KOTA KINABALU, The Ministry of Higher Education (KPT), through Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), will match appropriate assistance to ensure that the educational costs and welfare of underprivileged students at the university are well taken care of. Deputy Minister Datuk Mustapha Sakmud said both the Federal and Sabah governments have provided various forms of aid for all students, which can be accessed through the university's Student Affairs Department (HEP). "This is not just for the case of Crisnanalina Jumis, 20, but for all students at institutions of higher learning," he said in a statement today, following viral news about Crisnanalina, a student from Paitan who faced financial difficulties in continuing her studies at UMS. Mustapha said UMS has informed them that Crisnanalina will be brought from her village and will register at UMS tomorrow (Friday). "We are doing our best to ease the registration process for students in need. In addition, the Yayasan Perkasa Siswa (YPS-KPT) foundation will provi de an initial study grant of RM1,000, which will be directly deposited into her account to help with early preparation for her studies. "Once again, I express my gratitude for everyone's concern. This caring spirit should be continued among the people, in line with the Ihsan (compassion) element of the Malaysia Madani vision. I wish Crisnanalina all the best in her university journey... and we at KPT are ready to assist," he added. Recently, it was reported on social media that Crisnanalina's dream of continuing her studies remained uncertain due to financial constraints. Despite being offered a place at UMS, her family could not afford the RM3,000 registration fee, with the deadline on Oct 14, as well as other related expenses. She also attempted to apply for a one-time financial aid from the state government through the website https://sabah.gov.my, but poor internet connectivity in her village made the application process difficult. Source: BERNAMA News Agency