THE Sarawak government is meticulously looking into the implications of providing free tertiary education for Sarawakian students at state-owned universities by 2026 before implementing the policy.
Education, Innovation, and Talent Development (MEITD) Datuk Seri Roland Sagah Wee Inn said this includes looking at the state’s financial position.
“All of this has to be budgeted for and we also have to make projections on our financial position for a certain number of years, and we also have to look at our reserves and see how much the free tertiary education costs.
“Also, when we talk about tertiary education, it is not just about the tuition fees. We also need to consider the infrastructure, the number of academic staff needed and the existence of existing infrastructure in our institutions.
“Besides that, for students, they need food and other necessities too. So, we have to look at all these needs, so it takes time,” he told a press conference after delivering his ministerial winding-up speech today.
Sagah said his ministry is also studying the possibility of offering specific disciplines in the universities, taking the employability of graduates in those fields.
“As you can see from our state policy, it requires technical and scientific knowledge and these areas seem to be critical.
“However, that does not mean that we do not need other courses. We also need doctors, we also need someone who can calculate, and manage finances like accountants, as well as lawyers. Many sectors need to be considered.
“That is why it takes time for us to study these matters. When we provide free education, what about their job opportunities? So, we need to be careful about this too. We don’t want our graduates to be left without job opportunities based on market demand,” he said.
Earlier, in his speech, Sagah said his ministry is having a series of engagements with all the four state-owned institutions so as to assure that they are ready, prepared and equipped to enrol undergraduates by 2026.
“From a current total of 9,500 students, it is very much anticipated that the number of enrolments will increase,” he said, adding his ministry is also working on the qualifying criteria, in addition to being accepted by the institutions, components and quantum of the scholarship.
Meanwhile, Chong Chieng Jen (DAP-Padungan) raised to question Sagah on whether the Sarawak government can provide the free tertiary education by next year and whether the state government can also consider the initiative to include private universities instead of just confining to the state-owned universities.
Sagah replied that careful planning is required before implementing any initiatives.
“Well, you can always demand things to be speeded up. But you have to plan for it first,” he said, adding discussions with universities are also ongoing, focusing on factors like cost and location.
“In addition, the State Financial Authority also has to look at the budget as there are various conditions to be considered before making a decision,” he said.
On offering opportunities to other universities such as private institutions to be part of the free tertiary education programme, Sagah said the matter will be looked into.
“We haven’t reached that stage yet but there is no telling that such matters are not being considered.
“Those matters are well thought of but as of now, charity begins at home first,” he said.
