NIBONG TEBAL: A total of 500 Form Six students from B40 families will receive RM100 in monthly cash aid starting this month until December 2025 under the Farm Fresh Berhad STPM Student Bursary Programme.

Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said 500 students from 10 states in Peninsular Malaysia had been identified as the initial recipients of the programme.

“It is hoped that this initiative will help elevate the quality of education for these students, apart from inspiring and motivating them to succeed in life and pursue their studies to the highest level,” she told reporters after launching the programme at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah here today.

Fadhlina also expressed appreciation to Farm Fresh for the initiative, describing it as a form of corporate social responsibility (CSR) that addresses the current needs of Form Six students.

She said the Ministry of Education (MOE) hopes to see more corporate companies step forward to support the education ecosystem and elevate national education through similar programmes.

She said the MOE remains committed to making Form Six one of the top choices for students pursuing studies after Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and the rebranding effort is part of a strategic move in line with the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 to empower inclusive and competitive post-secondary pathways.

To ensure continuity and equitable access to education, she said the government has also extended the Early Schooling Aid (BAP) to Form Six students starting this year, benefitting more than 100,000 students with a total allocation of RM15 million.

Farm Fresh has been appointed as the school milk supplier for 10 states across five zones (Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Perak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, and Putrajaya).

In addition to the STPM bursary programme which will continue until 2029 with new recipients selected annually, Farm Fresh has also planned several CSR programmes as part of the spillover benefits from the school milk supply contract.

These include the Bijak Mengira tuition programme, national subsidised milk competition, Multidimensi Plus, World School Milk Day celebration, and the School-to-Farm programme.