Sibu: The number of students furthering their studies at Universiti Teknologi Sarawak (UTS) is expected to reach 5,000 by the end of this year, according to State Deputy Minister of Education and Talent Development Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee. He noted that the current enrolment at the Sarawak government-owned university has exceeded 4,000, with students coming from various parts of Sarawak and other regions in the country.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Dr Annuar expressed confidence in achieving the enrolment milestone, stating, "I can assure you that by the end of this year, we might reach 5,000. By next year, definitely 5,000 students, and that is our full capacity." He made these remarks to reporters following the UTS Appreciation Dinner 2025.

Dr Annuar highlighted that UTS now records the highest enrolment among local universities in Sarawak, noting that the recent intake for the foundation programme even attracted students from West Malaysia. He emphasized that UTS has become a preferred institution for students from the central region, surpassing other established universities such as Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus in Kuching and Curtin University Malaysia in Miri.

When Dr Annuar became UTS chairman in 2021, the university had about 1,200 students, with enrolment numbers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. To address the accessibility of higher education for underprivileged families, he and vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Khairuddin Ab Hamid introduced bursaries covering 50 percent of tuition fees for all students and an additional 80 percent bursary for 100 students from the B40 group.

Dr Annuar acknowledged initial criticisms regarding the affordability of UTS, which was constructed using government funds. He pointed out that without fees, running a university would be challenging, but the bursary scheme has helped the institution grow from around 1,200 students to over 4,000, and it is on track to reaching 5,000.