KUCHING: Sarawak's free tertiary education scheme for selected courses starting next year is a good start which will benefit Sarawakian students, says Datuk Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman.
The chief political secretary to the Sarawak Premier said there had been feedback and criticism that the scheme did not include all courses.
"But we need to appreciate that this is a good start and it will evolve eventually.
"Before this, who would have thought that the state would give free education for Sarawakians?" he said when met at his Raya open house here on Thursday (April 3).
It was previously reported that the Sarawak Cabinet had approved a proposal paper for implementing the free tertiary education scheme for Sarawakians commencing 2026.
The approved programmes under the scheme include undergraduate degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Law, Medical, Accounting and Finance at state-owned higher learning institutions comprising Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak, Curtin University of Malaysia, University Technology of Sarawak and i-CATS University College.
Fazzrudin also said the Sarawak government provided assistance to Sarawakian students through loans from Yayasan Sarawak.
He said students could apply for loan repayment incentives based on their results and prompt repayment.
"Last year, the amount of incentives we approved was about RM7mil to 8mil.
"For example, we reduced the loan repayment amount by RM5,000 or RM10,000 for some students.
"There have also been cases where the student passed away. The rest of the loan will be disposed of automatically so that the family does not have to bear the burden of repaying it," Fazzrudin said.
He added that this reflected the state government's commitment to support education for Sarawakians.
Fazzrudin, who is also Tupong assemblyman, also said the open house was an occasion to share the festive celebration with the community, especially those from his constituency.
"I'm very happy to welcome everyone to celebrate Raya together," he said.
