BY LAKESH KUMAR & NEVILLE TIMOTHY SANDERS
KUCHING: The enrolment rate of students in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) streams A, B and C for Forms 4 and 5 in Sarawak has reached 50.8 percent as of this year.
Education, Innovation and Talent Development Minister, Datuk Seri Roland Sagah Wee Inn, said that the figure, presented by the State Education Department (JPNS), reflects positive progress.
“However, we must acknowledge that it still falls short of the 60 percent target outlined under the state’s Post COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030.
“We have made some strides, but there’s still a lot of ground to cover if we want to reach the goal,” he said.
Sagah was launching the STEM Innovation Competition (PinKS@UiTM 2025) held at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Sarawak, Kota Samarahan Branch here today.
Sagah assured that the Sarawak government remains committed to boosting STEM participation through several high-impact initiatives.
“This includes the Sarawak Education Enhancement Programme (SEEP) which has been allocated RM20 million in 2025, up from RM10 million last year.
“The programme launched in August 2024, targets low-performing students in Forms 3 to 5 from households with a per capita income of RM1,500 and below.
“This programme focuses on improving academic performance in core subjects such as English, History, Mathematics and Science for Form 3 and pure science subjects like Additional Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics and Biology for upper secondary students,” he said.
Sagah stated that additionally, more than 1,200 primary schools across the state have been equipped with Raspberry Pi computers to expose students to basic programming, automation and the Internet of Things (IoT).
“These tools are vital to spark interest in STEM, especially among students in rural areas who may not have had access to such resources before,” he added.
On the programme, Sagah commended the Faculty of Civil Engineering and the Penyelidikan dan Jaringan Industri (PJI) division of UiTM Sarawak, Kota Samarahan branch for their efforts in creating a collaborative innovation platform.
“This competition encourages students to think critically, communicate effectively and solve real-world problems that will be highly valued by industries today,” he added.
Themed ‘Developing Creative Human Capital Through STEM Innovation’, the two-day competition featured more than 30 student groups from SMK Muara Tuang, SMK Kota Samarahan and UiTM, as it aimed to foster the Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) and bridging the gap between secondary and tertiary education.
In conjunction with the event, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between UiTM Sarawak and Konsortium Bumi Consultant & Services Sdn Bhd, marking a commitment to strengthening technical collaboration and human capital development in Sarawak between both parties.
