Latest news with #SabahStateEducationFund
Borneo Post
3 days ago
- Borneo Post
She just wanted to eat 'kek batik' - Mother recalls final moments with daughter
Noraidah showing a portrait of her daughter.-Information Department photo SIPITANG (July 22): Noraidah Lamat recalled that her daughter, Zara Qairina Mahathir, had always asked for 'kek batik' in the weeks before her death. 'For about a month, she kept asking for 'kek batik'. I prepared it in two or three containers — one for her, one for her friends, and one for her roommates,' said Noraidah at their home in Kampung Kalamauh, about 7km from Sipitang town, on Monday. 'She always wanted to eat out, but at home, it was always kek batik. In fact, the Sunday before she returned to her hostel, she cooked roti telur (egg bread). That was the last meal she made at home,' added the 45-year teacher whose daughter passed away last Thursday after she fell from a third-floor dormitory in Papar a day earlier. 'I was surprised… she was about to leave for her hostel but still wanted to cook for us.' Although she was puzzled by Zara's unusual request to return late to the hostel that day, Noraidah who teaches at a primary school in Sipitang, still reminded her daughter to follow the hostel rules. 'Normally, I would take her back by 11am and arrive there around 1 or 2pm, but that day she said, 'Mama, Zara will go back late this Sunday, okay?' I told her, that's too late. The hostel's latest check-in time is 3 30pm.' Noraidah shared her heartbreaking memories when Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif visited her home on Monday and presented RM10,000 from the Sabah State Education Fund (TPNS) alongside other aid. Arifin was joined by Yayasan Sabah director Datuk Ghulam Haidar Khan Bahadar and Qhazanah Sabah chairman Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob. On her daughter's decision to enrol in boarding school, Noraidah said it had been Zara's own wish. 'She wanted it. Many of her friends were in boarding schools, and she idolised me — she always imagined the joy of living in a hostel,' she said. Noraidah reaffirmed her full cooperation with the police and called for a transparent, fair, and thorough investigation into her daughter's tragic death. The incident, which has since gone viral, sparked widespread outrage and speculation that Zara – a top-performing student – may have jumped from the third floor due to bullying. Arifin, who is the State Education Exco, on Sunday assured that full cooperation will be given to police investigating the tragic death. Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek had earlier expressed condolences, visited the family at the hospital, and pledged the ministry's full cooperation with authorities.
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- New Straits Times
Mother seeks transparent probe into daughter's death in school dormitory
SIPITANG: "I want a transparent, fair and just investigation." These were the words of Noraidah Lamat, the mother of Form One student Zara Qairina Mahathir, who recently died after allegedly falling from the third floor of a school dormitory building. The incident involving the student from Sipitang has also been linked to bullying among students at the school. Noraidah, 45, a teacher, recounted that the last time she met her only daughter was during a school gotong-royong (communal work) programme on July 12. "On that Saturday (July 12), the school held a gotong-royong. My daughter really wanted me to attend. Before that, she had called using a public phone and said, 'Mama, please come'. "I joked with her that I'm not good at gotong-royong. But the next morning, I left Sipitang at about 9am. "Only a few people were there for the programme, so she was very happy. After the gotong-royong ended, we went straight back to Sipitang," she said. The following Sunday, she sent Zara back to the dormitory. "I didn't notice anything unusual; she was still her usual enthusiastic self," she said. Noraidah further said that on the same Saturday, Zara spent the evening at the Esplanade Public Park playing games with her friend until 7pm. "I picked them up after that and we went home. The next day, I sent her back to the hostel. "When we were about to leave for the dorm, she said she wanted to go back a bit later than usual. But I didn't suspect anything. Around 1pm, I told her we had to leave. The latest she could arrive was by 3.30pm," she said when met at her home today. Noraidah also recalled that on Sunday, before returning to the dorm, Zara cooked egg bread. "That was the last meal she brought and cooked at my house. I found it strange at the time. She cooked it for us," she said. Originally from Kampung Naluyan, Noraidah expressed hope that the investigation into her daughter's death would be carried out transparently and fairly. Sabah Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif, who visited Noraidah today, also presented a RM10,000 contribution from the Sabah State Education Fund (TPNS), in addition to other cash assistance. Also present were Qhazanah Sabah Berhad chairman and Sindumin assemblyman, Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob, and Yayasan Sabah director, Datuk Ghulam Haidar Khan Bahadar. Meanwhile, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek, in a separate development, expressed condolences and visited the family at the hospital to ensure all their needs were met and their welfare looked after. In a statement, she said the Education Ministry (KPM) would fully cooperate with the authorities in the ongoing investigation. Papar police chief Superintendent Kamaruddin Ambo Sakka had said police were conducting a thorough investigation to determine the cause of Zara's death.
