MOHE Identifies Eight Students Affected By Sandakan Fire, Extends Imediate Aid

GEORGE TOWN, April 29 (Bernama) -- The Higher Education Ministry (MOHE) has identified eight students from higher education institutions affected by the devastating fire that destroyed Kampung Bahagia in Sandakan, Sabah, last week.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir said the ministry, through the Yayasan Perkasa Siswa, took immediate steps to trace students impacted by the disaster as soon as it was notified.

“So far, we have identified eight students from the affected area, and we have decided to assist them to help ease their burden, especially those who are continuing their studies at higher education institutions,” he said.

He was speaking to reporters after attending the Malaysia-Türkiye Education Forum 2026: The Shared Purpose: Building Empathetic World Through Education at Universiti Sains Malaysia here today.

Among those assisted is Sitti Farhana Nasib, a 21-year-old first-year student at USM, who received RM3,000 in immediate aid.

Zambry said the assistance is intended to ensure affected students can continue their education despite the loss of their homes and the hardships faced by their families.

He has also instructed Yayasan Perkasa Siswa to continue identifying any other affected students who may not yet have come forward.

On April 19, a massive fire destroyed about 1,000 homes in Kampung Bahagia, a water village in Sandakan, displacing thousands of residents.

Meanwhile, Zambry said Malaysia and Turkieye will continue holding annual bilateral meetings on higher education to further strengthen strategic cooperation between the two countries.

He said the collaboration would cover student and academic exchanges, joint research initiatives, and scholarship offerings from both sides.

Among the initiatives agreed upon are student mobility programmes, including arrangements that would allow students to spend two years studying in Malaysia and two years in Türkiye, as well as expanded scholarship opportunities at Malaysian universities.

He added that Malaysia and Türkiye have also agreed to establish a joint academic institute, with the Malaysian component to be based at the International Islamic University Malaysia and Universiti Malaya, while a partner institution in Türkiye will be identified later.

-- BERNAMA