Sepanggar-Born Students Urged To Seek Support For Higher Education - Mustapha

KOTA KINABALU, April 11 (Bernama) -- Sepanggar Member of Parliament Datuk Mustapha Sakmud has called on students in his constituency who have received offers to pursue studies at universities or Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions to come forward and notify his office so that assistance can be provided.

He said efforts to ensure that every child in the Sepanggar parliamentary constituency has access to quality education continue to be strengthened through various initiatives, including free tuition, financial aid, and support for further studies at higher learning institutions.

“In the Sepanggar parliamentary constituency,  we adopt what we call an education-based policy, where a significant portion of the parliamentary allocation is channelled towards ensuring the educational welfare of our children.

“We provide free tuition, especially for students sitting for the SPM examination. So far, we have established centres at three locations, at my parliamentary office, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bandaraya, and SMK Telipok, and this year, we will open another at SMK Tebobon,” he said.

He said this when speaking to reporters after the handover of the completed Kampung Angkat MADANI (KAM) project on Pulau Sepanggar here today.

On the KAM project, which was led by the Sabah Implementation Coordination Unit of the Prime Minister’s Department (ICU JPM), Mustapha said it had successfully delivered several infrastructure upgrades in the village, including repairs to the jetty hut, multipurpose hall, mosque, and pedestrian bridge, with a total allocation of RM1 million.

Mustapha, who is also Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs), said students who achieve excellent academic results are recognised as a form of encouragement to continue excelling.

To ensure no student is left behind, he added that one-off financial assistance is also provided to those pursuing higher education or TVET programmes.

He noted that religious education is also given due attention, including efforts to provide Quran and Fardu Ain (KAFA) classes in areas that lack such facilities.

“For me, education is the key to improving the standard of living, especially in rural communities that face limitations in access and opportunities.

“Through education, our children not only have the chance to break the cycle of poverty but can also contribute to the future development of their families and communities,” he said.

-- BERNAMA