By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, Nov 14: Meradong assemblyman Datuk Ding Kuong Hiing has urged the Sarawak government to lower the threshold to enable M40 and B40 students to qualify for free laptops and the ‘pocket money’ programme.
Ding elaborated that it would be even better if these benefits could be given across the board, especially when State revenue is rising every year.
He opined that the RM1,500 threshold for qualifying for assistance is too high.
“This is especially true when the federal government is going to increase the minimum wage from RM1,500 to RM1,700 next year,” Ding said when debating the Sarawak Budget 2025 in the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) sitting here today.
He further highlighted that the current threshold might deprive deserving cases of getting assistance.
Ding also expressed his support for the Sarawak Education Enhancement Programme (SEEP) to bridge the gap between students in rural and urban areas.
He believed that the programme provides an opportunity for rural students to attend tuition classes in schools to compete on a more level playing field with their peers.
He added since the implementation of this programme some three years ago, there has been significant improvement in academic achievement throughout Sarawak.
However, Ding also expressed concern about the programme’s implementation in different regions of Sarawak.
He pointed out that such implementation may face different challenges therefore it is of paramount importance that the views of all stakeholders must be considered to ensure smooth implementation on the ground.
Ding expressed his gladness that there is an increase in budget allocation from RM15 million to RM20 million in 2025 to expand SEEP’s coverage.
“It is my fervent hope that the programme can be extended to all students regardless of their schools’ locality,” he said. — DayakDaily
