Chieng (front row, sixth from right) with Teo (to his right) after presenting award to the students.
A total of 95 top Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) achievers from two schools in Sibu’s Bukit Assek constituency, Sarawak, received cash incentives.
Of a total allocation of RM32,700, 68 students from SMK Sacred Heart received RM23,500 while 27 students from SMK Methodist received RM9,200.
The incentives were to reward students for their excellent performance while encouraging them to excel in tertiary education.
“This year, after discussions with teachers from both schools, we decided to refine and enhance our incentive system,” said Bukit Assek assemblyman Joseph Chieng.
He said the revised system now rewarded students based on their cumulative grade point average (CGPA).
Speaking at the presentation ceremony at SMK Sacred Heart, Chieng said those who scored a CGPA 3.0 to 3.32 received RM200 each, CGPA 3.33-3.66 (RM300), CGPA 3.67-3.99 (RM400) and CGPA 4.0 (RM500).
“This adjustment encourages students to push beyond their limits while rewarding them fairly,” he explained.
Chieng also spoke on Sarawak government’s efforts to promote education across the state.
They include the free tertiary education scheme (FTES), which is set to be implemented next year.
It will cover tuition fees for Sarawak students pursuing undergraduate degrees at state-owned institutions.
These include Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, Curtin University Malaysia, University of Technology Sarawak, i-Cats University College and Centre for Technology Excellence Sarawak (Centexs).
“For students from households with a per capita income of RM1,500 or below, FTES will provide annual financial aid of RM15,000 to ease their living expenses and support their higher education journey,” said Chieng.
“The incentive aims to ensure that no Sarawak student is left behind,” he highlighted.
Also present was SMK Sacred Heart principal David Teo.
