Kota Kinabalu: Chief Minister Hajiji said poverty should not decide one’s fate before they even have a chance to try.
He said growing up in a poor family drove him to ensure poverty does not stop Sabah’s children from getting ahead.
He recalled that when he sat for the Form Three examination, then known as the LCE, in 1971, his mother had to borrow money from relatives to pay the RM15 fee.
He said if the Government can remove one obstacle from the path of a Sabahan child, it should do so.
The Government is continuing 14 education assistance initiatives under the Second Thrust of the SMJ roadmap, Human Capital Development and People’s Well-Being.
These include the Budi aid, the Bantuan Ihsan Komputer (Baik) and the SUBFLY flight ticket assistance for university students.
Allocation for the Sabah Government Scholarship (BKNS) has risen from RM55 million in 2021 to RM155 million in 2026, while almost 480,000 students have benefited from various forms of education aid or incentives.
To help those in need, he said the Government is continuing the Program Sentuhan Kasih Rakyat (Syukur) and the Rumah Mesra SMJ initiative, with 11,000 houses built or under construction so far.
This year, the Government is building 50 Rumah Mesra SMJ units in each State Legislative Assembly constituency for the poor, the hardcore poor and young couples from low-income families who do not own a home.
He said economic development and people’s welfare must go hand in hand, as Sabah’s progress is only meaningful when its benefits are enjoyed by all, including those in rural and interior areas.
