Soon Koh refutes allegations that UPP setting up education fund to help Chinese students only
MIRI: The multi-million education scholarship fund set up by United People Party (UPP) is open to any needy student from primary school up to university level in the state, regardless of race.
This was announced by UPP president Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh in clarifying the misunderstanding that the scholarship was only meant for Chinese students.
“The fund is for those needing financial assistance, with certain conditions attached, to students pursuing their studies from primary to tertiary education,” he said at a press conference after officiating at at Youth Entrepreneurs Seminar 2015 at the ParkCity Everly Hotel here yesterday.
The fund which was launched by Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud last month has received strong support from prominent entrepreneurs and businessmen and to date the collection drive has netted over RM30 million.
Wong who is also Second Finance Minister and Minister of Local Government and Community Development added that the donation drive was ongoing and UPP targeted to collect up to RM50 million.
“Successful candidates who manage to get the fund do not need to repay it,” he said.
Wong added that candidates would be subjected to strict vetting that included the monthly family income before it could be approved.
He expected the first batch of students to receive scholarships from the fund by next month.
Earlier in his speech, he congratulated the party central youth for organising the entrepreneur seminar to help more young people become successful entrepreneurs in the state. He thanked the relevant government departments and entrepreneurs who collaborated with his party’s Youth Wing in organising the seminar.
The main objective of the seminar, he pointed out was to help more people have a thorough understanding of the basic process of entrepreneurship, thereby reducing a lot of costly mistakes.
Also present were UPP deputy president Datuk Dr Jerip Susil who is also Assistant Minister of Public Health, UPP’s central youth chairman Dr Johnical Rayong Ngipa who is also Engkilili assemblyman, chairman of UPP Miri Region Datuk Hii King Chiong, and branch chairman and organising chairperson of Youth Central Walter Ting Hua Aik.