Kota Kinabalu: Gerakan Pengguna Siswa (GPS) should continue to be strengthened as a platform to foster awareness, volunteerism and mutual support among university students, said Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali.
He said the student consumer movement’s involvement in addressing cost-of-living issues should directly benefit students, including through implementing the Ihsan Food Bank Initiative (i-FB) at higher education institutions (IPTs).
“Empathy and care for fellow students... these are among the aspects of GPS’s role that we want to strengthen through i-FB, in line with its three pillars, known as 3S: Community Care, Environmental Care and Food Rescue,” he said.
He said this in a Facebook post Friday in conjunction with the Consumer Advocacy in Youth Activism Programme and i-FB Grant Presentation, attended by more than 1,000 students at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Sabah, Kota Kinabalu Campus, Thursday night.
He said there are currently 196 GPS nationwide, including 34 in Sabah, and 56 are implementing i-FB at their respective IPTs, including seven in Sabah.
He said the network could serve as a platform to strengthen cooperation among students, institutions, the private sector and the ministry’s strategic partners to ensure the continued implementation of i-FB.
“Through i-FB, they also become advocates for a culture of care, volunteerism and mutual support, while building a support network to help students facing difficulties focus on their studies,” he said, adding that the programme also provided students with an opportunity to discuss cost-of-living issues and their role in promoting consumer advocacy on campus.
He also thanked the Sabah Youth Council, UiTM Sabah and all strategic partners for their cooperation, expressing hope that the joint effort would strengthen students’ role as informed and responsible consumers who support the welfare of their fellow students.
