Half way to school

AIMING to improve access to education for needy children in remote areas of Sarawak, Yayasan 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) recently launched a programme to build and repair the rumah arau of the state’s primary schools, which also take in pre-schoolers.

The rumah arau are halfway houses located near schools, where pre-schoolers who live too far away for a daily commute can seek temporary shelter during the school week.

Most of the shelters in existence are in dilapidated conditions and are inconducive for the young children and their mothers who accompany them there.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who also chairs Yayasan 1MDB’s Board of Trustees, recently launched the pilot project to repair the rumah arau for SK Nanga Encheremin, Kapit and SK Lusong Laku, Belaga.

In a community event held at Nanga Tada, Kanowit, Najib presented cheques of RM100,000 to both schools to finance the repairs.

Work on the two houses will be carried out via community involvement, while repair and construction of 11 other rumah arau will be carried out in stages.

1MBD chief executive officer, Shahrol Halmi, who also sits on the foundation’s Board of Trustees, hoped that this initiative by Yayasan 1MDB will make a difference to the lives of the pre-schoolers.

“The formative pre-school year is vital for children and we intend to give a good headstart to them by providing a place to stay during the school week, without having to worry about a leaky roof or crumbling walls.

“They deserve some peace of mind when staying at the halfway house so they can concentrate on their studies instead,” he said.

Najib also announced an annual schooling aid from Yayasan 1MDB for needy Sarawakian students, and presented the aid to 20 students at the event.

Yayasan 1MDB will work with the Sarawak Education Department in identifying 162 primary and 315 secondary school students who are eligible to receive this aid.

Selected primary pupils will each receive RM450 per year, while RM600 a year will be given to each selected secondary school students.

The schooling aid will be reviewed at the end of each academic year.