Daily Express
4 days ago
- Daily Express
Mother urges fair probe into daughter's death at hostel
Published on: Monday, July 21, 2025 Published on: Mon, Jul 21, 2025 By: Hayati Dzulkifli Text Size: Arifin presents the contribution to Noraidah while others look on. SIPITANG: The mother of 13-year-old Zara Qairina, who died after being found with serious injuries beneath her school dormitory block, has urged for a transparent and fair investigation. Zara's mother, Noraidah Lamat, 45, said she had cooperated fully with the police and recorded her statement twice. Advertisement Noraidah, who is also a primary school teacher, told reporters that she could not comment further while police investigations involving her were still ongoing. Zara, her only child, had been eager to experience hostel life at her Islamic secondary boarding school in Papar, inspired by her mother's own school memories. Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif, who is also in charge of the State's education matters, and local leaders visited the family home in Mesapol on Monday to offer condolences and deliver contributions, while police continue their inquiry into the case. During the visit, Arifin presented a mock cheque for RM10,000 from the Sabah State Education Fund (TPNS) and also gave a personal contribution to Noraidah. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
15-07-2025
- Science
- Daily Express
Education aid for 170 top scoring students
Published on: Tuesday, July 15, 2025 Published on: Tue, Jul 15, 2025 Text Size: The students in a group photo after receiving the aid. Kota Kinabalu: More than 170 students received assistance from the Sabah State Education Fund (TPNS) in line with the Sabah Maju Jaya Development Plan's objective of developing human capital. The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Datuk Dr Arifin Mohd Arif, said the award is part of a government initiative approved by the Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor. Advertisement 'Today, we are distributing TPNS assistance and State government initiatives to more than 170 recipients, including 74 outstanding STPM students who achieved a perfect score of 4.0. 'The Chief Minister commends the students' achievements and each student who earned a perfect 4.0 GPA received RM1,000. 'One student from SMK Kota Klias, Beaufort, stood out at the national level in STPM and awarded RM3,000 for their outstanding performance. 'We are also proud to present contributions to 20 students who achieved excellent results in the Malaysian University English Test (Muet). Each student received RM1,000, as it is no easy feat to excel in this examination,' he said when met by the media after the Sabah State Education Fund Honorarium Presentation Ceremony for Outstanding STPM and Muet Students 2024 at Dewan Saadah, Wisma Muis. At the same event, 22 students received TPNS contributions for successfully pursuing their studies at the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) level, in addition to the presentation of the Anak Sabah Excellence Award (Aksa) and the Bistari Award. 'We've recently added a new initiative called Bayu, which provides RM150 in Muet exam fee assistance to 8,000 students, bringing the total aid close to one million ringgit. 'This means those who sit for the Muet examination will no longer have to pay the fees themselves, as these will be covered by the government,' he said. 'To date, we have spent over RM13 million for more than 10,000 students through the Sabah State Education Fund. It is estimated that this year alone, we have allocated RM74 million for 14 initiatives, which we refer to as Bagus, Budi, Baik, Bisbah and Bakti, among others.' He added that the State government continuously increases allocations for human capital development to ensure balanced growth is achieved. Also present at the event were the Director of Yayasan Sabah, Datuk Seri Ghulamhaidar @ Yusof Khan Bahadar; Assistant Minister of Finance, Datuk Tan Lee Fat; Director of the Sabah State Education Department, Datuk Raisin Saidin; and Chief Executive Officer of the Sabah Islamic Religious Council (Muis), Datuk Ramlan Awang Ali. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
09-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
RM1.33 billion for human capital
Published on: Thursday, July 10, 2025 Published on: Thu, Jul 10, 2025 Text Size: Hajiji (second right) poses for a photo with Tokoh Kepimpinan award recipient Mohd Zaini Yanin (left) and Tokoh Guru award recipient Teo Poo Siang. Tuaran: The State Government continues to reinforce its commitment to strengthening the education sector in Sabah, having allocated more than RM1.33 billion towards human capital development since 2021. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said education remains a top priority for the State Government, in line with the Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) Development Plan. He said between 2021 and 2024, the State Government channelled RM848.26 million for various forms of educational assistance, including the Sabah State Education Fund (TPNS) and the Sabah State Government Scholarship (BKNS), in addition to RM485 million specifically for human capital development. According to him, a total of 14 new initiatives have also been implemented from 2021 to 2025, involving an allocation of RM164.14 million and benefiting 210,918 students. He said among the initiatives were the Sabah Student Airfare Subsidy, the Contribution for Higher Education Student In Sabah (Sentosa), the Computer Assistance Initiative (Baik) and the IPT Registration Cash Aid (Budi). 'All these initiatives are aimed at easing the financial burden of parents and students while enhancing access to quality education for Sabahan youths,' he said when officiating the 3rd State-Level School Management Appreciation Ceremony (MAPenS) 2025 at Dewan Seri Sulaman, here, Wednesday. Hajiji said to meet future labour market needs, the State Government had established the Sabah TVET Council (MTS) in May as a strategic move to coordinate more than 160 technical and vocational training institutions across the State. He added that the State Government had also provided cash assistance of RM1,000 to 146 outstanding STPM 2024 students and RM3,000 to a Sabahan student who excelled at the national level. 'The outstanding achievements of these students reflect the continuous efforts, dedication of teachers, support from parents and the effectiveness of our education system,' he said. He said Sabahan students' performance in the 2024 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination also showed encouraging improvement, with the State Average Grade (GPN) rising to 5.00 compared to 5.09 the previous year. He called on all teachers to continue demonstrating commitment, sincerity and dedication in fulfilling their responsibility as educators to children across every corner of Sabah. Hajiji said the third edition of MAPenS, organised by the State Education Department, brought together educators from across the State to celebrate excellence in school management and to honour high-performing teachers. 'This ceremony is highly meaningful as it recognises the service and contributions of educators. This recognition is not merely symbolic but serves as motivation for all teachers and administrators to continue upholding the quality of education in Sabah,' he said. He also expressed his appreciation to the recipients of the Tokoh Guru and Tokoh Kepimpinan awards presented at the event. He said the recognition symbolises respect for the dedication, sacrifices and extraordinary commitment of educators in shaping future generations. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
