Sarawak To Spend Over Rm1bil On Free Tertiary Education Initiative

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Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg said the cost is projected to be over RM400 million in the first year, doubling in the second. Pic Credit: Sarawak Public Communication UnitKUCHING: Sarawak's free tertiary education initiative, set to begin next year, is estimated to cost the state government more than RM1 billion by its third year.
Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg said the cost is projected to be over RM400 million in the first year, doubling in the second.
He said he would announce the final budget for the initiative when he tables the state's 2026 Budget in the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly in November.
Speaking at the Dayak Bidayuh National Association's 70th anniversary celebration last night, Abang Johari said the state government would proceed with the initiative despite the high cost.
The initiative would see the state government cover the tuition fees for Sarawakian students at the five state-owned higher institutions.
Meanwhile, Abang Johari said hydrogen and semiconductor chips will be the state's main sources of revenue in the future, not oil and gas, adding that the revenue from hydrogen will be "huge."
He said state-owned SMD Semiconductor Sdn Bhd is collaborating with two foreign technology companies to develop new compound semiconductor-based chips using Gallium Nitride (GaN).
This collaboration will allow SMD to design and develop a Sarawak-owned chip, leveraging the potential of GaN technology for next-generation applications.
Abang Johari cited microchip giant Nvidia Corporation as an example of a company that generates huge income from designing chips.
"We are creating our own chips," he said, adding that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who was in Sarawak two days ago, had wanted him to present a paper on the state as a semiconductor hub at the Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur next month.
Abang Johari said Sarawak will not depend solely on oil and gas for revenue, but must diversify its income sources.
He said the revenue from oil and gas would be "small" compared to what the state will receive from hydrogen and compound semiconductor-based chips in the future.
"But, of course, we want our share of the revenue from oil and gas because it is our right," he said, adding that the income from oil and gas will become seed capital to expand the state's economy. - NST

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