TAPAH, Aug 16 (Bernama) -- A total of 45 university students from B40 families in the Tapah parliamentary constituency have received laptops under an assistance programme that has benefited more than 1,000 students since its inception in 2008.
Tapah Member of Parliament Datuk Seri M. Saravanan said this year’s recipients comprised 30 diploma students, five certificate-level students, four matriculation students and three degree students, as well as one student each from the SPM, STPM and foundation programme levels.
“Laptops are no longer merely an added convenience but have become a basic necessity for university students, particularly those from B40 families, as learning methods increasingly rely on digital technology.
“Therefore, we ensure that the B40 group, especially in the Tapah constituency, receives this assistance,” he told reporters after the Tapah Parliamentary Constituency Student Laptop Handover Programme at the Mahatma Gandhi Hall here today.
Saravanan said the initiative is continued this year to ensure students from B40 families do not fall behind in their studies due to financial constraints in obtaining the necessary equipment.
He said the recipients were selected by a committee that assessed each application, including by obtaining information from the District Education Office (PPD) and local community leaders, to ensure the assistance reached those who are genuinely eligible.
Saravanan also noted that improved access to education had contributed to a growing number of Orang Asli youths from the Tapah parliamentary constituency pursuing higher education and entering professional fields.
“I am proud that over the past 20 years, we have seen Orang Asli youths becoming doctors, lawyers and professionals. This will inspire those who are previously left behind,” he said.
Laptop recipient Aidil Iskandar Ramlan, 18, said the device would be invaluable as he prepares to begin his Diploma in Public Administration at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Raub, Pahang, next month.
The former student of SMK Syeikh Abdul Ghani, Bidor, said he would use the laptop to complete assignments and carry out various study-related activities.
“This assistance is a huge financial help as my parents do not have to spend a large amount of money to buy a laptop. It eases my family’s burden,” said Aidil, whose father works as a security guard at a secondary school while his mother is a homemaker.
Another recipient, Ea Endry Iana Aslan, 19, said she would use the laptop for her Diploma in Early Childhood Education studies at FELCRA College.
“This laptop helps lighten my family’s burden and makes things easier for me as a student who would otherwise struggle to afford one. I am grateful to Saravanan for helping to ease my family’s burden,” she said.
-- BERNAMA