PREMIER ABANG JO BEATS PM ANWAR TO IT - AGAIN! - SARAWAKIANS TO GET FREE TERTIARY EDUCATION BY 2026 - EVEN AS ANWAR CAN ONLY MANAGE TO PROMISE EDUCATION SECTOR TO GET THE 'BIGGEST ALLOCATIONS' - ALONG WITH HEALTH SECTOR IN BUDGET 2024 -

KUALA LUMPUR (Politics Now!) - It's good to be Sarawakian these days! They are indeed the envy of the country for many things including their sense of balance, unity and community and not to mention their tremendous oil wealth and resource-rich land. And it's going to get even better!

According to Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Openg, Sarawakians will get free tertiary education at state-owned institutions by 2026!

“I feel that, if there is no obstacle, we can give free tertiary education by 2025 or 2026. I can certainly commit by 2026 because our state economy will be expanded and higher income for the state by that year,” Malay Mail reported him as saying.

“This means that those who are eligible to enter the universities will be given free education to further their studies,” the premier said at the close of the Tidal Bore Festival in Simanggang, Sarawak.

The state-owned universities are Sarawak campus of Curtin University of Technology, Sarawak campus of Swinburne University of Technology, University Technology Sarawak, Centre of Technology Excellence Sarawak and I-Cats College University.

Abang Jo also expects much higher state revenue this year, surpassing the RM12 billion recorded last year. A percentage of the revenue is to be set aside to finance the free education, he revealed.

WHEN CAN ANWAR DO IT? CAN HIS UNITY GOVT EVEN REMOVE THE STUDENT QUOTAS?

Meanwhile, over in Peninsular Malaysia, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the Education Ministry will continue to get the biggest allocations under the Madani Budget 2024 to be tabled on Oct 13.

“In the Madani Budget, health and education issues will continue to be given emphasis. Our main focus is healthcare facilities, including hospitals," said Anwar when launching the national Madani Medical Scheme and Madani Afiat Programme 2023 in Ipoh today.

However, there was no mention about any plan to make tertiary education free for all qualified Malaysian youths.

- Politics Now!