Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick (centre), Yayasan Bank Rakyat (YBR) chairman Datuk Philip Benedict Lasimbang (second from right), and YBR chief executive officer Syaiful Rizal Abdul Ghani (left) present school aid to a headmaster during the School Aid Handover Ceremony in Penampang, Sabah.
KOTA KINABALU: Over 50 schools in Sabah have received support from Yayasan Bank Rakyat (YBR) to assist students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Through YBR’s school assistance programme, 59 primary and secondary schools, including those catering to special education needs, received aid to help improve students’ academic performance in the 2025 school session.
The initiative carried out in collaboration with the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry, benefited 52 primary schools and seven secondary schools.
Of these, 28 schools in Penampang received a total of RM230,000 in funding. Each secondary school was allocated RM10,000, while primary schools received RM5,000. Additionally, two secondary and five primary schools running special education programmes were granted an extra RM10,000 each to support their students’ needs.
“I sincerely thank YBR for extending its assistance to schools in Sabah. I hope this initiative inspires other organisations to step forward and contribute in any way possible to strengthen the country’s education sector,” said Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick, who officiated the handover ceremony at SK St. Theresa Inobong in Penampang.
Benedick, who is also the Member of Parliament for Penampang, announced an additional RM50,000 allocation from his MP funds to SK St. Theresa Inobong to help improve school facilities, following a request from the Parent-Teacher Association (PIBG).
Kapayan assemblyman Jannie Lasimbang, Malaysian Plantation and Commodities Institute (IMPAC) chairman Datuk Donald Peter Mojuntin, Penampang Municipal Council president Francis Chong and Penampang District Education Officer Rusmadi Ahmad also attended the event.
YBR chairman Datuk Philip Benedict Lasimbang, YBR chief executive officer Syaiful Rizal Abdul Ghani, YBR head of operations Mohd Mukhti Abd Rahman and YBR corporate communications department manager Mohamad Ghazali Zainal Abidin joined them.
Last year, YBR’s school assistance programme reached 31,865 students across 226 schools in 83 locations, with RM3.46mil allocated for the initiative.
