Kota Kinabalu: The prospect of free tertiary education at local higher level institutions in Sabah – like Sarawak’s Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES) – looks promising.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for Sabah and Sarawak Affairs, Datuk Ts. Mustapha Sakmud said the implementation is up to the State Government.
“Primary and secondary level education in Sabah is free.
“However, I was told that the State Government is reviewing whether similar support can be extended to higher education.
“Some institutions are already offering full scholarships at diploma-level, such as the Industrial Training and Learning Programme (ILTP) while local students enrolled at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) are already supported by either state government scholarships, Yayasan Sabah or other state provided education funds.”Sakmud was attending the Sepanggar Parliament Madani STPM Excellence Awards programme at Kota Kinabalu Form Six College (KTEKK), on Friday.
The State Government should hasten its study on the idea and present the result at the next state assembly sitting for discussion to ensure its process for implementation can move forward.
“In terms of finances, if we have the capability. I think that is a good aspiration for us to pursue.
“Just like in Sarawak, but ultimately the end result depends on the state’s fiscal position,” said the Sepanggar assemblyman.
Mustapha also welcomes the remarkable improvement in this year’s STPM achievement for science subjects namely chemistry, biology, and physics especially among the students of KTEKK which is located in the Sepanggar constituency.
“This upward trajectory in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) excellence is no small feat.
“It is a testament to the unwavering dedication of KTEKK educators while reflecting the hard work and resilience of the students to rise to the challenges to excel,” he said.
