Community fund to help upgrade vernacular schools in Malaysia

Updated on: Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Top Malaysian businessmen have come together to set up a welfare fund to boost the quality of education in the country, a move which will greatly benefit local Tamil schools and other vernacular learning institutions.

Calling it a "very creative approach", Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak lauded the businessmen for setting up the fund noting that the "Community Chest was a creative solution and approach to help the education sector develop even further."

"We have always said that access to quality education is something that needs to be strengthened. And in principle this has been seen today," Najib said launching the scheme here.

"The future of Malaysia is in its people and the only way to develop our people is to ensure they have the right education," the premier noted.

The fund will help upgrade vernacular and mission schools in the country.

The Prime Minister said the Government needed the private sector's help to raise funds and ensure quality education for all as there were many schools in the country.

The Government, said Najib, placed high priority on education, which receives about a third of all allocations.

Stressing that education was vital to the future of Malaysia, the premier said the country must continue to invest in education.

The Chest's board of trustees are all well-established community leaders.

The fund will be managed by a board of trustees and chaired by Genting Malaysia chairman and chief executive Lim Kok Thay.

The foundation started its work by giving out RM 26.1 million in assistance to 61 schools.

The Community Chest promises to dispense at least RM 100 million yearly to Chinese, Tamil and mission schools, and other learning institutions which apply for assistance from it.

The funds will be used to repair leaking roofs, windows and ceilings, and build new classrooms, laboratories and multi-purpose halls.

Lim told reporters that The Community Chest would not rely on funding from the Government.

The Community Chest is expected to help ease the burden and speed up the development of Chinese and Tamil schools.

Multi ethnic Malaysia is made up of majority Malays and the two main minority communities are ethnic Indians and ethnic Chinese.

Community fund to help upgrade vernacular schools in Malaysia

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