Estate Workers' Children Educational Fund

1. Fund is available for students from standard 1 to tertiary level
2. Estate students can apply through their schools
3. EWRF is ever ready to provide details about application for the fund

Selangor state government has set up an Estate Workers’ Children Educational Fund. This fund was launched by YAB Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad bin Badawi on 26 April 2007 in Ijok. The fund was set up to provide educational assistance to estate children in Selangor irrespective of race.

In line with the setting up of the fund, a meeting was held on 5 July 2007 at the State Government Secretariat Building, Shah Alam. This meeting was specially held for Tamil school heads, whose schools are located in the estates, to brief them on the function and utilization of the fund. Some 53 Tamil school headmasters/headmistresses participated in the meeting.

The meeting was chaired by YB Kamala Ganapathy, the State Executive Counselor cum the chairman of the fund board. Dato Dr Denison Jayasooria, Executive Director of YSS, Mr Syafik Afzan Bin Abu Kasim, Chief Assistant Director from State Economic Planning Unit, Mr Vallikannan, Selangor Tamil Schools coordinator and Mr Manikam Krishnan, Manager of EWRF also attended the meeting on behalf of the EWRF Executive Director.

YB Kamala Ganapathy, during the meeting said that, the Selangor state government has allocated RM 2 million for the fund for the first year. An additional RM 1 million will be allocated for the fund every year from next year onwards. She further elaborated that the state government is committed to uplift the educational standard of estate children. Hence the fund has been set up to provide assistance to deserving children either in the form of loans, scholarships or school accessories. The fund is also allocated for the infrastructure development of estate schools.

Kamala Ganapathy urged the Tamil school heads to identify the estate children in their schools so that the needy would stand a chance to receive assistance from the fund.

Mr Syafik Afzan Bin Abu Kasim explained the school heads in detail about the fund. He said that all estate children ranging from standard one to tertiary level can apply for the fund. The fund board will verify the applications one by one before approving assistance. The deserving students from standard 1 to form 6 are eligible for cash assistance or school accessories whilst students who are pursuing tertiary studies at any public higher learning institution can apply for loans or scholarships. He also said that the estate children can apply to this fund through their schools.

Since the fund is also available for the infrastructure development of estate schools, Yayasan Strategik Sosial (YSS) has been entrusted to undertake research on estate Tamil schools which need financial assistance for upgrading their facilities. With this regard, Datuk Dr Denison Jayasooria, Executive Director of YSS said that YSS has prepared a comprehensive questionnaire and given to school heads to collect data on those schools in need of upgrading their facilities.

Despite the fact that more than 80% of Indians live in urban areas, EWRF believes that the fund set up by the Selangor state government is still necessary as children from the estates would greatly benefit from it. EWRF is ever ready to provide details regarding applications for the fund to those who require it. For further details, kindly contact Mr Manikam Krishnan at 03-7727 2303. Also, you may contact YSS at 03-4041 5958.