SHAH ALAM: The Selangor state government has allocated RM20mil to cover half of the tuition fees for 4,000 Selangor-born students pursuing their studies at three state-owned higher education institutions.
Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said the three institutions are Universiti Islam Selangor (UIS), Universiti Selangor (UNISEL), and Selangor Technical Skills Development Centre (STDC).
"So far, only two states have the capacity to implement such an initiative, Sarawak, which fully covers the cost, and Selangor, which bears half of the tuition fees. We are the only state in Peninsular Malaysia capable of doing this, at a cost of nearly RM20mil," he said.
He said this at the Selangor People's Tuition (PTRS) and Didik Kasih (PDK) 2026 programme in Section 7, here Friday (May 22).
Amirudin said the cost of providing quality education and high-level skills training today is substantial, but the state government views it as a long-term investment to produce a well-balanced younger generation in terms of physical, mental, and spiritual development.
He said if the format proves successful, the state government will consider fully sponsoring students enrolling in these institutions.
"Insya-Allah, in the future, if this format and programme succeeds, we are prepared to implement free education for eligible students at Selangor's higher learning institutions. We want to prove that free education is not an impossible dream," he said.
In a separate development, Amirudin said this year's PTRS programme has seen significant improvements, targeting 180,000 primary and secondary school students in Selangor, compared with its initial phase in 2009.
Of the total, 160,000 are Form 4 and Form 5 students who are given access to free tuition as well as food assistance.
"The remaining 20,000 participants are involved in a new intervention initiative, the Didik Kasih programme (PDK), which focuses on Year 1 pupils in remedial classes to strengthen basic literacy and numeracy skills.
"This year's approach not only addresses academic aspects, but also includes emotional and mental well-being management programmes. We aim to build motivation, high self-esteem, and a positive mindset, as most of them come from families facing difficult circumstances," he said.
In terms of module quality, Amirudin said regular reviews are conducted by a special task force comprising former State Education Department officers and a panel of expert teachers to ensure the content is on par with commercial tuition providers. - Bernama
