KUCHING:  A plan is not in sight yet to have  a permanent campus for the newly set up Sarawak Matriculation College but the state will focus on the progress of its pioneer students.

Welfare, Women and Family Development Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah, who is the minister holding a watching brief on education affairs in the state, emphasised that students need to set a high benchmark and continue to achieve excellent results in tertiary education.

She explained this would attract other students from throughout the state to the college, which would justify the establishment of a permanent campus. The college currently shares premises and facilities with SM Teknik Sejingkat at Demak Laut near here.

“During this interim period, we have to look at this situation as it is. We have to develop our students so that our pioneer batch will set up a high benchmark. If the pioneer batch is successful, that success could encourage parents or their children to apply for places at Sarawak Matriculation College.

“At the same time, we will work together to ensure that the setting up of a permanent campus would become a reality,” Fatimah told a press conference after officiating at a ceremony to welcome the college’s first intake of students.

Among those present were Education and Higher Learning Ministry Matriculation Division director Dr Sariah Abdul Jalil, Sarawak Foundation director Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki and state welfare director Noriah Ahmad.

“There is a need to establish a matriculation college here to complement the one in Labuan which has more than 50 per cent Sarawak students at each intake.

“We understand the various issues faced by students when studying at Labuan such as lack of air connectivity, high cost of living, water disruption issues, logistics and so on,” she highlighted.

Sariah said if approved the permanent campus would have a capacity of 1,500 to 2,000 students, with 80 per cent taking science-based programmes and the rest accounting-based subjects.

Touching on the matriculation programme, Sariah mentioned that the study and examination fees were fully absorbed by the ministry, and parents only needed to pay for their children’s personal needs such as t-shirts and laboratory overalls.

She also said throughout their one-year programme, students would be given an allowance of RM2,500 (RM1,250 per semester).

The Sarawak Matriculation College is the 15th matriculation college to be set up in the country.

A total of RM4.7 million has been spent on upgrading and renovating facilities at the school to meet the requirements of the matriculation programme.

This included two hostel blocks, recreation and study rooms, two lecture halls equipped with ICT facilities which can accommodate about 60 students at any one time, six tutor rooms, seven science labs and two computer labs.

The college only offers science-based programme for its pioneer students. Currently it has a capacity of 160 students.

The college will have 48 administration and professional personnel and 51 support staff to complement its director, four heads of departments, three assistant directors and nine heads of units.

( Source : Borneo Post Online , 27 May 2013)