Posts Tagged ‘Funds’

awareness program for urban poor

July 18th, 2011
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With nearly 70% of Malaysians living in urban areas, the focus should be also given to urban poor.  Not only in low-cost apartment areas,  but also in other housing areas and  squatter areas.

A good number of urban poor are not aware of the government’s welfare aids which they are eligible for.

To correct this, Deputy Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister Datuk M. Saravanan yesterday held a fair to launch a “clinic” at the Desa Tun Razak flats to collect data on socio-economic problems faced by the city’s low-cost flat dwellers. The subsequent clinics will be held at all 25 low-cost flats in the cty.

K. Ramakrishnan, a labourer who earns RM700 a month and has a son attending Primary One, said he was not aware the government had a school uniform aid for the poor.

“I just heard Datuk Saravanan mention in his speech that there is such a scheme,” said Ramakrishnan.

“It would ease my burden if I received help to buy school uniforms and books for my son. But I was not aware of this as nobody informed me.”

Ramli Ismail, a vegetable seller, said the government should make this information more widely known.

“The clinic is a good effort and an eye-opener. There were many things I was not aware of, so there should be more of these programmes,” said the 48-year-old.

Mohd Zakaria Yusof, 42, said programmes like this should be organised more often.

“Don’t make it a ‘once in a blue moon’ thing. Some of us are uneducated and not sure where to go to seek help, so we appreciate this sort of effort from the government,” said Zakaria.

Saravanan said: “We would like to hold these clinics every Sunday, although this may be difficult because Ramadan is approaching. We want to complete these clinics in three months so that by the end of the year, we would have collected the data we want.”

Saravanan said Barisan Nasional lost a lot of votes at low-cost housing areas in the March 2008 general election because the government did not do much to address the plight of the poor there.

“That’s why I told the Prime Minister that we need a detailed study on the issues faced by those residing in low-cost flats.”

He also admitted that government agencies involved in giving aid to the poor should be more pro-active in reaching out.

“Many people are not aware of the various aids we have for the poor. For example, the hardcore poor do not know they don’t have to pay their flat’s rent. They also don’t know there are entrepreneurship programmes where we give training and loans to set up small businesses.”

Residents of the Desa Tun Razak flats yesterday flocked the many booths set up at the clinic yesterday.

Among the agencies present were the Welfare department, and KL City Hall’s housing department, poverty eradication department and health department.

http://mmail.com.my/content/78065-urban-poor-learn-about-eligibility-aid

PSD PILN scholarship 2011 statistics

July 12th, 2011
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a TOTAL of 4000 scholarships were offered by JPA for this year for the SPM 2010 leavers. According to JPA, 58.8% (882) of overseas scholarships were granted to Bumiputra students while the rest were for non-Bumiputras (41.2% or 618) (refer this article).  A more detailed breakdown:

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz said 882 Bumiputera students and 618 non-Bumiputera students received the scholarships under the PILN.

For the local degree programme this year, 1,301 Bumiputera students and 1,199 non-Bumiputera students received scholarships, he said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat,

source: http://mynewshub.my/2011/06/13/psd-offers-4000-scholarships-to-spm-holders/

1500 were for overseas while the balance 2500 were for local universities. This is excluding the 86 cases who were given local scholarships after appeal, public uproar and intervention by political parties (as per this article). The breakdown of the 86 cases is available here.

Total number of applicants were 16,900 as per stated in this article. Breakdown of the 16,900 applicants:  7,277, or 43.1 per cent, Bumiputeras and 9,623, or 56.9 per cent, non-Bumiputeras. Only 8,857 of the 16,900 (52.4%) made the cut with the minimum academic requirement of straight 9As and above (refer to this link). But since only have 4000 scholarships, the balance had to be satisfied with local matriculation, diploma and foundation programs.

According to this report in The Star, a total of 1,552 of the 4,000 PSD scholarships for this year were given to Chinese students. Of the figure, 466 scholarships were for overseas courses.

