More than 20,000 students from the B40 group at Public Higher Education Institutions (IPTA) throughout Sabah has benefited from the introduction of the Undergraduate Menu Rahmah (MSR) with meals priced at RM3.50.

They comprise 3,779 Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Kota Kinabalu Campus students and 161 from UiTM Tawau; 11,968 students at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS); and 3,713 students at the Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan Polytechnics respectively, the Higher Education Ministry (KPT) said in a statement today.

It said MSR was a KPT initiative to help ease the burden of living costs for students of Higher Education Institutions (IPT), especially from the B40 group to ensure that their welfare continues to be protected and that the learning and teaching process is not affected.

“The MSR programme at Sabah IPTAs involves the granting of a moratorium, exemption of premises rentals, and utility payments by the universities and polytechnics to 22 existing and new cafeterias, kiosks, stalls and food operators on campus.

“Food preparation also takes into account basic nutritional needs (carbohydrates, protein, fibre) and the diverse composition of students at the IPTs," the statement, issued in conjunction with an inspection of the MSR by Deputy Minister of Higher Education Datuk Mohammad Yusof Apdal at UiTM Kota Kinabalu here today.

Mohammad Yusof also presented a contribution of 1,000 kilogrammes of rice from KPT in support of the Students Affairs Kitchen Initiative, which provides free rice twice a day to students to enable them to save money by only buying side dishes in the cafeteria.

He then spent time mingling with the students in addition to breaking his fast and performing the Maghrib and Isyak prayers with the students.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency