Aid For Palestinian Students In Malaysia Does Not Involve Government Funds
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 12 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) has clarified that financial assistance for Palestinian students in Malaysia is entirely funded through public and corporate donations, with no government funds involved.
Malaysia's Deputy Minister Adam Adli Abdul Halim said the aid is channelled through the Humanitarian Trust Fund for the People of Palestine (AAKRP), which is administered by the Foreign Ministry.
“This assistance was established following the decision of the Cabinet on Nov 24, 2023, and I wish to emphasise that it does not involve government funding.
“Instead, it is disbursed to recipients from donations by the public and the corporate sector, with the Foreign Ministry managing the funds to ensure both collection and distribution are conducted transparently,” he said during a question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat (Lower House Parliament) on Thursday.
He was replying to a supplementary question from Pang Hok Liong (PH-Labis) regarding the rationale for providing aid to foreign students while there are still local B40 students in need.
Adam Adli added that contributors include the Yayasan Raja Zarith Sofiah, Johor Islamic Religious Council, Yayasan Al-Bukhary, Malaysian Relief Agency, and several foundations under higher education institutions (IPTs).
He explained that the fund is a special, one-off initiative.
He also said that as of Dec 31, 2024, a total of 375 Palestinian students actively enrolled in Malaysian IPTs have received assistance amounting to RM4.3 million, covering tuition fees and living expenses.
He said the disbursement is based on guidelines set by MOHE, namely the Assistance Guidelines and Terms for the Provision of Living Allowances to Palestinian students at public universities.
According to him, the fund is a special initiative aimed at easing the burden of students directly affected by the conflict and does not represent full government sponsorship for all Palestinian students in public universities.
“The government will ensure that all approved assistance is disbursed transparently, with accountability, and guided by humanitarian principles, in line with Malaysia’s commitment to global justice,” he said.
-- BERNAMA