And the report below indicates the allocation for Indian students, which states 245 scholarship to Indian were awarded – 137 scholarships were for overseas universities and 108 in local universities.

 

In summary:

PILN:

58.8% or 882 places for Bumiputra

41.2% or 618 places for non-Bumiputra.

31.07% or 466 places for Chinese students (and this is 75.4% of the places allocate for non-Bumiputra)

9.13% or 137 places for Indian students (and this is 22.17% of the places allocate for non-Bumiputra)

1% or 15 places for “other” students (and this is 2.43% of the places allocate for non-Bumiputra)

Total 1500.

PIDN:

52.04% or 1301 places for Bumiputra

47.96% or 1199 places for non-Bumiputra.

43.44% or 1086 places for Chinese students (and this is 90.56% of the places allocate for non-Bumiputra)

4.32% or 108 places for Indian students (and this is 9.01% of the places allocate for non-Bumiputra)

0.2% or 5 places for “other” students (and this is 0.42% of the places allocate for non-Bumiputra)

Total 2500.

IF combine both of the above, 2,183 spots, or 55 per cent, were snapped up by Bumiputera students and 1,817, or 45 per cent, were offered to the non-Bumiputeras (refer this link).

And this is comments from Deputy Minister SK Devamany (if you are looking to apply for matriculation – refer here):

Indian students currently in Form Five have been urged to apply for the matriculation programme for the year 2012/2013.

MIC vice-president SK Devamany said Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has invited the Form Five students to apply for next session.

According to Devamany it is better that the students, who are scheduled to sit for SPM this year apply now and not later.

He said the ministry was offering seats in three streams of accountancy, science and technical (engineering).

“This is a good opportunity and every student should apply for the matriculation programme,” he told FMT.

He added the ministry had extended the registration period until end of October.

Those who are interested have go to http://www.moe.gov.my for further information.

When asked about the Indian students’ involvement in matriculation studies, Devamany, who is also deputy minister in the PM’s Department, said that this year the ministry had allocated 580 seats for Indian students.

But the response, he said, had been poor. Until last month there were only 262 students who registered.

“Since 2009, the government had granted more than 1,000 Indian students the opportunity to study under the matriculation programme but only some 640 accepted the offer,” he said.

Poor response

Meanwhile, he also acknowledged that for the year 2011, the Public Service Department (PSD) has awarded 245 scholarship to Indian.

“From this total,  137 scholarships were for overseas universities and 108 in local universities,” he said.

He added that the government had also awarded Indian students another 100 scholarships under the 1Malaysia Development Board.

He added that since the PSD scholarship became a buzzword, MIC had managed to sort out almost 80% of the cases received.

“MIC studied all the 181 cases received. There were three cases which failed to get scholarships and another 25 who got courses they were not interested in,” he said.

He added that MIC successfully solved 12 of 25 cases of students who wanted to switch courses.

“The balance 13 are still awaiting replies from PSD. I am confident they will get the course of their choice,” he said.

He also said that PSD had already offered scholarships for matriculation courses in public university for the 13 but they refused.

“MIC has put all it’s effort in this scholarship issue and we have already requested the PSD to reconsider the wishes of the 13 for scholarships,” he said.

source: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/07/08/indian-students-urged-to-apply-now/

Financial aid for poor Tamil school students in KL

July 4th, 2011
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I guess have to move fast, because now only want to do survey. Its not as if this problem just cropped up!

Sometimes, the parent from low income category won’t bother paying school fees because they know it would be covered under KWAM or other government schemes. Worse case, the teachers or HM will get some NGO or businessmen to cover the fees.

FINANCIAL aid will be given to poor Tamil schoolchildren in Kuala Lumpur after a survey is conducted by the Education Ministry, said Deputy Urban Development and Wellbeing Minister Datuk M. Saravanan.

Saravanan said nearly a quarter of the Tamil schoolchildren in Kuala Lumpur were under performing because they come from poor homes.

