By Amar Shah Mohsen
SHAH ALAM, March 17 — Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari has described education as one of the key pillars that can help drive the state’s economy forward.
Addressing some 1,500 educators in the state at an iftar programme today, Amirudin pointed out that his government has always ensured that education is included in every aspect of administration.
“In fact, in our manifesto ahead of the state election last year, one of our pledges was on stimulating development in Selangor, and education is a core component to that,” he said in his speech at Dewan Raja Muda Musa, Kompleks Belia dan Kebudayaan Selangor, here.
“This is because I believe that to properly drive the country and state’s economy, it’s not just about getting investors in or ensuring robust economic activities. It’s also about preparing the perfect educational environment for our children.”
Amirudin, who is in charge of the education portfolio in Selangor, went on to explain that every economic activity requires job opportunities to be viable.
“This is why education is an important pillar for the state government in every matter, including economic and social development,” he said.
Later in his speech, Amirudin emphasised the importance of educators in helping to guide the future generation achieve excellence, particularly after the Covid-19 pandemic that saw prolonged lockdowns.
He said while it is true that the national economy had been hit hard by the health crisis, similarly affected were the students’ education.
“I believe teachers, too, faced the impact of the pandemic, but you have the responsibility to nurture the future generation of students.”
Amirudin said the state government is also prepared to offer whatever assistance deemed necessary to ensure no students are left behind.
He said it is with this in mind that the state government introduced the Selangor People’s Tutoring Programme (PTRS), a free tuition programme to help students from lower income families, among other initiatives.
“When we introduced the programme, it was exclusively for Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) candidates. We then expanded it to include Form 4 students and even primary school pupils with illiteracy.
“This is what we should be doing for the education sector. The state is ready to look at all aspects, not just to ensure outstanding achievements in terms of grade, but also to produce future youths with good personalities and attitudes.”
Amirudin added that as an MP, he would also use all available avenues, including through Parliament, to share the voices of students and educators.
Today’s event was also attended by Selangor Islamic Religious Department director Datuk Shahzihan Ahmad and Menteri Besar Selangor (Incorporated) chief executive officer Saipolyazan Mat Yusop.
During the ceremony, Amirudin handed over cheques valued at RM840,000 as donation to 840 parent-teacher associations in Selangor.
He also distributed certificates of appreciation to PTRS committee members.
