SIBU, April 22 2026: The Sarawak Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES) is not a licence for students to be complacent, on the contrary, failure to complete their studies within the stipulated period could result in them having to bear the high cost of tuition themselves.
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Caption: Deputy Minister Dr Annuar Rapaee at a dialogue session with the students
Deputy Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development Dr Annuar Rapaee, emphasised that the free education opportunities offered by the Sarawak Government come with significant responsibilities that must not be taken lightly.
He maintained that a complacent attitude towards something obtained for free is a serious risk that could jeopardise the students' future.
He said this while speaking at the Sarawak Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES) Dialogue Session at the University of Technology Sarawak (UTS) Sibu yesterday.
According to him, the state government has allocated RM250 million for this year to ensure the success of the scheme, thereby demanding a high level of commitment from students to fully capitalise on the opportunity.
He added that students who fail to complete their studies within the stipulated timeframe will be required to bear the remaining tuition costs themselves, which could become a significant financial burden for both the individuals and their families.
At the same time, he emphasised that this free education opportunity only comes once in a lifetime and was never enjoyed by previous generations.
In addition to the tuition fee waiver, the FTES scheme also provides a living allowance of RM15,000 per annum to eligible students.
However, he acknowledged that there were delays in the disbursement of the allowance during the initial implementation phase and informed that Yayasan Sarawak is taking immediate steps to improve the process.
Elaborating further, he explained that only 64 courses are offered at this time because implementation is being carried out in stages, based on the state's workforce requirements and the principle of equity.
The dialogue session was attended by more than 2,000 UTS students eligible for the FTES scheme, who also make up the very first cohort.
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