Kota Kinabalu: Yayasan Sabah Group is committed in providing educational assistance such as a Special Assistance Scheme (SBK) to B40 students so as to promote educational equality and close the educational gap in Sabah.
Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister, Datuk Abidin Madingkir, said the scheme aims to supplement and complement the government’s effort through the Yayasan Sabah Group to alleviate the burdens of B40 families, including parents benefiting from the e-Kasih aid.
“Existing issues such as the increase in prices of goods have a profound impact on the parents in Sabah and has become a bigger challenge for parents nowadays. The difficulty also varies according to the income level of the parents themselves.
“Parents with low incomes, especially e-Kasih recipients and B40 families, will definitely be more affected by the increase in the price of goods.
“Therefore, there are a number of parents who are less able to provide facilities for their children to go to school. However, this should not be used as an excuse to neglect our children’s education,” he said.
Abidin said this in his speech when officiating at the SBK presentation ceremony for B40 students from six schools under South West Coast Zone at the Menara Tun Mustapha here, Thursday.
He presented the SBK aids to 60 Form 5 students from six schools namely SMK Bandaraya, SMK Inanam, SMK Kolombong, SMK Likas, SMK Sanzac and SMK St Francis Convent with each student received three SPM reference books and a scientific calculator.
In this regard, he said the State Government placed utmost importance on education of young people as a vital aspect in improving the socioeconomic level of a family.
Abidin added the future of Sabah would be in the hands of the children of today to develop the nation with their knowledge and abilities.
“I believe that all students are generally capable of becoming skilled people, able to compete in the global world and then become excellent citizens. Maybe one day the students will become respected leaders as a result of the education by the teachers and blessing of parents’ prayers.
“On this occasion, I would like to express my gratitude to all the educators who are the pillars of the students’ success. Hopefully, the educators present here will continue to be enthusiastic in educating the students in this state.
“Indeed, the program held here is a very good step because we can help ease the burden of less able students due to the assistance of Yayasan Sabah Group,” he said.
On the event, Abidin said a total of 318 financially less-abled students from the six secondary schools received the SBK aid of Yayasan Sabah Group this year, which was represented by 60 students who received the aid and 53 students from each school will receive their assistance.
As of this year, he said the total recipients for the scheme for the South West Coast Zone are 954 students from Penampang and Ranau.
“I was made to understand that the aid contribution by Yayasan Sabah Group are items that the students need such as the three reference books for SPM and the calculator which will facilitate their revision as part of their preparation for the national exam.
“As for the total recipients for Sabah, I was told that 100 students from each State seat in Sabah will receive the educational aid of SBK from the Yayasan Sabah Group.
“The type of items under SBK would be decided based on the needs of the students in the schools such as pupils of primary school would need new school bags and stationery,” he said to reporters after officiating the event here on Nov 9.
Abidin said issuance of SBK for the underprivileged students shows the State government commitment to make sure B40 students in other areas would not be left out from getting the aid.
Also present were Yayasan Sabah director Dato’ Sri Gulam Haidar Khan Bahadar, its Chief Coordinator of Zone administration Office Zulkhairi Ismail, its South West Coast Zone Administration head Linda Anthony and six principals of six secondary schools.
