Hopes firms will sponsor needy students

The corporate sector can help poor students continue schooling, said Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.
He said he did not want these students to stop schooling especially during times of economic uncertainty.
"I truly hope to get the collaboration from all parties to make the educational programmes a success, especially in the outskirts. I do not want poverty to be the cause of our children not going to school," he said.
Hishammuddin said the ministry has taken several steps to counter the global inflation trend.
This included postponing projects that could not be completed within the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP), he said, adding that those affected included construction of school projects with land problems.
"The projects were put on hold pending solutions to the problems and the allocation can be used for more needy programmes such as the textbooks scheme," Hishammuddin, who is also Sembrong MP, told reporters at a community programme at Felda Ulu Penggeli here yesterday.
He said the additional allocation of RM1bil obtained after the Mid-Term Review of 9MP would be used in education-development projects, focusing on outskirt areas.
"We also make sure that the supplementary assistance such as food and tuition voucher schemes of nearly RM1bil per year go into the right hands," he said.
In Johor Baru on Saturday, Deputy Education Minister Dr Wee Ka Siong scoffed at speculation that the construction of SJK (C) Kulai 2 was halted.
He said his ministry was adjusting the cost due to the price hike on construction materials.
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