KOTA SAMARAHAN: The Sarawak Government is aiming to significantly increase participation in its Endowment Fund for newborns this year through system improvements and a revised management structure to make applications easier for parents statewide.
Minister of Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development, Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, said the state has set a key performance indicator of at least 80 per cent enrolment among eligible newborns in 2026, highlighting the government’s commitment to ensuring the initiative reaches as many Sarawakian children as possible.
“This Endowment Fund provides RM1,000 for every newborn child, which can be accessed when they turn 18 to help with early preparations for tertiary education,” she said when met by reporters after officiating the opening of the Chegu Aiman Gadget & Gold Kota Samarahan branch at Aiman Mall.
She said the fund was designed to ease the financial burden on parents, particularly during the initial stages when their children enter college or university.
Under the current structure, the account is opened in the name of a parent or guardian until the child turns 18 and offers both conventional savings and gold-based investment options to allow potential growth in line with market movements.
She added that the fund is now managed by Affin Bank, applying Islamic banking standards to ensure strong governance while anchoring the initiative with a locally based financial institution.
“The fund is now managed by Affin Bank, applying Islamic banking standards to ensure strong governance while anchoring the initiative with a locally based financial institution,” she added.
Fatimah said access to education in Sarawak has expanded significantly over the years, with free education policies introduced in 2012 and continued state support helping to address long-standing challenges faced by families, particularly those from rural areas.
“Previously, some parents could not afford to send their children to universities outside Sarawak, but the situation has changed with stronger educational infrastructure and continued financial support from the state,” she said.
Since its implementation, the initiative has recorded encouraging uptake with 146,294 accounts opened to date.
The ministry continues to closely monitor participation levels and refine the system to address gaps and delays.
She said key improvements this year include simplifying the verification and account-opening process, which previously involved multiple steps that discouraged some parents from applying.
Fatimah added that the government is also working with hospitals and health clinics to inform parents about the fund immediately after childbirth, rather than relying solely on online applications.
“This will ensure parents are informed early and that those less comfortable with online systems are not left out,” she said.
Fatimah expressed confidence that with these improvements, the Endowment Fund would better achieve its objective of providing long-term educational support and strengthening Sarawak’s human capital development.
