KUCHING, March 31: A Sarawak elected representative calls on the Sarawak Government to expedite the handing out of the RM150 per month tuition fee vouchers to 5,600 secondary students from the lower-income group as promised by the Chief Minister of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari in November last year.
Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong said during the Sarawak Budget speech delivered at the State Legislative Assembly on Nov 9, 2020, the Chief Minister had announced that the Sarawak government will allocate RM10 million in the form of school vouchers to fund tuition fee for 5,600 secondary school students in Sarawak.
“It was reported that the assistance will be paid in the form of vouchers worth RM150 per month or RM1,800 per year for each secondary school children from the low-income group for the year of 2021 and it will be coordinated through Yayasan Sarawak.
“I however have received feedback from some parents that such promise made by the Sarawak State Government is still not materialised till now. When the public tried to follow up the matter with Yayasan Sarawak, the answer given was that the matter is still under the planning stage.
“We are now almost at the end of the first quarter of the Year 2021 and yet the State Government is still not ready to give out the RM150 tuition fee voucher to assist the students. This is totally unacceptable. It clearly shows that the Sarawak State Government is not sincere in helping the students despite all the sweet talks,” alleged Yong in a press statement today.
Yong who is from Democratic Action Party (DAP) questioned the delay in the implementation of the government aid.
“How could the matter be still under planning stage when the announcement was made in November 2020 by the Chief Minister in his state budget’s speech for 2021? Why keep dragging the matter?
“I urge the Sarawak State Government to ensure that the distribution of the payment vouchers could be implemented without unnecessary delay so that the targeted students can truly benefit from such financial aid,” said Yong. — DayakDaily
