KUALA LUMPUR: The Federal Territory Foundation, in collaboration with Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and the Federal Territory Education Department, has distributed RM457,000 in education assistance to 429 outstanding students from Kuala Lumpur.
The aid was distributed during the 2024 Federal Territory Outstanding Student Awards Ceremony. It involved students with excellent results in the 2023 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) exams.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa, who is the foundation chairman, presented the aid to recipients.
In her speech, she said education is one of her key focuses as the Federal Territory Minister and she viewed it as a long-term investment in lifting the underprivileged community, including the hardcore poor.
Zaliha said the ministry was committed in supporting children's education without discrimination.
"We believe that every child has the potential to succeed if given equal opportunities, and this is our primary goal," she said when opening the event.
However, she believed that in today's world, academic excellence alone cannot be the sole measure of success because employers are looking for individuals with interpersonal skills.
She urged the foundation to consider programmes that would help students develop soft skills or human skills to equip them to face the more complex challenges in the working world.
"With this holistic approach, we hope to see a more well-rounded generation, ready to face future challenges and capable of functioning effectively within their communities and work teams.
"We want to see these children becoming valuable assets to the nation, not only knowledgeable but also skilled," Zaliha said.