a day ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Deputy minister 'drops' 2 bags to ensure student can pack well for further studies
KOTA KINABALU: When Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapha Sakmud visited Muhd Iqram Hakimi Mohd's house, a freshman who is about to further his studies at a college in Melaka, he brought along two brand new blue suitcases.
"We don't want a repeat of what happened last year, where a university student in Sabah went viral for bringing a gunny sack during enrolment.
"That's why we're giving these suitcases to Iqram. I'm proud that he's willing to pursue his studies far from home, taking up geomatics at Merlimau Polytechnic in Melaka," he said, while handing over the offer letter to the 18-year-old at Kampung Warisan near here.
In October last year, Rafida Saiddin, a 19-year-old student at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), drew public attention on registration day when she arrived at the varsity with a gunny sack.
Her stunt then caught the attention of Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek and Mustapha.
Rafida later explained that using a gunny sack was a practical decision for her — not an indication of financial hardship — as UMS allowed students to bring only two pieces of luggage.
Mustapha, who is also the Sepanggar member of parliament, also presented donations for B40 students and a monetary contribution from his parliamentary allocation to support Iqram's journey into tertiary education.
"This shows how committed the government is. Students don't need to apply, and in some cases, even the parents may not be aware.
"But we identify eligible students based on their household income, and if they qualify, we provide the JPA B40 scholarship in collaboration with the Public Service Department.
"I don't want any of our children to miss out on their education just because of poverty. As a ministry, and with the help of our agencies, we are committed to supporting these students, so they are not burdened after receiving their offer letters."
Besides Iqram, Mustapha also personally extended assistance to several other students in Sepanggar.
A total of 1,102 students from the Sepanggar constituency had received offers to further their studies at public universities, polytechnics and community colleges via the UPU Online system.
Iqram said he was informed about the assistance two days ago and felt relieved that he would not have to burden his parents to pursue his dream of becoming a land surveyor.
"Without this aid, I would have had to rely entirely on my mother, who works at a local company, and my father, who is a contract labourer," said the eldest of two siblings, adding that both his parents earned minimum wage.
