Free tertiary education in Sarawak to begin in 2026 - Abang Johari

SIMANGGANG - Free education at universities and higher education institutions owned by the Sarawak government for natives of the state is expected to be implemented in 2026, says Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.

He said the annual projection of Sarawak's income which had shown an increase since 2020 had given him the confidence to set the expectation by the state government.

"I can commit 2026 (to provide free tertiary education) because I have predicted that our economy will be stronger in 2026. If in 2022 the state's income had increased to 12 billion, (my) calculation this year is that it’s likely to break the (income) record of 2022,” he said.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the 20th edition of the Tidal Bore Festival here, today, he said the intention of providing free higher education was to ensure that more Sarawakians were qualified and able to use new technology to drive the state’s development.

"We already have a sovereign fund for our future, and apart from that, we will focus on our children's education and also to strengthen our economy and develop our infrastructure," he said.

Meanwhile, Abang Johari said an area between Samarahan and Sri Aman had been identified for large-scale rice cultivation using the latest technology.

He said the measure was also a long-term approach to prevent Sarawak from facing a shortage in local rice supply.

Commenting on the Tidal Bore Festival which began on Sept 29, he said the increase in the number of visitors to the event reflected the rapid development of domestic tourism in Sarawak.

Abang Johari said the festival would be able to attract even more visitors if the organisers could diversify the activities, and in turn, generate income for the local community. - BERNAMA