Dr Annuar: Outreach programme will boost SMA’s enrolments

SIBU: Sarawak Maritime Academy ( SMA) should have an outreach programme to attract more students to take up courses at the academy, suggested Nangka assemblyman Dr Annuar Rapaee.

He said every year, 200 places were offered at the academy for its diploma programme and modular courses.

“But only about 40 students join the academy each year since it opened in 2008.

“Scholarships are available but the response has not been encouraging,” he said when officiating at the closing of a four- day ‘ Industry Awareness’ programme held at SMA in Lanang Road here yesterday.

Dr Annuar said the main reason for the low response could be the lack of networking between the academy and school authorities.

He suggested that schools encourage their students to visit SMA to get first-hand information on opportunities available there.

On a similar matter, he said students should prepare themselves from now for the development of Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE).

“Sarawak needs a lot of skilled and semi- skilled manpower in the future when the state is industrialised,” he said.

“It is impossible for the state government to let our own people jobless but give the jobs to foreigners.

“We do not have to import 10,000 foreign workers to work in our plantations if we have enough people to do the jobs.

“That is why our students must be prepared because we do not want that to repeat in the future,” he said.

He also encouraged students to take up vocational and technical training.

The programme was organised by the Manpower Development Unit of the Chief Minister’s Department in collaboration with Sarawak Education Department, SMA, Far East Shipyard Company Sdn Bhd and Sarawak Biscuits and Food Manufacturer Industries Sdn Bhd.

Also present at the function were Dr Rabyah Mohd Mansor, who represented the director of the Manpower Development Unit of the Chief Minister’s Department, and SMA chief executive officer Captain Goh Chin Guan.