Kuching: Sarawak is intensifying its efforts to gain education autonomy as outlined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), embedded within the Federal Constitution, as stated by the state deputy minister.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, State Deputy Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development I (Education and Innovation) Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee highlighted that Paragraph 17, Chapter 2 of the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) Report mandates that all educational policies in Sarawak must be formulated in consultation with the state government, even though federal officers administer them.

Dr Annuar reiterated that despite the state education director being a federal officer, policy-making requires collaboration with the state government, as clearly outlined in the IGC Report, which has now been enacted into law. He emphasized this point after attending the Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) exchange ceremony between i-Cats University College and the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Institution.

He disclosed that Sarawak has proposed 15 key items in its pursuit of greater autonomy, which have been presented in the Dewan Rakyat and are progressing positively. Among these, the use of English in schools and granting the state director authority to approve development projects stand out. Dr Annuar noted that previously, even projects funded by Sarawak required approval from Kuala Lumpur, a process that has now been streamlined with the state director’s approval capabilities.

Furthermore, Dr Annuar mentioned that the cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Education has seen notable improvement. This collaboration has allowed Sarawak to implement its own Primary 6 examination, replacing the abolished Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah, demonstrating enhanced cooperation between the state and federal entities.