Kota Kinabalu: The State Government will, starting next year, allocate approximately RM50 million to assist villagers struggling to pay their electricity bills.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor announced this during the State Education Assistance (BPNS) presentation ceremony at the Menara Kinabalu, here, Wednesday.
“This initiative, endorsed by the State Cabinet during its weekly meeting today (Wednesday), is aimed at alleviating the burden of eligible villagers facing difficulties in paying their electricity bills.
“In addition, starting next year, the State Government will also provide RM300 annually to parents from hardcore poor families in the State,” he said.
SPONSORED CONTENT Shell Sabah Deepwater Production Manager Earns Unsung Hero Award Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Deepwater Production Manager at Sabah Shell Petroleum Company Limited (SSPC), Musti Juin from Kuala Penyu was recently awarded the 2024 PETRONAS Malaysia Upstream Unsung Hero Award in recognition for his strategic leadership and exceptional Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) performance. Read more Earlier, the Chief Minister reaffirmed the State Government’s commitment to providing various educational assistance to ensure the people of Sabah can not only pursue higher education effectively but also compete at advanced levels.
He said education serves as a vital foundation for the younger generation, equipping them to become knowledgeable, ethical and high-quality heirs of the nation.
“For this reason, the State Government will continue to provide aid to educational institutions and students, including introducing several new forms of assistance to support young Sabahans pursuing higher education.
“These include the State Government Scholarship, with an allocation of RM127 million for next year, targeting 3,850 new scholars in both local and international universities while maintaining existing scholarships. This amount is an increase from the RM113 million allocated this year.
“For 2025, the Sabah Foundation Scholarship, Bursary and Education Loan Programme will allocate RM57 million for 4,500 students,” said Hajiji.
He added that the State Government, through its departments and agencies, is taking initiatives to provide educational assistance such as scholarships, bursaries, study loans and zakat aid to ease the financial burden on parents.
“Today, 100 students have been awarded the State Government Scholarship to pursue studies at Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu Campus.
“The Government also disbursed assistance through the State Education Fund (TPNS), benefiting 100 students. To date, TPNS has provided RM8.5 million in aid, helping 8,000 students.
“In addition, RM10 million has been allocated for the 2024 Bisbah (Sabah School Assistance Programme), covering all schools in Sabah. Other aids such as the Computer Assistance (Baik) and Special Education Programme Assistance (Bantu) are also being delivered,” he added.
Furthermore, Hajiji said the State Government allocated RM79.5 million for one-off educational assistance, including religious and literary support, for 2025.
“This encompasses new and existing education programmes to be continued next year, such as Budi (One-Off Cash Registration Aid for Higher Education Institutions), Bakti (Special Examination Cash Aid), Bistari (Sabah State Education Savings Assistance) and Aksa (Sabah Education Excellence Award).
“Other initiatives include Bagus (Parent-Teacher Association Activity Assistance), Balkis (Minor School Maintenance Assistance), and Semesta (Sabah Student Secretariat Malaysia). A new initiative, Sukses (School Activity Contribution), will provide RM3,000 to 1,500 schools,” he explained.
Additionally, he noted that the Sabah Islamic Religious Council (Muis), through its zakat fund, is implementing various educational initiatives to enhance and improve the quality of education in the State.
“Muis spent RM32.5 million in 2023 to assist asnaf students, teachers and students in public and private higher education institutions through the Muis Education Initiative.
“As of November this year, spending has increased by RM4.9 million compared to the previous year, totalling RM37.4 million.
“Therefore, under the Muis 2025 Budget, RM47.3 million has been allocated specifically for education next year,” he said.
