GEORGE TOWN: The Higher Education Ministry is monitoring the welfare of students affected by disasters, including the recent fire at Kampung Bahagia in Sandakan that displaced about 2,000 victims from some 400 families.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said the ministry had instructed Yayasan Perkasa Siswa to identify students from institutions of higher learning affected by the April 19 blaze.
“As soon as we received news of the incident, I asked Yayasan Perkasa Siswa chief executive officer Hirman Awang to check whether any of our students studying at universities were involved.
"The foundation has so far identified eight affected students pursuing their studies at higher education institutions.
“We have decided to help ease the burden of these students, especially in enabling them to continue their studies.
“One of the students is from Universiti Sains Malaysia and we presented RM3,000 in aid to help the student continue studying.
“Although the student is here, I believe the family is going through a difficult time after their house was completely destroyed,” he said during the Malaysia-Turkiye Education Forum 2026 at Universiti Sains Malaysia on Wednesday (April 29).
Zambry added that the ministry had instructed the foundation to continue checking for other affected students who may not have come forward.
On the Malaysia-Turkiye Education Forum, Zambry said the annual meeting was a key platform for higher education cooperation between the two countries.
He said the forum, held alternately between Malaysia and Turkiye, focused on strengthening collaboration in areas such as research, academic exchanges and student mobility programmes.
“This is not just an ordinary meeting. It involves serious cooperation in ensuring collaboration in matters related to higher education.
“This includes exchanges involving researchers and lecturers, research collaboration and student mobility between Turkiye and Malaysia,” he said.
He added that discussions also covered exchange programmes allowing students to continue their studies in both countries, as well as scholarship opportunities offered by universities in Turkiye.
Zambry said the cooperation remained one of the most important annual collaborations in Malaysia’s higher education sector.
Also present were IBN Haldun University trustee board deputy chairman Necmeddin Bilal Edrogan.
