KUCHING: Sarawakian Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) holders are eligible for the state’s free tertiary education scheme (FTES), with a pass in Bahasa Melayu not compulsory, says state Deputy Education, Innovation and Talent Development Minister Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee (pic).
This reflects the state government’s commitment to ensuring that all deserving Sarawakians have equal opportunities to further their studies, develop their potential, and contribute to the state’s economic transformation, regardless of race or educational background, he said.
“Recently, there was a heated debate on the eligibility of UEC holders to enter public universities.
“However, in Sarawak our priority is not the students’ skin colour nor the schools they attended, but the knowledge, skills, and talent that they contribute to Sarawak.
“Education must transcend skin colour, race, and ethnicity. It must be a vehicle to make sure we can break the poverty cycle and ensure social mobility, particularly for our rural communities.
“Because of that, our free tertiary education is also open to UEC holders,” he told See Chee How (IND-Batu Lintang) during question time in the Sarawak Legislative Assembly yesterday.
Dr Annuar said 192 UEC holders had been offered places in the FTES as of June 30, with 137 placed at Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, 21 at Curtin University Malaysia, 33 at University of Technology Sarawak and one at i-CATS University College.
To a supplementary question from See, he said a pass in Bahasa Melayu is not a compulsory requirement for UEC holders to enter state-owned universities or qualify for FTES.
He said generally, the entry criteria for UEC holders is five Bs, with additional prerequisite subjects for certain degree programmes such as Mathematics, Additional Mathematics, and Science.
In addition, he said UEC holders will automatically be offered FTES if they apply for one of the 64 courses listed under the scheme.
“This policy shows a vast difference from what is adopted elsewhere. I hope this is a clear message to all the people of Sarawak, particularly UEC holders, that you are not different from others.
“As long as you qualify to enter the four state-owned universities, you also automatically qualify for FTES,” Dr Annuar said.
However, he cautioned UEC holders that they need a good command of English, as the medium of instruction at the four state-owned universities is English.
