Sabah Launch TPNS Smart Application System

Sabah has been expanding access to educational assistance for all students so that they will diligently pursue their ambitions and dreams. The state leadership has conveyed to students and parents that strong and quality education will spur progress in future development.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor said that the Sabah State Education Fund (Tabung Pendidikan Negeri Sabah or TPNS) has disbursed RM40 million in educational assistance since its launching in June 2022, benefiting 27,781 students. From January to August 2026 alone, 11,383 people benefited from TPNS assistance amounting to RM15.89 million, Hajiji said.

“We must produce a generation that is knowledgeable, skilled, has integrity and is able to compete. The establishment of TPNS, based on the theme ‘Sponsorship Opportunities for All’, has proven to be an important vehicle for education progress,” {quoter}

During the event, 362 recipients from Kota Kinabalu district received assistance amounting to RM6.79 million. The Sabah State Government Scholarship (Biasiswa Kerajaan Negeri Sabah or BKNS) has allocated RM155 million in 2026 in scholarships for thousands of students to pursue higher education and especially in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Hajiji said that the scholarships allocation has increased more than threefold compared with RM50 million in 2020, while between 2021 and 2025, the government has rolled out 14 education-related initiatives, including the Higher Education Institution Registration Cash Assistance (Bantuan Tunai Pendaftaran IPT or BUDI), Computer Assistance Programme (Bantuan Ihsan Komputer or BAIK) and flight ticket assistance for Sabah students in Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak and Labuan.

The government launched the Sabah Education Sponsorship Portal (Portal Tajaan Pendidikan Sabah or PTPS) in July 2024 as a “single-window platform” combining the five main education sponsorship and assistance agencies into a single integrated platform. The launch of the TPNS Smart Application System on 25 September 2026 is expected to further strengthen the integrated platform. TPNS Smart System allows students to submit applications online, and to track and trace the status in real time. The system aims to simplify and enhance the application process.