KUALA LUMPUR: The welfare of Mara Junior Science College (MRSM) students from low-income households (B40) will continue to be protected to ensure they receive a quality education.
Deputy Rural Development Minister R. Sivarasa said the government had provided several facilities to assist such groups including exemption from tuition fees if they were unable to settle them.
“The monthly fee is about RM60. Any student with financial difficulties may apply for an exemption and almost all of them will be able to get the exemption if required,“ he said.
He said this when winding up the debate on the Supplementary Supply Bill (2018) 2019 and the First Supplementary Estimates of Development Expenditure 2018 at the committee level for the Ministry of Rural Development in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He said the government’s commitment to helping the B40 group was also proven by fact that 65% of new entrants this year comprised students from the target group.
Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) in a statement on Jan 13 said it had offered the flexibility to students from the B40 group to pay the MRSM registration fees in installments or to apply for a deferment.
In another development, Sivarasa said RM2.057 billion in loans had been allocated to Bumiputera students through the Education Loan Scheme which involved 56,957 students in 2018.
Meanwhile, when the winding-up the debate for the Ministry of Water, Land and Natural Resources, its minister Dr A. Xavier Jayakumar said the government had agreed to continue with the construction of the ‘Cinta Mata’ multi-purpose dam at Jalan Gudang Empat, Tawau.
Xavier said he had discussed with Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal regarding the dam project under the third phase of the Tawau water supply scheme.
“I have requested cooperation from the Sabah state government for us to continue (with the project) and after discussions with contractors and also the Sabah government, in the near future, we will make an announcement,“ he said.
The Dewan Rakyat then passed all the Bills debated today with a majority vote.
The Dewan Rakyat sitting continues tomorrow. — Bernama
