Dr Annuar wants STA to provide financial aid to needy students

KUCHING: Sarawak Timber Association (STA) should consider providing financial assistance to needy students to help lift them and their families out of poverty.

In proposing this yesterday, Assistant Minister for Education and Technological Research Dr Annuar Rapaee said financial constraint is an obstacle to one’s advancement and this is especially so for students from poor families.

“I’m aware that STA has been giving scholarships to excellent students. If possible, we identify poor students who have the potential to become excellent students and offer them financial assistance. We should help some of the poor students especially in rural schools otherwise they cannot get out of poverty. Through education, they can be a better person,” he said at the presentation of cash awards and financial contributions to educational and non-profit organisations and STA and Daiken scholarships at Wisma STA here yesterday.

Dr Annuar pointed out that many poor families have been greatly affected by the current economic condition.

“The government is helping but there is so much more to do. Hence, we plan to group poor students in one school, especially in rural areas.

“It is like a boarding school where we help poor students not only in studies but nutrition,” he said.

He hoped STA would reach out to not just students who excel in studies but those who deserve financial assistance.

Citing himself as an example, Dr Annuar said he did not come from a rich family but had worked hard to become a doctor.

“I would not be a doctor today had my parents not emphasised education. My mother worked as a rubber tapper while my father was a shop assistant who earned RM350 at that time.

“Today I can proudly serve the people of Sarawak not only as a doctor but also assistant minister,” he added.

He said some quarters had queried the setting up of the Education, Science and Technological Research Ministry given that education falls under the Federal List.

Dr Annuar said the state government needed an education ministry as it could not wait another 50 years to do something about dilapidated schools in Sarawak.

He said 1,020 of the over 1,400 schools statewide were categorised as dilapidated, and of the 1,020, a total of 415 schools are critically dilapidated.