SEBUYAU: The Sarawak Government remains committed to strengthening the involvement of the younger generation in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) to meet the challenges of the future economy centered on advanced technology.

Minister for Utility and Telecommunication (MUT) Dato Sri Julaihi Narawi said that efforts to stimulate children's interest in STEM are now focused on using technology in everyday life to ensure that the field is seen as more relevant and practical.

According to him, efforts to increase the number of young talents are also in line with Sarawak's aspiration to increase participation in the aerospace industry which is currently one of the main agendas for state development.

"We encourage participation in the aerospace industry related to the spectrum involving the communications field in line with our ministry here," he said when speaking at the Sarawak Government's 2026 Minor Rural Project (MRP) Grant Presentation Ceremony at the Sebuyau District Office on Tuesday.

According to him, the Sarawak Aerospace Council (SAC) and the state government have coordinated a strategy to ensure that the aerospace field, including the telecommunication sector, can be widely explored by local children.

The Sebuyau Assemblyman said that the relevant ministry has been assigned as the secretariat to coordinate the initiative, in addition to establishing close cooperation with district officers in addition to expanding beyond the school level.

“Among the intensified activities are drone operations, where STEM knowledge related to the technology is very important to master to meet the needs of modern industries.

“Therefore, as a sign of strong support, the Sarawak Government has channeled a special allocation for 2026 which includes various educational incentives to ease the burden of students and families,” he said.

He added that MUT is also considering increasing the amount of incentives for students pursuing critical fields that have high market demand such as medicine, accounting, and law.

Dato Sri Julaihi expressed understanding that a certain number of students were less confident venturing into STEM fields due to its prohibitive cost, which is where the Persatuan Ibu Bapa dan Guru (PIBG) must play a pivotal role in persuading students to pursue their ambitions.

He said this move was to encourage investment in renewable energy fields such as solar, thus addressing the issue of lack of local expertise in the rapidly growing sector.

“The principle of ‘melentur buluh biarlah dari rebungnya’, which means inculcating good values should start at an early age, is the main key to ensuring that the target of seeing more Sarawakians succeed in higher education is achieved,” he added.

"Looking at the dynamics of the current job market, we need to realise that the retraining process is very critical to implement. This is because the demands in the industry are always changing rapidly in line with the current modernisation that we are going through," he stressed. -UKASnews