KUALA LUMPUR: Bank Pembangunan Malaysia Bhd (BPMB) is extending financial assistance amounting to RM2 million to eight selected public universities in Malaysia.
Each university will get RM250,000 to be distributed to those in need especially university students of the B40 community.
The selected universities are Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM), Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA), Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), and National Defence University of Malaysia (UPNM).
BPMB president and group chief executive officer Arshad Mohamed Ismail said the initiative was an annual contribution conducted by the bank over the last three years, which had amounted to RM7.25 million in total including this year.
"We understand that education is essential to alleviate the living standards of families from the B40 community and thus, BPMB remains committed to exercise our corporate social responsibility to help those in need, especially given the current challenging situation.
"Our humble contribution is aimed at ensuring the students will remain focused on their studies, while also helping to ease the burden of their families, particularly those affected by the Movement Control Order, which began in March 2020," he said during the contribution presentation ceremony being done virtually.
The remaining public universities which have yet to receive such assistance are expected to get it in 2021.