Latest news with #UMS
Borneo Post
20 hours ago
- General
- Borneo Post
UMS, JSK Mantanani to strengthen marine biodiversity conservation
Dr Kasim (third right) with Johnny Wong holding the signed MoA. KOTA KINABALU (July 22): Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and JSK Mantanani Island Resorts Sdn Bhd have officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to boost collaborative efforts in marine biodiversity research and education focused on the Mantanani Islands. The agreement formalises a partnership that began in 2023 when JSK Mantanani took proactive steps to combat the persistent poaching of nesting sea turtles on the island. UMS Vice Chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Kasim Mansor said the MoU opens new avenues for joint research, technology development, knowledge transfer and specialised training between the university and industry partners. 'This partnership is about more than just conservation. It's about fostering a resilient, informed and science-led approach to marine stewardship,' he said during the signing ceremony at the university on Tuesday. Prompted by growing concerns over declining turtle populations, JSK sought technical advice from UMS, laying the groundwork for a structured conservation initiative. With guidance from UMS marine scientists, JSK successfully secured formal approval from the Sabah Wildlife Department to launch a turtle conservation programme. Several JSK staff members have since been trained and appointed as Honorary Wildlife Rangers, granting them legal authority to monitor beaches, relocate turtle nests and manage the JSK Turtle Hatchery. The initiative has already seen positive outcomes, with two green turtle (Chelonia mydas) nests protected so far, achieving a hatching success rate of over 90 per cent. In addition to JSK, four other industry players also signed MoU and Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with UMS. They are Sinar Majutera Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd, Osmosis Nutrition Sdn Bhd, Biocircular Technologies Sdn Bhd and VKL Enterprise. JSK Mantanani, Osmosis Nutrition and Biocircular Technologies will collaborate with the university's Borneo Marine Research Institute, while Sinar Majutera Travel & Tours will work with the Centre for Borneo Indigenous Studies and VKL Enterprise with the Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture. Present at the signing ceremony were JSK Mantanani Island Managing Director, Datuk Johnny Wong Chen Yee; Sinar Majutera Travel & Tours Managing Director, Datuk Seri Nasir Sakaran; Senior Manager of Osmosis Nutrition, Ng Weng Yee; Biocircular Technologies Managing Director, Lam Hua Wei and VKL Enterprise Managing Director, Sharizann Abdul Rahim.
The Star
2 days ago
- Science
- The Star
Penampang teachers take part in special dyscalculia workshop
KOTA KINABALU: A specialised workshop focused on dyscalculia intervention was held here over the weekend to enhance teachers' capacity to support pupils with specific learning difficulties in mathematics. Funded by the Malaysian National Commission for Unesco, the two-day programme was organised by Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) through its Faculty of Business, Economics and Accounting, led by Dr Christina Wong Sing Yun. Fifteen remedial teachers from Penampang took part in the session, where they gained practical tools and knowledge to better identify and assist students struggling with dyscalculia, a learning difficulty that impacts number sense, basic arithmetic and mathematical reasoning. A key highlight of the workshop was a session led by Dr Fu Sai Hoe, a dyscalculia researcher and remedial officer with the Sandakan Education Office. He introduced the Numi (numeracy intervention) framework based on cognitive learning theory and guided teachers through the "I do-we do-you do" model under the "reconnecting learning" approach. "Children with dyscalculia are often overlooked in classrooms. This initiative empowers teachers to ensure that no learner is left behind," said Fu. Wong underscored the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration in promoting inclusive education. "This workshop reflects our ongoing commitment to strengthening foundational numeracy skills, especially for learners who require targeted intervention," she said, while expressing appreciation to the Malaysian National Commission for Unesco for their continued support.
