UDA property investment and management senior vice president Mohd Nazri Jamiran (centre) and Angsana Johor Bahru Mall chief operating officer Imran Salleh (left) along with UDA staff members, assisting the pupils in trying on their school uniforms and shoes. - Photo by ZAZALI MUSA
THE joy on the faces of the schoolchildren and their parents was evident as they had the opportunity to choose items for the new school term starting next week.
Muhamad Shahfiqri Abdul Rahim, Muhammad Irfan Ab Aziz, Ashraf Sanusi, and Puteri Aliya Aqila Mohd Azwan were delighted to select their school supplies.
Shafiqri and Ashraf, both 11, along with 12-year-old Irfan and Aliya, were among 200 pupils from 10 primary schools in Johor selected for the UDA Cares Programme: Back to School 2025 @ South.
The schools selected for this year’s programme were Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Sungai Danga, SK Kompleks UDA, SK UDA 2, SK Kampung Pasir, SK Pengkalan Rinting, SK Tasek Utara, SK Taman Cempaka, SK Seri Kenanga, SK Seri Melati, and SK Perumahan Tampoi 2.
All these schools are located within the UDA Holdings Bhd (UDA) development corridor, and the 200 pupils selected were from the asnaf group (those eligible to receive zakat or tithe).
UDA contributed RM60,000 in zakat wakalah for the Back to School 2025 @ South programme, with each pupil receiving RM300 in spending money.
Zakat wakalah is a policy that allows zakat payers to receive a refund on their payments, which can then be used to distribute zakat to eligible recipients.
The event took place at Angsana Mall Johor Baru on Monday (Feb 10), where the pupils were accompanied by their parents and assisted by UDA employees in selecting their school uniforms, shoes, and sports attire.
UDA also contributed school bags, stationery, coloured pencils and water tumblers to the pupils.
SK Kompleks UDA headmistress Rapidah Mohd Yussup said 20 pupils from Primary Two to Primary Six at the school were selected for this year’s Back to School 2025 @ South programme.
“The programme helps lessen the financial burden on parents from the low-income group when it comes to buying school supplies for the new school term,’’ she said.
UDA management team capturing the moment with the pupils and teachers who received contributions from the UDA Cares: Back to School 2025 @ South programme.
Rapidah expressed gratitude to UDA for their generosity in allocating RM300 per pupil, adding that this was the third year the school had been selected for the programme.
Meanwhile, SK Seri Kenanga headmaster Souib Hamad hoped that UDA would consider increasing the number of recipients in the near future.
“By doing so, more pupils from the low-income group will benefit from the programme,’’ he said.
UDA acting president and chief executive officer Zahrin Zakaria said Back to School is a yearly programme under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative, in line with UDA’s role in improving the well-being of the local community, especially the Bumiputera.
He said the contribution was also aimed at encouraging and uplifting pupils as they begin the new school year, while easing the financial burden on families in providing school supplies.
“This effort aligns with UDA’s commitment to supporting sustainability aspirations by focusing on the social and economic well-being of the community and the country. It also reflects UDA’s new branding principles, L.I.F.E—Legacy, Integrated, Finesse, and Enrich,’’ said Zahrin.
Also present at the event were UDA property investment and property management senior vice president Mohd Nazri Jamiran, Angsana Mall Johor Baru chief operating officer Imran Salleh, and UDA Land (South) Sdn Bhd chief operating officer Ismail Dasuki.
In collaboration with the Entrepreneurship Development and Cooperative Ministry, UDA also donated school bags, stationery, and water tumblers to 102 students in Sandakan, Sabah, and 200 students from SMK Datuk Bahaman, Lancang, Pahang, last December.
