Kuala lumpur: The Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW) has announced a special incentive of RM300 for all students under the Tuisyen Rakyat RISDA (Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority) programme who excelled in the 2024 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, in recognition of their achievements. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi highlighted that 884 participants in the programme achieved outstanding results, including 17 students who scored 11As, 16 students with 10As, and another 72 students who obtained 9As.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Ahmad Zahid expressed immense pride in the improved performance, noting an increase in the number of students scoring 5As and above from 654 in 2023 to 884 this year. This improvement is attributed to the collective efforts of students, parents, teachers, and the broader rural education ecosystem, including RISDA. He described the special incentive as a token of appreciation for the relentless efforts and fighting spirit of rural youth, emphasizing that the success of these RISDA students demonstrates that living in remote areas is no barrier to excellence.
Ahmad Zahid made these remarks at the Program Tuisyen Rakyat RISDA excellent student appreciation ceremony, attended by notable figures such as Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Rubiah Wang, Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) chairman Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, and RISDA chairman Manndzri Nasib. He highlighted the RISDA tuition programme’s role in the MADANI Government’s commitment to educational equity, benefiting 35,316 students since 2007 with an overall allocation of RM31.03 million.
The Deputy Prime Minister noted that last year, the government allocated RM3.51 million to support 3,015 rural students in taking the SPM examination, focusing on five core subjects: Bahasa Melayu, English, Science, Mathematics, and History. He also extended appreciation to the 1,005 teachers involved across 201 tuition centres nationwide, describing their dedication as the backbone of student success.
Furthermore, Ahmad Zahid elaborated on the growing number of rural students pursuing higher education in universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, which have become a top choice. He mentioned the encouraging response to the UP_TVET platform, launched in 2023, which offered 35,000 placements during the first intake and received over 125,000 applications by 2024. The employability rate of TVET graduates now stands at 95.1 percent, reflecting the industry’s increasing demand for technical skills.
He expressed pride in the University College of Agroscience Malaysia (UCAM), a RISDA-owned institution offering TVET pathways in modern agriculture and courses in business, estate management, food technology, and halal certification. Ahmad Zahid envisions UCAM as a game-changer and a leading force in agricultural TVET in Malaysia and the region.
Ahmad Zahid concluded by stating that KKDW envisions RISDA not just as an agency managing community output, but as a driver of rural transformation and social mobility.