He said from his meetings with chairmen of parent-teacher associations of Tamil Schools he had gathered that there were still many Indian families living in abject poverty.

There are families which do not have even television sets. I can understand if people cannot afford Astro services. But not having a television set is something unheard of in our country,” he said at the launching of the SRJ (Tamil) Segambut annual sports event recently.

The MIC vice-president said there were a large number of pupils who could not afford to pay school fees.

“It is just RM24 per year and if their parents cannot afford even that then they must be given help,” Saravanan said, adding the well being of residents in the city was his ministry’s responsibility.

“We have the allocation but we want to have statistics to show their social economic standing,” he said.

He added that survey forms had been distributed to the chairmen of these PTAs and it would be cross-checked with another survey to be conducted by the Education Department.

Saravanan said the Education Ministry had been notified to conduct a similar survey.

“Only then we will know the financial situation of these poor families and the ministry will start making arrangements for them to receive allocations.

“My ministry has the allocation to eradicate poverty in the city and I will ensure the funds are channelled to hard-core poor families so that their children can do better at school,” he added.

A similar survey conducted last year by a non-governmental organisation (NGO) found that 42% of Tamil schools pupils in the country cannot read and write because they come poor homes.

About 10,000 Tamil school pupils attending Year One are illiterate because they can not afford to attend kindergarten.

source: http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2011/6/29/central/8983851&sec=central

 

 

SJKT Batu 14 Puchong fund for classrooms

July 3rd, 2011
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They got Rm150k from one MIC guy and RM130k from Selangor government. Still need about RM50k more. Don’t think MOE would give any money, so depends on makkal for support.

 

AFTER numerous attempts to raise funds for additional classrooms, SJK (T) Batu 14 finally received RM113,000 from the state government.

The school’s Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) chairman Murali Mathukrayan received the cheque from Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo last Saturday.

Of that amount, RM3,000 will be given to 200 poor students who could not afford school fees.

According to Murali, the school desperately needs the extra classrooms as the number of students has doubled from 700 to 1,400 over the 10 years.

“We had to use the school labs and the library as makeshift classrooms.

“Over the years, we have been applying for funds to build classrooms from the Education Ministry but we only received a letter from them stating that ‘the application will be considered’.

“It costs RM330,000 to build eight classrooms. We received RM150,000 from an individual from MIC,” he said, adding that the remaining amount would be raised through fundraising efforts.

Gobind said it was a collective responsibility to ensure that there are sufficient facilities for schoolchildren.

“I would also like to call upon other PTAs in need of funds to come forward, we will help if we can,” he said.

source: http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2011/6/29/central/8978938&sec=central

 

TEKUN recipients in KL

June 10th, 2011
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Rm320k / 37 recipients = average RM8648 per person.  Was wondering when the TEKUN loan recipients was announced.

 

BEAUTICIAN Stephanie Reavathi Marimuthu has been wanting to upgrade her beauty business in Lebuh Ampang, Kuala Lumpur for a long time.

The 35-year-old is now able to do so after receiving a RM15,000 loan from the Economy Funds Venture Group (Tekun) under the Young Indian Entrepreneurs Scheme (Spumi) recently.

“I wanted to upgrade and enhance my business into an academy status, but I was not able to because of lack of funds.

“We need money to buy the right tools for teaching. Now with this loan, I will be able to move forward,’’ she said.

Dental technical support assistant Benedict Soosai also received a loan of RM7,000 to upgrade his business.

The 37-year-old said he was grateful for the loan which he would channel towards buying dental spare parts for his business.

Stephanie, Benedict and 35 other young entreprenuers received their cheques from Deputy Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister Datuk M. Saravanan at Kuala Lumpur City Hall recently.

A total of RM320,000 was distributed to young entreprenuers and petty traders doing business in KL.

Saravanan said the scheme was introduced by the Government to help Indian traders obtain micro credit loan to upgrade their business.

He said the scheme was introduced in 2008 and RM18mil have been disbursed to poor traders.

source: http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2011/6/4/central/8818559&sec=central