PENANG: The ‘Ngabas Anak Sarawak’ programme will be expanded to other states to raise awareness of the Sarawak Government’s development direction and assistance initiatives.

Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development (MEITD), Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn said the programme marks his ministry’s first step in reaching out to more than 58,000 Sarawakian students nationwide, including 27,000 students in public institutions of higher learning (IPTA) and 31,000 in private institutions.

“This is the first session organised by the ministry itself. We are starting with the northern region and planning to expand this programme to other states.

“Due to the high number of institutions, our approach is to centralise students by zone so that they can come together,” he said.

He said this during a press conference at the 'Ngabas Anak Sarawak' programme at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) here on Monday.

Meanwhile, Dato Sri Roland Sagah said the programme brings together Sarawakian students from various institutions in the northern region of Peninsular Malaysia, including from Kedah, Perlis, and Perak, with the aim of introducing educational initiatives and opportunities offered by the Sarawak Government such as skills training, education incentives, and industry collaborations.

He also noted that institutions such as Sarawak Skills, CENTEXS, and SMD Semiconductor took part in the event to showcase various graduate skill development programmes, alongside major corporations such as PETROS that participated in the career exhibition held in conjunction with the programme.

"The Sarawak Government hopes that by expanding this programme to other states, more students will be informed about the policies and opportunities offered, thus helping them contribute to the development of the state after graduation.

"If we can meet and provide exposure to more than 50 per cent of Sarawak students abroad, that will be considered a success," he added. -UKASnews