KUCHING: Students from households with a monthly per capita income of RM1,500 or below who pursue their studies at the four state-owned institutions of higher learning under the Sarawak Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES) will receive a stipend of RM15,000 to support their accommodation and living expenses.

Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development (MEITD) Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn said RM5,000 of the total amount will be allocated specifically for accommodation and channelled directly to the respective residential or housing units at the universities, while the remaining amount will be transferred to the students’ accounts via S Pay Global to help cover their daily needs.

“Of the RM15,000, a total of RM5,000 is designated for accommodation. This sum will be disbursed straight to the Residential or Housing Units of each Sarawak higher learning institution, which will manage it on behalf of the students.

“The remaining RM10,000 will be disbursed directly to the students’ accounts through S Pay Global,” he said during his ministerial winding-up session at the 19th Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) Sitting on Monday.

He added that 64 courses have been approved across the four institutions, and Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Tun Datuk Abang Openg is set to announce the full details of the scheme, including the list of courses, on 18 December at the DUN Complex.

Meanwhile during a press conference after the winding-up session, he responded to questions on the allocation prepared for the FTES.

He noted that the RM250 million allocation set aside for the scheme is based on actual requirements, compared with the initial estimate of RM450 million.

“In the beginning, the figure was only a rough estimate, but after considering the number of eligible students and those currently enrolled, the allocation was reduced,” he said. -UKASnews

Reporter : Nur Nabilla
Photographer : Jaed Tepus & Leya Ameera
Translator : Uilson Ng