Sarawak’s strong English proficiency is enhancing educational and economic ties with Indonesia’s Kalimantan as Nusantara drives regional growth.
KUCHING: Sarawak’s strong command of English is helping to strengthen cross-border collaborations with multinational companies and educational institutions in Indonesia’s Kalimantan province, where the country’s new capital, Nusantara, is being developed.
Sarawak Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development Datuk Seri Roland Sagah said the state’s emphasis on English proficiency, alongside the national language Bahasa Malaysia, is yielding tangible benefits as economic and educational ties with Kalimantan continue to expand.
“The English language is our bridge for greater cross-border collaborations with Kalimantan.
“This is seeing increasing bilateral ties with multinationals there.
“There are also more interactions with educational institutions across the border using English as the medium of communication,” he said during an inter-university debate at the Tegas Digital Complex here.
Sagah said growing international engagement with public and private institutions in Kalimantan would contribute to Sarawak’s development as the neighbouring Indonesian region undergoes rapid transformation.
Sarawak places equal importance on English and Bahasa Malaysia in its education system.
In a landmark move last year, the state implemented mandatory dual-language proficiency assessments for all Primary Six pupils, making Sarawak the first state in Malaysia to introduce such a system.
On Oct 15, 2025, Sarawak Deputy Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee announced that the state Cabinet had approved the Dual Language Proficiency Assessment Test for Primary Six students.
All Primary Six students in Sarawak will be required to undergo proficiency tests for Bahasa Malaysia and English in relation to their Science and Mathematics subjects.
According to Dr Annuar, the Bahasa Malaysia assessments are based on standards set by the Education Ministry, while the English assessments follow standards established by the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
A total of about 26,000 Primary Six pupils from 1,050 schools across Sarawak are involved in the annual assessments.
Dr Annuar said the tests cover Science and Mathematics subjects, while the English assessment itself follows Cambridge standards.
Sarawak remains the only state in the country to conduct mandatory dual-language proficiency assessments for Primary Six pupils.
