Kota Kinabalu: The State Government continues to strengthen its commitment to higher education through various targeted initiatives, including the largest allocation to date — RM136 million — for the Sabah State Government Scholarships (BKNS) this year.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Haji Noor said the significant increase from RM50 million in 2020 reflects the government’s determination to ensure access to higher education is available to all Sabahans, regardless of their socio-economic background.
“This is a long-term investment by the government to develop a high-quality and competitive human capital.
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');});“We do not want Sabah’s youth to be left behind in education simply due to financial constraints,” he said during presentation ceremony for Sabah-Based Higher Education Students Aid Contribution (Sentosa) at the Chancellor Hall, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), on Sunday.
His speech was delivered by State Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Datuk Dr Mohd Arifin bin Datuk Mohd Arif.
Hajiji said 4,170 students would benefit from BKNS sponsorships this year, in line with the goals of the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) development policy to strengthen the education sector as a pillar of the state’s progress.
Hajiji who is also UMS Pro-Chancellor said that this year alone, the State Government has allocated RM77.5 million to implement 13 education aid initiatives, benefiting schools, Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), students from institutions of higher learning, as well as Sabah student associations both locally and abroad.
He added that key initiatives include the one-off IPT Registration Cash Aid (BUDI), the Computer Assistance Program (BAIK), the Sabah Malaysian Student Secretariat (SEMESTA), and the Sabah Student Flight Ticket Assistance (GRS-SUBFLY).
He said Yayasan Sabah has also played a significant role in educational development, allocating RM67.17 million last year, which benefited 3,234 students.
Through the Sabah Islamic Religious Council (Muis) RM92.4 million was disbursed over the past five years via the Zakat and Fitrah Division, helping more than 48,000 students across the State.
To ensure continued education support, the Sabah State Education Fund (TPNS), introduced in June 2022, has benefited nearly 10,104 recipients with a total expenditure of RM15.8 million to date.
He said the Sentosa assistance program, launched in March at the Gaya Campus of the Institute of Teacher Education (IPG), involves a RM6 million allocation and targets approximately 20,000 Bumiputera Sabah students within the State.
“This assistance aims to ease students’ financial burden, especially for basic necessities or returning home. It also reflects the government’s strong commitment to ensuring no student is left behind in their educational journey,” he said.
At the event, Hajiji handed out a one-time cash aid of RM300 per student under the Sentosa program to over 600 students, including 319 from UMS and 323 from Mahsa College Sabah, who had not previously received the aid.
“I hope the students will fully utilize the assistance provided and continue striving for excellence in their respective fields, for the future of the state and the nation,” he said.
