YBR, UPSI ink MoU to sponsor ethnic language studies

TANJUNG MALIM: Yayasan Bank Rakyat (YBR) and Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the sponsorship of variable education funding (PPBU) for 150 ethnic language education students with an allocation of RM7.5 million.

The MoU, signed by YBR general manager Syaiful Rizal Abdul Ghani and UPSI vicechancellor Prof Datuk Dr Amin Md Taff, was witnessed by Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick at the UPSI’s Sultan Abdul Jalil Shah campus here Thursday.

Ewon later told reporters that YBR has been placed under his ministry and he is committed to ensuring that the study of ethnic languages at UPSI continues to grow since it was started in 2010. He said the PPBU’s YBR programme is an educational support for those studying ethnic languages, namely Kadazandusun, Iban and Semai.

“I hope this (through the MOU) can also show Malaysia’s identity as a country where people have different linguistic backgrounds, starting from the study campus. I believe that the government and the leadership should play a role in strengthening the ethnic languages offered by our educational institutions.

“For YBR, this is its first MoU with UPSI, and I hope there will be more to come. This is the kind of MoU we are going to introduce, we will finalise later,” he said.

According to Ewon, Thursday’s agreement is for five years, with a target of 30 students for the programme per year and a maximum funding of RM50,000 throughout the programme for each student.