RM200,000 from Risda to boost Sarawak tuition programme, helping 345 asnaf students

KOTA SAMARAHAN (Jan 23): The Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda) has allocated RM200,000 for its People’s Tuition Programme (Program Tuisyen Rakyat Risda) in Sarawak this year, benefiting 345 students at 23 tuition centres across the state.

Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Rubiah Wang said the initiative represents the government’s long-term investment in rural education, helping children compete on equal footing with urban peers.

“This effort also reflects the government’s continued focus, through the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW), on addressing the issue of student dropouts.

“Risda, as an agency under KKDW, plays an important role in strengthening human capital development in rural communities, particularly among the younger generation from smallholder families and low-income groups,” she said when officiating the ‘Jom Ke Sekolah’ programme here.

Introduced in 2007, the People’s Tuition Programme continues to grow, with a national allocation of RM2.3 million this year supporting 3,075 students at 205 tuition centres nationwide.

Commenting on today’s programme, Rubiah, who is Kota Samarahan MP, said Yayasan Risda allocated RM81,250 for the implementation of the programme, involving 250 primary school students and 250 secondary school students from 45 schools.

She said each student also received assistance in the form of a school bag, a set of stationery, and RM50 in cash.

The programme focuses on Muslim students, students from the asnaf (those eligible to receive tithes) group, the poor, or those in the B40 category.

“The assistance distributed today involves an additional allocation, and families who have yet to receive aid can contact the Samarahan Parliamentary Service Centre as a second round of assistance will be carried out,” she said.

Rubiah also stressed that non-Muslim students would not be left out, as similar assistance would be channelled through other programmes and initiatives.

This, she said, is in line with her commitment as an elected representative to ensure that education in Kota Samarahan remains well-managed, smooth, and orderly.

“Efforts to strengthen education in Kota Samarahan are also implemented through continuous collaboration with the District Education Office, which formulates various strategies, while we (KKDW) also have a range of support programmes,” she said.

In addition to the JKS 2026 programme, two other separate programmes were held today: the Risda Sarawak State-Level Open Day and Prosperous Smallholders Programme 2026, which included talks, as well as a corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme by GiatMARA providing free haircuts.

For the record, the Jom Ke Sekolah Programme 2026 is organised by the Sarawak Risda Management in collaboration with Yayasan Risda and the Samarahan Parliamentary.