KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 8 — The National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) has contributed RM 1 million to help 5,000 asnaf families in Kuala Lumpur, according to its statement released today.
It said the business zakat contribution was channelled through Pertubuhan Kebajikan Dana Kita (Dana Kita), where RM500,000 would be in the form of daily necessities, while the balance would be in the form of deposits to the National Education Savings Scheme (SSPN-i).
PTPTN chairman Wan Saiful Wan Jan said the fund understood the anxiety and hardships faced by the people who had their income affected due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Some are unable to work as usual (due to the pandemic situation), some are even laid off, coupled with the fact they are not too well to do. This situation will definitely affect the daily lives of their children.
"As an agency that serves as a national education fund that always remains close to the community, PTPTN feels obliged to contribute in order to reduce the suffering of those affected," he said during the handing over of the contribution to Dana Kita in a ceremony broadcast on PTPTN's official Facebook page.
According to PTPTN chief executive Ahmad Dasuki Abdul Majid, each asnaf family would receive a contribution of RM200, with RM100 in the form of daily necessities and the remainder deposited into the SSPN-i accounts of children aged 18 and below.
"We are confident that Dana Kita as a charitable organisation that is active in distributing donations and implementing charitable programmes will be able to help PTPTN realise this noble aspiration," he said.
Meanwhile, Dana Kita founder Mohd Fadli Mohamed Salleh said the cooperation today was part of Dana Kita’s outreach programmes for the year.
"It is hoped that with our involvement, we can change the stigma of the community towards PTPTN as an agency that only manages education loans, but actually also provides an education savings scheme and is concerned about helping the community," he said.
Commenting further, he said the PTPTN Prihatin Squad will go down to the field with Dana Kita volunteers to help manage the distribution of the funds.
According to PTPTN, the contributions would be distributed beginning this month till March next year. — Bernama
