Selangor government has allocated RM1.036mil in one-off subsidies for 3,452 pupils under the School Bus Fare Subsidy Programme, covering 99 Tamil vernacular schools across the state this year.
State human resources and poverty eradication committee chairman Papparaidu Veraman said each approved recipient would receive RM300.
He said the state had received 3,505 applications for the programme, with approvals given based on eligibility.
Papparaidu said the programme, which began in 2013, was originally part of the state’s “Inisiatif Peduli Rakyat” (IPR) focused on children of plantation workers, particularly B40 families living in rural areas far from schools.
“As socioeconomic conditions changed, driven by the declining number of active plantations in Selangor and rising urban poverty, the scope of the programme was expanded in 2020,” he said at the subsidy handover ceremony in Shah Alam.
“This expansion enabled assistance to be channelled to Tamil school pupils from B40 families throughout Selangor,” he added.
Papparaidu said the assistance was aimed at ensuring pupils from B40 families could attend school without being burdened by transportation costs.
“Although the amount of this assistance may appear modest, I believe it holds great significance for families truly in need.
“We want to ensure that children from B40 families remain in the education system.
“Most importantly, we want to ensure financial constraints do not become a barrier to our children’s future,” he added.
He said the programme was in line with the state government’s commitment to expanding access to inclusive and equitable education, improving the socioeconomic well-being of low-income families and strengthening human capital development.
The event also included the presentation of the 2026 special awards for Tamil school headmasters in Selangor.
Papparaidu said the recognition was a symbol of appreciation for the teachers’ commitment, effort and dedication.
“I hope this recognition will serve as a source of inspiration for the recipients to continue giving their best in educating our children,” he said.
Also present at the ceremony were Selangor State Economic Planning Unit senior assistant director (sectoral section) Zuraini Harun and senior secretary at the state executive councillor for human resources and poverty eradication’s office Ghandimathi Suppiah.
