THE second campus of the state-owned i-CATS university college will be built in Telaga Air, Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Openg said, defending the government’s decision to site it in a predominantly Malay area.

The site the state government had picked is a coastal area in Lundu, some 37km from Kuching, near the fishing village of Trombol.

In his address at the Sarawak Skills and i-CATS convocation in Kuching today, Abang Johari said i-CATS does not “discriminate (student intake or courses) on the basis of race or religion”.

He said the campus will provide more avenues for Sarawak folk regardless of race and religion to acquire knowledge and skills.

“Even if it is located in other vicinities, the element of favouritism doesn’t exist as it is not only meant for all communities in Sarawak but also targets international students,” he added.

The president of a race-based opposition party had last week questioned why the state government decided to set the university college there.

Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru (PBDSB) Bobby William said the campus there would only cater to “a minority of society in Sarawak”.

“PBDSB questions the usefulness of such a university, which only caters for Muslims,” he said in a statement.

He accused the state government of having “policies pointing towards an Islamic-centric government” even though Sarawak is officially a secular state.

Abang Johari also said i-CATS will complement the state government in its quest to develop a thriving society driven by data and innovation.

He said with the support of its major stakeholders from the government and industries, i-CATS is developing a range of programmes to support Sarawak’s key economic sectors that would become the main engines of growth.

These programmes, he added, align with Sarawak’s post Covid-19 development strategy 2030. – March 12, 2022.