Sabah students to benefit from RM3mil support initiative

 By Olivia Miwil - March 20, 2025 @ 12:25pm

Penampang member of parliament Datuk Ewon Benedick speaking to media after witnessing the handover of money assistance to schools in Penampang. - Pic courtesy of Kuskop

PENAMPANG: Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry (KUSKOP) has kickstarted a RM3 million pilot project to support students from underprivileged backgrounds in three parliaments in Sabah.

Its minister Datuk Ewon Benedick said that the initiative, funded by Bank Rakyat through the Bank Rakyat Foundation, will be implemented in three parliamentary constituencies — Kudat, Kota Marudu, and Kota Belud.

"We all know that these districts are among the poorest in Malaysia, as frequently reported in Parliament and various forums. I feel compelled to be part of the solution, and this is what we are implementing this year," said the Penampang member of parliament.

He was speaking to the media after witnessing the handover of RM230,000 assistance from Yayasan Bank Rakyat (YBR) to 28 schools here at Sekolah Kebangsaan St Theresa.

Ewon, who is also Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives minister, said the RM3 million fund will be used to assist schools in providing essential support such as tuition, school supplies, and student accommodation.

The project specifically targets students registered under the E-Kasih program, a government database that identifies households living in poverty.

"Why are we focusing on E-Kasih beneficiaries? Because this is the data that defines the poorest districts in Malaysia. Our approach is to solve issues based on concrete data," he said of students living in remote areas, where access to schools is hindered by long travel distances and financial constraints.

Many students rely on community-built hostels, known as asrama desa, since they cannot secure placement in government-funded school dormitories.

"Some of these hostels are built by parents and non-governmental organisations, but their operational costs are borne by the parents themselves. I want to ease their burden by covering these costs, along with funding tuition programs and transportation.

"I do not want to see children dropping out of school simply because their families cannot afford the operational costs of these community hostels," he added.

While acknowledging that poverty eradication is the responsibility of multiple ministries, Ewon reaffirmed his commitment to addressing these challenges through his ministry's initiatives.