PAPAR: Sabah Islamic Religious Council (Muis) would be spending over RM500,000 for its Back To School 2024 programme to benefit about 2,000 underprivileged (asnaf) children to buy school materials in 10 districts.
Its Deputy Chairman Datuk Ustaz Malai Ali Malai Ahmad said Muis spends about RM600,000 or RM60,000 per district to ease the asnaf parents’ financial burden in buying their children’s school necessity.
He said the funding for the programme, this year, is from the Tithe and Fitrah division which is meant to help people in need.
“Such programme has been an annual event for Muis which has implemented it before the Movement Control Order (MCO) and was stopped during the Covid-19 pandemic but continued after the MCO ended.
“The value of this programme is the knowledge which these schooling children acquire from their respective schools and thus, we hope the children would able to improve their livelihood and living standard of their families through education.
“With the tithe money given, we hope the blessing from the funding would make the children excel in their studies. Most parents are grateful to Muis for organising the programme that really help to lessen their burden,” he said after officiating the Back To School programme at Servay Takis, here on Tuesday.
Malai Ahmad said each child was given RM300 to buy school materials such as stationery, school uniform and shoes, among others.
He said about 200 children from here are from the asnaf group benefiting from the program.
So far, he said Papar, Kota Kinabalu, Sepanggar, Sandakan, Tawau and several districts were selected for the programme this year and other districts will be next.
“Those who have not received such contribution will get it in future.
“Apart from this programme, we also funded this year’s circumcision ceremony in conjunction with the school holidays and about 500 asnaf children were circumcised all over Sabah,” Malai Ahmad said.
