State Government Strengthens Pro-People Initiatives Through Increased State Revenue

21 February 2025

RANAU: The increase in state revenue enables the State Government to introduce more pro-people initiatives, particularly in the fields of education and human capital development, said Deputy Chief Minister II, Datuk Seri Dr. Joachim Gunsalam.

He stated that state revenue has consistently risen since 2021 (RM5.49 billion) to RM6.96 billion in 2022, and further increased to RM6.97 billion in 2023.

"This allows the State Government to introduce more pro-people initiatives, including in education and human capital development," he said during the launch of the SMJ Motivational Talk Programme & General Studies Question Answering Workshop 2025 at the Ranau Community Hall recently .

Dr. Joachim, who is also the Minister of Local Government and Housing, remarked that the State Government consistently prioritises education through various initiatives, including the IPT Registration Cash Assistance (BUDI), which provides assistance ranging from RM1,500 to RM2,000 to over 10,000 B40 students pursuing higher education.

Additionally, there is the Examination Cash Assistance (BAKTI), which offers RM200 to Form 5 and 6 students for examination needs; the School PIBG Activity Assistance (BAGUS), which allocates RM2,000 to school PIBGs for educational activities; and the SUKSES initiative that provides RM3,000 to each school in Sabah.

The Small Maintenance Assistance for Schools (BALKIS) allocates up to RM50,000 for school repairs.

"The Sabah State Education Fund (TPNS) has also increased its scholarship fund by RM127 million to assist underprivileged students, and a transport subsidy of RM300 is provided to Sabah students studying in Peninsular Malaysia," said the Kundasang assemblyman.

Dr. Joachim hopes that this programme will benefit all participants and further strengthen the government's commitment to ensuring educational excellence in Sabah.

The programme successfully gathered nearly 500 students to enhance their motivation and academic skills.

Among the highlights of the programme that captured the participants' attention were the motivational talk delivered by Hadi Hidayah Tutoh and the General Studies question-answering workshop led by Amit Awang. The programme aims to provide guidance to students in effectively facing examinations and to inspire them to strive for academic excellence.

Expressing appreciation to IKRAR and the Ranau District Education Office (PPD) for organising this programme, which he believes will greatly benefit the students in the Ranau district, Dr. Joachim also reaffirmed the State Government's commitment to developing human capital in line with the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) direction introduced on 29 March 2021.

Additionally, during this programme, a session was held to distribute assistance to 100 young entrepreneurs in Kundasang under the Chief Minister's Outreach Programme with NGOs and Young Entrepreneurs.

Each entrepreneur received a one-off assistance amounting to RM500, aimed at helping them boost their business capital and alleviate the cost of living.