.
“If he can’t solicit and secure funding from the federal government to help Sarawakians, then he is nothing but just demagogue and political opportunist,” he said in response to Chong’s statement on Dec 20.
Willie said Chong’s statement conflates equity with uniformity and overlooks the constitutional, financial, and policy rationale behind the Sarawak Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES).
He explained that first, FTES was never designed as a blanket subsidy for all tertiary education pathways, but a strategic state policy aimed at strengthening Sarawak’s own higher education ecosystem by investing in state-owned universities, over which the Sarawak government has governance, accountability, and long-term development responsibility.
He pointed out that supporting Swinburne University, Curtin University, University of Technology Sarawak and i-CATS University College is not discrimination; it is state capacity building.
“Public universities such as UNIMAS, UiTM, UM, USM and UKM fall squarely under federal jurisdiction. Their tuition fees are already heavily subsidised (around 90 per cent by the federal government, using national funds contributed by all Malaysians.
“To now demand Sarawak to additionally absorb the remaining balance effectively means double funding by the state, which is neither fiscally prudent nor constitutionally intended.
“If YB Chong believes further assistance is required, the appropriate avenue is to lobby to the federal government, not shift the responsibility to the state government,” he said
Willie explained that the private universities, especially overseas institutions are market-based choices with highly variable fees.
He said expecting Sarawak taxpayers to subsidise half or more of private and foreign tuition costs would be financially unsustainable and inequitable to lower-income families whose children remain within public or state institutions.
He believed no state government anywhere can responsibly underwrite unlimited private education choices.
“The claim that “the majority of Sarawakian students are left out” ignores the reality that Sarawak already provides multiple forms of assistance beyond FTES, including targeted aid, scholarships, and B40-specific support schemes.
“FTES is one pillar, not the entire education support framework,” he said.
Willie said the repeated slogan by Sarawak DAP that “no Sarawakian should be left behind” must be interpreted within policy logic and fiscal reality, not political rhetoric.
He believed that inclusion does not mean identical treatment regardless of jurisdiction, cost structure or governance responsibility.
“In fact, the GPS government should be commended for stepping in voluntarily despite education being a federal matter by providing free tertiary education within Sarawak-owned institutions. Gratitude is warranted, not politicisation,” he added.
