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Borneo Post
a day ago
- Business
- Borneo Post
Sarawak to prioritise critical, technical courses under FTES for now, says Sagah
Sagah (third left), Mohamad Kadim (second left) and others carry out the 'Ngiling Bidai' ritual marking the end of Gawai. – Photo by Chimon Upon KUCHING (June 26): The Sarawak government will prioritise critical and technical courses under its Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES) to meet the growing demands of industries in the state, said State Education, Innovation and Talent Development Minister, Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn. While acknowledging the importance of other academic fields, Sagah said the initial focus must be on areas crucial to the state's economic development. 'I cannot make the decision myself, but what I can say is that next year's FTES will only cover critical courses. 'This is because we are seriously considering the urgent needs of Sarawak's industries,' he said. He was responding to a proposal by i-CATS University College Vice-Chancellor, Professor Emeritus Datuk Ts Dr Mohamad Kadim Suaidi, during the institution's Gawai Celebration today, who had earlier called for the scheme to be expanded to include more disciplines. Sagah said the state government hopes to see tangible results from the initial phase of the scheme, particularly in workforce development and income growth for Sarawak. 'If successful, the scheme may be expanded. Hopefully, as more students enter the workforce and help boost the state's income, we can eventually look at including more courses beyond just the critical ones,' he added. Earlier in his speech, Mohamad Kadim proposed that FTES be extended to non-technical fields such as economics, business, hospitality, and tourism, arguing that these sectors also play a vital role in Sarawak's development. He highlighted the hospitality industry's ongoing reliance on workers from outside Sarawak, stressing the need to develop more local talent for the sector. He said by strengthening education in hospitality and tourism, there would be more opportunities for Sarawakians to fill the growing vacancies The FTES, set to be implemented in 2026, will initially cover undergraduate programmes in STEM fields, law, medicine, accounting, finance, and psychology. Participating institutions include Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, Curtin University Malaysia, University of Technology Sarawak (UTS), and i-CATS University College. courses Free Tertiary Education Scheme FTES Roland Sagah technical
Borneo Post
22-05-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
i-CATS, Naico ink MoU to propel Sarawak's aerospace aspirations
Shamsul Kamar (front, left) and Mohamad Kadim (front, right) exchange the MoU documents, witnessed by Liew (behind, left) and Selangor's Exco for Investment, Trade & Mobility Ng Sze Han. KUCHING (May 22): The i-CATS University College has formalised a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Aerospace Industry Corporation Malaysia (Naico Malaysia) during the prestigious Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (Lima 2025) in Langkawi. The MoU was signed and exchanged by i-CATS vice-chancellor Prof Emeritus Datuk Ts Dr Mohamad Kadim Suaidi and Naico Malaysia chief executive officer Prof Ts Shamsul Kamar Abu Sama. It was witnessed by Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Liew Chin Tong. According to a press release from i-CATS yesterday, the signing marked a significant milestone in the university college's effort to build collaborative frameworks with industry stakeholders. 'These partnerships are essential for transferring real-world knowledge into the classroom and ensuring students are exposed to the latest advancements in aircraft systems and satellite engineering,' read the statement. While still in the development phase, i-CATS's aerospace programmes are designed to align with Sarawak's aspirations of creating a vibrant aerospace system – one that attracts investment, generates high-income jobs, and promotes innovation-driven growth. The university college aims to become a central pillar in this ecosystem, serving as both a training ground and think tank for Sarawak's aerospace ambitions. 'As the global aerospace industry becomes increasingly competitive and technology-driven, Sarawak's proactive steps in building local capacity today will ensure it plays a leading role in the aerospace economy of tomorrow. 'i-CATS is proud to be part of this journey – transforming vision into action, and action into altitude,' it added. Currently, i-CATS is actively building capacity across several key areas of aerospace development, including systems engineering, aircraft design, avionics, satellite technology, and aerospace systems integration. The institution's initiatives aim to produce Sarawakian engineers, technicians, and innovators equipped with the knowledge and practical expertise to contribute directly to the local and national aerospace supply chain. With the support of the Sarawak Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development (MEITD), i-CATS is aligning its academic programmes and research efforts with the Malaysian Aerospace Industry Blueprint 2030 (MAIB 2030). These efforts support Sarawak's mission not only to produce skilled talent, but also to foster home-grown research and development in aerospace technologies – paving the way for long-term industry sustainability within the state. aerospace i-Cats lead MoU NAICO
