MRSM Ranau welcomes first batch of students

Ismail (standing, right) speaking to a parent during student registration.

KOTA KINABALU: Mara Junior Science College (MRSM) welcomes the first batch of students to its Sabah campus.

It was a bustling scene on Monday (March 11) when the students and their parents made a beeline for the new campus, about 8km from Ranau town, to register for the new academic year.

MRSM Ranau principal Ismail Badri said they were excited to welcome the first group of Forms One to Four students.

“It is heartening to see the smiles on their faces,” he said.

He said MRSM Ranau is different from the other campuses because of its picturesque setting near the foot of Mount Kinabalu.

“The combination of the environment, experienced teachers and the facilities will produce holistic and high-achieving students,” he added.

The campus, developed by PETRONAS at a cost of RM132mil, enhances the opportunities to access quality education among Sabah students while stimulating their interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Spanning over 26,000sq-metre, the campus can accommodate up to 450 students.

Its facilities include an administrative building, a resource centre, a dining hall, a multi-purpose hall, a surau, ancillary buildings, student dormitories as well as staff and teachers' residences.

At present, the institution has 27 teachers, 16 support staff and three management team members.

in a statement on Tuesday (March 12), PETRONAS said was a momentous start for the college in providing access to quality education among the local communities of Ranau, which located on the foothills of Mount Kinabalu about 100km from here.

The national oil company said it had achieved another milestone in its human capital development efforts.

“We are excited to witness the realisation of our vision as the first group of students embarks on their educational journey at MRSM Ranau,” its Sabah and Labuan Regional Office general manager Siti Ayu Abdul Wahab said.

“It is indeed a historic occasion as this marks a new chapter in our commitment to support the aspirations of the Sabah government in developing the human capital potential of young Sabahan talents,” she added.