Sarawak: A total of 4,694 students from four higher education institutions (IPTs) in Sarawak have been offered free education through the Sarawak Free Higher Education Scheme (FTES) so far.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Sarawak Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee revealed the details, stating that i-CATS University College has 172 students involved in the scheme, Curtin University Malaysia has 543 students, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus has 1,959 students, and Universiti Teknologi Sarawak has 2,020 students benefiting from the scheme.

Dr Annuar noted that the number of beneficiaries is expected to increase with new student intakes in June and September, targeting 10,000 students across Sarawak to benefit from FTES this year. He made these remarks during the Question Time session at the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly sitting, in response to a query from Safiee Ahmad (GPS-Daro) regarding the number of students who have benefited from the Sarawak FTES to date.

In addition, Dr Annuar mentioned that 1,433 students opted not to accept the free education offer. He explained that most of those who declined were final-year students with existing contracts or agreements with their scholarship sponsors, making them unable to breach their current contracts. This decision opens up opportunities for other students to benefit from the scheme.

Dr Annuar also expressed confidence in the sustainability of FTES in the coming years, citing the state's increasing income and the establishment of the Sarawak Sovereign Future Wealth Fund as guarantees for the scheme's future.