Finance Minister urges alumni groups to boost school support

KUALA LUMPUR — Finance Minister Amir Hamzah has appealed to alumni bodies nationwide to increase their financial and material support for schools, citing enhanced tax relief measures unveiled in the 2027 budget as an opportunity to boost educational funding.

The tax incentives are designed to encourage former students and alumni organisations to channel more resources back to their alma maters, addressing persistent funding challenges faced by many educational institutions across the country.

Among the measures introduced, the government has expanded deductions available to individuals and corporations making donations to educational institutions, making it more financially attractive for alumni to contribute towards school development projects, infrastructure improvements, and student assistance programmes.

The move reflects the government's strategy to leverage private-sector engagement and community participation in strengthening Malaysia's education system, reducing the burden on public funds while fostering stronger ties between schools and their graduates.

Educational stakeholders have generally welcomed the initiative as a practical step toward securing additional revenue streams for schools, particularly those in underserved communities that struggle to maintain adequate facilities and programmes through government allocations alone.

Photo: Second Finance Minister Amir Hamzah Azizan (right) receives Japanese Ambassador Takahashi in Kuala Lumpur, August 2024. Embassy of Japan in Malaysia via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).