SARAWAK TO EXPAND ‘NGABAS ANAK SARAWAK’ PROGRAMME NATIONWIDE

GEORGE TOWN, April 14 (Bernama) -- The Sarawak government, through the Education, Innovation and Talent Development Ministry, will expand its ‘Ngabas Anak Sarawak’ programme nationwide to engage with Sarawakian students studying at higher learning institutions outside the state.

Minister Datuk Seri Roland Sagah Wee Inn said the initiative aims to ensure students continue receiving support and attention even while studying far from home, while also keeping them informed about the latest initiatives offered by the Sarawak government.

“We estimate over 27,000 Sarawakian students are enrolled at public higher learning institutions and around 31,000 at private institutions.

“This programme at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) is the first of its kind and will be expanded by zones. We hope to meet all of them, but reaching more than 50 per cent would already be a success,” he told reporters after launching the programme at USM today.

The event was attended by around 300 students from northern region institutions, including USM, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Institute of Teacher Education, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Universiti Utara Malaysia and Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris.

Also present were Sarawak Deputy Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee and Chief Political Secretary to the Sarawak Premier Datuk Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman.

A highlight of the event was the symbolic handover of laptop vouchers to 25 selected students under the state government’s Free Laptop Assistance Programme, with each unit worth RM3,000.

Roland said the assistance is part of ongoing efforts to broaden access to technology and promote education equity.

“In addition to laptops, the state government provides other forms of aid such as the Book Voucher Support and special financial assistance of RM1,200 for each Sarawakian student nationwide.

“Furthermore, the state has introduced a Free Tertiary Education initiative for Sarawak-owned institutions such as Swinburne Sarawak, Curtin Malaysia, UTS and i-Cats, starting in 2026,” he added.

The programme also featured exhibitions and networking sessions, linking students with key stakeholders from Sarawak, government agencies and industry representatives.

-- BERNAMA