The government is refining Sejahtera Madani educational aid for secondary students, considering structured support like education savings to prepare for higher education
KUCHING: The government is studying new mechanisms for distributing educational assistance under the Sejahtera Madani initiative, with a specific focus on secondary school students.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak) Datuk Mustapha Sakmud said the aid targets students from poor and hardcore poor households.
“Assistance for secondary school students is currently being refined, including the possibility of it being implemented in the form of in-kind support or education savings,” he told reporters.
He said the details will be finalised later as part of efforts to eradicate hardcore poverty.
Mustapha said the government is also considering collaboration with PTPTN to establish a National Education Savings Scheme (SSPN) account for eligible students.
The initiative aims to help students from low-income families prepare early for tertiary education.
Earlier, Mustapha said RM370,000 had been allocated for Phase One Education Assistance, benefiting 740 households registered as poor in the eKasih system.
He said the assistance would benefit 370 households each at the primary and secondary school levels.
“For primary school recipients, assistance is provided in the form of RM500 vouchers for the purchase of school uniforms and supplies,” he said.
Assistance for secondary school students is also planned at the same RM500 value.
Meanwhile, the government is channelling approximately RM62 million in 2026 Early Schooling Assistance (BAP) to 413,380 students across Sarawak.
The RM150 BAP allocation for each student is intended to ease the financial burden on parents at the start of the school term.
