Yayasan Sime Darby to support school under Madani initiative with four-pronged focus
qistina.sallehuddin@nst.com.my
PUTRAJAYA: Yayasan Sime Darby (YSD) is committed to uplifting education for underprivileged students through its participation in the government's Sekolah Angkat Madani initiative, with efforts anchored on four key areas.
Its chief executive officer Dr Yatela Zainal Abidin said the four focus areas include improving school infrastructure and basic facilities; providing professional development for teachers; offering academic guidance for students; and nurturing character and leadership qualities among students.
"This is about more than just facilities. It is also about empowering teachers to transform their schools, helping students excel academically, and fostering their leadership skills," she said after the launch of the initiative today.
She said 31 schools across 11 states have been adopted under YSD, benefiting around 16,000 students, most of whom come from B40 communities in rural and remote areas.
"We are proud to be part of the Sekolah Angkat Madani initiative.
"The majority of these schools are located in remote areas, involving Orang Asli schools, Chinese and Tamil primary schools (SJKC and SJKT), and other underserved communities," she said.
Yatela said YSD would collaborate with each school to identify its key needs, whether upgrading facilities or offering character development opportunities that students might miss without external assistance.
She also said the schools are spread across the country, covering 11 states — including Kedah, Perak, Johor, Kelantan, Terengganu, Sabah, Sarawak, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, and Selangor, with Selangor having the largest number.
She added that the initiative reflects meaningful synergy between government agencies, government-linked companies, corporate partners, non-governmental organisations, and local communities.
"This collaboration is valuable because it brings together resources not just from corporate organisations like us, but also from NGOs who can assist in developing students' character and supporting the professional development of teachers to become agents of change," she said.
She also expressed hope that the collective effort from all stakeholders would create lasting, positive impacts on both the schools and their surrounding communities.
"God willing, with this support system, we can help these students and schools thrive," she said.
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