Malaysia: Living Allowance for Form Six Students to Be Paid from Next Year, 90,000 Students to Receive a Total of RM2,500 Each
The Malaysian government announced on October 26 that Form Six students will receive a living allowance totaling RM2,500 over three semesters starting from the first semester of next year, at about RM800 per semester. Minister of Education Fadhlina Sidek said the government will begin disbursing the allowance once all Form Six students have completed registration. The measure is expected to benefit 90,000 Form Six students, with the allowance amount on par with that for matriculation program students, in the hope of easing students' burdens and improving the quality of the Malaysian Higher School Certificate. Form Six is the final stage of secondary education in Malaysia; after completing the Form Six curriculum and passing the Higher School Certificate examination, students can apply to local universities or overseas institutions with their results. For many families, expenses during the Form Six stage - study materials, transport, meals and the like - are an ongoing burden, and the living allowance will help relieve financial pressure and let students focus more on their studies. Setting the allowance at the same level as for matriculation students also reflects fair treatment for students on different pathways to higher education. It should be noted that the specific disbursement timing will depend on registration progress; students and parents should watch for subsequent arrangements announced by the Ministry of Education and schools, and complete registration procedures in time to avoid missing a disbursement batch. Meanwhile, other livelihood news in Malaysia on October 26 included: government hospital outpatient fees remain unchanged, with general outpatient visits continuing to cost RM1 and specialist outpatient visits, including psychiatry, remaining at RM5; the Ministry of Health currently has no plans to adjust fees, and public healthcare is mainly supported by taxation, so the low-fee system will continue as long as the government continues to support the existing policy.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 吉隆坡坤成中学（资料图）。摄影：CEphoto, Uwe Aranas，CC BY-SA 3.0，取自 Wikimedia Commons。Photo: Kuen Cheng High School, Kuala Lumpur (file photo). Credit: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
