By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, Nov 16: Yayasan Sarawak recorded a 95.4 per cent approval rate as in Oct 30 this year, when 2,904 loan applications were approved out of 3,042 from four types of scholarship-loan scheme on offer to Sarawakian students.
This constituted to about RM57.8 million, said foundation director Datuk Azmi Bujang.
He added that last year, the approval rate was at 87 per cent, where 1,280 out of 1,480 applications were approved. The approved amount was RM26.8 million.
“In comparison with the 2018 figure, there is an increase in the approval rate by 126 per cent. With regards to monetary terms, the increased amount was 115 per cent,” he said at the Chief Minister’s Special Award presentation ceremony at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) complex yesterday.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg presented the awards at the event organised by Yayasan Sarawak.
Azmi said the four scholarship-loan schemes offered by the foundation to Sarawakian students are the Local Scholarship-loan, Overseas Scholarship-Loan, Technical Training Scholarship Loan and the HiED Scholarship-Loan scheme.
“The main reason for a student’s application was rejected because the courses taken by the students are not accredited by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) and other relevant bodies with technical training.”
Other reasons included the enrolled higher learning institution with no connection to Sarawak and failure to achieve a credit in Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) Bahasa Malaysia subject. There are also cases of students who rejected the loan offer despite going through all the process to apply for the loan, Azmi said.
He added that the loan was to be paid out within four years but depending on the duration of the students’ course at their respective higher learning or technical training institutes.
“There are 1,086 students under the scholarship-loan schemes and with the current year approval of 2.904 students, there are now altogether 3,990 students and looking at the rate we are going, the numbers may exceed 4,000 by year-end,” Azmi said.
The evening saw 19 people received their Chief Minister’s Special Awards with a total cash prize of RM97,000. Each winner also received a trophy and a certificate. — DayakDaily
