CM LAUNCHES TEGAS

-TABUNG EKONOMI GAGASAN ANAK (BUMIPUTERA) SARAWAK (TEGAS) WILL CHANGE THE PERCEPTION OF BUMIPUTERA ON TECHNICAL & VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AS PRIMARY OPTION 

THE establishment of Tabung Ekonomi Gagasan Anak (Bumiputera) Sarawak (TEGAS) is to ensure that Sarawak moves into the right direction of producing the first young generation to be the really solid technical workforce for Sarawak Corridor Of Renewal Energy (SCORE).

"As SCORE will need about 1.3 billion of either skill and semi-skill technical workers within the next 20 years, TEGAS will projected as an additional platform in ensuring that this state will enabled to initially produce 50,000 degree-holder, 50,000 diploma-holder and 250,000 certificate skill workers for SCORE."

Chief Minister Pehin Seri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud said this adding that during the TEGAS official launching ceremony which was held at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) near the city here yesterday morning.

"Compared to the past 20-years, we are only enabled only to produce only half of the total of skill and semi-skill technical workers (half of 1.3 billion workers) that we need for SCORE, therefore, the establishment of TEGAS is done at the right time and moment."

"TEGAS will changed the present perception of Bumiputeras on the technical and vocational education which as a secondary option to their main choice of education having a wider working scope and bigger job opportunities with an even higher pay that the conventional jobs."

Taib explained that TEGAS' main priority is to promote the technical education training programs to the youths among Bumiputera, particularly those in the rural and outskirt urban areas so that more would be interested thus producing more skill or semi-skill Bumiputera workers accordingly to SCORE's needs.

"The direct participants by the State Legislative representatives in TEGAS is a new approach to ensure TEGAS programs and agendas will reach the targeted young generations with the respective YBs themselves going down to the grassroot explaining TEGAS objective to the people."

To ensure that TEGAS will achieve its target, the State government will find an annual allocation of RM10 million for each year, announced Taib and urged the young generation to grab the opportunity to obtain the technical education to earn bigger income.

Taib, who was accompanied his wife Puan Seri Ragad Kurdi-Taib the officiating ceremony later presented a RM5 million mock cheque from the State Government to TEGAS as " a starter" and on the recieving end was TEGAS Chairman and also Assistant Minister in Chief Minister Office (Technical Education Promotion) Datuk Len Talif Salleh. During the ceremony, Nirwana Education Group managing director Manan A.K Kanan also presented RM5 million to TEGAS.

Admitting that SCORE is quite hard to implement, Taib however is confident that with all the initiative and effort taken by the government as preparation for SCORE to run in full-speed all this while and in addition, with the cooperation from all quarters, from the top leaders down the grassroot, Sarawak and SCORE achieve its target of becoming a fully developed and high income state with the stipulated period.

TAIB SEEN FROM ONE OF THE GIANT SCREENS AT BCCK AS HE DELIVERS HIS SPEECH

More than 5,000 people, mostly students from secondary schools, students from colleges, higher learning institutes and other respective skill-training related establishments came for the launching ceremony with 38-learning institute booths set-up near the premises.

Also present Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Patinggi Alfred Jabu and his wife, Speaker of State Assembly Hall Datuk Amar Mohd Asfia Awang Nasar, state secretary Datuk Amar Morshidi Ghani, state cabinet ministers, Sarawak Members of Parliament and other distinguished guests.

-UnReportedNews™®