Kota Kinabalu: More than 10,000 students benefited from the Sabah State Education Fund (TPNS) since its launch two years ago, receiving much-needed support to pay for tuition fees at both public and private universities nationwide.
State Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Datuk Dr Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif, said the State government allocated nearly RM13 million to TPNS to date, underscoring the strong commitment of Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor to Sabah’s education sector.
“This reflects the Chief Minister’s serious focus on education, including increasing the allocation for the Sabah State Government Scholarship (BKNS) from RM50 million to RM125 million to assist Sabah’s youth,” he said.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});Speaking at the Gagasan Rakyat Karambunai Division’s Annual General Meeting at the Rafflesia Hall, Kota Kinabalu Polytechnic, Mohd Arifin added that RM74 million in total had been channelled toward various other education initiatives, including the Yayasan Sabah Scholarship.
He also revealed that the Chief Minister will soon announce more education-focused initiatives, specifically targeting Sabah’s students.
Among the new efforts is the Sukses programme – a one-off RM3,000 allocation for every school in Sabah to fund co-curricular activities and essential needs.
In addition, a Sentosa one-off contribution of RM300 will be given to every student pursuing higher education at institutions within Sabah.
“These are just some of the many initiatives introduced by the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government under the leadership of Chief Minister Hajiji, who remains dedicated to the educational welfare of our children,” he said.
On the political front, Mohd Arifin expressed confidence that the Gagasan Rakyat Karambunai Division would help secure a seat in the upcoming 17th Sabah State Election.
“With Datuk Arshad Idris actively working on the ground and addressing community issues, we are confident that Karambunai will deliver a win for GRS. All members must be ready to work hard to ensure victory,” he said.
