PENAMPANG: Yayasan Bank Rakyat (YBR) has channelled incentives worth RM61,500 to 146 students who excelled in their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM) examinations recently.
The students were from the less fortunate and families in the bottom 40 (B40) household income group.
The objective was to offer financial aid to eligible recipients to help them start a semester or acquire the necessary study materials to continue their education.
Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick launched the programme.
He said the continuous support provided by YBR in assisting the youths of Sabah was greatly appreciated, especially in helping the less fortunate and those in need.
"Efforts like these can attract other non-profit agencies to participate in enhancing the quality of the country's education and respond to the government's call to establish a sustainable education system.
"On behalf of the recipients, families, and schools in the Penampang area, I would like to express my gratitude to the Bank Rakyat Foundation for their significant contribution.
"I hope this incentive can serve as inspiration to students currently studying in secondary schools nationwide, especially in Penampang, to strive for excellence in the future."
The Penampang member of parliament was speaking to reporters after the ceremony which was held at the St. Michael Secondary School Hall here today.
The event was also attended by YBR chairman Datuk Philip Benedict Lasimbang; YBR chief executive officer Syaiful Rizal Abdul Ghani; YBR operations division head Mohd Mukhti Abd Rahman and YBR corporate communications department manager Mohamad Ghazali Zainal Abidin.
Meanwhile, Ewon also announced that four schools in the Penampang district have been selected to receive RM20,000 each through the SPM Acceleration Programme.
The four schools - St. Michael Secondary School, Bahang National Secondary School, Limbanak National Secondary School, and Datuk Peter Mojuntin National Secondary School - will be given assistance to improve the academic achievements of students from these schools in preparation for the upcoming SPM examination.