If you haven’t heard yet, on the 20th of March this year, the Sarawak Government announced the approval of the Sarawak Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES) for Sarawak-born individuals, set to be fully implemented in 2026. This decision was made during the Majlis Mesyuarat Kerajaan Negeri (MMKN) meeting.
This marks a major milestone in making education more accessible. Although the implementation for now focuses only on Sarawakians and Sarawak-based universities, it opens up the possibility for the rest of the nation to follow suit. If it’s possible in Sarawak, why not the rest of Malaysia?
This initiative will cover the tuition fees for 64 selected courses for Sarawak born students that are pursuing undergraduate degrees at Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak, Curtin University Malaysia, University Technology Sarawak (UTS), and i-CATS University College, a Sarawak state-owned university .
On top of this, the scheme will also include an annual RM15,000 for students that are categorized as B40.
During a networking session with Sarawak State Owned University stakeholders, Dato Sri Roland Sagah, Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development, said “The FTES reflects our belief that education is a catalyst for social mobility and economic advancement, and we are committed to removing barriers so that every Sarawakian, especially those from rural and disadvantaged backgrounds, has the opportunity to succeed.”
The Sarawak Premier, Abang Johari, called upon all Sarawak born students to take this opportunity to become undergraduate students to enhance their skills and knowledge of latest technologies.
The Education Scene in Sarawak
For a long time, access to higher education in Sarawak hasn’t been the same as what you see over in Peninsular Malaysia. Sarawak’s size, scattered rural communities and infrastructure limitations have made it harder for many, especially those from the rural areas, to get the same education opportunities.
As a Sarawakian myself that is born in Kuching, I have seen friends and peers that had to quickly jump into the work scene instead of pursuing higher education for the sake of supporting their families. Thus, this kind of initiative without a doubt will have a significant positive impact in changing the education landscape in Sarawak.
Yes, Sarawak does have good universities like Swinburne Sarawak, Curtin Malaysia and UTS, but the reality is, for a lot of families, sending their children to school or university is simply not affordable. According to a study by Gabriel Rickie on why are there high students drop out in Sarawak, the main reason was affordability.
In fact, when it comes to university enrollment, Sarawak still falls behind the national average, especially in STEM. Some students are forced to give up on their dream of higher education because of money. Others skip it altogether and jump straight into the workforce. This has left a gap, especially when it comes to skilled professionals in key areas like engineering, IT and healthcare.
Why This Free Education Effort Matters
The introduction of the Sarawak Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES) is a huge step forward. By covering tuition fees for Sarawak born students at selected state owned universities, the state government is finally removing one of the biggest barriers for many families, which is affordability.
This move is going to make a real difference, not just for students but for Sarawak as a whole. We will likely see more young Sarawakians furthering their studies instead of stopping after secondary school. A stronger, homegrown workforce with the skills needed to support Sarawak’s or even Malaysia long term development. Not only that, this present a better opportunities for rural students, who often get left behind when it comes to higher education.
Even adults or those wanting to upskill can benefit, as long as they enrol full-time.
But this isn’t just a Sarawak story. If this can happen here, in a state with its fair share of challenges, there is no reason the rest of Malaysia can’t work towards the same goal. Sarawak is showing that free higher education isn’t some far fetched idea. It is doable and leaders across all states need to take this initiative as an example on what is possible, to make a better Malaysia for our future generations.
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Anjali Kanabathy (k.viwyaanjali@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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