KUALA TERENGGANU: Terengganu will become the first state to implement the Madani Tuition Programme, which is set to benefit 9,408 students.
With an allocation of RM5.27mil and the support of 614 schoolteachers, the programme is part of the government’s broader poverty eradication and educational empowerment initiative.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Terengganu was selected to pilot the programme in recognition of its students’ outstanding performances in public examinations.
“I value Terengganu’s excellent results. (Therefore) I would like to announce a special initiative for Terengganu as an early form of assistance for school students.
“This initiative will be carried out in collaboration with schoolteachers. This is the first programme in Malaysia,” he said during the closing ceremony of the Madani Rakyat Programme 2025 (PMR 2025) at Pasar Kedai Payang here yesterday.
Also present were Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi and Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek, Bernama reported.
Anwar said the Madani Tuition Programme complements the RM100 aid previously channelled for the purchase of books and learning materials for students and teachers.
The programme will be supervised by the relevant ministers and the ministry secretary-general, with plans already in place to expand the initiative to Kelantan.
In a further boost to education in the state, Anwar also announced that the government had approved the construction of a new matriculation college in Marang and land acquisition for the Kuala Terengganu Polytechnic campus.
At the ceremony, 10 excellent Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2024 students also received Madani Permai devices.
Separately, Anwar announced that Terengganu had received RM30mil under the SejaTi Madani Programme – a unity government initiative aimed at boosting community economic activities.
“Each village is allocated funds and can decide what economic activities to pursue, based on their needs.
“For example, in Parit Buntar, Perak, villagers purchased two drones for fertiliser spraying. They now earn a net profit of RM30,000 monthly. If we empower and manage our communities well, such projects can outperform conventional development efforts,” he said.
The SejaTi Madani Programme focuses on five core sectors: agriculture and food, tailoring and handicrafts, herbs and health, tourism and hospitality, and green activities such as recycling.
The Terengganu edition of the PMR 2025 recorded an overwhelming public response, with 82,182 visitors as of noon yesterday – far exceeding the initial three-day target of 25,000.
PMR 2025 is organised by the Prime Minister’s Office through the Performance Acceleration and Coordination Unit, in strategic collaboration with the Works Ministry and the Implementation Coordination Unit under the Prime Minister’s Department.
