KOTA KINABALU: A total of 97,635 applications for Phase 1 of "PerantiSiswa Keluarga Malaysia" (Malaysian Family Student Device) package have been approved so far, said Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad.

She said out of that number, there were 21,633 applications in Sabah, of which 3,748 had been approved and in the process of handing over the devices to the successful applicants.

"Application for PerantiSiswa Keluarga Malaysia Malaysian Family Apprenticeships was open since last April and screening began on Aug 29. Approval was given in stages and handing over of the devices to be done in three months.

"Therefore, I call on students of higher learning from B40 families who have not applied, to send their applications under phase 2 which is still open until Sept 30, 2022," she told this to reporters after handing over the device to 100 students at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) here today.

Noraini said the PerantiSiswa Keluarga Malaysia initiative played an important role in the government's efforts to support efforts to empower the Education Digitisation agenda.

"The handing over of the PerantiSiswa is a commitment by the Keluarga Malaysia government to ensure students do not fall behind, especially those from the B40 group and also in an effort to form the Malaysian Family digital community and bridge the digital gap between all groups in the country," she said.

-- BERNAMA