Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said today the government offered a range of financial assistance to the people, especially the young, to pursue higher education.

The Prime Minister said the people must have a high level of education to enjoy a higher income and raise their standard of living.

"In Malaysia you have many educated people, but there those who have not pursued education to a higher level," he said in a recording on his blog.

Datuk Seri Najib said people who did not pursue higher education were those who were exposed to rising costs of living because they were unable to secure jobs with a higher income.

"Most of them face the problem of financial resources and lack awareness on the importance of pursing a higher level of education," he said.

Datuk Seri Najib said that generally the government bore 90 per cent of the cost of education at institutions of higher learning and the students only had to pay 10 per cent.

"For the low-income group, the government has made available much funding under the Ministry of Higher Education, among them Basic Financial Aid, Education Loan Fund, Community College Student Financial Aid and Disabled Persons Financial Aid.

"Also, under the Ministry of Higher Education, the government provided funding for all groups regardless of income level, such as MyBrainSc, Sub-specialist/Post-Doctoral and much more," he said.

Datuk Seri Najib said that for those who lived in the interior areas, the government had looked for them throughout the country and registered them in universities under programmes such as 'Changing the Destiny of the People'.

"As such, take advantage of these various assistance because only by raising the level of education can we improve our income and raise our standard of living," he said. - BERNAMA