SHAH ALAM, 18 MAY: A total of 110 students from three different Tamil schools (SJKT) in the state receives subsidy assistance for their bus fares in what is part of a first phase of assistance by the Selangor state government.
The three schools involved are SJK (T) Sungai Rambai, Kuala Selangor; SJK(T) Taman Permata, Dengkil and SJK(T) Batang Kali in Hulu Selangor especially for children of plantation workers.
The program has been planned since 2008 and chooses schools that are isolated and mainly targetting lower income families said state Executive Councillor in charge of Plantation Workers, Poverty and Concerned Government, V. Ganabatirau.
He said that every student that qualifies for the subsidy in the value of RM300 per person will be able to pay their bus fares for the period of 10 months.
“This program was set up especially for the children of plantation workers because we are well aware that these families do not have huge incomes.”
“This form of assistance is important for them as it well help ease the burden of these families in the face of the rising cost of living, “ he said at the first phase ceremony to hand over contribution of school bus fare subsidies of 2014 at the Lobby of the State Government Administrative building (SUK) here.”
Ganabatirau also requested that the Parents and Teachers Association (PIBG) to kindly apply for the assistance provided by the State Government as many of the association has yet to do so.
As of now,he said his department has only received up to 18 application for assistance from 97 Tamil schools (SJKT) that exist in the state.
“PIBG lacks the urgency to urge parents to apply for the assistance because the funds are not given directly to them but to the students involved.”
“Hence, I urge the PIBG to be pro-active in promoting the subsidy assistance so the program can continue in the future, ” he said.
The subsidy assistance by the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) Selangor is a program which is part of the State Government’s agenda to boost the economy of Selangor and mainly targets families with income below the rm1500 mark.