Daily Express
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Express
Record RM136 million for students: Chief Minister
Published on: Monday, July 21, 2025 Published on: Mon, Jul 21, 2025 Text Size: Mohd Arifin presents the Domestic Higher Education Student Contribution (SENTOSA) at the ceremony held at the Chancellor Hall, Universiti Malaysia Sabah on Sunday. Kota Kinabalu: The State Government continues to strengthen its commitment to higher education through various targeted initiatives, including the largest allocation to date — RM136 million — for the Sabah State Government Scholarships (BKNS) this year. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Haji Noor said the significant increase from RM50 million in 2020 reflects the government's determination to ensure access to higher education is available to all Sabahans, regardless of their socio-economic background. Advertisement 'This is a long-term investment by the government to develop a high-quality and competitive human capital. 'We do not want Sabah's youth to be left behind in education simply due to financial constraints,' he said during presentation ceremony for Sabah-Based Higher Education Students Aid Contribution (Sentosa) at the Chancellor Hall, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), on Sunday. His speech was delivered by State Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Datuk Dr Mohd Arifin bin Datuk Mohd Arif. Hajiji said 4,170 students would benefit from BKNS sponsorships this year, in line with the goals of the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) development policy to strengthen the education sector as a pillar of the state's progress. Hajiji who is also UMS Pro-Chancellor said that this year alone, the State Government has allocated RM77.5 million to implement 13 education aid initiatives, benefiting schools, Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), students from institutions of higher learning, as well as Sabah student associations both locally and abroad. He added that key initiatives include the one-off IPT Registration Cash Aid (BUDI), the Computer Assistance Program (BAIK), the Sabah Malaysian Student Secretariat (SEMESTA), and the Sabah Student Flight Ticket Assistance (GRS-SUBFLY). He said Yayasan Sabah has also played a significant role in educational development, allocating RM67.17 million last year, which benefited 3,234 students. Through the Sabah Islamic Religious Council (Muis) RM92.4 million was disbursed over the past five years via the Zakat and Fitrah Division, helping more than 48,000 students across the State. To ensure continued education support, the Sabah State Education Fund (TPNS), introduced in June 2022, has benefited nearly 10,104 recipients with a total expenditure of RM15.8 million to date. He said the Sentosa assistance program, launched in March at the Gaya Campus of the Institute of Teacher Education (IPG), involves a RM6 million allocation and targets approximately 20,000 Bumiputera Sabah students within the State. 'This assistance aims to ease students' financial burden, especially for basic necessities or returning home. It also reflects the government's strong commitment to ensuring no student is left behind in their educational journey,' he said. At the event, Hajiji handed out a one-time cash aid of RM300 per student under the Sentosa program to over 600 students, including 319 from UMS and 323 from Mahsa College Sabah, who had not previously received the aid. 'I hope the students will fully utilize the assistance provided and continue striving for excellence in their respective fields, for the future of the state and the nation,' he said. * 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
The Star
3 days ago
- Science
- The Star
Sabah allocates RM136mil in scholarships this year
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah has allocated RM136mil in scholarships this year, RM50mil more than in 2020, says Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor. 'I hope students will make good use of whatever funding they receive from the government and work hard to achieve academic excellence and to excel in their respective fields of study,' he said in his speech, which Sabah Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Mohd Arifin Arif read. His speech was delivered during the aid distribution for local university students under the Sentosa initiative at a ceremony held at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) near here on Sunday (July 20). He said 4,170 students are expected to benefit from the Sabah State Government Scholarship (BKNS) this year. At the event, RM300 one-off aid was given to 600 students, including 319 from UMS and 323 from the Sabah Mahsa College. Hajiji, who is UMS pro-chancellor, said this year, the state government had allocated RM77.5mil to implement 13 education-related initiatives.
Borneo Post
3 days ago
- Business
- Borneo Post
Sabah boosts higher education with RM136 million scholarship
Mohd Arifin presents the Domestic Higher Education Student Contribution (SENTOSA) at the ceremony held at the Chancellor Hall, Universiti Malaysia Sabah on Sunday. KOTA KINABALU (July 20): The State Government continues to strengthen its commitment to higher education development through targeted initiatives, including the highest-ever allocation of RM136 million this year for the Sabah State Government Scholarship (BKNS). Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor said the significant increase from RM50 million in 2020 to RM136 million this year reflects the government's determination to ensure that all Sabahans have access to higher education, regardless of their socio-economic background. 'This is the government's long-term investment in developing high-quality and competitive human capital. We do not want Sabah's children to be left behind in education simply because of financial constraints,' he said. His speech was delivered by Science, Technology and Innovation Minister cum Education Exco, Datuk Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif, during the presentation ceremony of the Sumbangan Mahasiswa Pengajian Tinggi Dalam Negeri Sabah (SENTOSA) at Dewan Canselor, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) on Sunday. Hajiji said a total of 4,170 students will benefit from BKNS sponsorships this year, in line with the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) policy, which positions education as a key pillar of the state's progress. He added that RM77.5 million has also been allocated this year for 13 educational aid initiatives, benefiting schools, Parent-Teacher Associations (PIBG), students in higher learning institutions (IPT), as well as Sabah student associations within and outside Malaysia. Among the key initiatives are the one-off Bantuan Tunai Pendaftaran IPT (BUDI), the Bantuan Ihsan Komputer (BAIK), the Sekretariat Mahasiswa Sabah Malaysia (SEMESTA), and the Bantuan Tiket Penerbangan Pelajar Sabah (GRS-SUBFLY). In addition, Yayasan Sabah contributed RM67.17 million last year for educational development, benefitting 3,234 students. Meanwhile, the Sabah Islamic Religious Council (MUIS), through its Zakat and Fitrah Division, has disbursed RM92.4 million over the past five years, helping more than 48,000 students. The Tabung Pendidikan Negeri Sabah (TPNS), introduced in June 2022, has assisted nearly 10,104 recipients, with a total expenditure of RM15.8 million. The SENTOSA aid programme, launched last March at IPG Gaya Campus, involves an allocation of RM6 million and aims to benefit 20,000 Bumiputera Sabah students in local higher education institutions. 'This assistance aims to ease students' financial burden, particularly for essential needs and travel costs. It also reflects the government's commitment to ensuring no student is left behind,' he said. At the event, Hajiji presented the one-off SENTOSA cash aid of RM300 each to over 600 students — comprising 319 from UMS and 323 from MAHSA College Sabah — who had not previously received the assistance. 'I hope the students will fully utilise the aid provided and continue striving for excellence in their respective fields for the future of the state and the nation,' he added.
