Yahya and invited guests with the recipients of the One Place Mall education fund.
PUTATAN: Four pupils from SK Kaingaran in Ranau were among the 120 recipients from 20 schools of the One Place Mall Education Fund which was distributed here yesterday.
For 11-year-old Clarence Cius, being chosen as a recipient was very meaningful as the sponsorship that he received will help ease his parents’ burden of education expenses for him and his two other siblings.
“I know that there are many other students who have applied for this assistance but I am thankful that luck was on my side and I was chosen,” he said when met after receiving the sponsorship from Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Yahya Hussin at One Place Mall, yesterday.
His father Cius Lapius Sorali, 43, said to some people the sponsorship might not mean much but to his family whose livelihood depended on agricultural products, the financial assistance received by Clarence was really appreciated.
Cius said when he applied for the sponsorship on Clarence’s behalf, he was not really putting much hope in his son being chosen.
“But when we were informed that Clarence was one of the lucky pupils, we were really thankful to One Place Mall for its assistance,” he said, adding that their gratitude also goes to those who helped to arrange for their transport and accommodation here.
Cius disclosed that the sponsorship would be used to pay for his children’s school fees as well as to purchase what they needed for school, and added that Clarence’s younger siblings were in primary school and pre-school, respectively.
Meanwhile, Yahya in his speech said he would like to see One Place Mall’s efforts through its CSR emulated by other bodies and agencies in the private sector as it is in line with the State Education Department’s objective to improve the education performance in Sabah.
The education fund set up by One Place Mall reflects how important education is to the company and it also shows that not only the government but also the private sector is paying attention to the need of improving the education level in the state, he opined.
Yahya who is also Petagas assemblyman also reminded Malaysians in Sabah to remain united and ensure that the turmoil affecting other countries do not happen in Sabah.
Also present at the event were Putatan member of parliament Datuk Dr Marcus Mojigoh, One Place Mall Education Fund president Poh Wing Hiung, Putatan Chambers of Commerce president Frankie Liew and local community leaders.