Identify new disciplines, Yayasan S’wak told
KUCHING: Yayasan Sarawak has been urged to identify new disciplines and/or subjects in its efforts to provide scholarships and loans to excellent university students.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said this is to assist the government to transform Sarawak into a high income state by 2030.
Speaking at the presentation of scholarships at the Atrium of the State Legislative Assembly ( DUN) complex in Petra Jaya here yesterday, he thanked Yayasan Sarawak for providing scholarships to 40 first year medical students of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak ( Unimas), saying it has always been the objective of the state government to give scholarship to more medical students.
The scholarships were first presented last year to 40 medical students under the Yayasan Sarawak Medical Programme.
He also thanked Unimas for giving many places to young people in Sarawak to take up medicine.
“Today 40 medical students received the scholarship. Last year there was 40. Hopefully there will be another 40 next year.
“So in five years’ time Sarawak will be able to produce more than 200 trained doctors,” Abang Johari said to the applause of the audience comprising the scholarship recipients, invited guests and other dignitaries.
Since scholarships are competitive and restrictive, the state felt it had the responsibility to come up with more, he added.
“This is just medical. Next ( scholarship) will involve technology, engineering and ICT. Students nowadays should consider themselves lucky because not only they have the chance to receive scholarships but also the Sarawak government is a caring one,” he said.
To the recipients, he advised them to have a high sense of discipline and work harder.
In his welcoming speech, Yayasan Sarawak director Azmi Bujang said the scholarship is the foundation’s way to help the government overcome the shortage of doctors.
He said the recipients were selected from 78 first year medical students of Unimas after a special interview, which he described as a daunting task as all 78 interviewees were equally good.
He added that the remaining 38 Unimas students would be considered for Yayasan Sarawak loans which are convertible to scholarship if the borrowers meet certain conditions, including graduating from the medical course.
To the second batch 40 students receiving the scholarship, he told them that their scholarship sum is RM500,000 each for a term of five years, bringing the total sum to RM20 million.
“Yayasan Sarawak is also compelled to help the state in lowering down the ratio of doctors to people and therefore is duty- bound to ensure that the production of doctors run smoothly by providing financial assistance to medical students,” continued Azmi.
He disclosed that the state through Yayasan Sarawak would have to fork out RM100 million just to produce 200 trained doctors within five to 10 years.
Azmi said the foundation had minimal difficulty in loan repayment from borrowers.
Thus, people should not compare it with the National Higher Education Fund Corporation ( PTPTN) which has a lot of issues, he added.