KUALA LUMPUR: Penampang Member of Parliament Datuk Ewon Benedick has proposed that the Higher Education Ministry consider establishing a Chair in Ethnic Language Studies at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), alongside expanding scholarship opportunities for students pursuing the field.

He said scholarships should also be extended to students from Sabah and the Orang Asli community who enrol in Ethnic Language Studies programmes at UPSI and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS).

Ewon said the proposal was in line with Malaysia’s support for the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), adopted on September 13, 2007, and reaffirmed at the 2014 World Conference on Indigenous Peoples.

“I hope these scholarships can be extended to students from Sabah and the Orang Asli community pursuing Ethnic Language Studies at UPSI and UMS, in line with Malaysia’s support for UNDRIP.

“I also hope the ministry will consider establishing a Chair in Ethnic Language Studies at UPSI as a manifestation of this commitment, with the government contributing an endowment fund to support the chair,” he said.

He was speaking during the committee-stage debate on the 2027 Supply Bill for the Higher Education Ministry in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Ewon noted that RM203 million had been allocated under the University Scholarships and Research Training allocation for 2027, compared with RM202 million this year.

He called on the ministry to provide details of the number of scholarship recipients last year and this year, including the number of beneficiaries from Sabah and the Orang Asli community in Peninsular Malaysia.

Addressing the shortage of medical officers in Sabah

In the same debate, Ewon proposed a dedicated policy to address the issue of medical officers who fail to report for duty in Sabah.

He suggested closer coordination between the Higher Education Ministry, Health Ministry, Public Service Department (JPA) and the Sabah Government to tackle the problem.

Ewon proposed that admission places at UMS’s Faculty of Medicine be prioritised for local Sabah students, with scholarships or JPA sponsorship provided, followed by their placement to serve in the state.

“I propose that admission to the UMS Faculty of Medicine be offered to local Sabah students, supported through scholarships or JPA sponsorship as announced in the Budget Speech, before they are subsequently appointed to serve in Sabah,” he said.

He said the issue was not solely about facilities but also involved medical officers’ personal preferences, particularly their desire to work closer to their families or hometowns.

UMS urged to develop industry-driven courses

Ewon also called on UMS to introduce new academic programmes that reflect Sabah’s industry requirements while improving graduates’ employability.

On Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), he proposed stronger collaboration between universities and TVET training institutions to jointly award skills certificates to graduates.

As an example, he suggested that Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) or UMS could collaborate with Montfort Youth Training Centre (MYTC) to provide recognised skills certification for its graduates.

Alternatively, MYTC could partner with other local universities, including private institutions, to issue skills certificates to trainees completing its programmes.

He said such partnerships should provide added value through recognised standards and government financial support, either through the National TVET Council or the Human Resources Ministry.

Seeks clarification on UiTM Tawau and AUKU reforms

Ewon also sought clarification from the ministry on its plans for Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Tawau Campus following speculation about the possibility of its closure.

Additionally, he asked the ministry to explain the key issues it intended to address through the proposed new legislation to replace the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (AUKU).

He also sought clarification on when stakeholder engagement and consultation on the drafting of the proposed legislation would begin.