SANDAKAN: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Sandakan and its surrounding areas need a higher-level Tvet college to meet the district’s growing demand for technical education.
He said the institution would be on par with existing community colleges, noting that Sabah currently has only one Mara Skills Institute in Kota Kinabalu and 24 Giat Mara centres statewide.
Zahid said Sandakan requires such a facility as the district seeks to recover from the decline of its once-strong timber industry.
He added that a specialised Tvet college could offer graduates premium salaries above the current minimum wage and help reduce unemployment, with one in five job seekers in Malaysia coming from Sabah.
Zahid earlier officiated at the Sentuhan Kasih Desa @ Sungai Sibuga and Kemas Children’s Appreciation Day 2025 event, where he also acknowledged Kemas’ evolving role in nurturing young learners.
