KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah State Scholarship (BKNS) will now offer scholarships to students pursuing foundation, matriculation and A-level studies beginning this year, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

“Apart from that, the scholarship allowance for all sponsored students currently studying in public and private universities will also be standardised,” he said.

He said the initiative was part of BKNS’s ongoing commitment to support the development of education in the state to ensure that more promising students gain access to higher education.

Speaking at the Sabah Excellence Scholarship Award presentation ceremony at the Sabah International Convention Centre here on Monday (July 21), Hajiji said this year, the State Government has allocated the highest amount for scholarships compared to previous years.

“From only RM50mil in 2020, the BKNS allocation has continued to increase year by year over the past five years, reaching RM136mil in 2025.

“This marks an increase of RM86mil from 2019, reflecting the state government’s commitment to supporting the education of Sabah’s children,” he added.

Hajiji said that the state government had made significant investments to implement various initiatives to develop education in the state, benefiting 13,550 students from 2021 to 2024.

Meanwhile, he noted that the Sabah Foundation Group’s commitment was evident, with an allocation of RM67.17mil for the education sector last year, benefiting 3,234 students.

“It represented a significant increase of 148.96% compared to only RM26.98mil in 2020, he said, adding that some 10,104 recipients benefited from the Sabah State Education Fund (TPNS) that he had launched in June 2022, involving a total expenditure of RM15.8mil.

The Chief Minister also disclosed that under the Sabah Islamic Religious Council (MUIS) Zakat and Fitrah division, more than 48,000 students across Sabah have benefited over the past five years, with a total expenditure of RM92.4mil.

Hajiji said the initiative will help to improve the education standards of Sabah’s children and support the development of quality human capital.

“We will continue to ensure that the people’s well-being is always protected and given due attention, regardless of their background.

“We want them to explore professional fields such as oil, gas and energy, technical and vocational education and training (TVET), as well as artificial intelligence (AI), to produce highly skilled and quality individuals from Sabah across various sectors,” he added.