Excellent SPM Results: Tuisyen Rakyat RISDA Participants To Get RM300 Incentive – Ahmad Zahid

KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW) has announced a special incentive of RM300 for all students under the Tuisyen Rakyat RISDA (Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority) programme who excelled in the 2024 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, in recognition of their achievements.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that 884 participants in the programme achieved excellent results, including 17 students who scored 11As, 16 students with 10As, and another 72 students who obtained 9As.

“I am immensely proud of the improved performance. The number of high-achieving students, those scoring 5As and above, has increased from 654 in 2023 to 884 this year. This is the result of the collective efforts of students, parents, teachers, and the broader rural education ecosystem, including RISDA. “This special incentive is a token of appreciation for the relentless efforts and fighting spirit of our rural youth.

The success of these RISDA students proves that living in remote areas is no barrier to achieving excellence,” said Ahmad Zahid, who is also Minister of Rural and Regional Development.

He said this at the Program Tuisyen Rakyat RISDA excellent student appreciation ceremony, which was also attended by Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Rubiah Wang, Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) chairman Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki and RISDA chairman Manndzri Nasib.

He said the RISDA tuition programme demonstrates the MADANI Government’s commitment to providing educational equity to all, regardless of background or location, adding that since its introduction in 2007, the programme has helped 35,316 students with an overall allocation of RM31.03 million.

Ahmad Zahid stated that last year, the government allocated RM3.51 million to support 3,015 rural students in taking the SPM examination, with a specific focus on five core subjects: Bahasa Melayu, English, Science, Mathematics, and History.

He also expressed his appreciation to the 1,005 teachers involved in the programme across 201 tuition centres nationwide, describing their dedication as the backbone of the students’ success.

Elaborating, he said that an increasing number of rural students are pursuing studies in universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, which have now become a top choice.

He said that the response to the UP_TVET platform, launched in 2023, has been highly encouraging, with 35,000 placements offered during the first intake, adding that by the time applications closed in 2024, more than 125,000 applications had been received.

According to him, the employability rate of TVET graduates now stands at 95.1 per cent as the industry is increasingly in need of workers with technical skills.

“I am incredibly proud of the University College of Agroscience Malaysia (UCAM), a wholly owned institution under RISDA, which not only offers TVET pathways in modern agriculture but also provides courses in business, estate management, food technology, and halal certification, making UCAM one of the most relevant and in-demand TVET institutions today.

“I want UCAM to not only be a game-changer, but also emerge as a leading force in agricultural TVET in Malaysia and the region,” he said.

Ahmad Zahid said KKDW envisions RISDA not merely as an agency managing community output, but as the heartbeat of rural transformation and a driver of social mobility in rural areas. 

-- BERNAMA