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PETALING JAYA: The Sarawak government plans to implement a standardised assessment for Year Six students under the Dual Language Programme (DLP), based on international benchmarks set by Cambridge University Press and Assessment (CUP&A).

Sarawak premier Abang Johari Openg announced that the education ministry has granted approval for the state to collaborate with Cambridge University in rolling out the initiative from October 2025, Bernama reported.

“This DLP programme will be reviewed and validated by Cambridge University Press and Assessment to ensure its implementation aligns with international standards,” he said in a statement released by the Sarawak public communications unit today.

The statement was issued after the signing of a service contract between CUP&A and Swinburne Innovation Malaysia (SWIM) in Cambridge, United Kingdom on Wednesday. The event was part of the premier’s working visit to the UK, which began on Tuesday.

Jane Mann, managing director of partnerships for education at CUP&A, signed on behalf of Cambridge, while SWIM was represented by its CEO, George Ngui.

According to Abang Johari, the programme will involve the use of Bahasa Malaysia following the national curriculum, with English used as a secondary medium of assessment based on Cambridge’s international syllabus.

Swinburne University, a strategic partner in the initiative, will work with Cambridge on implementing the assessments in Sarawak.

“This initiative aims to produce students proficient in both languages, thereby equipping them to pursue higher education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields,” he said.

The premier also said that the state is working with Cambridge University to develop a range of high-standard bilingual programmes and scholarship opportunities designed to allow Sarawakian students to pursue studies in emerging strategic economic sectors.

He said both parties have also agreed to place qualified Sarawakian students from international school systems into prestigious global institutions, including the University of Cambridge, Oxford, and the London School of Economics in the UK, as well as Harvard University in the US.

“Sarawak is targeting a special quota of 10 placements for outstanding students in certain fields,” he added.