Uggah urges Sarawak rural students to pursue STEM education

KUCHING (Aug 11): Rural students across Sarawak are urged to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education.

In making this call yesterday, Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who is also Bukit Saban assemblyman, said the state would require more technical workforce with more industries coming up.

“There are now ample places offering STEM education. Moreover, Sarawak government will be providing free tertiary education in all state-owned universities by 2026, and students should take full advantage of this,” he said when closing a Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2024 excellence seminar for 177 students from SMK Spaoh in Betong.

The one-day event was jointly organized by the Association of Wives of Ministers and Deputy Ministers of Sarawak (Sabati) and Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (Petros) in collaboration with the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Bukit Saban Constituency Service Center and the school.

Sabati deputy chairperson Datin Amar Datuk Doreen Mayang, who is also Uggah’s wife, serves as the program supervisor for rural schools in the Bukit Saban state constituency.

The program is aimed to help rural students obtain top results for their SPM examinations this year.

To motivate these students to do well, Uggah offered an incentive of RM2,000 to any student of the school scoring 10As in this year’s SPM.

He extended appreciation to the Education Ministry for allowing local elected representatives to offer assistance to schools without seeking the ministry’s prior approval.

Uggah believed that this decision, which he termed as wise, will allow rural schools to have better facilities.

“When schools have good facilities, it will create very conductive and safe environment for students to concentrate on their studies. When they can study well, they can perform better,” he said.

At the function, Uggah pledged a grant of RM350,000 from the Betong Division Development Agency to upgrade the school’s internal roads.

He also announced another RM15,000 from his minor rural project fund to upgrade the school hall.

Meanwhile, Doreen advised the students not to shy away from asking questions related to their subjects.

“The teachers are there to help. They are trained and they are the experts. Make full use of their knowledge to add on to and improve your own knowledge,” she said.