KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government is planning to provide free education for students pursuing further studies at state-owned higher learning institutions, says Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
The Chief Minister said the free education for Sabahans was planned for students pursuing higher education at University College Yayasan Sabah (UCSF) and Kolej Teknologi Yayasan Sabah (KTYS).
In addition, Hajiji said the state government also intends to introduce a loan subsidy policy, particularly for PTPTN and Yayasan Sabah loans, to ease students’ debt burden.
“This initiative will benefit more than 100,000 borrowers. I am optimistic that this policy is practical for the state government to implement in line with the state’s financial position in the future.
“This is proof of the commitment of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government to ensure that more Sabah children receive assistance while guaranteeing access to education.
“That is why the state government places serious emphasis on education and human capital development because we believe the younger generation reflects the future of our beloved state of Sabah,” he said at the Sabah Undergraduates Convention at the KDCA Hall in Penampang near here Sunday (Sept 21).
The Chief Minister said that since being entrusted to lead Sabah, his administration has given strong focus to education and human capital development.
This has been translated into the SMJ Development Blueprint, an inclusive and comprehensive development plan that has successfully brought significant progress to Sabah, he said.
“Since 2021, the State Government has spent more than RM1.3bil in the education sector. This is the largest allocation in Sabah’s history, marking the government’s strong commitment to the youths.
“More than 14 education initiatives have been introduced, among them a one-off RM600 aid for Sabah students pursuing studies in Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak and Labuan through the GRS-SubFly programme, as well as RM300 assistance under the SENTOSA initiative for students studying within the state," he added.
The State Government has also provided the largest scholarship fund since independence, amounting to RM136mil in 2025, benefiting thousands of students at various levels of study, he said, adding that the state government also established the Sabah State Education Fund (TPNS) to help students facing financial challenges.
“All this was made possible because the State Government has managed to increase the state revenue to a record high. Sabah’s revenue has risen to nearly RM7bil,” he added.
