600 SPM top scorers receive 1MDB grants worth RM32 million

BANGI: Some 600 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2010 top scorers yesterday received 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) academic grants worth about RM32mil over four years.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz said the grants were to give financial aid to students pursuing first degrees at local public (IPTA) and private (IPTS) institutions of higher learning.

He said the grants, the second issued this year, were given to 300 Bumiputera,
150 Chinese and 150 Indian students from low income families.

“It is among government efforts to reduce the people’s cost of living. Although we provide funding to students but in reality we are helping parents to ease their burden.

“This is because if their children don’t get scholarships, it will increase their burden,” he told reporters after presenting offer letters to the students yesterday.

Also present were director-general of Public Service Department Tan Sri Abu Bakar Abdullah, 1MDB chairman Tan Sri Che Lodin Wok Kamaruddin, Minister in the  Prime Minister’s Department Datuk G Palanivel and Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S Subramaniam.

The annual aid given out this year was RM8,000 for critical and RM7,500 for non-critical courses at IPTA and RM16,000 for critical courses and RM10,000 for non-critical courses at IPTS.

Last year, 300 SPM 2009 top students received grants of RM7,500-RM15,000 each to pursue first degrees at IPTA and IPTS.

The academic grant is an idea of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to create opportunities for young people to explore and develop their potential. — Bernama