SABAH SPECIAL FUNCTIONS OFFICE UPGRADED AS MINISTRY

SANDAKAN, Oct 9  (Bernama) -- The Special Functions Office under the Sabah Chief’s Minister’s Department has been rebranded as the Ministry of Special Functions and Coordination, effective immediately.

This was announced by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor at the State-Level Maulidur Rasul celebration, here, today.

"The State Cabinet meeting last Oct 5, agreed to rebrand the Special Functions Office. As a ministry now, it will coordinate educational matters and Islamic religious affairs in the state," he said.

When met by reporters, Special Functions Minister Datuk Mohd Arifin Arif expressed his thanks and appreciation for the status upgrading from office to ministry, whereby education and Islamic religious affairs in the state are the thrusts for human capital development and the people’s well-being.

"Hopefully, we will strive and make this ministry an effective one in line with its role,” he said.

Mohd Arifin also said that the state government had over 10 educational initiatives being implemented since last year with an allocation of more than RM35 million,.

“God willing, we (new ministry) will ask for an additional allocation this year to carry out new initiatives that will be announced (this month) from the education aspects by the Chief Minister," he added.

According to him, among the new initiatives were the establishment of the Sabah Undergraduates Secretariat to gather information on Sabah students at the tertiary institutions across the country and to hear their grouses and suggestions.

-- BERNAMA