SARAWAK students with excellent results in public exams but could not find places in public universities have been advised by Premier Abang Johari Openg to look at private universities in the state.

He said it would be easier for them to find places in these universities and the state can also assist them if they have difficulties financing their study.

“Go to Swinburne (in Kuching), Curtin (in Miri), or University of Technology Sarawak (in Sibu),” he said when opening the Sarawak education expo in Kuching today.

He said their application would not be vetted by Unit Pengambilan Universiti (UPU). 

UPU manages the application process for public universities, polytechnics, community colleges and skills training institutes in the country. 

“They should have no problem finding places. We need everybody to transform Sarawak.”

Abang Johari is thought to have been hinting at the oft-heard complaints that non-Bumiputera students with straight As in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM) examinations face difficulty getting public university placements.

The Sarawak government has interests in Swinburne University, Curtin Malaysia, and University of Technology Sarawak. 

Abang Johari also told the students that if they face difficulties in financing their studies, “Yayasan Sarawak will assist (you)”.

He said the financial assistance is for all races, not only for Bumiputeras. 

“I am fair to all.” 

Abang Johari said as the state moves to a digital economy and looks to drive environmentally sustainable energy, it needs thousands of engineers in the various fields of expertise, scientists and researchers in the years to come. 

For instance, the Sarawak Integrated Sour Gas Evacuation System (SISGES) project in Bintulu is looking for 600 engineers and chemists in the next few years.

The Sarawak government through the Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) on Thursday entered a Heads of Agreement with Petronas, Sarawak Shell Berhad and PTTEP HK Offshore Ltd for a long-term lease of land within the Petchem Industrial Park in Tg Kidurong, Bintulu, to build an onshore plant complex, which forms part of the SISGES project. 

SEDC owns both the land and the Petchem Industrial Park. 

Sour gas is natural or any other gas containing significant amounts of hydrogen sulphide (H2S).

Natural gas is usually considered “sour” if there are more than 5.7mg of H2S per cubic metre of natural gas. – June 25, 2022.