SERIAN: Sarawak’s Education, Innovation, and Talent Development Minister Datuk Seri Roland Sagah Wee Inn has called for increased federal allocation in the upcoming Budget 2025, with a focus on enhancing the state’s education sector.
Sagah stressed the need for more funding, particularly for upgrading programmes aimed at benefiting both teachers and students in Sarawak, many of whom, especially primary school students, continue to feel the long-term effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We hope the federal government, through the Ministry of Education (MoE), will assist us in implementing more programmes to improve Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) results.
“One such initiative is the Sarawak Education and Enhancement Programme (SEEP), a special tuition programme designed to help Form 3 to Form 5 students prepare for excellent SPM results,” he said.
Sagah was speaking at a press conference after officiating at the completion of the Greater Kuching Coordination Development Agency (GKCDA) project at the Kampung Sorak Dayak Multipurpose Hall today.
Sagah also expressed his desire for larger allocations for Sarawak’s overall development.
“Although Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim recently announced an additional RM600 million allocation for Sarawak, we remain hopeful for further commitments, particularly those promised under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63),” he added.
Anwar, ahead of the Budget 2025 announcement scheduled for Oct 18, has expressed optimism that the budget will strengthen Malaysia’s economic framework and promote more equitable distribution of resources.
“With optimism, I anticipate that during the budget presentation, further enhancements to the economic framework will be unveiled, aiming to facilitate a more equitable distribution of accelerated economic growth among a wider population,” Anwar said.
Also present at the GKCDA ceremony were Bukit Semuja assemblyman John Ilus, Serembu assemblyman Miro Simuh and Tebedu assemblyman Dr. Simon Sinang Bada.
