Sagah greets students during the Ngabas Anak Sarawak 2026 programme at UMT on Tuesday. – Bernama photo
KUALA NERUS (April 28): The Ngabas Anak Sarawak 2026 programme, organised by the Sarawak Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development, gathered about 400 students from several tertiary institutions across the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia.
Sarawak Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development Datuk Seri Roland Sagah Wee Inn said the programme serves as an important platform to strengthen ties between the state government and Sarawak students pursuing their studies nationwide.
“This initiative reflects the Sarawak government’s continued commitment to supporting student welfare and developing the state’s future talent,” he said at the launch of the Ngabas Anak Sarawak 2026 programme at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu here today.
According to him, the programme is the second to be held following a similar event at Universiti Sains Malaysia last year for Sarawak tertiary students in the northern zone.
“This time, we have brought together Sarawak students from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA), Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK), Universiti Malaya Education Centre (UMEC) Kelantan, as well as several other institutions,” he said.
Also present was Sarawak Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development Datuk Dr Annuar Rapa’ee and UMT Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) Prof Dr Muhammad Ikhwanuddin Abdullah.
Sagah said the programme featured, among others, a forum titled Empowering Sarawakian Youth for Sarawak’s Future Development, which emphasised the strategic role of students in contributing to the state’s development in line with the Post-COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030).
It also included exhibitions and strategic networking sessions involving various Sarawak government agencies and industry players, including Sarawak Foundation, Sarawak Skills and SiliconNet Technologies Sdn Bhd.
Meanwhile, third-year Bachelor of Aquaculture Science student at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu Syed Muhammad Fariduddin Wan Hairrulhaizal, 24, said the programme provided students with opportunities to obtain information on careers, industrial training and skills development.
“We obtained a lot of information about Sarawak government agencies today. It also opened our eyes to the many forms of assistance provided by the government for Sarawakians,” said the student from Kuching, Sarawak.
Another student, Shine Alethea Deewasnari, 21, a third-year Bachelor of Applied Science (Biodiversity Conservation and Management) student at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, expressed hope that the programme would become an annual event to bring together Sarawak students studying away from home.
“We gained many benefits from this programme. In addition to expanding networks among students, we were also able to interact directly with state leaders to voice issues or raise questions,” she added. – Bernama
