SMK St Paul gets RM1mil for new furniture from YTL Foundation

SEREMBAN: The government-aided SMK St Paul here has received a RM1mil donation from YTL Foundation to buy new tables and chairs.

Seremban MP Anthony Loke handed over the donation to the school and said it was part of the YTL Group of Companies’ corporate social responsibility programme.

Loke, an old boy of SMK St Paul, said he was grateful for the donation as the school furniture was in need of replacing.

“As we all know, SMK St Paul or better known as St Paul’s Institution is a mission school and it needs donations to function properly as it does not receive full funding from the government.

“As an MP and an old boy, I just helped the school apply for the allocation and I am happy to have helped out,” he said after handing the cheque to school board of governors chairman Dr Bob Samuel on Thursday (Jan 4).

Loke said many old boys have helped the school with funding and this includes ECM Libra’s Datuk Lim Kian Onn and his friends who paid for the construction of the school hall.

Loke said he also wanted to help out as the school was in his constituency.

“Apart from tables and chairs, the (donation) will be used for maintenance as well as to upkeep the school field as this school, which has been here for more than 60 years, places a lot of importance on sports as well,” he said.

Loke, who had also given a portion of his MP allocations to the school previously, hoped former students of all schools will help their respective almae matres through donations.

“We must never forget that schools have helped shape us and we should give back when we are doing better in life.

“This has to be made a culture,” he said.

SMK St Paul principal Kalaiselvam Muniandi thanked Loke for helping the school get the funding.

“When YB Loke came here for a sports meet a few months ago, I approached him for help.

“He told me to quickly submit a request and a working paper and today we are receiving this very meaningful contribution which will go a long way to help us provide students with a better learning environment,” he said.

Kalaiselvam said Loke had also done a lot for the school, the most recent being a RM50,000 donation to the SMK St Paul and SK St Paul parent-teacher associations.

The YTL Foundation was established in 1997 with the principal aim of providing aid to deserving individuals.

Throughout the years, it has also awarded scholarships and book prizes.

The foundation has since broadened its reach to include the sponsorship of initiatives such as workshops, talks and conferences in the field of education with a focus on transforming the sector using technology and the Internet.