Airfare subsidy: Students can use it till October
Published on: Tuesday, April 09, 2024
By: Hayati Dzulkifli
Dr Arifin (fourth from left) presenting a cash donation to one of the Asnaf pupils of SK Pekan Bongawan.
PAPAR: The State Government’s airfare subsidy for all Sabah tertiary students in the peninsula, Sarawak and Labuan is not limited to returning home for the Aidilfitri celebration but any time until October this year.
State Science, Technology and Innovation Minister cum Education Exco Datuk Dr Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif said there are several ways of distributing the RM600 one-off assistance per student.
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Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Haji Noor announced last month RM10 million in flight subsidies for Sabah students pursuing tertiary education in the peninsula, Sarawak and Labuan.
“The subsidy can be channelled directly to students, especially those who are sponsored by Yayasan Sabah, the State Government and the Sabah Islamic Religious Council (Muis).
“For non-recipients of scholarships, payment will be coordinated by the Special Tasks Office (PTTK) after confirmation from the university or college concerned.
“For scholarship recipients, payments will be made directly to the student’s bank account, which will be coordinated by the relevant agency.
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“This means if Muis sponsors the student, payment will be paid directly to the student by the Council, and if he gets a State Government scholarship, the payment will be channelled by the State Government.
“If the student is sponsored by the Sabah Foundation, the allocation channelled through the Chief Minister’s Department will be adjusted by the foundation before payments are made to the respective students’ accounts,” he said.
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“This subsidy can be used until October, it’s not just for Hari Raya Adilfitri,” said Dr Arifin, who is also Membakut Assemblyman, after presenting donations from the Sabah Zakat Centre to 150 Asnaf pupils, including orphans, at the Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Hall in Bongawan, near here.
Applicants can go to: https://subfly. sabah.gov.my to apply for the subsidy.
On 4G coverage in Sabah, Dr Arifin said overall Sabah has achieved more than 80 per cent coverage in populated areas.
“For areas that have connectivity problems like rural schools, the Government is looking for ways to address, such as through Starlink and Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) satellite technology,” he said.
“We have 300 Starlink units and 50 have been installed, with priority given to schools, including SK Saliliran, Nabawan.”
Earlier, Dr Arifin said the public need not worry or doubt the zakat money from the Sabah Tithe Centre under Muis which has a clean bill for four times when audited by the Auditor-General of Malaysia.
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