ECONOMIC CRISIS NOT A HINDRANCE TO SPONSOR STUDENTS

TEMERLOH (Malaysia), Jan 31 (Bernama) -- Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA), an
agency under The Ministry of Entrepreneur And Cooperative Development, will not
cease providing sponsorship for students to pursue studies overseas despite the
current world economic crisis.

Deputy Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Minister Saifuddin Abdullah
said the current economic situation would not curtail efforts by MARA to produce
more professionals in the country.

"Instead, MARA will increase the number of its students for overseas
studies, especially in the field of engineering, medical, research and
development (R&D) and accountancy," he told reporters after presenting awards to
506 students in east coast district of Temerloh here Saturday.

He said currently, there were more than 10,000 MARA-sponsored students in
universities abroad and they included those taking automotive, computer and
information technology courses in Germany, France, United Kingdom, Japan and
South Korea.

"MARA has sufficient allocation to sponsor its students overseas and is
working to send at least a student every year to pursue studies in renowned
universities like Harvard and Yale in the United States of America, Oxford and
Cambridge in the United Kingdom and the University Of Tokyo in Japan," he added.

In another development, Saifuddin, who is Temerloh Member of Parliament,
said he would work with the Temerloh district education office to organise
programmes aimed at producing more students who would excel in major
national-level examinations.
-- BERNAMA