Teo (right) presenting shopping vouchers to the parents of eligible student recipients at a ceremony held at a shopping mall in Kulai.
A total of 500 primary and secondary school students in Kulai, Johor, received RM150 each in back‑to‑school aid to help ease expenses for 2026.
The aid in form of shopping vouchers, was presented by Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching.
The vouchers allowed for the purchase of school uniforms and learning supplies at designated supermarkets and shops in the district.
Teo, who is also Kulai MP, said the programme covered three state constituencies under the parliamentary seat – Senai, Bukit Permai and Bukit Batu – with each eligible student receiving vouchers worth RM150.
“This time round, the disbursement of the aid is slightly different as we opened it for online applications.
“Applicants must be from Kulai, have children studying in Kulai schools and be recipients of Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) assistance,” she said at the aid presentation ceremony in Kulai.
She added that nearly 5,000 applications were received, with 500 approved after verification.
Teo reminded parents that the vouchers, which must be used by today, were not exchangeable for cash if the purchase amount was below RM150.
Any amount exceeding the voucher value must be topped up by the purchaser, she added.
Teo also said the government would continue providing various forms of assistance next year for eligible Malaysians, including early school‑year aid, Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) and STR, with details on amounts and dates to be announced.
Senai assemblyman Wong Bor Yang, who was also present, said 73 students in Bukit Permai had benefitted from the programme, while 130 students received the aid during an earlier distribution event in Senai.
Wong added that some families also benefitted from the Johor government’s back‑to‑school assistance scheme, which allocated RM28.8mil statewide to help 189,000 B40 children and other less fortunate students.
“In Kulai alone, about 6,000 students received aid, including 2,000 from Senai, to help reduce the burden on families preparing for the new school year,” he said.
