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CHIEF Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the State Government prioritised human capital development and had allocated RM470 million for this purpose, which includes scholarships and study loans.

“But it is not sufficient, and that is why we get Yayasan Sabah to come in, and we also set up the Sabah Education Fund to help finance the education of our children,” he said.

The Chief Minister said the State Government had also taken the initiative to assist Form Four and Form Five students by giving each of them a one-off assistance of RM200.

He said the State Government is also providing one-off assistance for those enrolling in higher learning institutions: RM2,000 for degree courses and RM1,500 for diploma courses.

The Chief Minister said this when meeting 12 recipients of the 107 chosen from Sabah for the Petronas Powering Knowledge Education Sponsorship 2024 at Menara Kinabalu in Kota Kinabalu on Aug 23.

Earlier, he told the Sabah recipients to take full advantage of the opportunity to expand their knowledge and gain skills.

The twelve were Sabah’s top Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2023 achievers and among the 600 students chosen nationwide for the scholarship.

“After listening to your short speeches, I am happy, and I have no doubt that all of you will have a bright future.

“Do your best, for you are the future of the state who will help drive the nation and state development,” he said.

Hajiji also commended Petronas for its continuous support for youth academic development and for sponsoring the 107 students from Sabah to further their studies in various fields.

“I appreciate Petronas’ commitment to develop human capital in line with the aspirations of the Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya,” he said.

Also present were State Education Department Director Datuk Raisin Saidin; Senior Vice President of Malaysia Petroleum Management Datuk Ir Bacho Pilong; Petronas Senior General Manager of Global HR Partners Downstream Luqmahani Mustafa Kamal; Petronas Human Capital Investment General Manager Syed Mohammad Muhafiz Syed Mohd Bakar; and Petronas Sabah and Labuan Regional Office General Manager Siti Ayu Abdul Wahab.