(Miri, 23rd) Sarawak Transport Minister Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin encourages students to cherish the Sarawak government's free university education policy, to study hard and enhance their professional skills, so as to become the talents needed for Sarawak's development and together help the state achieve the goal of becoming a high-income region.
In his speech at the “Motivational Talk and Stationery Handover Ceremony” held at SMK Chung Hua Miri this morning, he shared that for years he has continually provided incentive awards to students who achieved outstanding results in SPM and STPM examinations, hoping to motivate students to strive harder and achieve even better results.
He said since the Sarawak government officially implemented the free university education policy this year, students in the state have ushered in unprecedented opportunities for further studies. Any Sarawak student accepted into the four state-owned universities or any of the 64 designated courses is eligible for free university education.
“Now, students no longer have to give up opportunities for further studies due to financial constraints. As long as they study hard and meet the admission requirements, they have the chance to receive free higher education.”
Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin noted that Miri is home to Sarawak's first state-own university, Curtin University Sarawak, where students may also apply for approved courses in engineering, finance, accounting, and more, laying a foundation for their future career development.
He emphasized that Sarawak is actively moving towards the 2030 target of becoming a high-income region, thus there is an urgent need for more high-quality and highly skilled professionals, including engineers, accountants, and various specialists, to support the state’s ongoing industrial and economic development needs.
“Sarawak is rich in natural resources, but without local professional talent, we would have to rely on foreign experts. We hope to nurture more local youth to become experts in various fields and contribute to Sarawak’s development.”
He stated that in addition to traditional professional fields, artificial intelligence (AI) has already become a global development trend, and the demand for talent in related areas will continue to increase in the future. He therefore hopes students will actively acquire new technological knowledge to enhance their competitiveness.
He said that the engineering field includes mechanical, electronic, chemical, energy engineering, as well as AI engineering, all of which are industries with great development potential and key directions for Sarawak’s future growth.
Lastly, Lee Kim Shin encouraged students who are about to sit for the STPM exams to give their best effort to achieve outstanding results. He hopes they can successfully further their studies at local universities and, upon graduation, give back to society and help build Sarawak.