PENAMPANG: The State Government remains committed to expanding access to education through a wide range of assistance and support programmes aimed at ensuring that financial constraints do not prevent young Sabahans from achieving academic success and pursuing higher education.
Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Ceasar Mandela Malakun said the commitment is reflected through the implementation of various educational assistance initiatives that continue to benefit students throughout the State.
He said in addition to scholarships and study grants, the State Government currently provides 14 education assistance initiatives to help ease the financial burden on students and their families.
“The State Government remains committed to strengthening access to education through various forms of assistance and support for students.
“Among the initiatives provided are the One-Off Higher Education Registration Cash Assistance (Budi), Computer Assistance Programme (Baik), Special Examination Cash Assistance (Bakti), Sabah Student Airfare Assistance (Subfly) and the Sabah Higher Education Student Contribution Scheme (Sentosa),” he said when officiating at the SMK Datuk Peter Mojuntin’s Student Excellence Awards Ceremony (Makem) for the 2025 Academic Session at the school hall, here, Friday.
The ceremony was organised to recognise students’ outstanding academic achievements while also acknowledging the continuous efforts of teachers and parents in supporting their success.
Mandela congratulated the entire SMK Datuk Peter Mojuntin community on the school’s impressive performance in the 2025 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.
He noted that 73 students achieved 5As and above, while 17 students obtained straight As.
“This achievement reflects the dedication of the students, the commitment of teachers and the unwavering support of parents in ensuring that educational excellence remains a culture within the school,” he said.
During the event, Mandela also presented educational incentive awards to outstanding students as a mark of appreciation and encouragement for them to continue striving for excellence in the future.
According to him, the educational incentive programme, now entering its third year, remains one of the key initiatives aimed at recognising academic excellence among students in Penampang.
He said following its implementation at SMK Bahang and SMK Datuk Peter Mojuntin, the programme would soon be extended to SMK Limbanak and SM St Michael.
