‘Why are Sarawak students begging?’

Sarawak PKR wants the state administration to establish a special fund and put an end to the perennial problem of begging for scholarships.

KUCHING: The Sarawak government should set up a special fund to help its brightest students pursue their studies instead of begging the federal government for handouts.

Batu Lintang assembly See Chee How said the state had enough material resources and successful business conglomerates to support such a special fund.

“This is a yearly problem, and it should not happen to a state like Sarawak. We have many corporations who have multi-billion ringgit profits yearly from the State and its resources.

“It is therefore important that the state sets up a special fund so that these corporations can chip in. A sum of RM2 million from each of these corporations is nothing.

“The fund can help our top students to study locally in their preferred courses or we can send them overseas.

“In fact Sarawak can give its students free education up to a university level. There should be no problem.

“Education should be the state’s investment. After the students have graduated, the state will be rewarded with their expertise,” he said.

See also pointed out that along with the special fund, it was also important that the state made its own arrangements with the local universities.

See, who is state PKR vice chairman, was commenting on the dilemma of 17 Sarawak students who failed to gain places in public higher learning institutions (IPTA) to take their preferred courses.

The students each had CGPA scores of 4 or just below.

Where’s Sarawak foundation?

It was reported here recently that 13 of the 17 students who failed to secure a place in government universities had approached the Sarawak United Peoples Party (SUPP) to fight their case.

SUPP secretary-general Dr Sim Kui Kian said the cases had been referred to the party’s sole federal minister Richard Riot. Riot is the Human Resource Minister.

“We want him to raise the issue of the 13 students in the cabinet,” said Sim.

Responding to Sim’s statement, See said it was the situation was a perennial affair in Malaysia and even Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also the education minister, had admitted that it was the fault of the education system.

“So the government must change its policy otherwise we will continue to lose our bright students and good people

“It is a bad reflection on the country,” he added.

When asked to comment on the Sarawak Foundation which had one time given out hundreds of scholarship, See said it appeared that “the foundation is busy doing other things.”

He declined to elaborate on his statement.

The foundation used to sponsor hundreds of students to pursue their degrees locally and overseas.

It had made known its applications for scholarships in the newspapers, but for the past few years, the foundation had been quiet.

The foundation gets its fund from the state government as well as from timber levies and concessions.

Special Functions Minister and Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office Adenan Satem is the chairman of the foundation.

[second photo from schooladvisor.my]