KOTA KINABALU, July 30 — Sabah is setting aside more than RM100 million for state scholarships this year as it expands efforts to develop a skilled workforce, including a new initiative to train more healthcare professionals in response to growing demand.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Haji Noor said the Sabah State Government Scholarship (BKNS) allocation will cover existing recipients as well as new sponsorships for 2026, involving 2,182 students, with emphasis on strategic fields including science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

“The state government is also expanding educational opportunities in the healthcare sector, with 30 Sabahans to be selected for a talent development programme covering the Diploma in Medical and Health Sciences, Diploma in Physiotherapy and Bachelor of Science in Cardiovascular Technology,” he said when attending the 37th Sabah State Excellent Scholarship Awards ceremony today.

The programme will be carried out through a collaboration between Yayasan Sabah Group, the National Heart Institute (IJN) and IJN University College.

“The initiative is in line with Sabah’s need to increase its pool of skilled healthcare professionals while providing more Sabahans with opportunities to undergo professional training in critical fields expected to be in high demand in the future.”

The programme follows another initiative involving 15 Sabahans currently undergoing the Patient Care Assistant Programme at IJN University College, coordinated by Yayasan Sabah through University College Sabah Foundation.

Hajiji, who is also chairman of the Yayasan Sabah board of trustees, said education remained a priority for the state government as the foundation for producing skilled and competitive human capital.

He said the government had also expanded other education assistance programmes, including the Sabah State Government Excellent Scholarship, the B40 and Rural Programme Scholarship, as well as financial aid schemes aimed at easing the burden of higher education costs.

Since its introduction, the BKNS has benefited 835 recipients, involving expenditure of RM141.29 million, while the Sabah State Education Fund, launched in 2022, has assisted 15,629 recipients with allocations exceeding RM25 million.

The Sabah Islamic Religious Council has also provided more than RM12.7 million in education assistance between January and June this year, including initial tuition fee assistance and flight tickets for students pursuing higher education.

Hajiji said Sabah’s education performance was also showing improvement, with the state recording a State Average Grade (GPN) of 4.85 in the 2025 SPM examination compared with 5.00 the previous year, marking the first time Sabah achieved a GPN below the 5.00 threshold.

He urged students to pursue fields linked to Sabah’s future economic needs, including oil and gas, energy, technical and vocational education and training, and artificial intelligence.