GLCs should support UMS Student Kitchen to help underprivileged students – Yazid

3 January 2026

KENINGAU: The Chairman of the Bingkor Community Welfare Association, Yazid Mohd Hasnan Tawik@Charles, has expressed support for the call by the Sabah Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Datuk James Ratib, for government-linked companies (GLCs) to come forward with contributions to support the Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) Student Kitchen initiative.

He said the initiative is highly appropriate in helping to ease the burden on students, particularly those from underprivileged rural backgrounds who are affected by the rising cost of living and food prices.

“The Student Kitchen programme not only provides basic food necessities for students, but also reflects the concern of the state government and the university for student welfare,” he said in a statement today.

Yazid, who is also the Chairman of the Liaison Committee of the Sabah Retired Educators Association (PMPS) for the Keningau District, also praised the commitment of Datuk James Ratib, who not only mobilised early support from several GLCs under his ministry, but also made a personal contribution of RM30,000 to ensure the continuity of the programme.

According to him, such action should serve as an example and a catalyst for more GLCs and capable companies to jointly play their role through corporate social responsibility (CSR) for the welfare of students.

He also supported efforts to expand the implementation of the Student Kitchen to the UMS Labuan and UMS Sandakan campuses so that its benefits can be felt more widely by students throughout Sabah.

“Initiatives such as this are a long-term investment in the development of the state’s human capital and deserve continuous support from all parties,” he said.