KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 31 — The National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) contributed zakat (tithe) to 17,800 asnaf (eligible for tithe) students in 178 selected areas this year in collaboration with the Community Development Department (Kemas).
PTPTN chairman Dr Apli Yusoff said the zakat was channelled through the ‘Kembara Keluarga Simpan SSPN 2022’ initiative which seeks to help asnaf students as well as to encourage them to start saving for their higher education.
“This programme is one of PTPTN’s CSR (corporate social responsibility) initiatives in the form of an SSPN Prime Savings account with a total allocation of RM1.78 million,” he said in a statement today.
Apli said as an agency under the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) PTPTN always supports efforts to elevate the country’s higher education sector by implementing various incentives and integrated high-impact programmes to help students and the community.
PTPTN also provides living expenses aid under the MOHE-PTPTN Prihatin Study Assistance programme where a total of RM142,000 has been channelled to 284 needy students at institutes of higher learning across the country.
According to him, in total, PTPTN had assisted 3.77 million students to pursue higher education by providing study loans amounting to RM68.22 billion as of Nov 30.
“PTPTN also helps students make early preparations to enrol in IPTA (public institutes of higher learning) and polytechnics by providing loan advance. A total of 960,882 students have received this benefit from 1999 until November this year with an allocation amounting to RM1.42 billion,” he said.
Moving forward, Apli added that PTPTN has put together several high-impact initiatives to expand its efforts in helping the community, especially relating to education, including exploring alternative sources of funding.
