KOTA KINABALU: A total of 3,000 Rumah Mesra SMJ units will be built this year to provide housing for hardcore poor families, says Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
"This housing initiative also includes employment opportunities for heads of households from the hardcore poor category, a programme that began two years ago," he said.
He added that the state government is offering a RM600 flight ticket subsidy for Sabah students studying in Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak and Labuan who wish to return home during festive seasons.
Hajiji then said during a breaking of fast event with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Tuaran on Saturday (March 22) that a RM300 per-person subsidy has been allocated for students in local higher education institutions.
“The state government has also increased its scholarship allocation from RM50mil to RM128mil this year,” Hajiji added, saying that RM47mil was spent on human capital development and education last year.
He said that the state government has been supporting the hardcore poor, including a monthly RM300 aid per person for one year, benefiting 100,000 recipients.
Meanwhile, he praised Anwar’s leadership, stating that since taking office, the Prime Minister has successfully repositioned Malaysia on the global stage.
"Moreover, the country's economic growth has been highly encouraging, attracting foreign investors who have poured in hundreds of billions of ringgit in investments.
"These indicators show that Malaysia’s economy is on the right track under Anwar’s leadership," he said.
Earlier, Hajiji and Anwar visited the Jualan Rahmah sales event in front of Dewan Seri Sulaman before attending the Sabah State Development Briefing at the Tuaran District Office.
