KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Kadazandusun Murut Welfare and Education Association (PEKADIN) suggests that the provision of school assistance amounting to RM26.06 million allocated in the 2024 budget be extended to secondary school students, especially the B40 group.
PEKADIN Vice President Simon Molubi said this is because there are rural school students who are still in the poor or in the abject poverty category.
“Recently, we were shocked by the story of a student from Kiulu who faced difficulties in attending the excellent award ceremony for the sixth-form graduates due to financial problems.
“This proves that there is a need to expand the schooling assistance programme to B40 high school students and not limit it to primary school students,” he said.
Simon said this when commenting on the tabling of the Sabah 2024 Budget last Friday, particularly those related to education.
In tabling the 2024 State Budget, Finance Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun announced an allocation of RM26.06 million for that purpose, involving 1,075 primary schools throughout Sabah.
According to Masidi, it is expected to benefit 291,414 students in Sabah, which saw assistance increase to RM1.51 million for the year 2024 compared to 2023.
Simon said PEKADIN fully supports the programme and hopes that its implementation will be transparent.
He said the state government should monitor the programme in addition to ensuring the quality of the uniforms, school shoes, stationery, and water bottles delivered by suppliers.
