KOTA KINABALU: Tomorrow’s world would be shaped by well-educated young people, and the RM101 million in education scholarships just announced recognised that fact.
In this day and age, a top class education was crucial for the young Sabahans to land good paying jobs and contribute to the development and progress of the state, said Tandek Gagasan Rakyat chief, Datuk Dr Janathan Kandok.
“The jobs market is hugely competitive and there is demand for skilled workers. Degrees are needed for a range of careers like medicine, engineering and law, among others.
“As such, a university education will help the young people to succeed in today’s workforce and establish a good career of their choice,” he said.
Dr Janathan added that the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) state government under the leadership of Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor was providing ample opportunities for young Sabahans through scholarships to pursue beyond secondary school education and eventually secure themselves a good future.
The scholarships allocation was announced by Hajiji when he presented scholarship awards to 10 top student achievers who had excelled in their STPM examination this year at Menara Kinabalu last week.
The Excellence Scholarship Awards will benefit 4,638 SPM, STPM leavers and those in the higher learning institutions across Sabah.
The total mount marked an increase of 84 per cent compared to last year’s allocation of RM55 million.
“Education is one of the thrusts in the Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya development plan, which is human capital development,” the Chief Minister said. “And, we need a human capital pool that is skilful and knowledgeable to develop Sabah.”
And, according to Dr Janathan, the RM55 million allocated in 2022 was even more than the RM52 million allocated by the then Warisan government in 2019 and the following year, let alone the RM101 million announced by Hajiji for this year.
The huge allocation, he said, also reflected the Chief Minister’s desire to see more young Sabahans obtaining post-secondary education.
Meanwhile Dr Janathan said he believed education was the legal right of every person.
