KOTA KINABALU, Jan 13 — A total of RM740,000 has been allocated to 2,000 underprivileged students in Sabah through the first phase of the Sejahtera Madani Education Aid initiative, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak) Datuk Mustapha Sakmud.

He said the initiative covers primary, secondary and tertiary students.

“It provides support for tuition fees, tutoring, school supplies, back-to-school aid and other related assistance,” he said at the handover ceremony for the Early Schooling Aid (BAP) at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Bandaraya, here today.

He said the initiative is part of the government’s broader effort to ensure equitable access to education for the next generation, especially those in need.

“This Sabah phase of Sejahtera Madani is run by the Prime Minister’s Department’s Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU JPM),” he said.

Mustapha said Budget 2026 approved RM794 million for the Education Ministry to provide aid to all students from Year 1 to Form 6 nationwide, regardless of parental income.

“A total of RM730 million has been released to schools for distribution to all students from Jan 8, 2026. In Sabah, RM76 million has been allocated, benefitting 508,631 students across 1,298 schools.

“At SMK Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu in the Sepanggar parliamentary constituency, RM405,900 has been allocated to all citizen students. This support reflects our mission to make education a key driver of social mobility and transform family lives,” he added. — Bernama