By WU VUIDE
KOTA KINABALU: Likas Assemblyman Tham Yun Fook said the newly-established Education, Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry should have broader and clearer functions and roles.
He called on the Ministry to seek greater allocations from the Federal Government under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) when debating the 2026 Sabah Budget at the State Legislative Assembly sitting.
He said more allocation is needed to build at least two local universities in the east coast and interior regions.
Tham said Sabah has more population and is bigger in size than Penang, yet the island had Universiti Sains Malaysia, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and University College Dublin Malaysia.
“We need to attract more renowned universities to open branch campuses in Sabah compared to Sarawak who already has Curtin University, Swinburne University and Universiti Putra Malaysia Sarawak,” he added.
He also proposed the revision of the Malaysia Education Ministry together with the State Education Department, the grading positions of senior officers to be in line with Sabah’s status as a region.
He also urged the government to pay serious attention to the welfare of teachers and students in Chinese Independent Secondary Schools, Missionary Private Secondary Schools and State Religious Schools in Sabah.
“The welfare of teachers and students in these schools has long been neglected by the Malaysia Education Ministry,” he said.
He urged the Malaysia Education Ministry to channel part of the allocation for the repair and maintenance of dilapidated schools to the State Government, to expedite maintenance works so that the goal of eliminating dilapidated schools in Sabah can be achieved within a shorter timeframe.
“Plan and include in the annual Sabah Budget a special allocation for the State Education Department to implement programmes and activities.
“The allocation provided by the Malaysia Education Ministry is clearly insufficient, as it does not take into account Sabah’s geographical location and conditions,” he said.
He proposed the planning for the development of AI Manufacturing Classes in Sabah schools, without relying entirely on the Malaysia Education Ministry.
“The implementation of student quality development programmes, particularly those related to AI creation and development, must be expedited in line with the borderless global developments of the 21st century,” said Tham.
He also urged the government to introduce a Special Assessment Test for Year 6 pupils, similar to what is implemented in Sarawak.
Other than that, he also expressed hope that the Prime Minister will emulate the Sabah Government in recognising the Unified Examination Certificate which had been intensely debated in Peninsular Malaysia.
He said the announcement in the State Budget regarding the MUET registration fee assistance (Bayu) of RM150 per student, which is expected to benefit 8,458 students is not a new initiative.
In fact, he said all students in government secondary schools are not required to pay any SPM examination registration fees, however students in Chinese Independent Secondary Schools and Missionary Private Secondary Schools must pay SPM registration fees without any subsidy.
“If the government can allocate funds to cover MUET registration fees since 2025, does it have any plans to provide assistance for SPM examination registration fees for students from private secondary schools? He asked.
Regarding the 40 per cent revenue entitlement claim for Sabah, Tham proposes that there is no need for negotiations between the State Government and the Federal Government, as this matter is already enshrined in the Federal Constitution and has been decided by the courts.
“What needs to be done now is to calculate the amount that must be paid to the Sabah Government,” he added.
Tham also urged the government to pay serious attention to the welfare of teachers and students in Chinese Independent Secondary Schools, Missionary Private Secondary Schools and State Religious Schools in Sabah.
