KUNAK: A polytechnic should be set up on the east coast of Sabah as part of efforts to develop technical education.
Zahari Lorong, a member of the Barisan Nasional (BN) Information Strategy Committee in Lahad Datu, said Kunak needs to be on par with other districts in line with the government’s efforts to promote and enhance Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
Zahari, a former principal of a secondary school in Tawau and has served as a School Improvement Partner (SIP) at the Kunak Education Office, said it is high time the district was given a place in strengthening technical and vocational education.
Zahari said based on the 2024 SPM exam results, although many students passed, thousands still missed out on university or sixth form opportunities due to entry requirements.
“...this is the group that needs alternative pathways, such as TVET,” he added.
Without institutions like polytechnics, the district remains trapped in an imbalanced development cycle, where access to technical knowledge is concentrated only in major cities like Kota Kinabalu and other districts,” he said.
He said establishing a polytechnic in Kunak is should also be a moral responsibility and social justice.
It is a long-term investment to ensure that Kunak’s youth are not merely spectators in the development process but are the key players shaping the district’s and the state’s future.
“Every delay only widens the educational inequality gap in Sabah. Therefore, I urge both the federal and state governments to seriously consider this proposal,” he stressed.
