Civil servants can apply for assistance to pursue higher education

KOTA KINABALU (Oct 25): Civil servants in Sabah who want to pursue higher education can apply for assistance from the state government to make their dreams a reality.

According to State Education Exco Datuk Dr Mohd Arifin Arif, they can apply for financial assistance from the State Education Fund, or apply for a state government scholarship.

“They can also apply for financial assistance from Sabah Foundation. The assistance is open to both the state and federal civil service but the priority will be for Sabah government servants,” he said.

Speaking to reporters after presenting the Sabah Government Scholarship and the State Education Excellence Award here today, Mohd Arifin expressed hope that more Sabahan civil servants will take the opportunity to pursue higher education and improve themselves academically.

“We want the state’s education to be vibrant, to become a culture for all including the civil service for them to increase knowledge, knowledge and efficiency,” he said.

In his speech earlier, the Science, Technology and Innovation Minister stressed that the state government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor, is always concerned and prioritizes human capital development to provide future leaders who will shape the future of Sabah.

The state government, he said, is committed to ensuring that no one is left behind in receiving education in the state and it will always ensure that Sabah’s children can continue their education to higher levels through educational assistance provided, from school level up to higher education institutions.

According to Mohd Arifin, in line with the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) direction for Human Capital Development to improve the educational standards of Sabah’s children, the State Government Scholarship (BKNS) has offered full scholarships to Sabah’s children who are continuing their studies at higher education institutions.

He disclosed that in 2023, the state government increased the allocation for the Sabah Government Scholarship from RM55 million to RM101 million, with an additional allocation of RM12,171,400.

The total scholarship allocation for 2024 is RM113,171,400. The cumulative number of scholarship recipients is 11,294 students, both locally and abroad.

“This increased allocation allows more underprivileged children from Sabah to have the opportunity to pursue higher education. The state government is also concerned about Sabah’s children who do not have sponsorship.

“In 2024, the Sabah Government Scholarship offered sponsorship to 331 students studying at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), including at the Kota Kinabalu campus, the Labuan International Campus and the Sandakan Campus.

“The total number of active UMS students (under the BKNS sponsorship) is 1,217. Today, 218 students are receiving the Sabah Government Scholarship and we hope to motivate students to achieve academic success and strengthen their commitment to learning,” he said.

This year, the state government has allocated RM44 million to provide various educational assistance initiatives such as the Bantuan Tunai Pendaftaran IPT Secara One Off (BUDI), Bantuan Ihsan Komputer (BAIK), Bantuan Aktiviti PIBG (BAGUS), Bantuan Persatuan Pelajar di bawah Sekretariat Mahasiawa Sabah Malaysia (SEMESTA), Bantuan Ihsan Sekolah Sabah (BISBAH), Bantuan Ihsan Tabungan Pendidikan Sabah (BISTARI), Bantuan Khas Tunai Peperiksaan (BAKTI), Anugerah Kecemerlangan Pendidikan Sabah (AKSA), Bantuan Penyelenggaraan Kecil Sekolah (BALKIS) and Bantuan Khas Program Pendidikan (BANTU), said Mohd Arifin.

“Today, we will witness the symbolic presentation of the Sabah School Assistance (BISBAH) for the purchase of digital school equipment, with a total value of RM5 million, benefiting an estimated 625 schools.

“Some schools that do not receive it this year will receive assistance next year. With this equipment, it is hoped that students’ learning and teaching sessions in schools will become more interactive and engaging,” he said.

In addition, 19 recipients received contributions from the Sabah Education Fund (TPNS), which was inspired by the Chief Minister to help more students who need educational assistance to continue their studies at higher levels.

“The state government is also very proud of the achievements of our students and educators, who have brought honor to Sabah by winning various categories of competitions at the national and international levels.

“Today, 11 recipients will receive the Anugerah Kecemerlangan Pendidikan Sabah (AKSA) and I hope that their success will inspire and motivate other students and educators to achieve excellence that brings pride to the state,” he said.

Mohd Arifin also urged everyone to work together to realize the government’s aspirations and goals of producing excellent, high-quality, and knowledgeable human capital in the state of Sabah.

Meanwhile Robbie Dexter from Keningau was among the students in UMS who received financial assistance from the state on Friday.

“I am truly grateful to the state government for its compassion and choosing me as a recipient of this financial assistance,” Robbie said.