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New Straits Times
21-07-2025
- New Straits Times
Mother seeks transparent probe into daughter's death in school dormitory
SIPITANG: "I want a transparent, fair and just investigation." These were the words of Noraidah Lamat, the mother of Form One student Zara Qairina Mahathir, who recently died after allegedly falling from the third floor of a school dormitory building. The incident involving the student from Sipitang has also been linked to bullying among students at the school. Noraidah, 45, a teacher, recounted that the last time she met her only daughter was during a school gotong-royong (communal work) programme on July 12. "On that Saturday (July 12), the school held a gotong-royong. My daughter really wanted me to attend. Before that, she had called using a public phone and said, 'Mama, please come'. "I joked with her that I'm not good at gotong-royong. But the next morning, I left Sipitang at about 9am. "Only a few people were there for the programme, so she was very happy. After the gotong-royong ended, we went straight back to Sipitang," she said. The following Sunday, she sent Zara back to the dormitory. "I didn't notice anything unusual; she was still her usual enthusiastic self," she said. Noraidah further said that on the same Saturday, Zara spent the evening at the Esplanade Public Park playing games with her friend until 7pm. "I picked them up after that and we went home. The next day, I sent her back to the hostel. "When we were about to leave for the dorm, she said she wanted to go back a bit later than usual. But I didn't suspect anything. Around 1pm, I told her we had to leave. The latest she could arrive was by 3.30pm," she said when met at her home today. Noraidah also recalled that on Sunday, before returning to the dorm, Zara cooked egg bread. "That was the last meal she brought and cooked at my house. I found it strange at the time. She cooked it for us," she said. Originally from Kampung Naluyan, Noraidah expressed hope that the investigation into her daughter's death would be carried out transparently and fairly. Sabah Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif, who visited Noraidah today, also presented a RM10,000 contribution from the Sabah State Education Fund (TPNS), in addition to other cash assistance. Also present were Qhazanah Sabah Berhad chairman and Sindumin assemblyman, Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob, and Yayasan Sabah director, Datuk Ghulam Haidar Khan Bahadar. Meanwhile, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek, in a separate development, expressed condolences and visited the family at the hospital to ensure all their needs were met and their welfare looked after. In a statement, she said the Education Ministry (KPM) would fully cooperate with the authorities in the ongoing investigation. Papar police chief Superintendent Kamaruddin Ambo Sakka had said police were conducting a thorough investigation to determine the cause of Zara's death.
Daily Express
15-07-2025
- Science
- Daily Express
Education aid for 170 top scoring students
Published on: Tuesday, July 15, 2025 Published on: Tue, Jul 15, 2025 Text Size: The students in a group photo after receiving the aid. Kota Kinabalu: More than 170 students received assistance from the Sabah State Education Fund (TPNS) in line with the Sabah Maju Jaya Development Plan's objective of developing human capital. The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Datuk Dr Arifin Mohd Arif, said the award is part of a government initiative approved by the Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor. Advertisement 'Today, we are distributing TPNS assistance and State government initiatives to more than 170 recipients, including 74 outstanding STPM students who achieved a perfect score of 4.0. 'The Chief Minister commends the students' achievements and each student who earned a perfect 4.0 GPA received RM1,000. 'One student from SMK Kota Klias, Beaufort, stood out at the national level in STPM and awarded RM3,000 for their outstanding performance. 'We are also proud to present contributions to 20 students who achieved excellent results in the Malaysian University English Test (Muet). Each student received RM1,000, as it is no easy feat to excel in this examination,' he said when met by the media after the Sabah State Education Fund Honorarium Presentation Ceremony for Outstanding STPM and Muet Students 2024 at Dewan Saadah, Wisma Muis. At the same event, 22 students received TPNS contributions for successfully pursuing their studies at the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) level, in addition to the presentation of the Anak Sabah Excellence Award (Aksa) and the Bistari Award. 'We've recently added a new initiative called Bayu, which provides RM150 in Muet exam fee assistance to 8,000 students, bringing the total aid close to one million ringgit. 'This means those who sit for the Muet examination will no longer have to pay the fees themselves, as these will be covered by the government,' he said. 'To date, we have spent over RM13 million for more than 10,000 students through the Sabah State Education Fund. It is estimated that this year alone, we have allocated RM74 million for 14 initiatives, which we refer to as Bagus, Budi, Baik, Bisbah and Bakti, among others.' He added that the State government continuously increases allocations for human capital development to ensure balanced growth is achieved. Also present at the event were the Director of Yayasan Sabah, Datuk Seri Ghulamhaidar @ Yusof Khan Bahadar; Assistant Minister of Finance, Datuk Tan Lee Fat; Director of the Sabah State Education Department, Datuk Raisin Saidin; and Chief Executive Officer of the Sabah Islamic Religious Council (Muis), Datuk Ramlan Awang Ali. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
12-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
RM1,000 aid for STPM, MUET top scorers
Published on: Saturday, July 12, 2025 Published on: Sat, Jul 12, 2025 Text Size: Group photo with the top STPM 2024 students. Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah State Government's commitment to strengthening education through the Yayasan Sabah Group was further reinforced with the distribution of the Sabah State Education Fund (TPNS) assistance held on Friday (11 July) at Wisma MUIS. The event was officiated by the Sabah Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation and Chairman of the TPNS Implementation Committee, Datuk Dr Mohd Arifin Arif. Also in attendance were the Director of Yayasan Sabah and Deputy Chairman of the TPNS Implementation Committee, Dato' Sri Haji Gulamhaidar @ Yusof bin Khan Bahadar, members of the TPNS Committee, as well as representatives from government agencies and educational institutions. This year's ceremony saw a total of 123 outstanding students. Among them, 74 students from the 2024 Malaysian Higher School Certificate (STPM) and 22 students from the Malaysian University English Test (MUET) examinations each received a RM1,000 cash aid to ease their financial burden as they pursue higher education. In addition, five Master's degree students and 22 PhD students were also given financial aid. During the same ceremony, educational assistance was also extended to students under several existing initiatives, including the Bantuan Galakan Usaha Sekolah (BAGUS), Skim Umum Kecemerlangan Siswa (SUKSES), Bantuan Insentif Siswa Terbaik (BISTARI), Bantuan Tunai Pelajar (BANTU) and the Anugerah Kecemerlangan Sijil Akar (AKSA) as part of the continuous efforts to support the State's human capital development. TPNS is a proactive initiative by the Sabah State Government through the Yayasan Sabah Group aimed at alleviating the financial burden of low-income families. It also reflects the government's commitment to ensuring that education is accessible to all segments of society. This event aspires to motivate students to excel in their studies, in line with the Yayasan Sabah Group's mission of developing a knowledgeable, skilled, and competitive generation that can contribute holistically to the socioeconomic advancement of Sabah. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
09-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
RM1.33 billion for human capital
Published on: Thursday, July 10, 2025 Published on: Thu, Jul 10, 2025 Text Size: Hajiji (second right) poses for a photo with Tokoh Kepimpinan award recipient Mohd Zaini Yanin (left) and Tokoh Guru award recipient Teo Poo Siang. Tuaran: The State Government continues to reinforce its commitment to strengthening the education sector in Sabah, having allocated more than RM1.33 billion towards human capital development since 2021. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said education remains a top priority for the State Government, in line with the Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) Development Plan. He said between 2021 and 2024, the State Government channelled RM848.26 million for various forms of educational assistance, including the Sabah State Education Fund (TPNS) and the Sabah State Government Scholarship (BKNS), in addition to RM485 million specifically for human capital development. According to him, a total of 14 new initiatives have also been implemented from 2021 to 2025, involving an allocation of RM164.14 million and benefiting 210,918 students. He said among the initiatives were the Sabah Student Airfare Subsidy, the Contribution for Higher Education Student In Sabah (Sentosa), the Computer Assistance Initiative (Baik) and the IPT Registration Cash Aid (Budi). 'All these initiatives are aimed at easing the financial burden of parents and students while enhancing access to quality education for Sabahan youths,' he said when officiating the 3rd State-Level School Management Appreciation Ceremony (MAPenS) 2025 at Dewan Seri Sulaman, here, Wednesday. Hajiji said to meet future labour market needs, the State Government had established the Sabah TVET Council (MTS) in May as a strategic move to coordinate more than 160 technical and vocational training institutions across the State. He added that the State Government had also provided cash assistance of RM1,000 to 146 outstanding STPM 2024 students and RM3,000 to a Sabahan student who excelled at the national level. 'The outstanding achievements of these students reflect the continuous efforts, dedication of teachers, support from parents and the effectiveness of our education system,' he said. He said Sabahan students' performance in the 2024 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination also showed encouraging improvement, with the State Average Grade (GPN) rising to 5.00 compared to 5.09 the previous year. He called on all teachers to continue demonstrating commitment, sincerity and dedication in fulfilling their responsibility as educators to children across every corner of Sabah. Hajiji said the third edition of MAPenS, organised by the State Education Department, brought together educators from across the State to celebrate excellence in school management and to honour high-performing teachers. 'This ceremony is highly meaningful as it recognises the service and contributions of educators. This recognition is not merely symbolic but serves as motivation for all teachers and administrators to continue upholding the quality of education in Sabah,' he said. He also expressed his appreciation to the recipients of the Tokoh Guru and Tokoh Kepimpinan awards presented at the event. He said the recognition symbolises respect for the dedication, sacrifices and extraordinary commitment of educators in shaping future generations. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Express
Over 10,000 students benefit from education fund
Published on: Tuesday, June 24, 2025 Published on: Tue, Jun 24, 2025 Text Size: Mohd Arifin receiving a token of appreciation from Arshad Idris after officiating the Gagasan Rakyat Karambunai Division Annual General Meeting. Kota Kinabalu: More than 10,000 students benefited from the Sabah State Education Fund (TPNS) since its launch two years ago, receiving much-needed support to pay for tuition fees at both public and private universities nationwide. State Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Datuk Dr Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif, said the State government allocated nearly RM13 million to TPNS to date, underscoring the strong commitment of Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor to Sabah's education sector. 'This reflects the Chief Minister's serious focus on education, including increasing the allocation for the Sabah State Government Scholarship (BKNS) from RM50 million to RM125 million to assist Sabah's youth,' he said. Speaking at the Gagasan Rakyat Karambunai Division's Annual General Meeting at the Rafflesia Hall, Kota Kinabalu Polytechnic, Mohd Arifin added that RM74 million in total had been channelled toward various other education initiatives, including the Yayasan Sabah Scholarship. He also revealed that the Chief Minister will soon announce more education-focused initiatives, specifically targeting Sabah's students. Among the new efforts is the Sukses programme – a one-off RM3,000 allocation for every school in Sabah to fund co-curricular activities and essential needs. Advertisement In addition, a Sentosa one-off contribution of RM300 will be given to every student pursuing higher education at institutions within Sabah. 'These are just some of the many initiatives introduced by the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government under the leadership of Chief Minister Hajiji, who remains dedicated to the educational welfare of our children,' he said. On the political front, Mohd Arifin expressed confidence that the Gagasan Rakyat Karambunai Division would help secure a seat in the upcoming 17th Sabah State Election. 'With Datuk Arshad Idris actively working on the ground and addressing community issues, we are confident that Karambunai will deliver a win for GRS. All members must be ready to work hard to ensure victory,' he said. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
