JPB expanded to S'wak this year

BAGAN DATUK: Sarawak will be included as a new location for the "Jelajah Pendidikan Bumiputera" (JPB), which is aimed at enhancing the education level of the Bumiputera, this year, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
He said the JPB programme, implemented since 2016, had covered locations in the peninsula and Sabah to provide assistance for Malay and Bumiputera SPM leavers to pursue higher education or skills training.
"This is a move to enhance the social status of the young people, which will directly improve the livelihood of their household and family and we do this not only in the urban areas, but also rural areas.
"It is a combined effort between the government and non-governmental organisations, public and private institutions of higher learning, as well as the private sector, because we have to get out of the 'silo jumud' shell when we want to be a developed country," he said when launching the JPB 2018 at Sekolah Menengah Sains Bagan Datuk here today.
It was attended by about 5,000 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) leavers from Bagan Datuk, Teluk Intan and Sabak Bernam.
Also present were Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaacob , who is the mentor-minister for JPB, and JPB Committee chairman Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Sahol Hamid Abu Bakar.
Bagan Datuk is the first location for JPB 2018. A total of 32 locations have been selected for the JBP programme this year.
Ahmad Zahid, who is Bagan Datuk Member of Parliament, said was not a campaign move for the approaching 14th general election (GE14).
"JPB has been carried out since 2016 with an agenda to create a vertical social mobility for the young people nationwide," he said.
As such, he urged the 2018 JPB Committee to realise the target of getting 65,000 Malay and Bumiputera SPM leavers who participated in the event into 37 institutions of higher learning to pursue their studies or for skill training.
At the event, Ahmad Zahid also announced an additional allocation of RM1 million for JBP 2018 to enable more Malays and the Bumiputera to pursue higher studies.
Since JPB was introduced in 2016, it had provided opportunities for 98,534 students to pursue their studies in academic, technical and vocational fields in the country. — Bernama