I-CATS students to get Yayasan Sarawak study loans
KUCHING: The Sarawak government will give study loans through Yayasan Sarawak to all Sarawakian students who enrol in the International College of Advanced Technology (i- CATS).
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said this is in view of the importance of producing quality human capital for Sarawak’s economic development.
“This means that every student who gets accepted by i- CATS for diploma and degree courses will be given direct loans so that they can go on and complete their studies.
“In other words you don’t have to be subjected to finding difficulty to get sponsorship. The moment you are admitted into i-CATS l, Sarawak Government through Yayasan Sarawak, will give you (the student) a loan immediately,” he said at the 21st Convocation of Sarawak Skills Development Centre ( PPKS) and i-CATS yesterday.
A total 1,107 graduates from both PPKS and i- CATS received their scrolls during the ceremony.
On another matter, Abang Johari called on PPKS to come up with a diploma in Smart Agriculture.
He said the creation of this course is in line with the transformation of Sarawak’s agriculture sector to include the application of the latest technologies such as Internet of Things ( IoT).
“Our agriculture output will be much better and sustainable through application of this technology and programming, and this will also improve agriculture production, especially in rural areas.
“And with that I am sure that we can produce double in terms of production or even triple from our agricultural sector by using smart devices and smart agriculture,” he said.
Abang Johari said technical vocational education and training ( Tvet) is vital for development, especially for Sarawak which is now moving towards Industry 4.0, which is related to the digital economy.
He pointed out that digital skills acquired from the Tvet system can be a catalyst to accelerate Sarawak’s vision to become a digital economy hub in Southeast Asia.
“Therefore, PPKS and i- CATS play important roles in providing quality and capable human capital needed by the state,” he said.
He also urged graduates to master the English language, which is the medium of communication for the digital economy and Industry 4.0.
“Mastering other languages other than Bahasa Malaysia, which is our official language, will make graduates more marketable,” he said.