Schools get RM100,000 worth of lab equipment each from foundation

SEREMBAN: Six Chinese secondary schools here became the first among 40 nationwide to benefit from a RM4mil grant from Yu Chai Foundation (YCF).

They received scientific equipment worth RM100,000 each for their labs from the foundation, a charitable initiative of Usaha Tegas Group chairman Tan Sri T. Ananda Krishnan.

Deputy Education Minister Datuk Chong Sin Woon, who witnessed the ceremony, commended Yu Chai Foundation for the gesture, adding that it complemented government efforts to promote science.

“The ministry is also in the process of upgrading labs and the equipment in our schools.

“This will help realise the ministry’s target to have a 60 to 40 ratio of students pursuing science, technology, engineering and mathematics to other subjects,” said Choong in a press conference during the event.

Twentyfive of the 40 schools to benefit from the aid are governmentaided Chinese secondary schools while the remaining 15 are Chinese independent schools.

The first six to receive the equipment were Chinese independent schools Chung Hua High School in Seremban, Chung Hua High School in Port Dickson, SMJK Chan Wa, SMJK Chan Wa 2, SMJK Chi Wen in Bahau and SMJK Chung Hua in Kuala Pilah.

YCF general manager Tiong Tee Ming said apart from the digital equipment, the schools were also given traditional scientific apparatus.

“The digital microscope, for example, will allow students to capture and store images and related information on their mobile phones or computers,” said Tiong.

“This way, they will be able to do their work and research offline, and when not spending time in school,” he added.

State Chinese Schools Committees Council chairman Datuk Ting Chuen Peng, who was also present, thanked YCF for the donation, adding that this would encourage more students to pursue science.

YCF, set up in January 2015, has rolled out several other initiatives previously.

These initiatives that have beem rolled out are for both teachers and students.

For example in 2016, YCF donated RM940,000 to sponsor 94 students to further their studies at SMJK schools.

Another 44 students received the same sponsorship this year.

It spent RM1.36mil last year to sponsor 38 SJK ( C) students to further their studies at Chinese independent schools.

This year, 26 students got the same scholarship.

Last year, YCF also contributed RM250,000 to pay for 86 Chinese independent school teachers to pursue a diploma in education, after setting aside a similar amount for the same purpose in 2015.