Selangau’s SK St Matthew Sekuau alumni out to give back to alma mater

SIBU (Jan 7): The alumni of SK St Matthew Sekuau in Selangau are planning to provide scholarships and financial assistance to outstanding pupils of the primary school.

This was highlighted by the alumni’s spokesman, Andenson Dato Paran, during a press conference at Kingwood Hotel here, yesterday.

“We are taking this initiative as a way to inspire and motivate the brilliant pupils of SK Saint Matthew Sekuau.

“This plan will also take into account the support and assistance from the local community, as well as those from the corporate sector who want to fulfil their corporate social responsibility (CSR) obligations.

“It cannot be denied that the brilliant school-children in the rural areas need financial assistance and strong support from the community in pursuing higher education,” said Andenson, also the executive chairman of BMAS Holdings Sdn Bhd, consisting of Borneo MA Smart Vendors Sdn Bhd, BMAS Construction Sdn Bhd, and BMAS Entertainment Enterprise.

To kick off the initiative, Andenson’s group of companies would contribute RM50,000 to the alumni dinner, set to take place this Jan 20.

The alumni are also running a number of fundraising activities to help the school’s parent-teacher association (PTA) as well as students in need of assistance.

“We will organise a charity dinner to raise funds for the school, and everyone is invited to render their support to this initiative.

“We are also planning to conduct a study tour for the teaching staff along with the school-children to gain exposure to the implementation of ‘smart school’ programmes,” said Andenson.

The history of the establishment of SK Saint Matthew Sekuau began with a steadfast effort by Andenson’s father, the late Dato Paran, who used his own financial resources to build a classroom block and basic facilities in 1947.

He became the first headmaster, serving from 1948 until 1949.

Andenson is currently one of the successful Iban entrepreneurs in Sarawak.