KUCHING: The country and state stand to benefit from greater access to legal education in terms of strengthening legal understanding in society.
Education, Innovation and Talent Development Minister Datuk Seri Roland Sagah said pursuing law is increasingly important for Sarawak, as it contributes to stronger knowledge, governance and national development.
“Anyone can study law, including students from STEM backgrounds.
“However, one subject that is usually important in law is history. You need to be good at history because law is closely connected to it.
“Looking at the world today, global conflicts are closely tied to law, particularly in how disputes are resolved at the international level,” he said when met by reporters during the State-level ‘Karnival Jom Masuk Universiti 2026 (JMU 2026)’ at Penview Convention Centre (PCC) Demak on Saturday (April 11).
Earlier, he said a stronger understanding of law also helps in improving the country, particularly in clarifying key frameworks such as the Federal Constitution and the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
These matters, he said are often discussed to ensure clearer public understanding of Malaysia’s legal and constitutional structure.
He added there are now more opportunities to study law beyond private universities, including public institutions such as Universiti Malaya, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Universiti Teknologi MARA, which all offer law programmes.
“These programmes help strengthen understanding of Malaysian law and contribute to efforts in improving the country. I understand that UNIMAS will begin its law programme this year,” he added.
On academic matters, he said universities determine their own syllabus, but highlighted that international law and international trade law have long been part of legal education since the 1970s.
He said such fields remain relevant today due to increasing geopolitical tensions involving territorial, maritime and resource-related disputes.
He added that law is not limited to land matters but also extends to the sea and airspace, pointing to ongoing legal developments on sovereignty and historical debates on ownership rights above land.
“For example, the law of the sea, territorial rights, mining rights, and fishing rights, all of these are related to law.
“So we should be aware of them. Law is not just about land, it also includes the sea and even space,” he said.
