KUALA LUMPUR: Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) has been instructed to offer full scholarships to Orang Asli students who scored 5As and above in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said this initiative is a recognition of their hard work and perseverance.
“Hopefully, this initiative will open up more opportunities and build a brighter future for Orang Asli children. Insya-Allah,“ he said in a Facebook post today.
In an accompanying video, Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Minister of Rural and Regional Development, said 1,932 Orang Asli students sat for the SPM exam, and out of that number, 87 students achieved 5As or more.
He said the full scholarships are for them to further their studies at MARA Educational Institutions (IPMA).
“They can apply to enter Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), Universiti Poly-Tech Malaysia (UPTM), the German-Malaysian Institute (GMI) and other higher education institutions under MARA,“ he said.
Ahmad Zahid added that to empower Orang Asli children to compete and succeed, continuous support is needed not only in the form of moral encouragement but also through access to quality educational facilities.
