KOTA KINABALU, July 18 — The Sabah government has allocated a total of RM12 million this year to help as many as 1,600 primary and secondary schools in Sabah under the Bantuan Ihsan Sekolah Sabah (Bisbah) programme.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the schools will receive aid, in stages, in the form of equipment such as computers, LCD projectors, printers, smart TVs, air conditioners and portable speakers.
He said Bisbah is one of the initiatives provided by the state government to empower education in Sabah.
“It is in line with the Sabah Maju Jaya Development Plan (SMJ) with the development of human capital being one of the main agendas emphasised by the state government,” he said at the 2023 Sabah Education Aid and Excellence Award presentation ceremony here today.
His speech was read by the State Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif.
Hajiji said the state government has also allocated RM7.5 million for the examination fees of students who will be taking the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) and Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia (STAM) examinations with a fee of RM200 per candidate.
He said the payment was made through Bantuan Khas Tunai Peperiksaan (Bakti), targeting a total of 38,000 students from the B40 and M40 families.
“The state government also takes a serious view of the financial needs faced by the B40 group, especially to pay enrolment fees at Institutions of Higher Education (IPT).
“Therefore one-off Bantuan Tunai Pendaftaran IPT (Budi) was introduced last year and will continue this year,” he said. — Bernama
