Minister: Give private institutes bigger role to educate youths

KOTA KINABALU: A state minister has proposed that private higher institutions of learning be given a bigger role by the Govern­ment in providing skills training to youths.

Tourism, Culture and En­­viron-ment Minister Datuk Masidi Man-jun said the move would save costs in terms of construction and maintenance of training centres and staff salaries.

This, he said, would also address the problem of under-enrolment in many private higher learning institutes in the country.

“With more than 400 private in-stitutes, how can we say that they have the optimum number of students?” said Masidi who is also in charge of education matters in the state.

He said this after witnessing the signing of an agreement between Universiti Tenaga Nasional (Uniten) and Sidma College of Sabah and Sarawak.

The agreement paves the way for Sidma College to offer Uniten’s business, accounting, finance and information technology foundation programme at its learning centres here and in Kuching from Septem-ber.

Sidma College will eventually offer the courses at diploma, degree and masters level.

Also present at the signing was Uniten board chairman Tan Sri Leo Moggie.

Masidi said Uniten should consider setting up a branch campus in Sabah not only for the state and Sarawak, but also for the entire East Asean Growth Area.