Students receive BCNS

6 August 2024

KOTA KINABALU: Eighty-eight students received state government scholarships, namely the Sabah State Excellent Scholarship Award, the Sabah State Government Excellent Scholarship Award, and the MUIS Award.

The Sabah State Excellent Scholarship (BCNS) is a prestigious accolade bestowed by the state government to recognise the academic excellence of students in the region.

Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor, the Chief Minister and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Sabah Foundation said awarding the BCNS aligns with the state government's vision, facilitated by the Sabah Foundation Group, to nurture a pool of talent capable of competing on the global stage.

Since its inception in 1990, the Sabah Foundation Group has been responsible for administering this esteemed scholarship.

To date, 755 students have benefited from the program, with a total expenditure of RM132.6 million since its commencement.

"Overall, from 1967 to 2023, the Sabah Foundation Group has spent RM704.5 million on scholarships, study grants, and higher education loans, benefiting 44,075 students from Sabah.

He said this during the 35th Sabah State Excellent Scholarship Presentation Ceremony at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) here on Tuesday.

In related developments, he mentioned that the implementation of the Sabah State Excellent Scholarship Award (BCKNS), which began in 2022, is in line with the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) development plan, where the scholarship is aimed at enhancing the academic standards of Sabah's local children.

"From 2022 to 2023, a total of 20 students have benefited from this program, with an expenditure of RM 1.04 million. Meanwhile, the MUIS Award, which started in 2020, has benefitted 50 students until last year," he said.

He stated that in 2023, the state government increased the allocation for the Sabah State Government Scholarship (BKNS) from RM50 million to RM101 million.

A total of 7,304 students have received sponsorship to pursue studies both domestically and internationally this year.

He also mentioned that the state government is committed to empowering human capital development through various educational financing initiatives, including scholarships, educational assistance, zakat contributions, and education loans in the state.

"In addition to helping alleviate the burden on parents, the various initiatives provided by the government are also aimed at ensuring that children are not left behind in the education system and can pursue higher education.

This aligns with the state government's goal of prioritising education to develop a competitive, skilled, and high-quality human capital. It is only through knowledge, skills, and higher education that our children can compete, succeed, and contribute to the development of society and the state," he said.