Kuching: Padungan assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen has questioned the Sarawak government’s spending priorities, highlighting what he sees as a contradiction between an RM100 million allocation for air charters and the limited scope of free tertiary education offered to Sarawakian in State-owned universities.
Speaking at a press conference in the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (DUN) media room today, Chong called for broader access to the State’s Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES), which currently applies only to selected academic disciplines.
“The question (is) why the government (would) only restrict free education, free tuition fees for Sarawakians in the four universities owned by the Sarawak government?” Chong asked.
He noted that the courses covered under the Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES) as Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), law, finance, and accounting.
He revealed that based on company searches he conducted, the combined revenue of the four institutions – Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak (Swinburne), Curtin University Malaysia, University of Technology Sarawak (UTS), and i-CATS University College (i-CATS) – stood at about RM150 million in 2023, identifying their legal entities and financial data.
However, he pointed out that the amount paid by Sarawakian students would be less than this total, given the proportion of international enrolments.
Chong described the RM150 million figure as relatively modest compared to other State expenditures. He drew particular attention to the Supplementary Supply (2025) Bill tabled on May 22, 2025, which allocates RM100 million for the rental of chartered air services under the Department of the Premier of Sarawak, citing increased government activities.
“If the government can spend RM100 million for air charter services, surely it can afford less than RM150 million a year to provide free tuition for Sarawakians across all courses in its own institutions.
“After all, it is a left pocket to right pocket,” he said.
The FTES, which is set to take effect in 2026, is a State initiative aimed at reducing the financial burden of higher education for Sarawakian students.
It will offer full tuition fee coverage for selected disciplines, namely STEM, law, accounting, and finance, across four State-owned institutions: Swinburne, Curtin University Malaysia, UTS, and i-CATS.
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