KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah State Education Fund (TPNS) has benefited 27,781 students since its launch in June 2022, with RM40mil disbursed so far.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said that from January to August this year alone, 11,383 people from across Sabah benefited from TPNS assistance amounting to RM15.89mil.
TPNS, set up on the promise of "Sponsorship Opportunities for All", has been an important instrument in expanding access to educational assistance for the people, he said at a TPNS presentation ceremony here on Friday (Sept 25).
The TPNS Smart Application System was also laiunched during the event.
"This event is important because we are not merely presenting assistance, but opening up space and opportunities for Sabah’s children to continue their studies, achieve their ambitions and build their future.
"This is among the major responsibilities of the state government in developing human capital," Hajiji said.
He added that the state would not be able to progress without a strong education system, as development is not merely about building roads, bridges, buildings and infrastructure.
"We must produce a generation that is knowledgeable, skilled, has integrity and is able to compete. This is the most important investment for Sabah’s future," he said.
He said the state government’s commitment to education development was also reflected through the Sabah State Government Scholarship (BKNS), with an allocation of RM155mil this year benefiting thousands of students at various levels, particularly in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
He noted that the allocation had increased more than threefold from RM50mil in 2020, while 14 education-related initiatives were introduced between 2021 and last year, including the Higher Education Institution Registration Cash Assistance (Budi), Computer Assistance Programme (BAIK) and flight ticket assistance for Sabah students in Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak and Labuan.
In a related development, Hajiji said the wave of digital transformation in the delivery of the state’s education services began with the launch of the Sabah Education Sponsorship Portal (PTPS) on July 2.
He said PTPS serves as a "single-window platform" that brings together five of the state’s main education sponsorship and assistance agencies on one integrated platform.
"To strengthen this modernisation momentum, we are taking another step forward today with the launch of the TPNS Smart Application System," he said.
He said the mobile application enables TPNS assistance to be applied for fully online, while applicants can also check the status of their applications in real time through a more transparent and user-friendly process.
"With this facility, the application process is expected to become easier, faster and more organised, particularly for Sabah’s children throughout the state, especially those in rural areas," he said.
Hajiji also called on more local and international corporations operating and generating profits in Sabah to come forward and fulfil their corporate social responsibility (CSR) by contributing to TPNS.
He said cooperation between the state government, private sector, government-linked companies (GLCs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) could help build a stronger education ecosystem for Sabah’s children.
