Abang Johari said once the site has been identified, the building will be built using the allocation fully borne by the Sarawak government.

KUCHING (Oct 25): The Sarawak government is still looking for a suitable site in Kuala Lumpur for a building to house Sarawakian students studying there, said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.

He was cited in a Sarawak Public Communications Unit (Ukas) today as saying the selection of the location should take into account access to public transport to make it easier for students to go to their respective universities.

He said once the site has been identified, the building will be built using the allocation fully borne by the Sarawak government.

“We are looking for a suitable site where the distance is not far and also public transport (is available). So the cost (on the students) is not expensive,” he said in a question and answer session in conjunction with the Berambeh Anak Sarawak program held at the Chancellery at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) in Bangi, Selangor today.

Also present were State Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki, Deputy Minister of Utility and Telecommunications Sarawak Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi, Sarawak Islamic Council chairman Datu Misnu Taha, UKM Board of Directors chairman Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Mohamad Abd Razak, UKM Vice Chancellor Professor Dato’ Gs. Ts. Dr. Mohd Ekhwan Toriman and other dignitaries.

In response to another question, Abang Johari said the Sarawak government would look into the proposal to sponsor medical faculty students at the UKM.

He said he has asked the State Secretary to study the financial implications and feasibility of the method where the sponsored students have to return to serve in Sarawak after completing their studies.

In a related development, he said the Yayasan Sarawak also sponsors 40 medical students every year to continue their studies at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) to meet the needs of local doctors to serve in hospitals and clinics throughout Sarawak, especially in rural areas.

Touching on the same matter, he said Sarawak will build its own cancer center at a cost of more than RM1 billion equipped with more than 300 beds.

“We will build it first using our own money and the federal government will pay for it later.

“It has been agreed by the federal government,” he added.